Community - Game of the Week

Dallas, Texas – In frigid temperatures, wind, and a sideways snowfall, the #1 ranked University of Michigan men’s lacrosse team gutted out another tough win on Saturday night (March 20) in Dallas, Texas, defeating #7 Oregon by a score of 5-4 in overtime.  Playing in the marquee and final game of the Patriot Cup, the Wolverines gave up a goal with just five seconds left in regulation before banging home the game-winner under a minute into the over-time period to remain unbeaten on the season while also maintaining their now 46-game winning streak.

Michigan won the opening faceoff but following a turnover in the Duck’s zone, a breakdown in the Wolverines’ ride gave Oregon a great shot on the transition.  A chance on a wide-open goal was missed wide however as the Duck’s failed to convert the golden opportunity early on.

Oregon eventually got on the board first at the nine-minute mark on a shot from tight in on the right wing for the early lead.  The teams traded possessions for the majority of the first quarter, but Michigan was able to answer just before the quarter break on a man-up goal from senior midfielder Jamison Goldberg (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown).  Goldberg took a feed from senior midfielder Anthony Hrusovsky (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) on the left wing and waited for the goaltender to commit before bouncing one into the cage to knot the game at 1-1 as the teams entered the second quarter.

The defensive struggle continued as neither team could find the back of the net through the first 11:18 of the quarter.  Michigan finally capitalized as senior midfielder Svet Tintchev (Rockville, Md./Bullis) took a feed from Hrusovsky on the right wing and fired a low screamer that found its way through traffic for U-M’s first lead of the game at 2-1 late in the first half.

Michigan kept the pressure on during the end of the second quarter, earning a man-up with 1:43 left.   The Wolverines failed to score however, and an Oregon save turned into a successful clear.  The Ducks quickly turned the ball over though, and Michigan raced up field for a final chance of their own before the half-break.  The Maize and Blue failed to capitalize once again however with the Wolverines holding on tight to the one-goal lead heading into the second half.

Oregon tied the game up four minutes into the third quarter on a dodge from the left wing, but Michigan answered at the 7:13 mark on a quick stick goal from junior attackman Trevor Yealy (Pittsburgh, Penn./Upper St. Claire) after he took a feed from senior attackman Clark McIntyre (Little Silver, N.J./Rumson – Fair Haven).

Oregon didn’t back down and converted a Wolverine turnover at 4:16 to tie the game at 3-3.  The Ducks picked off a pass on a Michigan clear and took it in one on one on junior goaltender Mark Stone (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) before firing low.

After possessions for both teams, Michigan earned a man-up chance late in the third quarter and senior attackman Josh Ein (Potomac, Md./Bullis) capitalized for Michigan, taking a feed from Goldberg on the left wing and firing low to high for the 4-3 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Michigan kept up the pressure at the start of the fourth quarter, with Yealy catching a pipe at 9:25 as the Wolverines continued to struggle finding the back of the net.  U-M maintained possession over the next five minutes and earned a minute-long man-up following a Duck slash at 4:26.  The Wolverines failed to capitalize, turning the ball over twice on the man-up as Oregon killed the opportunity and earned a possession with just under a minute left in the game.  As soon as Oregon got into the Wolverines’ box, the Ducks called a timeout with 52 seconds left to set up their last push.

Michigan’s defense was initially up to the task, as Oregon turned the ball over with just :19 seconds left.  The Wolverines couldn’t clear the ball however, and the Ducks were able to sneak one in just inside the left pipe from the left wing to tie the game at 4-4 and force overtime.

Oregon won the opening faceoff of the OT period, but turned the ball over on a missed feed in front.  Michigan was able to clear the ball as Goldberg took it up the right wing before finding senior attackman Kevin Zorovich (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) just below the right GLE.  Zorovich quickly hit a cutting Yealy who fired low and away from the right wing for the game-winning goal as the Wolverines’ contingent rushed the field following the win.

Statistically, Michigan won every category.  U-M outshot the Ducks 41-26, and scooped up 46 groundballs compared to 22 by U-O.  U-M was 7 of 12 on faceoffs, and cleared the ball at a of 21-30 while riding Oregon to 16-27 totals.  The Maize and Blue scored twice on six man-up attempts with the Ducks scoring failing to score on two attempts.

