Daily Archives: March 5, 2010

Western College Women’s Lacrosse: #1 Santa Clara Women’s Lacrosse Faces #2 UC Santa Barbara In Santa Barbara, CA On March 6


There are two different ways for a team to approach a No. 1 vs. No. 2 ranked showdown.

You can acknowledge the significance of the game and play into the hype, or you can say that you try to ignore the polls and that it’s just another tough game in a series of top-tier games on the schedule.

As No. 1 Santa Clara and No. 2 UC Santa Barbara ready for their top-ranked clash Saturday in Santa Barbara, Calif., the two respective coaches are on opposite ends of the spectrum in their approaches to the game.

UC Santa Barbara coach Paul Ramsey said his team has been hyping the game all week on campus in hopes of drawing a large crowd.

“Girls have been telling everybody on campus,” Ramsey said.

Santa Clara coach Brendan O’Brien has taken the more reserved approach.

“You try to take the polls away from it,” he said. “I think both Santa Barbara and Santa Clara could be No. 1 at this point and should be tied.”

But that doesn’t mean the Broncos aren’t looking forward to their trip down to face the Gauchos.

“Are they excited? Absolutely,” O’Brien said.

Once the game begins and the pre-game hype takes a backseat to the action on the field, the winner could be determined by which squad succeeds at neutralizing the other’s top offensive weapons.

For UC Santa Barbara, that means finding the right balance between taking Krista Shaw (33 goals) out of the Broncos attack and not leaving itself vulnerable to the rest of Santa Clara’s attackers.

“We need to figure out a way to effectively mark her,” Ramsey said. “(But) it would be stupid of us to only worry about (Shaw), because it looks like they’re much more balanced this year than they have been in the past.”

Santa Clara has five other players with at least 10 goals on the season.

Slowing down the Broncos will be a tall task for a UC Santa Barbara squad that gave up 18 goals last weekend against No. 4 UC Davis.

“We’ve been working on ball defense all week,” Ramsey said.

But when UC Santa Barbara is on the attack, Santa Clara will be faced with its own set of defensive obstacles.

O’Brien pointed out Gauchos Maggie Aker and Ashley Antoon-Algeri as two players that could potentially cause problems for his team’s defense.

“What do you do with Maggie Aker? What do you do with Ashley Antoon-Algeri?” O’Brien said.

“(Aker’s) traditionally given us a lot of trouble… Ashley is super quick. I think she’s going to give our defense a lot of trouble.”

Aker and Antoon-Algeri have combined for 41 goals in nine games, and UC Santa Barbara boasts four other players with at least 10 goals.

While opponents have struggled to slow down the Gauchos this spring, the Broncos have only allowed one team — Cal Poly — to reach double digits in a game this year.

“A big, big focus for us this year is defense,” O’Brien said. “I think that’s showing in the amount of goals we’re giving up.”
 
And though the winner of this game will gain the edge in terms of WWLL standings and national rankings, there’s a good chance these two teams will meet again in the postseason.

“I think this is one of many times we’re going to see them this season,” O’Brien said.

News & Notes

No player on the UC Santa Barbara roster has lost to Santa Clara during her collegiate career. The Gauchos went 2-0 against the Broncos in 2009, 1-0 in 2008 and 2-0 in 2007… With its upset of the Florida club team, Georgia is 4-0 in the SWLL in first place. The Gators are 3-1 in league play, 5-3 overall… Ever since Lindenwood lost to UC Santa Barbara 15-14 during the Santa Barbara Shootout on Feb. 12, the Lions have turned up the intensity on defense. During their five-game winning streak, the Lions haven’t allowed more than seven goals in one game.

http://laxmagazine.com/college_women/club/2009-10/news/030510_broncos_gauchos_battle_for_wdia_bragging_rights

College Men’s And Women’s Lacrosse: “Best Regular Season” Lacrosse Weekend Of The Season Features #1 Syracuse Vs. #2 Virginia, #9 Duke Vs. #6 Maryland, #7 Princeton Vs. #5 Johns Hopkins, And #3 Notre Dame Vs. #10 Loyola For Men And #9 Virginia Vs. #2 Maryland, #3 Penn Vs. #4 North Carolina, And #5 Georgetown Vs. #1 Northwestern For Women


WD1: No. 9 Virginia (2-1) at No. 2 Maryland (3-0)– Friday 7 p.m.
For all the talk about the Terps offense, their defense was equally impressive last week in holding Duke to its lowest goal total in five years. Maryland is 28-1 at home under Cathy Reese, so the odds certainly stack up against Virginia. Then again, that’s how the Wahoos like ‘em. This one could come down to draws. UVA boasts the best in ACC history in Brittany Kalkstein, but maybe we’ll say the same thing about Maryland’s Karrie Ellen Johnson in a couple of years.

