Not even a lengthy rain delay could slow the Butler boys' lacrosse team.

Then again, what's a late-spring thunderstorm to a Golden Tornado?

Behind a strong offensive effort from Nathan Barthlow and acrobatic goaltending by Alex Hill, top-seeded Butler beat second-seeded Hampton, 14-9, in the WPIAL Division II boys' lacrosse championship game Friday night at Chartiers Valley Stadium.

"The defense was playing very well," said Hill, who kept the Talbots (18-3) at bay while the Golden Tornado (18-2) clung to small leads. "I owe it to them that they didn't deflect the shots or put me at a bad angle to make saves."

Barthlow scored four goals and finished the postseason with 16 goals -- an average of four per game.

The start did not disappoint as each team scored within the first three minutes. Then, lightning struck. Literally.

A one-hour, 45-minute delay sent both teams to the locker rooms 2:29 into the first quarter.

"It was kind of a bummer," Barthlow said.

"We came out ready to play, and that just kind of got us down a little bit, kind of ruined our mood."

But it did not ruin Butler's play.

Soon after play resumed with the scored tied, 1-1, the Golden Tornado surged ahead, scoring four of the next five goals to take a 5-2 lead.

Butler coach Ed Swierczyk said the delay might have helped his team because it allowed the Golden Tornado to relax and gain their composure.

Hampton coach Greg Edelman said it was tough to take the time off after getting prepared for the start of the game.

"It was hard," he said, "but they had the delay, too."

Though Butler never trailed, the Talbots never let the Golden Tornado get comfortable.

Hampton's offense was relentless, pressuring Butler's defense as it tried to protect a lead. The Talbots unleashed a flurry of shots at Hill but could not tie the score.

"Their goalie was standing on his head," Edelman said. "He was making unbelievable saves."

Butler's players and coaches have come to expect that play from Hill, a senior.

"For not being very big, he's very nimble and able to make the saves," Swierczyk said. "He's like Dominik Hasek out there. He's all over the crease. I don't know how the kid does it, but he's unbelievable."

Barthlow said Hill might be one of the best goalies in Pennsylvania.

"He kept us in the game, made some amazing saves," Barthlow said. "He's done it all season."

The Golden Tornado led, 5-4, at halftime and increased its lead to 8-6 by the end of the third quarter.

But it was in the fourth quarter that Butler made its biggest move. The Golden Tornado scored four goals in the first five minutes and outscored Hampton, 6-3, in the final quarter to put the game out of reach.

In addition to Barthlow's four goals, Cody Bachman and Cole Harvey each scored three for the Golden Tornado.

Tyler Kotch, the Division II player of the year, scored two goals for Butler. Jimmy Kuczynski led the Talbots with three goals.

It was the first WPIAL championship for the Butler lacrosse program, which is still in its infancy. That made the win special for seniors such as Hill and Barthlow.

"We had to play our best game," Barthlow said.

"It was the last game for some of us -- us seniors -- and we couldn't leave anything in the tank."

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