The Wolverines will be right back on the road next weekend when they head to downtown Milwaukee to take on Minnesota-Duluth on the Marquette campus on Saturday, March 27 at 1:00pm MST.  For all of your Michigan men’s lacrosse needs, please visit mgobluelacrosse.com.

NOTES

● Yealy was the only multi-goal scorer with two, while Goldberg and Hrusovsky tied Yealy for the team lead in points with two apiece.

● Senior faceoff specialist David Reinhard (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) finished 7 of 12 at the “X”.

● Senior midfielder Jordan Kirshner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and junior defenseman Harrison Freid (Needham, Mass./Needham) both led the team with six groundballs.

● Junior goaltender Mark Stone (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) was impressive in net, especially in the first period.  Stone finished with nine saves, including five in the first quarter.

● With the win, Michigan extends their winning streak to 46 games.

● The Wolverines had their lowest scoring output since their MCLA Tournament first-round loss to Northeastern (15-4) in May of 2007.

● Michigan improves to 4-0 all-time vs. Oregon.  Michigan’s last game vs. the Ducks resulted in an over-time win at Oosterbaan in 2005.

● The contest between the two squads was the final game of the 2010 Patriot Cup.  Over the course of the week, Dallas hosted numerous games and scrimmages between high schools and colleges from around the country to help support the Wounded Warrior Project.  The WWP provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life.  Visit patriotcup.com and woundedwarriorproject.org for more info.

QUOTES

Head Coach John Paul

On his general impressions: “Well, we gutted that one out.  Overall I’m proud of the guys for doing what they need to do to win a game.  We certainly almost let that slip away there though.  The conditions were tough and I think both teams probably played a lot sloppier than they are accustomed to.  Oregon is a very good team and they came in with a good game-plan.  Their defense played outstanding and I thought our defense really limited their opportunities as well.  It turned into one of those games that went possession to possession and you were just waiting for one of the teams to break through.  I thought we had taken that lead near the end of the game, but we just couldn’t put it away at the end of regulation and we lost focus for a split second.  Hopefully we will learn some lessons from today.”

On the team’s mindset going into OT: “We are prepared for those type of situations because we work on those times during practice.  And although we’ve put together this impressive win streak, we’ve certainly had our share of tight games over the past three years, including a couple this year.  This is nothing new to us, and we’ve built a lot of confidence, even when things aren’t going our way.  I looked at the guys going into overtime and you could get a sense that they were thinking ‘So what?  We’ve got to win this in overtime.’”

On the team’s inability to put together a complete game: “I think we are still our own worst enemy.  We haven’t played even close to our potential for more than five or 10-minute stretches in a game.  I think there are some things we need to look at as coaches in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.  We need to get through next week and then I think we need to reassess some things with this team and figure out why we’re not clicking.  We certainly have moments, and we certainly have talent, and in the end it’s working because we’re winning, but we all know we’re not playing up to our potential.  Somehow we have to fix that.”

On where the problems lie: “I think some of it is strategic stuff, and I’m not sure we’re putting these guys in the best possible position.  I also think there are certain guys that need to fix some things personally that they can fix.  We have some focus issues where guys resort to bad habits and they aren’t taking the next step and playing at the level they are capable of.  I think it’s a combination of the two.”

On the upcoming week: “We certainly don’t shy away from tough competition and we love playing Minnesota-Duluth.  They are well-coached, hard-working team and we love to play those type of squads.  This is another opportunity to play a great MCLA team, and it’s also another opportunity to improve, and if we don’t improve we’re going to have to keep clawing and scratching out these wins and we really don’t want to be in that position any more.”

Junior defenseman Harrison Freid

On his general impressions: “The conditions were kind of crazy and it was tough to see the ball at times, but we just weren’t playing the way we could of in all aspects.  I think we gave them momentum early on, and once their goalie started making some saves it became more of a dogfight than we had hoped.”

