A fourth-year player who contributed to the Indians’ historically successful teams in recent seasons, Lee has had to step into the lead role for a squad restocked with young talent.

It was he who provided an early spark in both of Ripon’s playoff matches last week, as the team looks to reach a third straight Sac-Joaquin Section II final.

On Nov. 5, the third-seeded Indians (19-12) rode the strapping senior to a 15-7 win over No. 14 Woodcreek, jumping out to a 7-0 halftime lead.

And Lee provided every one of those first-half goals, finishing with eight to go with two steals in the home game at St. Mary’s Cortopassi Aquatics Center.

“We wanted to get a hot start going,” Lee said. “So, I did the best I could to set the tone, and I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

The Indians needed his scoring prowess to get them going two days later against visiting No. 7 seed Ponderosa. They were nearly shut out for the entire opening quarter until Lee converted on a penalty in the final seconds. He went on to record a second-half hat trick, finishing with five goals and two assists in the 15-6 rout.

Ripon heads to No. 2 Lodi (21-9) for a semifinal showdown. They previously met Oct. 9 in a non-league match won by Lodi, 11-6. The winner faces either top-seeded Merced or No. 5 El Capitan in the title round Saturday at Roseville Aquatics Center. The Division II final starts at 2:30 p.m.