Monthly Archives: August 2008

Palos Verdes’ Nolan Semel To Play At Bryant University

Posted on August 20, 2008 | Leave a comment

Nolan Semel , Midfield (Palos Verdes Estates CA/Palos Verdes High)
Nolan hales from Palos Verdes, CA where he earned 2008 California-LA County High School All-American, Nolan has been a 3-time All-Bay League Selection and was the leading scorer for the 16-3 Sea Kings. Nolan will add great size, skill and athleticism to the Bryant midfield.

http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/mlax/2008/News/2008August19LacrosseRecruits

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University head men’s lacrosse coach Mike Pressler is pleased to announce the men’s lacrosse class of 2012.  This year’s class of 17 newcomers include three transfers and one graduate student who will enroll this fall at Bryant University and compete in men’s lacrosse in 2009.  Highlighting this year’s class is the addition of Zack Greer, a three-time All-American and the NCAA’s all-time career goals leader, to the Bryant University men’s lacrosse program.  

“It is with great pleasure to formally announce the Bryant University men’s lacrosse class of 2012,” said Pressler. “We welcome 13 talented freshman, three outstanding transfers and one very distinguished grad student to Smithfield, RI.”

A native of Whitby, Ontario, Greer led Duke University to a pair of national championship appearances. “It is with great pleasure to formally announce the Bryant University men’s lacrosse class of 2012,” said Pressler. “We welcome 13 talented freshman, three outstanding transfers and one very distinguished grad student to Smithfield, RI.”

A native of Whitby, Ontario, Greer led Duke University to a pair of national championship appearances. He will enroll in Bryant University’s Graduate School of Business and will participate in lacrosse during the 2009 season. Greer is eligible for an additional collegiate year as part of the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year for members of the 2006 Duke men’s lacrosse team. Greer played for coach Pressler at Duke for two seasons (2005-06). 

With an NCAA record 206 career goals, Greer was a finalist for the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy, given to the nation’s player of the year in men’s lacrosse.  The 6-foot-2 attackman led the nation in scoring in each of the last three seasons with 57 in 2005, 67 in 2007 and scoring 65 this past spring.  The 67 goals scored in 2007 was the fifth-best all-time for goals in a season in NCAA history; his 57 in ’05 set an NCAA record for goals by a freshman.

Greer’s career high of 11 points (six goals, five assists) against Ohio State in last year’s tournament quarterfinals fell just one point shy of the NCAA tournament record of 12 points held by Maryland’s Ed Mullen and Syracuse’s Gary Gait.

Bryant University will begin its first year competing in Division I in 2008-09.  The Bulldogs posted a school-record 14 wins during Pressler’s second season with the Bulldogs this past spring, guiding Bryant to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.  Bryant will not be eligible for postseason play for two years during the school’s reclassificationPressler’s recruiting class include seven defenders, six midfielders, three attackmen, and one goalie. The three transfers coming to Bryant include defender Erik Elmquist (Bainbridge, MA / Northfield Mount Herman) who attended Savannah College of Art & Design; defender Rob Maiorano (Easton, CT / Fairfield Prep/Salisbury School) who comes to Bryant from Navy; and 6-foor-5 defender Harrison Tull (Annapolis, MD/Annapolis) who joins the Bulldogs after two seasons playing at Colgate. 

“This group will be the foundation as we move forward with the Division I model,” added Pressler.  ”We believe all these young men are individuals of high character and strong moral fiber. For a few years as we make the transition to Division I the Bulldog lacrosse program will certainly face some tough times and adversity on the field. Over the course of time we expect this group of newcomers along with our present rising sophomores to lead the way into a new and very exciting era of Bryant Bulldog lacrosse.” 

Bryant is coming off a record-breaking season this past spring.  The Bulldogs won 14 games in Pressler’s second season and the program’s first NCAA playoff berth.

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West Coast Starz Teams Dominate on East Coast Trip To Yale and UMass

Posted on August 19, 2008 | Leave a comment

West Coast Starz again impressed college coaches back east as players from the club have committed to schools like Duke, Syracuse, Lehigh, Vermont, among others over the course of the last month.  Opening the week with two days at Yale University for the Bull Dog Elite event, the West Coast Starz boys were extremely successful as all teams went undefeated at the event. 

 WCS NEW LOGO

A short bus trip to UMASS on Friday evening and the WCS were ready to compete with some of the top club teams in the country at the Mid Summer Classic.  West Coast Starz teams combined for a 17 – 3 record over the course of the weekend establishing themselves as the premiere club at the tournament.  Numerous college coaches again commented on the team play, respect for the game and their opponents that the boys displayed.  The WCS team directors and coaches were all proud of how the teams carried themselves on and off the field.  The club will reunite back at the University of Maryland for the Fall National Invitational again.  
 

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Interview With G.W. Mix: General Manager of L.A. Riptide Lacrosse

Posted on August 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/08/16/sports/dpt-spmix081708.txt

G.W. Mix, a Newport Coast resident, is general manager of the Major League Lacrosse L.A. Riptide. His team plays in the New Balance Zip Major League Lacrosse semifinals against the Denver Outlaws. Mix, who also heads up a local youth program, the Newport Beach Dawgs, is the general manager of the Riptide. They’ll be playing at Harvard Stadium in Boston. The winner will play in the championship game the next day. Sunday’s championship game will air live on ESPN2.

Question: How much has lacrosse interest grown recently?

Answer: I have a youth program called Newport Beach Surf Dawgs. We started it five years ago. It started second through fourth grade then picked up to sixth, seventh and eighth.