On clearing the ball: “I think some of the long-sticks, myself included were having trouble getting a real feel for the stick and I think guys were over-compensating a little and we sailed some passes.  They were playing a soft ride, and we just needed to execute better and make some better decisions.”

On the defense: “I think we felt good about ourselves in settled situations.  We had a good feel for them and we had some good matchups going.  We dodged a bullet on their possession in overtime, but overall I think we played pretty well back there.  We were talking a lot and making the right calls.  It’s also easier for a defense to stay focused in a game like that.  In a tight-game like that we start to get into a rhythm and we were playing some very good team orientated defense.”

On looking forward: “We need to keep practicing with more intensity and really get to work this week.  The Minnesota-Duluth game is going to be another tough matchup and I think we just need to use this week to put a stronger effort into practice and go full out more consistently.”

Junior goaltender Mark Stone

On staying focused: “I thought the defense played extremely well and I didn’t see a ton of shots.  As a goalie, all you can do is watch the ball and stay focused.  I was trying to stay composed the entire game and I knew this team has out-worked everyone in the league and I knew we could pull it out no matter what.  I was disappointed in myself after allowing the late goal, but that went away in about five seconds once I reached the sideline and everyone had a sense that we still going to win this game.”

On prepping for those situations in practice: “We work so hard in the situational scrimmages, and the coaches have us prepared for moments like that.  We do that week after week after week and the only difference is that it’s against another team.  I have to give Coach Paul a lot of credit for having us ready for situations like that.  We were prepared for that overtime and it showed.”

On the team’s character: “The type of person that goes to Michigan is a unique kind of kid.  They have a different mindset and outlook and they’re extremely competitive in all facets of life.  Champions are made through adversity, and no matter what position we’re in, I know we have the confidence in ourselves to pull it out.  That was the difference tonight.”


MICHIGAN STATE GAME
Courtsey of www.msulax.com

The Spartans would spend the majority of the second locked at 4-1 until senior midfielder Tom Haubenreich fired a pass to junior captain Connor Bush who ripped a shot past the Oregon defense to cut the Ducks’ lead to two. Michigan State sliced Oregon’s lead to one before halftime when Bush found Baily across the crease who then stuck a shot right past Johnston’s ear to notch the score at 4-3. Although the Oregon had the lead heading into halftime, the Spartans owed the momentum.

The start of the third quarter was dull to say the least. Nearly nine minutes would pass before junior Patrick Nemes picked up a contested ground ball which led to Bush’s second goal and a tie score at 4-4. The momentum shift was in full effect when the Bush/Baily connection struck again and Baily rocked a shot off the cross bar and into the net that gave the Spartans their first lead of the game. However, the Ducks’ offense had not gone completely cold. After Oregon retained possession after an errant shot, senior attackman Justin Blackmore beat the Spartan defense to tie the score at five apiece. It would be the Ducks’ first goal in the game since the 3:52 mark in the first quarter. Time expired in the third quarter before any team could establish a lead, leaving only the fourth quarter to settle the score.

The fourth quarter fireworks immediately started when junior defenseman Brendan Hunt stretched the full length of the field on a clear and hit Baily on the crease for his hat trick and a 6-5 lead for Michigan State. The Spartans could not hold on to the lead for long because a minute later Oregon answered right back off the faceoff to tie the score at six. The goal hardly demoralized the Spartans when five minutes later attackman Patrick Nemes bullied his defender down to the goal, turned and stuck the ball short-side past the goalie’s helmet to put the Spartans up 7-6. Michigan State would add two more goals to their count including one more from Baily and another from sophomore midfielder Mike Degenhardt on an empty net giving the Spartans a 9-7 lead and yet another win among top 10 opponents.

Michigan State out hustled Oregon on the ground picking up 46 ground balls to the Ducks’ 39, led by Patrick Nemes with six. The Spartans also dominated Oregon on the faceoff winning 65% of all the face-offs. Michigan State’s staple defense of Matt LaCasse, Brendan Hunt and Mike Schneider shut down the Oregon offense for the majority of the game despite the first quarter slip. Another outstanding performance was turned in by senior goalie Dean Hall who boasted a 63.2 save percentage against a top tier offense. Other stand out players of the game included defensive midfielder Justin Ward and David Reese who held a highly talented corp of Oregon midfielders to four goals on the day.