DaSilva: Maryland
Krome: Maryland
Ohanian: Maryland
Coyne: Maryland
Lochary: Maryland
Logue: Maryland


  “The Terps’ offense is ridiculous, scoring 17 goals in each of their three games so far this season. Cavaliers freshman goalie Kim Kolarik had a brilliant high school career at South River, but she’s allowed 12.10 gpg in her first three college starts. Welcome to the big time, rook.”

MD1: No. 9 Duke (2-1) vs. No. 6 Maryland (2-0) (at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore) – Saturday 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
The Terps and Blue Devils meet in both teams’ ACC openers and the first game of a triple-header, the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic. Momentum is on Maryland’s side after its spirited comeback to beat Georgetown. Duke, meanwhile, struggled against a mediocre Penn team until late, this on the heels of a loss to Notre Dame. Maryland’s best assets are on its attack — Ryan Young is coming off arguably the best game of his career (1g, 5a) — while Duke’s are on its defense. These teams match up well with one another. It’s a close call.

DaSilva: Duke
Krome: Duke
Ohanian: Duke
Coyne: Duke
Lochary: Duke
Logue: Maryland


  “If you don’t like the games this weekend, then you don’t like lacrosse. Beyond these 10 great games, there are a ton of other intriguing match-ups. For me, the toughest game to pick was the Duke-Maryland men’s game. Since beating the U.S. Team at Champion Challenge in January, Duke has struggled in wins over Bucknell and Penn. But there’s a reason Lacrosse Magazine had them No. 1 in our preseason poll. That said, I just think Maryland is ready for a statement win.”

MD2: No. 5 Limestone (2-0) vs. No. 2 Le Moyne (1-0) (in Severna Park, Md.) – Saturday 12 p.m.
With the massive shadow cast by the Face-Off Classic, this marquee Division II game less than a half hour away has slipped somewhat under the radar. Can Limestone hang? The Saints have been hit hard injuries. Preseason All-Americans Thomas Langan and Spencer Wims are both likely out for the season with knee injuries. Le Moyne hardly looks invincible, though, not after Mars Hill played the Dolphins to within a goal last week.

DaSilva: Le Moyne
Krome: Le Moyne
Ohanian: Le Moyne
Coyne: Le Moyne
Lochary: Le Moyne
Logue: Limestone

MD3: No. 1 Cortland (3-0) vs. No. 3 Gettysburg (1-0) (in Massapequa, N.Y.) – Saturday 1 p.m.
A rematch of the 2009 NCAA Division III championship game in neutral territory on Long Island? Sounds juicy. “I think Cortland can give you special problems with the way they ride and some of the things they do on defense,” Gettysburg coach Hank Janczyk told LMO’s Jac Coyne. “I think we have to be smart on attack and be wise in the way we play them and keep improving. I think we’re getting better each game and this will be a telltale sign of where we are at this point.”

DaSilva: Gettysburg
Krome: Cortland
Ohanian: Cortland
Coyne: Cortland
Lochary: Cortland
Logue: Cortland


  “Last year, Gettysburg lost this game 14-8 and fell to 1-2 in the early season. A third loss a week later had many folks writing them off. Hank Janczyk may have then done one of his best coaching jobs, retooling the Bullets in-season and guiding them to a 14-game winning streak and eventual finish as the national championship runner-up. Lesson learned. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, both of these programs are too well coached to be prematurely dismissed once again.”

WD1: No. 3 Penn (2-0) at No. 4 North Carolina (5-0) – Saturday 1 p.m.
The Tar Heels have pounded some pretty good teams – including Denver, which upset Loyola this week, Vanderbilt and Florida. Combined score of UNC’s five wins? 89-30. “We’re hard to match,” coach Jenny Levy told LMO’s David Ely. “We’re seven deep offensively and we bring people off the bench.” The Heels will look to attack the cage early and often. They did a lot of damage on free positions against Florida. Penn has beaten up on Philly doormats Drexel and Temple, but will probably look to keep this a low-scoring affair. The Quakers held UNC to its lowest goal total in years in an 11-2 victory last year.