It’s been amazing to watch the girls in this area. We got things going about five years ago. We had about less than 30 for the first year and now we have more than 200 playing. High-school wise, I think, there are more than 24 CIF teams in Orange County, two years ago there were none. That gives you an idea.

It’s been played in San Diego for awhile, and in Los Angeles, too. But Orange County has taken over both those counties combined.

 

Q: Why do you think the game has grown?

A: It’s just an exciting sport. It’s something new. The kids see it and they love it. We have rarely had a kid try it and not come back. It has the excitement of soccer and basketball and football. These kids, they love to be entertained.

[Lacrosse is] overtaking a lot of sports. It’s not a sport that you stand around a lot. I grew up playing it back east. You play a lot of it over there, even before Little League. I spent a number of years coaching it collegiately.

 

Q: Where are you from?

A: I grew up outside of Baltimore. I went to Gillman High, a traditional power in lacrosse. I was an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania for five years, and I was the head coach of Franklin and Marshall College and then head coach at Penn for four years.

 

Q: When was your last season of coaching?

A: My last season coaching was 1994. It was time to figure out how I was going to feed my family. Back then the salaries weren’t what they are now. I went to work for ESPN in Charlotte, N.C. I was the director of their events division and the director of marketing. I still do some work for them. I help manage the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl every year.

 

Q: How much do these pro lacrosse players make?

A: The highest paid player makes $18,000 for the summer, a 12-game season. The lowest paid player gets $6,700 for the summer. It’s somewhat like the old NFL. We’ve got guys who work on Wall Street and get to practice. We’ve got school teachers. One of our star players is in the Navy. He’s a pilot who’s been deployed for Iraq. His name is Graham Gill. He’s from New Jersey. He will not be with us for the season. He was a first-team All-MLL player last year. Terrifiic player. It’s just amazing the guys we have in this league. The unique thing about the league is that these guys play on the weekends because they love the sport. They play every weekend. After the game they stick around and talk with the fans or just hang out. It’s a very unique atmosphere, as far as pro sports go.

 

Q: Who is the favorite to win the MLL championship?

A: Philadelphia has won a few in a row. But I don’t know if there is any clear-cut favorite. We would certainly like to have Graham back. But we’re not going to have him. We’ve had some guys step up and they keep stepping up. Last year, the championship was a three-goal game. I think this game will be every bit as exciting.

Interview conducted by STEVE VIRGEN of the Daily Pilot. He may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.

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Pacific Ridge School In Carlsbad Building State-of-the-Art Lacrosse/Athletic Complex

Posted on August 17, 2008 | Leave a comment

 

Pacific Ridge athletic director Darren Lawlor stands by a soccer goal frame on an empty lot that will eventually become the school’s soccer and lacrosse field. Angela Cesere | Union-Tribune

Pacific Ridge athletic director Darren Lawlor stands by a soccer goal frame on an empty lot that will eventually become the school’s soccer and lacrosse field. Angela Cesere | Union-Tribune

http://www.todayslocalnews.com/?sect=sports&p=5631

It may look like a giant expanse of weeds and thickets, but to Darren Lawlor, it’s a blank canvas.

In eight months, crews will break ground, transforming the desolate field off Palomar Airport Road into a state-of-the-art athletic center, complete with a basketball auditorium and outdoor soccer/lacrosse field.

This is just another step in Lawlor’s plan to build an athletic program from scratch at the new Pacific Ridge School, an independent, nonprofit school in Carlsbad.

“It’s been a challenge to put together all the moving parts,” said Lawlor, who was hired as the fledgling school’s athletic director in June 2007 before its first year of instruction. “We’re very blessed to have all this land in North County.”

Lawlor, who was part of the 1983 NCAA-champion Syracuse lacrosse team and who coached at Harvard, first heard about the alternative 7-12 school from a brochure in the mail.

The former coach, whose son was in fifth grade at the time, did some research online and decided to attend a seminar, where principal Eileen Mullady outlined the school’s mission and curriculum.

“I said to myself, ‘Wow, this woman hit the nail on the head of what education is all about,” Lawlor said. “I was amazed with what she had to say about the school.”

After the seminar, Lawlor approached Mullady, asking her about plans for the athletic department.

“I said, ‘By the way, what are you doing for athletics?” Lawlor said.

Several months later, Lawlor left his job at Callaway Golf to become the architect of the Firebird athletic department.

Because of Lawlor’s background in lacrosse, a sport which is gaining popularity in California, it was one of the first teams added to the program, along with soccer, volleyball, cross country and tennis.

The Connecticut native hopes to add basketball and baseball in the next few years.

“Eventually we’ll have a full gamut of CIF sports,” Lawlor said.

Pacific Ridge will go into its second year of existence with more than 200 students — doubling its enrollment from last year when the school enrolled only seventh- and ninth-graders.

By 2010, Lawlor expects the school’s enrollment to be around 550 students. He said athletics are central to the institution’s growth.

“Some kids wouldn’t consider coming to a school without an athletic program,” Lawlor said. “I think it’s a viable piece. Colleges aren’t just looking for kids who spend all of their time in the classroom.”

The Firebirds’ young program has already experienced some success. Freshman cross country runner David Hines won the Frontier League championship in his first year of competition.

All Pacific Ridge’s high school teams compete in the Frontier League, which consists of six Division V schools, while the middle schooler athletes compete against private schools from all over San Diego County.

Unlike conventional schools, Pacific Ridge students have a say in what sports the athletic department will adopt.

“We do a survey to get a pulse of what (the students) want to do,” Lawlor said. “We want to get an idea of what the interest level is.”

Much of the school’s methodology differs greatly from that of traditional schools.