Coach Hicks was excited after a big win but now has the task of keeping his team focused going into conference play. “A lot of people look at the rankings. The only ranking I’m worried about is the one at the end of the year,” Hicks said, “We have some tough games coming up and teams are hoping to make a name for themselves by beating Michigan State. No matter who we play, ranked or unranked, we have a huge target on our chest. Now, we’ll have to be more focused than ever.”

OSU Vs. Boise

"OSU took on the Broncos of Boise State Sunday at Reser Stadium for their final home game of the regular season. Both squads were a little sluggish to start. OSU struggled to maintain possession with 11 turnovers in the first quarter. Scoring ignited for the Beavs in the second, converting 7 of 10 shots for goals. Oregon State led 9-3 at the break. OSU was plagued by penalties in the second half. A total of 11 minutes and 30 seconds were levied against the Beavs with 8 of the minutes coming late in the second half. BSU was able to capitalize on their man-up opportunities and outscored OSU 4-2 in the final 2 quarters. In the end OSU pulled out the victory and are now 5-2 (1-0) on the season."

Quoted from MCLA.US

PSU Vs. Idaho

After letting a much-improved and very classy Portland State squad jump to a 2-0 lead in the first, Idaho got into gear and notched 6 unanswered points to go up 6-2. Just as it seemed Idaho was going to run away with it, PSU jolted awake and notched one before the end of the 2nd frame to send the game into halftime 6-3 in favor of Idaho. The Vikings had the momentum coming out of the half and fought back hard in the 3rd bringing the game to one goal. After a time-out to make some adjustments, the Vandals righted the ship at the end of the 3rd and were able to hold on for the win behind outstanding efforts from sophomore goalie Blake Uphus and sophomore attack John Kopke (5g, 1a).

Idaho 9
PSU 8

Photos courtsey of

Karl Kuchs

OSU Vs. Idaho

Hard fought game from start to finish under the lights of Reser. Idaho's 2nd goal, however, was called back when it was determined that freshman attack Kyle Morse’s head had become illegally narrow. During the course of the ensuing 3-minute penalty, Oregon State tied the match and then found the back of the net again in the aftermath to take a 2-1 lead. Oregon State extended its lead and took a 5-3 lead into the half. In the second half, Idaho clawed back and tied the game late in the 4th quarter to send it into overtime. In OT, however, Oregon State won the draw and ended the Vandal upset bid with an unassisted goal by OSU attackman Cooper McCabe. Sophomore attackman Cooper McCabe scored the game winner.

OSU 11
Idaho 10

OSU Vs. Montana

The Beavs came out of the gate fast against the Griz of Montana Saturday at Reser, blanking U of M in the first quarter for a 3-0 advantage. OSU led 4-1 early in the second before Montana rallied to tie the game at 5's to end the half. Plagued by better than 10 minutes of penalties, OSU dug themselves into an 8 -5 deficit in the third before turning it around, scoring 6 of the last 8 goals. Sophomore Alex Spang converted his hat trick and the game winner with under 30 seconds to play.

OSU 11
Montana 10

Best of luck to Montana, thank you for a great game.

Portland State Vs. UC Davis

In the 2009 season, the first year Portland State Vikings visited UC Davis Aggies in California. On a rain soaked field the Vikings fell to the Aggies 16-1. A year latter and a year more experienced the Vikings faced off against Davis again, this time in Portland. The Vikings came out a little groggy for this morning game only scoring 3 goals in the first half (Chris Reidl Mid, and Eddie Phillips Mid asst. by Reidl). The second half belonged to PSU however. The Vikings began firing on all cylinders and scored 6 goals in the 3rd (3 from Reidl asst. Lund Atk and Neely D), other scorers were Ostrow Mid, Jayne Atk, and Lund Atk. Although the Vikings didn't score at all in the 4th, Freshman goalie Andrew Parker made 8 saves in the 3rd and 7 in the 4th. Also his out-let passing allowed PSU to convert on more than one fast break. An addtional asset for PSU came from center x, Ryan Haider won 6 faceoffs, while Jake Ostrow won 3.