DaSilva: North Carolina
Krome: Penn
Ohanian: Penn
Coyne: Penn
Lochary: Penn
Logue: Penn

MD1: No. 7 Princeton (1-0) vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins (3-0) (at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore) – Saturday 1:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

The knee-jerk reaction is to say there’s a new era of Princeton lacrosse, what with the Tigers hanging 17 goals on Hofstra in a shootout in Chris Bates’ debut. But if you look back to this matchup – in this same Face-Off Classic – last year, you’ll see Bill Tierney had already sown the seeds for an offensive revolution. Princeton beat Hopkins, 14-8, in a game that wasn’t as close as even that score indicates. After the Blue Jays struggled offensively against Siena, the big question is, will we see Chris Boland (suspended for first three games due to unspecified violation of team rules) in the lineup?

DaSilva: Johns Hopkins
Krome: Johns Hopkins
Ohanian: Johns Hopkins
Coyne: Johns Hopkins
Lochary: Johns Hopkins
Logue: Johns Hopkins

WD1: No. 5 Georgetown (1-0) at No. 1 Northwestern (3-0) – Saturday 2 p.m. Central
The Wildcats picked a winner for a home opener, setting up a top-five showdown in Evanston, Ill. After Georgetown nearly upset Northwestern in 2008, losing in a 7-6 nailbiter, the Hoyas were blown out last year, 15-4. Georgetown’s Ashby Kaestner showed no ill effects from the foot injury she sustained while celebrating her third goal of the first half in the Hoyas’ eventual loss to Princeton in the 2009 NCAA tournament. She had three goals, two assists and four draw controls in Georgetown’s season-opening win over Johns Hopkins. Likewise, Northwestern’s Katrina Dowd, who sat out the Wildcats opener against UMass with an unspecified injury, showed no ill effects in being named the ALC Player of the Week. Dowd helped extend Northwestern’s winning streak to 32 games by notching five goals and adding an assist in each of the `Cats victories over 15th-ranked Stanford and California. She also made her presence known all over the field against the Cardinal, scooping up three ground balls while forcing four turnovers in the 18-11 win.

DaSilva: Northwestern
Krome: Northwestern
Ohanian: Northwestern
Coyne: Northwestern
Lochary: Northwestern
Logue: Northwestern

MD1: No. 3 Notre Dame (2-0) vs. No. 10 Loyola (3-0) (at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore)– Saturday 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Funny, the de facto under card of the Face-Off Classic – crowd could get sparse and chilly as the day draws longer – could wind up being the best game of them all. Although Loyola dominates the all-time series, Notre Dame has won the last three games. Irish attackman Colin Igoe probably doesn’t take playing lacrosse for granted. After transferring to South Bend from UMass, he was injured in the fourth game of the 2008 season, missed the remainder of that season and did not play at all in 2009. He has three goals and an assist in two games for Notre Dame.

DaSilva: Notre Dame
Krome: Loyola
Ohanian: Notre Dame
Coyne: Loyola
Lochary: Loyola
Logue: Notre Dame

WDIA: No. 1 Santa Clara at No. 2 UC Santa Barbara – Saturday 2 p.m. Pacific
The buzz is palpable as the top two teams in the US Lacrosse Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates prepare to face each other. “Girls have been telling everybody on campus,” UC Santa Barbara coach Paul Ramsey told LMO’s David Ely. Said Santa Clara coach Brendan O’Brien: “You try to take the polls away from it. I think both Santa Barbara and Santa Clara could be No. 1 at this point and should be tied.” That will be a moot point after Saturday.

DaSilva: UCSB
Krome: Santa Clara
Ohanian: UCSB
Coyne: UCSB
Lochary: Santa Clara
Logue: UCSB


  “Santa Clara’s Krista Shaw hasn’t shown any signs of a jinx from being named LM’s Preseason Player of the Year. Despite some added defensive attention, she had 33 goals and 14 assists to key the Broncos’ 9-0 start. The host Gauchos, also 9-0, are still riding high after Ashley Antoon-Algieri scored with one second left to deliver UCSB a 19-18 over then-No. 4 UC-Davis club last week. This one’s likely going to have a big impact on seeding for the Western Women’s Lacrosse League tournament, which UCSB won last year with a 12-10 decision over Santa Clara in the final.”