First of all, you won’t find a traditional student desk at Pacific Ridge. Classes, which consist of no more than 15 students, are conducted at large oval-shaped tables.

This kind of set-up, Lawlor said, promotes participation from everyone in the classroom.

Pacific Ridge also teaches environmental awareness, which is glaringly absent from most school curriculums.

Perhaps most impressively, the entire student body was taught Mandarin Chinese in 2007. The school year was capped off with a trip to China, which Lawlor attended.

“I wish I had an opportunity to go to a school like this,” he said.

The next generation will have that opportunity, as Lawlor’s son will start the seventh grade at Pacific Ridge in 2009.

Reach reporter Matt Crosson at (760) 752-6744

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Lacrosse In The Olympics

Posted on August 16, 2008 | Leave a comment

Lacrosse on the Olympic Stage
Years ago, lacrosse enjoyed status as full-medal and demonstration sport.

by Bill Tanton

Lacrosse was a full medal sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canada won the gold both times. The USA won silver in 1904.

Lacrosse was a full medal sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canada won the gold both times. The USA won silver in 1904.

(Note: This story first appeared in the September/October 2004 issue of Lacrosse magazine.)

How many of us must have watched the Olympic Games this summer and asked: Why no lacrosse?

Lacrosse people can appreciate the fact that Olympic staples such as track and field and swimming are bigger sports internationally than lacrosse. But why do the games include competition in such sports as canoe/kayak, roller sports, taekwondo and table tennis?

Why not lacrosse, a sport growing in popularity so rapidly that a national TV audience this year saw crowds of 46,000 at the NCAA championships in Baltimore?

Has lacrosse ever been an Olympic sport? Answer: Yes, but not for a long, long time.

Lacrosse was a full medal sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canada won the gold both times. The USA won silver in 1904, the team consisting of players from the St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association.

Lacrosse was played in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam and in the ’32 games in Los Angeles. Both times lacrosse was listed as a “demonstration” sport. On both occasions the U.S. was represented by the Johns Hopkins University squad, which had to win an eight-team playoff to qualify.

There aren’t many survivors from those two teams. None of the ’28 players are still with us. From the ’32 team only three are living – Lorne Guild, Caleb Kelly, and a remarkable 91-year-old man in Atlanta named Church Yearley.

Yearley, retired as vice chairman of the First National Bank of Atlanta, is one senior who has never yielded to the common practice of old-timers to embellish long ago accomplishments. Indeed, Church even now won’t accept credit for something that Olympic records give credit for.

A Rice University professor, Clark Haptonstall, who has taught a class there on Olympic history, reports: “In 1932, Johns Hopkins University played a team from Canada in front of 80,000 spectators – which appears to still be a lacrosse record.”

For many years it has been an accepted part of lacrosse legend that the Americans that year played before 80,000. Many have said 100,000 watched lacrosse that year in the then new Los Angeles Coliseum.

Technically, the report is correct, but Church Yearley scoffs at that.

“Oh, that’s an anomaly,” he said one day this summer. “There were 80,000 people in the stands, all right, but they were there for the marathon. The marathon was about to finish the same afternoon in the same stadium, and the crowd was there to see that. And there we were out on the field, playing lacrosse against Canada.”

If anyone over the years has gotten the idea that the ’32 U.S. Olympic lacrosse team was invincible, Yearley puts it a little more modestly: “Canada was the only other team there. We played three games with them. We won the first and third, lost the second.”

The record shows that the U.S. won, 5-3, on Aug. 7, then lost, 5-4 on Aug. 9, and won the deciding game against the Canadians, 7-4, on Aug. 12.

“Jack Turnbull pulled us out,” Church says. “He was our captain and leader and he was the one we turned to when we needed it.”

Turnbull, who died as a World War II bomber pilot, was a first-team All-America attackman along with Don Kelly. Kelly, a versatile three-sport star (football, basketball and lacrosse), is generally considered the best athlete ever at Hopkins.

Defensive stars of that ’32 team were Yearley and Pete Reynolds (who had played no lacrosse prior to college). First-team All-America midfielders were Lorne Guild, Millard Lang and George Packard. Hen Beeler and Caleb Kelly were stalwarts. The goalie was speedster Fritz Stude.

It is also a frequently mentioned part of lacrosse lore that the color announcer at the ’32 Olympics was Will Rogers, who at the time was the biggest star in show business.

“Will Rogers,” Yearley explains, “was half-Indian, so he had seen lacrosse. He came out to our practice a couple times. The star 100-meter dash man for the U.S. in those Olympics was Eddie Toland, a black man. Our goalie, Fritz Stude, stopped a shot and then came racing upfield, and Will Rogers got a laugh out of the crowd when he said, “I think that’s Eddie Toland in whiteface.”

Some of Yearley’s favorite memories of the Olympic experience involve off-the-field things.

Says Church, who, then 19, was the baby of the team:

“We went to California by train. It took three days, but we had a good time in the club car. Our coach, Ray Van Orman, was a great conditioner so none of us drank. We went to a party at the home of a Hollywood director who was married to Francis X. Bushman’s daughter. We visited the MGM lot and watched them shoot a scene with Jean Harlow.”

Caleb Kelly, younger brother of Don, is now a retired lawyer living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. At 93, Caleb is still fit enough that, on the hot July morning when he was phoned for this article, he had just walked a mile to the town of Claiborne to get his mail.

“The crowds we played before in the Olympics are my greatest memory,” he said. “It’s true that when we had 105,000 in the stands the people were there for the marathon, but for the other two games we played I believe there were 50,000 people there. That was impressive.”