Portland State 9
UC Davis 7

Oregon Fall Classic

Every year the University of Oregon holds the Fall Classic Tournament in Eugene Oregon. This year the teams in attendance included Western Oregon, Southern Oregon, Oregon State, Willamette University, Bigfoot Lacrosse Club A. The 47-man Oregon roster was split into two teams White and Black. The two Oregon teams played the day’s championship game with White coming out on top with a 14-0 win.

Article from the Daily Emerald

By Matt Hanlon

The University’s club men’s lacrosse team is eager to prove itself in the coming spring season after faltering in the first round of last year’s national tournament in May.
 

And that journey to re-establishment began Saturday.
 

The 47-man roster was split into two teams for the Fall Classic Tournament, and it was all Oregon in the end, with both teams making it to the championship game. In the game, it was the Oregon White Team, nicknamed “White Squall,” that prevailed in the rain-drenched final, defeating the Oregon Black Team 14-0 to claim the tournament title.

Joe Kerwin, the former Oregon lacrosse coach in his first year back after a stint as head coach at Notre Dame de Namur University, felt that the eight-team tournament was a good experience for his becoming team.
 

“We got a chance to really see guys, and it was just a great experience,” Kerwin said. “We’re still getting used to guys and trying to see where people fit in.”
 

Team coordinator and junior attack Robbie McLellarn, who played on Oregon’s White Team, said he was impressed with his team’s perseverance through the difficult conditions.
 

“I think everyone played really well,” he said. “It’s a long day of lacrosse; as you get into that final game everyone’s pretty exhausted and everyone just wants to go home. The championship game we thought would be a lot closer but we were all pretty tired … but as long as I’ve been going here it’s been Oregon vs. Oregon in the championship game.”
 

The White Squall dominated its first game, a 22-0 win over Willamette. But the real test of the tournament came in a 7-6 win over Oregon State in the semifinal game.
 

“OSU has never beaten us for as long as there’s been lacrosse at both schools,” McLellarn said. “They jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. They were very, very motivated to beat us, and we got a little lazy. But we came together with five minutes left to secure the win.”
 

Oregon’s Black Team, self-named “The Black Pearl,” beat Southern Oregon in the first game 15-6 and then had a test of its own in a 9-7 comeback win over Portland. The Black Team went down early in the game but never panicked, junior goalie Nick Johnston said.
 

“I thought the most impressive win was definitely the Portland win,” he said. “We were down 4-0 in the first half and came back and won. It was the strong defense and the transition back to our offense that helped us to get the win.”
 

The teams were split evenly for the tournament, but according to Johnston, it was the secondary that made the difference in the Black Team’s inability to score in the championship game.
 

“We had a young secondary and we had a lot of people switch positions for our team,” he said. “The white team had a good secondary, and that’s what made the difference. We were just so tired, and it was pouring. We just basically ran out of gas that game.”
 

McLellarn said that the tournament marked a successful end to the fall season for the team and a lot of positives emerged that they can build on for the spring.
 

“I think it showed a lot of hard work that the young guys have been putting in,” he said. “This tournament kind of marks the end of the fall season. Everyone is learning to play together and everyone is getting back in shape. The tournament gives us a chance to preview what it’s like to be playing other teams.”
 

McLellarn credited Kerwin for the success and camaraderie of the two Oregon teams in this year’s Fall Classic.
 

“Coach Kerwin did a great job,” he said. “He stayed neutral for this week, and he did a good job of keeping things light but still focused. We practiced all week in our different teams, we scrimmaged during the week and guys got creative with it.”
 

As winter looms, the team will focus on conditioning and individual skills in preparation for what will be a trying spring season. And while there is still plenty to work on before spring, the fall season was a big step in the right direction.
 

“We have a lot of athletes on this team,” he said. “This is probably the deepest team we’ve ever had. As far as the team, we’re going to just keep moving along. When we hit the spring, we’re going to kind of start over again.”
 