MD1: No. 1 Syracuse (2-0) at No. 2 Virginia (3-0) – Sunday 1 p.m.
After two days of non-stop college lacrosse action, big-ticket events and neutral site showdowns, fans will most certainly regroup for the best game of the weekend – and possibly the year. You know who’s been mighty quiet for UVA? Shamel Bratton. Two goals in three games for the first team All-American midfielder. When will that ticking time bomb go off?  Welcome surprises in the Syracuse camp has been the coming of age of Chris Daniello (5g, 1a) and success on faceoffs. Jeremy Thompson (14-for-21), Gavin Jenkinson (17-for-24) and Tim Harder (3-for-5) have drawn success at a 68-percent clip.

DaSilva: Virginia
Krome: Virginia
Ohanian: Virginia
Coyne: Syracuse
Lochary: Syracuse
Logue: Syracuse

http://laxmagazine.com/blogs/tentowatch/030510_best_weekend_of_college_lax_ever

Western College Men’s Lacrosse: University Of Denver’s Ninth Annual Face-Off Lacrosse Classic To Feature Penn, Lehigh, Air Force And Denver On March 6-7


The University of Denver men’s lacrosse team (1-2) returns to action this week, hosting the Ninth Annual DU Face-Off Classic, Sponsored by UBS, at the Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The Pioneers welcome Penn, Lehigh and Air Force for the two-day event.

Fans can follow the action live via Pioneer Vision and Live Stats at www.DenverPioneers.com.

BROADCAST INFO

Fans can also catch the action live on Pioneer Vision by visiting http://www.DenverPioneers.com. Subscription packages are available on an annual and monthly basis. The Denver Annual Package is just $59.95 and is good for the entire 2009-10 season, while the Denver Monthly Package is available for $8.95 a month. Fans can follow along via Live Stats on www.DenverPioneers.com, as well as the in-game blog on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DU_Pioneers.

SCOUTING PENN

The Penn Quakers come into the Mile-High City sporting an 0-2 mark on the 2010 season. The Quakers started the season, dropping a 16-11 decision at No. 8 Duke and then followed it with a 14-9 loss to No. 20 Lafayette. Dan Savage and Rob McMullen lead the way for Penn with four goals apiece, while Corey Winkoff is leading the assist duties with six helpers. Face-off man Justin Lynch has been 55.8 percent successful on face-offs this season and has also scooped up 17 ground balls. Goalie Chris Casey has seen the most action between the pipes for the Quakers, logging over 100 minutes of action for a 15.57 GAA and a 43.5 save percentage.

SCOUTING LEHIGH

Prior to their match-up with the Air Force Falcons, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks opened the season with a 7-6 win over Satin Joseph’s and then followed it with losses to No. 4 North Carolina (17-5, L) and Navy (8-3, L). Adam Johnston leads the scoring duties for the Mountain Hawks with five goals, while David DiMaria and Roman Lao-Grosney have both registered three goals each. Face-off man Will Scudder has won 60.8 percent of his attempts and has also secured five ground balls. Goalie Dan Carr is boasting a 10.18 GAA and a 62.5 save percentage in 165 minutes of action.

PIONEER CHECK-IN

After dropping its first two games of the season, Denver snagged its first win under head coach Bill Tierney as it defeated the No. 20 Albany Great Danes over the weekend. Sophomore Alex Demopoulos (Canton, Conn.) led the Pioneers with three goals and three assists, earning ECAC Co-Offensive POW honors. Demopoulos leads the Pioneers this season with nine goals, while also dishing out four assists. Senior Charley Dickenson (Dallas, Texas) leads the team with seven assists, bringing his career total to 56 assists and moving him into fourth all-time in the Pioneer record books.

PIONEERS IN THE RANKINGS

The Pioneers jumped into the top-20 of the LaxNews.com rankings this week after defeating No. 20 Albany 17-13 to give head coach Bill Tierney his first win as a Pioneer. Denver enters the rankings as No. 20 behind the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Syracuse continues to lead the nation with a 2-0 start to the season, while Virginia is ranked No. 2 after defeating both of its opponents.