Lorne Guild, who turned 93 on March 11, is living at the Broadmead retirement home outside Baltimore. His memories of playing in the ’32 Olympics are similar to those of his old teammates.

“We had a marvelous time,” Lorne said. “We went out on the train. I had an upper berth. It was a lot of fun. Jack Turnbull was the backbone of our team. He was ‘A,’ No. 1, as good as anybody who ever played.”

Guild, Yearley and Caleb Kelly continue to follow lacrosse, especially Hopkins lacrosse. Yearley says he “cried all day” when Hopkins lost to Syracuse in the NCAA semifinals on Memorial Day weekend.

Caleb Kelly, who officiated for many years, re-wrote the official lacrosse rules. He was head coach at the University of Baltimore in the ’50s. He can’t understand why today’s teams don’t play behind the goal as they used to. His UB team one year scored on 75 per cent of its extra-man opportunities using attackmen behind the goal to run the offense.

Will lacrosse ever be back in the Olympics, since it is far more popular in America now than it ever was?

Four years ago in Sydney, Australia, there were efforts made to stage a lacrosse exhibition at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee ruled that a lacrosse game be played, but not at any Olympic venue. That was the end of that.

“The requirement to add a sport,” explains Boston’s John Urban, an active member of the committee working on Olympic qualifying for US Lacrosse, “is that, for men, it must be played in 75 countries on four continents, slightly less for women. With an aggressive approach? I’d say it’ll take 15-20 years for us to get there. Once we get to scale, then we’ll have to deal with IOC politics.”

Steve Stenersen, Executive Director of US Lacrosse, the national governing body, and past chair of the International Lacrosse Federation’s Development Committee (now headed by Tom Hayes), is more optimistic than one might expect.

“We have 25 countries playing now, pushing toward 30,” Stenersen says. “Ten years ago, we only had 12 – so we’ve doubled that. If we can double what we have now, we’ll be close.”

Until then, if we want first-hand accounts of what it was like to play lacrosse for the U.S. in the Olympics, we’ll have to rely on the few survivors from that 1932 team.

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Dan Nourse Named UC Berkeley Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach

Posted on August 15, 2008 | Leave a comment
Dan Nourse Named Head Coach

BERKELEY, C.A.- After a two month search, the University of California Berkeley named Dan Nourse as the new men’s lacrosse head coach in an announcement on Sunday. Dan Nourse had previously served as the offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and interim head coach for the golden bears. Previous to his stint at Cal, Dan served as the head coach at Las Lomas high school, assistant coach at Bucknell University, and president of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association. Nourse is a graduate of Bucknell University, where he was an all league performer and team captain. There he played under legendary coach Sid Jamieson.

“We are extremely pleased to announce Dan as the head coach for the 2008-09 season,” said team president Shane Barclay. “We interviewed numerous qualified candidates, and it was an extremely competitive hiring process. Dan’s coaching and administrative experience, as well as his extensive knowledge of the California lacrosse community, WCLL, and MCLA made him the ideal candidate. Dan brings 30 years of coaching experience to the table, along with a great knowledge of the university, its admissions requirements, etc. We could not be more pleased with the hire.”

“I am thrilled to have been hired as the head coach for the University of California, Berkeley Men’s Lacrosse team,” said Nourse in a statement on Sunday. “I joined the staff two years ago to help elevate this team back to its previous level of national prominence. It has long been my goal to have Cal be a viable end destination for the best and brightest players California has to offer. Playing lacrosse at Cal places you in membership in three of the best networks in the country. First you are part of the California community. Second you are part of the Cal alumni network and third you are part of the lacrosse nation. I am excited for the future potential of this program, and look forward to working with these fine young men.”

“Dan was the perfect candidate,” said vice president Sam Harvey on Sunday. “It’s great to have someone already familiar with the program and the university. I think whenever there is a coaching change, continuity is always a major concern. Dan has handled the attack and man up offense over the past few seasons. All of the returning players are familiar with Dan and his coaching style. He was also the point person for the majority of the recruiting of this years incoming class, so the new players should already be familiar with him. I think what really stood out about Dan was his passion for the game, and his vision for how this program should operate. Dan brings more than just the expectation of winning; he really values honoring the game, and giving back to the community. He is of the opinion, as that of the alumni and school administration, that Cal should be a top flight destination for student athletes that want to attend one of the premier universities in the world, and take part in a competitive and rewarding lacrosse experience. I am glad to see that Dan will be an ongoing part of the Cal lacrosse family.”

Nourse compiled a regular season record of 19-16 while an assistant the previous two seasons. He will take command of a Cal team that went 10-6 in 2008 and failed to make the WCLL playoffs for the first time in three seasons. The 2009 squad will return a bevy of talented veterans. The attack trio of Dave Parker (85g, 36a, 116 career points), Andrew Whitney (57g, 55a, 112 career points), and Ricky Pentella (48g, 35a, 83 career points) all return for their senior seasons. They will share offensive responsibilities with returning midfielders Zach Todaro (26g, 17a, 43 career points, senior), Luke Langon (14g, 8a, 22 career points, junior), Connor Dibble (8g, 5a, 13 career points, senior) and Jared Brett (10g, 2a, 12 career points, sophomore). The other side of the ball features the return of starting close defensemen Dana Lee (senior), Shane Barclay (senior), and Sam Tobis (sophmore). Senior defenseman Tyler Fleetham will return to play in 09, and figures to play a significant role. In all, Cal returns seven of ten starters.

“We return most of our offense and a good portion of our defensive core,” said Nourse. “We lost a very strong goalie and two large strong middies. We have the largest, most experienced and most accomplished incoming freshman class ever, whom I am eager to work with. I expect us to merge them into the Cal program and continue our upward growth.”