Humboldt Fall Harvest Tourney

Humboldt State University held their second annual Fall Harvest Tournament. Eight teams were in attendance this year: Humboldt State, Humboldt Alumni, San Jose State, Southern Oregon, University Nevada Reno, St. Mary’s, Portland State, and Willamette.

The first day of play was set on well-groomed grass fields near campus. In between the two fields vendors set up and Humboldt State provided a ping pong table so teams could unwind after games. After two days of play the events final games were played at Humboldt’s Red Wood Bowl.

Results:

1^st Portland State

2^nd Southern Oregon

3^rd Humboldt State

4^th St. Mary’s

Aloha Chumash Tourney

Alhoa High School held its first ever Patriot Games on June 14th 2009. The tourney consisted of a day of Chumash games. Chumash is played by two teams of 3 players each. Each team may have one substitute. There is one goal in the center of the field. The purpose of each team is to score on its respective side of the goal. Long sticks are illegal. The game moves fast and is great for developing stick skills and a precise shot. Aloha invited ateams from all over the metro area. They held brackets for grads 5-12 and even had a mens bracket.  The event was well planned and we were happy to contribute to the day. See ya there next year!

09 Victoria Summer Slam

Team Bigfoot embarked on a summer adventure North of the border, across the Strait of Georgia via BCFerry to Vancouver Island, B.C. for the 2009 Victoria Summer Slam. The tourney roster consisted of mainly Oregon Ducks alumni and current, teamed with a handful of Portland area players. The 20 man squad showed up Friday night to win there first game in nail-biting fashion 5-4 over the Nanaimo Baywatch. Saturday was a good day for team ‘Foot: winning all three games including a quarter-final match up against Team High Life to advance to semi-finals and won the overall number one seed going into the playoffs. Sunday morning was a bit haggard however, and Bigfoot ended up losing its semi-final match up to the eventual tournament champions-The Victoria Guzzlers. The Guzzlers had a montage of NLL players and lacrosse legends Kevin and Bruce Alexander. All in all a great tourney; Victoria is an awesome city and hosted a great tournament!


Words By Josh Schane
Lax action shots by Kasey Ericksen

Lake Tahoe Tourney 09

Words and Photos By Nate Cordova: licensetostill.com/

2009 was the first year I’ve made the trip to Lake Tahoe with my lacrosse family.  For years now, Oregon laxers, alumni, and a few others have played in the Lake Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament every July, and for some reason or another, I’ve never been able to go.

Which is why it was a huge disappointment for me when I dislocated my shoulder (for the 4th time) in a lacrosse game two weeks before the tournament.  So although I wasn’t able to take the field again with my brothers, our fraternity of uncountable and undefinable characters and memories, I was able to bring my camera and shoot our games and off-field bromancing.  

One of my roommates/teammates from college, Julian, lives on the west side of Lake Tahoe and that’s where our drive ended.  The first thing we did when we got there was break into Julian’s room, give him a big hug, and then pass out on the floor fully clothed.  

An overnight drive sounds kind of ridiculous at first but I’ll give Chris credit for the idea.   We had the entire day at Meeks Bay while everyone else trickled in that evening.  I’ve never been to a lake quite like Tahoe, Shasta is pretty cool, but Tahoe has amazing rock formations, white sand beaches, and crystal blue water.  Every time we went to the beach I brought my Holga and my twin lens reflex camera, so you’re going to have to wait to see those prints.

The rest of these photos from the first day are from the barbecue we had at Julian’s house later that first night as everyone arrived.

Since I dislocated my shoulder (again) two weeks before the tourney in Tahoe I wasn’t playing, but  I do miss the bruises and welts when 100mph balls skip off my arms, thighs and shins.  Honestly, I enjoy playing goalie more than I’ve enjoyed nearly anything else in my life.

That being said, I LOVE taking pictures, so it wasn’t the biggest disappointment of my life when my shoulder relegated me to the sideline for the weekend.  I recapped Day 1 of our trip in this earlier post and the following photos are from all the lacrosse action from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Bigfoot fellas, don’t worry if your photo is not included in these, I’ll be posting an extensive collection on my facebook page soon.