DEMOPOULOS HONORED

Sophomore Alex Demopoulos was tabbed the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week as he led the Pioneers in their second week of the season, tallying three goals and recording three assists to finish with six points as Denver defeated No. 20 Albany at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The attackman had six shots, placing five on goal, and also scooped up five ground balls in his third start of the season. Demopoulos shared the award with Loyola’s Matt Langan and was the second Pioneer in consecutive weeks to earn a weekly honor.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

The only active Pioneer in the record books, senior Charley Dickenson ranks fourth all-time on the career-assists list with 56 assists and is just 11 assists away from securing the top spot. Daren Dickson (1990-93) currently holds the top spot with 66 assists. Dickenson also entered the career-points list at No. 11 with 85 career points. Todd Dickson (1990-93) leads the way with 199 points.

http://www.denverpioneers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=90265&SPID=10874&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=18600&ATCLID=204901252

Western College Men’s Lacrosse: #1 Michigan Men’s Lacrosse To Face #5 BYU On March 6


The No. 1 Michigan lacrosse team will place its two-year undefeated record on the line on Saturday at 7 p.m. against No. 5 BYU at North University Field.

The Cougars have a big task at hand, facing the back-to-back Men’s College Lacrosse Association national champions. The Wolverines finished the 2009 season with a 20-0 record, ending with a 12-11 victory in the national championship game against Chapman.

The Wolverines have continued their winning ways in the 2010 campaign with a 3-0 record.

The Wolverines will complete their road trip in Provo on Saturday night. Michigan defeated the University of Arizona 15-5 in Tuscon, Ariz., last Saturday, with its most recent victory coming against No. 4 Arizona State on Wednesday night in Tempe, Ariz.

“Michigan is very well coached and very disciplined,” said BYU coach Matt Schneck. “The most important thing for us this game is to put four solid quarters of lacrosse together. It’s something we haven’t done yet this year, and it will be very important for us Saturday night.”

The Cougars will enter Saturday’s game with a 3-1 record, with key victories coming against No. 20 UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State. The Cougars’ only loss was against No. 2 Chapman in a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime finish.

The Cougars and the Wolverines faced each other in 2009 with the Wolverines winning 14-11 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Schneck said his team is excited for the opportunity to play Michigan, but admits to being the underdogs in the match.

Even with the impressive Wolverine record, BYU players are not intimidated by the opportunity at hand.

“We’re not afraid to play against anyone,” said Jason Arias, a sophomore from Princeton, N.J., who was also named first team all-conference after the 2009 season. “When we play as a team, we know no one in the country can beat us.”

Both Schneck and Arias agreed that one of the strongest characteristics of this year’s team is its coachability.

“We do not have any players with attitude problems,” Schneck said. “All the guys are very respectful and very coachable this year.”

Arias said another key to BYU’s success is playing as a team and not individuals.

“We have so much individual talent this year that at times we rely on that,” Arias said. “We need to realize that the team is the star and not us as individuals.”

Even with the Wolverines coming to Provo, Schneck has not lost his long-term vision or goal for his team this year.

“We’re definitely developing as a team this year,” Schneck said. “But we realize we need to peak at the end of the season during playoffs.”

When asked what a victory would mean to the BYU team, Arias, laughing, replied, “It would mean a big party.”

http://universe.byu.edu/node/6600

College Men’s Lacrosse: Georgetown Men’s Lacrosse (1-1) Defeated #11 Harvard 13-12 On March 3 (Video)


Kevin Vaughan, Travis Burr and Jeff Cohen netted three goals apiece for the No. 11 Harvard men’s lacrosse team, but the Crimson fell in a non-conference game at Georgetown, 13-12. Harvard, which drops to 1-1 on the season, stormed back from a 13-8 deficit by scoring four goals in the final two minutes of the contest.

After Georgetown (1-1) notched the first two goals of the game, the Crimson scored two goals in the final minute of the first quarter, coming on shots by Burr and Cohen, to take a 3-2 lead through one. Cohen increased Harvard’s advantage to 4-2 when he netted his second straight score at 8:58 of the second.

The Crimson and Hoyas traded goals in the final minutes of the half, as Harvard took a 5-4 lead into halftime. After netting the final goal of the second quarter, Georgetown extended its run to 4-0 midway through the second half. Vaughan ended the Hoyas’ scoring run with a goal on the transition off a pass from Evan Roth at 5:19 of the third. Ben Smith added a second straight goal for the Crimson, but Georgetown led, 8-7, entering the fourth.