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Beverly Hills High School Lacrosse Senior Captain Todd Sheerin Going To Harvard

Posted on August 15, 2008 | Leave a comment
Senior Captain Todd Sheerin has been named by U S Lacrosse as a 2008 Academic All American.

Senior Captain Todd Sheerin has been named by U S Lacrosse as a 2008 Academic All American.

http://beverlyhillslacrosseclub.com/home.shtm

The Beverly Hills Lacrosse Club is pleased to announce that Senior Captain Todd Sheerin has been named by U S Lacrosse as a 2008 Academic All American.

In addition to maintaining a 4.79 GPA over his four years at Beverly, Todd aced all ten Advanced Placement courses that he took. Todd was also named a National Merit Scholar and accumulated numerous other awards as he tore through the toughest challenges that the school had to offer.

Todd was no slouch on the lacrosse field either where as a Tri Captain for the 2008 season Todd tallied thirty goals, handed out thirteen assists and picked up forty eight ground balls. Todd was also named to the 2008 CIF All Bay League Team.

Todd will be heading to Harvard in the fall.

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2009 Fresno State Lacrosse Schedule Announced

Posted on August 14, 2008 | Leave a comment

http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-lacros/stories/081408aab.html

Fresno State coach Sue Behme has announced her schedule for the upcoming 2009 season.

Fresno State coach Sue Behme has announced her schedule for the upcoming 2009 season.

 

FRESNO, Calif. – As a first year program, Fresno State lacrosse coach Sue Behme couldn’t be happier with her teams upcoming 2009 schedule. The Bulldogs travel around the country playing some of the top lacrosse schools in John Hopkins, Cincinnati, Detroit and Howard University.

The Bulldogs play four home games in their first year as a program. Fresno State opens the season on Saturday, February 7 against fellow Mountain Pacific Sports Federation foe California. The Bulldogs other home games are against Marist College (Mar. 17), Saint Mary’s (Apr. 4) and Denver (April 18). All home games this year will be played in Bulldog Stadium.

“I love it,” Behme said on the schedule. “The best way to get better is to play great teams in the conference and outside the conference. The schedule is tough, but balanced. As a first year program, we are going to head in the most balanced and competitive direction from the start and build on this from season to season. In order to be the best you need to play the best both in the conference and on a national level. It is the only way to gain the respect of the lacrosse community.”

The Fresno State lacrosse team will participate in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with Cal, Stanford, UC Davis, Oregon, Saint Mary’s and Denver.

The Bulldog road schedule consists of games at Stanford (Feb. 12), UC Davis (Feb. 28), Oregon (Mar. 6), Cincinnati (Mar. 25), Detroit (Mar. 27), Presbyterian (Mar. 29), Saint. Bonaventure (April 7), John Hopkins (April 9) and Howard University (April 11).

The MPSF conference tournament will be April 23-26 at Stanford.

2009 Fresno State Lacrosse Schedule

Feb. 7- Cal 1 p.m.
Feb. 12- @ Stanford 7 p.m.
Feb. 28- @ UC Davis 1 p.m.
Mar. 6- @ Oregon 7 p.m.
Mar 17- Marist 6 p.m.
Mar. 25- @ Cincinnati- TBA
Mar 27- @ Detroit 4 p.m.
Mar 29- Presbyterian (@ Detroit) 11 a.m.
Apr. 4- Saint Mary’s 1 p.m.
Apr. 7- @ Saint Bonaventure 3 p.m.
Apr. 9- @ John Hopkins 4 p.m.
Apr. 11- @ Howard 1 p.m.
Apr. 18- Denver 12 p.m.
Apr. 23-26- MPSF Tournament at Stanford

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Beverly Hills High School All-American Middie Nathan Forrest Ranked As #46 High School Senior By Inside Lacrosse

Posted on August 14, 2008 | 1 Comment

The Beverly Hills Lacrosse Club is also pleased to announce that Beverly Hills High School Junior Nathan Forrest has been named a High School All American by U S Lacrosse.

The Beverly Hills Lacrosse Club is also pleased to announce that Beverly Hills High School Junior Nathan Forrest has been named a High School All American by U S Lacrosse.

46. Nathanael Forrest – Midfield, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Considering: Maryland, Delaware, Hofstra

http://tbhc.ltbx.net/community/local/news/index.php?pID=6af5b252c66dc859e58b41e21e78a922&article=40bed3211a967691849f6d673db10dc8