This is why we all come to Tahoe.  Not the lacrosse.  But to swim in God’s waterpark — the Yuba River.  My boy, Julian (above), is lucky enough to have spent part of his life in the area, and knows how to get to this off-the-map spot.  Natural waterslides, rock jumping, and crystal clear waters awaited us.

MLL PDX!

I thnk the MLL should steal the NBA's slogan because the MLL is FANTASTIC! The MLL/ Barrage road show made it's longest and final stop on the tour this month as the action came to Portland. In a game that meant nothing to the schedule, the Barrage were in the playoffs the Pride were out, no one would have been surprised to see the teams go through the motions here at the end of a long summer. And after seeing the Barrage rush out to a 7-1 lead in the first quarter it looked like the Pride would go quietly into the offseason. The Pride showed a lot of pride however and shook off the jet lag to not only make a game of it by halftime, in the end they outlasted the Barrage in a 17-16 overtime thriller which brought the crowd of 3,700 to thier feet. Part of a week long celebration consisting of clinics and HS boys tournamants, the MLL game was the culmination of the week showcasing the local lacrosse scene to the MLL and commissioner Dave Gross (pictured looking good in the Bigfoot Tee). I had a chance to speak with commissioner Gross during the game and he seemed pleased with what he saw and the enthusiasm of the local fans so hopefully there is an MLL franchise in Portland's future. Special thanks to the folks in the LumberJax front office who did all the heavy lifting and made this event possible and thanks to the players and the 3,700 local lacrosse fans who made it such a great event to be at.

OHSLA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP *Photos by Deborah Dahme*

Another title game and another heartbreaking defeat for the OES Aardvarks. The 2004 State Champs have played in 6 consecutive state title games and lost the last three games by a total of three goals. This year it was Lincoln who stole the crown as senior All American Pat Rodgers carried the Cardinals to the 6-5 victory. In a low scoring game, Lincoln scored first to take a 2-0 lead but OES was able to answer by the half as the teams went in to the break tied at 2. In the seconed half Lincoln again got out to a two goal lead before OES came back with 3 straight goals to take their first lead of the game at 5-3 with under three minutes to play. Lincoln applied the preassure and was able to come up with a loose ball that resulted in the only goal scored for Lincoln this night by a player not named Pat Rodgers. Peter baum scored with 51 seconds left to tie the game at 5. Just as overtime was looking to be a real possibility Rodgers stepped up again as he drove from the right side of the cage, took the hit from the sliding defense, maintained his balance and was able to put the ball away for the go ahead goal. Sam Baker, Peter Williams, Michael Gale, Alex Katsiyev and Sean Gordan all scored for OES and Andrew Parker was impressive as always in goal registering 12 saves in the loss. Congratulations to Coach Harris and the Cardinals on thier first State Championship. No doubt we'll see both these teams back in the hunt next season. **Bigfoot Lacrosse would like to recognize and give special thanks to Deborah Dahme from Tigard for providing us with these great pictures from the title game.**

OGLA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

St. Mary's Academy entered Thursday night's title game trying to repeat as OGLA State Champs against the last team to do so in Lake Oswego. Riding a 42 game winning streak St. Mary's looked to have their hands full as Lake Oswego came out strong in the first 10 minutes to take a 4-3 lead over the defending champs. St. Mary's offense got on track though before the half ended and scored 6 unanswered goals to take a 9-4 lead into the half. Unlike last years championship game that saw St. Mary's have to come from way back in the second half to win in OT, this year the Blues had to try and stay out in front. Turns out they would have no problem doing so as senior goalie Happy Lathrop was up to the challenge. Repeatedly turning back the LO offense, Happy even had the LO crowd murmuring (sp?) as to how they could find a way past her. Seniors led the way for the Blues in the scoring department as well as Catherine Davidson scored a game high 10 points on 8 goals and 2 assists and senior line mate Sally Roberts chipped in for 5 points of her own on four goals and an assist. Seniors led the way on the Lake O side as well as middies Annika Sohlstom (4g) and Emily Fuller (2g) worked to keep the Lakers in it. In the end St. Mary's took home the 16-10 decision to wrap up a second straight undefeated season and second straight State Championship. Congrats to coach Ziegler and the Blues!!!