The Fort Collins unified boys lacrosse team was left with a sour taste in its collective mouth after suffering a loss against Cherry Creek at home April 18.

It was not that the Vipers were upset they allowed Cherry Creek to exact a small measure of revenge for Fort Collins' win against the Bruins in the semifinals of the state tournament last year. What really gnawed at many Fort Collins players was they believed they did not bring their best game to the field in that loss.

The Vipers did not make that mistake again, posting a gritty 7-6 win Tuesday against the Bruins in the state semifinals at All City Stadium.

The Fort Collins unified team, which ended Cherry Creek's two-year run as state champion last season, will aim for its second consecutive state title Saturday.

"I knew we were a better team than when we played them (earlier) this season," Fort Collins senior Henry Miketa said. "We beat ourselves, I think. We just didn't put in our goals. But I guess it worked out the same as last year. They beat us in the regular season, and we beat them in the playoffs."

The match was tied 4-4 at halftime and remained deadlocked at 5-5 before a goal by Miketa, his third of the game, at the third-quarter buzzer gave the Vipers a one-goal edge.

Fort Collins extended its lead to 7-5 on a goal by Tyler Whitcomb with 4:39 remaining, but Cherry Creek made things interesting on a goal by Mike Beimford with 1:11 remaining.

Cherry Creek (13-4) enjoyed a flurry in the final moments, but Vipers goalie Jackson Nye made a crucial save with about 35 seconds remaining to help preserve Fort Collins' berth in the title game.

"When I think it's going to be a goal, I generally walk away and turn my head, and I turned my head on that one," Fort Collins coach Carey Smith said. "I thought we were going to overtime."

Whitcomb finished with three goals and two assists, while Devin Arruabarrena added one goal and two assists for the Vipers (15-3). Beimford and Nick Bailey each recorded two goals for Cherry Creek.

"We just tried to get the ground balls and out hustle them," Whitcomb said. "We were all ready, we knew where we needed to be, and we came out with the intensity we needed."

Fort Collins0 1 4 2 - 7

Cherry Creek1 3 1 1 - 6

First quarter - 1, CC, Nick Bailey (Mike Beimford), 11:59.

Second quarter - 2, FC, Tyler Whitcomb (Teran Mawhinney), 1:05; 3, CC, Hamilton Blair (T.J. McAuley), 2:04; 4, CC, R.C. Willenbrock (unassisted), 3:07; 5, FC, Whitcomb (Devin Arruabarrena), 5:00; 6, FC, Henry Miketa (unassisted), 5:17; 7, CC, Beimford (unassisted), 6:02; 8, FC, Arruabarrena (Whitcomb), 7:40. Third quarter - 9, FC, Miketa (Arruabarrena), 7:12; 10, CC, Bailey (unassisted), 11:31; 11, FC, Miketa (Whitcomb), 12:00. Fourth quarter - 12, FC, Whitcomb (Brock Waddell), 7:21; 13, CC, Beimford (Bryan Price), 10:49.

Shots on goal - FC, 3-9-4-2-18; CC, 2-6-2-2-12. Saves - FC (Jackson Nye 6); CC (Jeff Barton 11).