By Chris Sieroty, The Beverly Hills Courier

Nathan Forrest was in eighth grade looking for something to do between football and soccer season, when is older brother, Sam, suggested playing lacrosse.
“I tried it and immediately fell in love with playing lacrosse,” Forrest told The Courier following a recent game against Downey High School at Nickoll Field. “It’s a great sport that’s creative and really physical. It’s become my favorite sport.”
Forrest, a junior, tallied 67 goals and 28 assists for Beverly Hills High School during the regular season. As a sophomore, he scored 54 goals and registered 26 assists for the Normans.
An outstanding sophomore season brought Forrest a lot of attention from college coaches and invitations to play for traveling teams and attend blue chip lacrosse camps.
He was asked to play for the Hollywood Starz and earned an invite to Jake Reed’s Blue Chip Lacrosse Camp. In August, Inside Lacrosse magazine named Forrest the 24th ranked junior in the country.
In June, Forrest is expected to attend Nike Blue Chip Senior Lacrosse Camp held at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, near Baltimore.
Normans’ head coach Tim Ray described Forrest as one of the best players on the West Coast. Hofstra, Loyola and Delaware are currently recruiting him to play lacrosse.
“It is unfortunate that he doesn’t have the level of competition out here that will help him get better,” Ray said. “When you can play on a team where you aren’t the best player on the field, that is the time you get better. I’m sure some of the camps over the summer will help him take that next step.”
Scott Witkin, a former Division 1 coach at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., and now the head coach at Downey, said Forrest has the “talent to be as good as he wants to be.”
“He has what it takes to be successful at the next level,” Witkin told The Courier after an 11-6 loss to Beverly Hills.
Forrest was expected to sign a letter of intent before his senior year begins in September. When he does, Forrest told The Courier he would give up playing football and soccer to concentrate on lacrosse.
“When I commit, I’ve decided to drop football and soccer in my senior year because I don’t want to get hurt,” he said. “Lacrosse is what got me to the next level.”
Forrest, as a junior, played linebacker, wide receiver and even quarterback. He had five receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. In a 28-26 win over Santa Monica (Oct. 19) he got his chance at quarterback, completing two passes for eight yards.
On defense, he averaged 5.3 tackles a game, twice during the season against Mira Costa and Morningside he tallied 12 tackles.
“He’s a good athlete,” Beverly High head football coach and athletic director Carter Paysinger said. “If (we) lose any of our guys there is going to be a period of adjustment. Nathan has to do what is best for him.”
His dedication to lacrosse was proven after a Nov. 2 football game against Morningside.
Beverly Hills won the Ocean League game 28-27, after Forrest and David Saedi kept Monarch running back Brian Nam from converting a two-point conversion with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
When the game was over, Forrest was rushed to Los Angeles International Airport to catch an overnight flight to Baltimore to attend a lacrosse camp.
“I didn’t even get a chance to take a shower after the game,” he said. “I thought I’d at least get a chance to take a shower and sleep for a couple of hours when I got there, but I had to attend the camp (first thing in the morning).”
Forrest played lacrosse all weekend before flying back to Los Angeles to be in class on Monday morning.
“It’s was a lot of work, but worth it,” he said. “(Lacrosse) has opened so many doors to great schools who are interested in me.”
All the attention does have consequences, according to Ray.
“We are thrilled to have him playing for us and for him and the team getting the press,” he said. “The downside is other teams feed off that hype and try to use it against him. The second he slips up or makes a mistake you can hear the other team and their fans getting on him with the ‘over rated’ comments.”
The Beverly Hills High School lacrosse team has been extremely successful in three years as a varsity program. Ray said in the program’s first year, the Normans reached the final four in the playoffs, which was followed by a loss to Palos Verdes last year in the Bay League Championship game.
In last year’s inaugural title game at the Home Depot Center, Santa Ana Foothill rebounded from a five-goal deficit and held on in the closing seconds to beat Palos Verdes, 11-10.
“This year we are back in the Bay League Championship and we are looking to bring it home,” he said.
The CIF Southern Section doesn’t conduct official playoffs for lacrosse, or any other sport, unless 20 percent of its member schools participate. This year’s championship game between the Orange County and the North Division boys’ champions is scheduled for May 9 at Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills.
On Saturday, Beverly Hills High School will host the 2008 Southern Section North Division playoffs. At 5 p.m., Beverly Hills will play Loyola, followed by Chaminade against Downey at 7 p.m.
The winner of the Beverly Hills, Loyola game will play Palos Verdes in the semi-finals Monday at 7 p.m. at Beverly High. The finals are scheduled for Wednesday at Mira Costa High School.
Ray said he sees interest in the sport continuing to grow in Southern California as junior varsity teams prepare players to make the switch to varsity. Palos Verdes High School’s junior varsity hasn’t lost a game in two years, while Mira Costa has one of the better junior varsity programs, he said.
“Once the fall and winter coaches at Beverly (High) realize it is a great spring sport for their athletes to play in order to keep in game shape, we’ll be behind those programs,” Ray said. “We’ve been fortunate over the last few years to be still riding off our strong middle school program from a few years ago, but it has been fading.”
He said the school’s junior varsity team hasn’t won a game in two years, while the middle school program fielded a team this season with only eight players.
“Right now I’m worried about our future success of the program,” Ray said. “Unless we have the support and encouragement from the football and basketball coaches we’ll be playing catch up for years. I’m hopeful that with the help of the other coaches we’ll be able to tap into the athlete talent pool at the school and continue to build our foundation at the school.”

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La Costa Canyon Mavericks Girls Varsity Ranked #24 Nationally By Lacrosse Magazine

Posted on August 14, 2008 | Leave a comment

24. La Costa Canyon (Calif.)

The Mavericks (23-0) finished as CIF-San Diego Section champions for the second straight season and third time in four years. LCC has now won 36 straight games and sports a 63-3 record over the last three seasons. Senior attacker Tara Arolla (UC Berkeley) capped her four-year career with 296 goals and 97 assists.

Note: These rankings appear in the current issue of Lacrosse Magazine, a US Lacrosse publication available exclusively to its members. Join today to start your monthly subscription.

 

by Paul Ohanian, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

1. St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes (Va.)

Talk about consistent excellence in girls’ lacrosse, and you need look no further than SSSA. Coach Kathy Jenkins’ program has never finished worse than ninth in Lacrosse Magazine’s ranking, and it has been either second or third in each of the past five seasons.

Until now.

After capturing their 14th consecutive Independent School League championship this spring and adding their third straight Virginia state title for good measure (they’ve only participated in the tournament since 2006), we’ve finally given the Saints (26-0) the top nod.

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Saints dominated opponents in 2008. A one-goal win against McDonogh and a two-goal win over Notre Dame Prep were the only games that held any real fourth quarter drama. In fact, 21 of the team’s 26 games were decided by 10 goals or better.

“Winning the McDonogh tournament early in the season gave this team a lot of confidence,” said Jenkins, who completed her 32nd season with the Saints. “It was a very unselfish team that played relaxed all season long.”

Not even a bus breakdown on their biggest road trip of the year — a visit to New Jersey’s Moorestown — could rattle these Saints. Arriving at the game site in rented vehicles, SSSA promptly posted a workmanlike 12-7 win over one of the premier teams in the country.

“We were a very fast team that did a good job of working the ball quickly,” said Jenkins. “Every team is different, and this group really enjoyed playing the game. They worked hard, had fun and enjoyed being with each other.”

Junior Kelly Austin (84 goals) and Dartmouth-bound senior Haldey Lankford (80 assists) were a lethal combination all season long. Seniors Cassie Pyle (Princeton), Annie Taylor (Virginia) and Kate Collins (Boston College) were among the midfield and defensive leaders. At least nine seniors are expected to join Division I college programs next year.

 

2. John Carroll (Md.)

It’s hard not to make a case for the Patriots (18-0) as a deserving No. 1. Despite a couple of close calls in the postseason, John Carroll completed its undefeated run through one of the nation’s most difficult schedules by winning a second straight Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) championship. JC concluded the season with its second win over McDonogh, a convincing 11-6 victory in the IAAM title game. A trio of standouts — Casey Ancarrow (James Madison), Grace Gaeng (Maryland) and The Baltimore Sun’s Player of the Year Allyson Carey (Vanderbilt) — spearheaded a potent offense that averaged 14.5 goals per game.

 

3. West Genesee (N.Y.)

It’s déjà vu again in Camillus, N.Y. The West Genesee juggernaut completed its second consecutive 24-0 campaign, and it won its second straight New York Class A championship and fifth in the last eight years. Seniors Lauren Welch (Canisius) and Ariel Kramer (Marist) led the offensive explosion with a combined 143 goals, while Kiersten Tupper (Le Moyne) established a new team record with 93 assists. In addition to all the lopsided wins, WG also proved it could win the close ones, surviving one-goal games against Archbishop Carroll (Pa.) early in the season, local rival Fayetteville-Manlius in midseason, and Farmingdale in the state final.

 

4. Severna Park (Md.)

The Falcons (20-0) breezed virtually unchallenged to their second consecutive and seventh overall state championship. Midfielder Julie Gardner (Virginia), The Washington Post’s Player of the Year, led the onslaught once again with 53 goals, including six in Severna Park’s lopsided win in the state final. Hayley Rausch (New Hampshire) added 42 goals and scored the overtime winner in the team’s only nailbiter of the season against Broadneck. A dominating defense held 13 opponents to five goals or less as the Falcons extended their winning streak to 40 games.

 

5. Moorestown (N.J.)

The numbers associated with the Quakers’ program are simply overwhelming. Moorestown (24-1) captured its ninth straight state championship and 16th overall in 2008 and extended its winning streak against New Jersey opponents to 189 straight games. Coach Deanna Knobloch’s program has amassed a 206-8 record in this decade. This season’s only stumble came against top-ranked SSSA, after which the Quakers rebounded with 17 consecutive wins. Eight seniors are heading to Division I programs.

 

6. Garden City (N.Y.)

Coach Diane Chapman’s program has established itself as the best on Long Island with a record of 61-2 over the last three years. The Trojans (21-1) claimed their fourth straight LI championship and third straight New York Class B title this season, defeating Brighton, 12-10 in overtime, in the final. Senior Erin Brennan (Pennsylvania) concluded her record-setting career with 84 goals and 57 assists in 2008.

 

7. Radnor (Pa.)

The Red Raiders (23-0) proved their championship mettle in the Pennsylvania Class AAA final by overcoming their largest deficit of the season — an early 5-0 hole — to post a 15-11 victory. Prior to the final, Radnor had trailed in the second half of just one game all season. Longtime coach Phyllis Kilgour considered this her best team ever, led by a balanced offense featuring seven players with at least 40 goals. The Raiders registered their first undefeated season in 22 years.

 

8. Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.)

The Wildcats (20-1) finished one overtime loss away from a perfect season. Even with the midseason loss to Garden City, SWR proved to be one of the nation’s best as it captured its third straight Long Island title and second straight New York Class C championship. The Wildcats made short work of Skaneateles in the state final, scoring the game’s first nine goals en route to a 21-5 victory.

 

9. Westwood (Mass.)

The Wolverines (24-0-1) won the state’s Division 1 championship for the third time in six years by defeating two-time defending champ Framingham in the semifinal and Longmeadow in the final. Three 100-point scorers — seniors Alex Frank (Northwestern) and Erin Massimi (Dartmouth) and sophomore Kelly Rich — fueled an offense that tallied at least 15 goals in all but three games and eclipsed the 20-goal mark six times.

 

10. Shawnee (N.J.)

A strong run at an undefeated season ended where it usually does, in the postseason against Moorestown. But despite losing 17-3 to the Quakers in the Group 3 state semifinals, Shawnee (20-1) enjoyed a strong season that had it ranked ahead of its arch-rival in the state’s LaxPower ratings late into the year. Princeton-bound midfielder Barb Previ had 67 goals and 44 assists to pace the offense.

 

11. Brighton (N.Y.)

The Barons (19-2) had a two-goal lead with seven minutes remaining in the state final against Garden City, but they eventually lost in overtime to finish as the Class B runner-up for the third time in four years. Brighton’s only other loss came against state champion West Genesee in midseason. Midfielder Rachel Ballatori (Northwestern) capped her standout career with 182 goals, including 65 goals this season.

 

12. McDonogh (Md.)

All three of the Eagles’ losses came against the top two teams in this year’s ranking. McDonogh (18-3) finished as the championship runner-up in the IAAM, losing 11-6 to John Carroll in the final. The Eagles also lost to JC by five goals in the regular season. The third loss was by one goal against SSSA in early April. In between, McDonogh defeated Uniondale (Pa.), Farmingdale (N.Y.) and Good Counsel (Md.), among others.

 

13. Farmingdale (N.Y.)

Coach Tracy Wiener’s team finished as New York’s Class A runner-up, falling to West Genesee by one goal in the state final. Following a two-goal loss at McDonogh in midseason, Farmingdale (17-3) won 11 of 12 against a difficult schedule to earn a spot in the state final. Midfielders Alyssa Kildare and Candace Rossi, both going to Johns Hopkins, were catalysts for the Dalers.

 

14. Springfield (Del. Co.) (Pa.)

All three of the Cougars’ losses were by one goal. The first came against Shawnee in the second game of the year. After a nine-game winning streak, they lost in overtime to Unionville. Four days later, they dropped another one-goal decision against Radnor. The Cougars (19-3) then won eight straight to capture the state’s AA championship for the third straight season and fifth time in six years.

 

15. Chatham (N.J.)

The Cougars (23-3) finished as New Jersey’s Tournament of Champions runner-up to Moorestown. Led by the high-scoring duo of Danielle Van Fossan (Georgetown) and Lauren Murray (Lehigh), Chatham won 18 straight following back-to-back early-season losses to Mendham and Shawnee and captured the state’s Group I title. Chatham also avenged one of those losses by twice defeating Mendham down the stretch.

 

16. Georgetown Visitation (Md.)

Other than two losses against league-rival SSSA, GV (18-3) was virtually spotless in 2008. The Tigers won 16 of their first 17 games before losing their first encounter against the mighty Saints. GV then worked its way through the ISL playoffs to earn a championship re-match against SSSA, but fell short again. Senior Mary Lacey Gilbride (North Carolina) helped lead the Tigers to their most successful season ever with 60 goals and 22 assists.

 

17. West Chester Rustin (Pa.)

The Golden Knights (17-3) sure didn’t look like the second-year varsity program. Upsets over Strath Haven and Great Valley early in the season helped provide enough momentum to carry West Chester all the way to the PIAA Class AAA final, where it nearly upset Radnor as well. The only other losses came to West Genesee and in a second meeting with Great Valley.

 

18. Broadneck (Md.)

If not for Severna Park, Broadneck (13-4) might have been the class of the public schools in Maryland. Unfortunately, the Bruins faced the state champion three times this spring and lost all three, including an 11-10 overtime heartbreaker in the regional final. Midfielder Karri Ellen Johnson (Maryland) was a presence at both ends of the field, finishing with 57 goals and 65 draw controls.

 

19. Framingham (Mass.)

An early-season loss to Wellesley snapped Framingham’s 52-game winning streak, but the Flyers (22-2-1) rolled unbeaten through the rest of the schedule, including a midseason tie with state champion Westwood. The new streak didn’t end until a two-goal loss to Westwood in the state semifinal. Framingham limited 11 of 24 opponents to five goals or less.

 

20. Northport (N.Y.)

The Tigers (18-3) won 14 of their first 15 games, including impressive victories against West Islip and Rocky Point, and they finished as Suffolk County’s Class A champs. Senior midfielder Lacey Vigmostad finished with 95 points to lead Northport’s high-powered offense, which also included 50-goal scorer Nina Sarcona (Massachusetts).

 

21. Shore Regional (N.J.)

The Blue Devils (20-2) suffered just one loss in the regular season, a one-goal overtime loss to powerhouse Moorestown. Shore Regional advanced to the state’s Group I final before suffering its only other loss, a three-goal setback against Chatham. Senior midfielder Kelly Draper (Lehigh) amassed 83 goals and 53 assists to lead the way.

 

22. Vero Beach (Fla.)

This year’s state title may have been the first “official” one for the Indians (20-2), but coupled with the unsanctioned championships of the previous two seasons, coach Shannon Dean’s squad has moved to the head of the class in the South. In addition to winning all of its in-state games, Vero won seven of nine out-of-staters, losing only to Good Counsel (Md.) and No. 1 SSSA.

 

23. New Trier (Ill.)

The Trevians (24-3) started slowly, losing two of their first three against East Coast visitors, including a lopsided loss against SSSA. They rebounded well to stake a claim as the top team in the Midwest this spring. Led by do-everything midfielder Lizzie Abramson (Northwestern), New Trier closed the year with 21 straight wins and the state championship. The run included a victory over Ohio’s Upper Arlington as well as two victories against state runner-up Loyola Academy.

 

24. La Costa Canyon (Calif.)

The Mavericks (23-0) finished as CIF-San Diego Section champions for the second straight season and third time in four years. LCC has now won 36 straight games and sports a 63-3 record over the last three seasons. Senior attacker Tara Arolla (UC Berkeley) capped her four-year career with 296 goals and 97 assists.

 

25. Great Valley (Pa.)

Three of the Patriots (19-4) four losses came against the state’s three other Top 25 teams — West Chester Rustin, Radnor and Springfield. Coach Joe Tornetta’s team was led by a trio of Divison I-bound players — Emily Ellisen (George Mason), Kim Wenger (Duke) and Keelin Hood (Temple) — that combined for over 200 goals and almost 100 assists in 2008.

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