With 5:52 to play in the fourth, Cohen notched his third goal of the game, cutting the Crimson’s deficit to 10-8. The Hoyas stretched the game to 13-8, but Burr started a frenzied 4-0 run in the final minutes, as he scored twice with 1:55 and 1:15 remaining. With 24 ticks on the clock left, Vaughan made it a 13-11 game, while Terry White brought Harvard within one score, 13-12, with 15 seconds remaining.

Christian Coates played in net for the Crimson, recording eight saves, while Georgetown’s Jack Davis finished the game with 12 stops. The Hoyas held a 43-30 advantage in ground balls, while the Crimson won 13-of-28 faceoffs. Harvard will return to action by visiting Holy Cross Saturday, March 6 at 1 p.m.

http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/mlax/2009-10/releases/20100303_Georgetown_Recap

San Diego High School Boys Lacrosse: Eastlake High School Boys Lacrosse Middie Zach Bannon Proves Grit And Determination Can Lead To Success


Grit and determination run in Zach Bannon’s family.

The 5-foot-9, 155-pound Zach Bannon, a junior midfielder for the Eastlake High lacrosse team, isn’t the most imposing figure on the field. But he might be the toughest — mentally and physically.

The 5-foot-9, 155-pound Bannon, a junior midfielder for the Eastlake High lacrosse team, isn’t the most imposing figure on the field. But he might be the toughest — mentally and physically.

Bannon’s father, Larry, was a 5-foot-6, 145-pound high school cornerback in Indiana before becoming a Navy SEAL.

“He’s always been my idol,” Bannon said of his father, who recently retired after 20 years in the service.

Bannon said his mother, Lisa, also deserves credit for his upbringing.

“My mom was always there for me when my dad was away on deployments,” he said. “During those times, she played the role of dad, as well.”

Bannon, who didn’t pick up a lacrosse stick until eighth grade, was named Mesa League Player of the Year last spring after helping the Titans win the league title.

His performance was no surprise to Eastlake coach Nestor Rosas.

“He’s our workhorse,” Rosas said. “It’s just incredible how much talent he has when you combine his stick skills and speed.”

As a midfielder, Bannon roams the entire field while attackers and defenders are confined to their respective zones. Conditioning is a critical part of his game.

“Zach is the leader of our offense,” Rosas said. “He’ll bring the ball up on a clear and take it into the attack. His endurance allows him to do this.”

Bannon, who played safety on the Titans’ San Diego Section Division I champion football team and is a member of Eastlake’s roller hockey team in winter, craves the physical nature of lacrosse.

“I look for contact,” Bannon said.

Something else he looks for is respect on the field from teammates and opponents. When a rival school visited last season, the players decided to conduct a pregame prayer before commencing their warm-up. This didn’t sit well with Bannon — not because of what they did, but where they did it.

“They prayed at midfield on our logo,” said Bannon, who prays before every game. “Then they warmed up on our end of the field.”

It was a definite no-no in the mind of this son of a SEAL.

“I was so mad because this is our home,” Bannon said of the opponents’ behavior. “I just told our guys, ‘Not on this field.’ ”

Bannon and the Titans went on to win the game in overtime.

Rosas is looking for even more leadership from Bannon now that he is a team captain for Eastlake, which hopes to improve after last season’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

Date Opponent Result
3/05 MONTE VISTA-SPG VALLEY    
3/11 at Granite Hills    
3/19 at San Marcos    
3/25 HILLTOP    
3/29 EL CAPITAN    
4/05 at Bonita Vista    
4/12 at Montgomery    
4/12 at Montgomery    
4/15 at Mar Vista    
4/22 CHULA VISTA    
4/26 at Hilltop    
4/29 BONITA VISTA    
5/03 at Otay Ranch    
5/06 MONTGOMERY    
5/10 MAR VISTA    
5/14 at Monte Vista-Spg Valley    
5/17 at Chula Vista    
Coach: Nestor Rosas

“He’s already a leader by example,” Rosas said. “Now, we’re trying to get him to be a bit more vocal and be more outspoken.”

Junior midfielder and best friend Christian Ballow introduced Bannon to lacrosse.

“He proves you don’t have to be the biggest player to be successful,” Ballow said. “He just loves the game.”

Humility is another attribute that endears Bannon to his teammates.

“Some athletes will talk a big game off the field about themselves,” Ballow said. “But he never talks about himself — he’ll put others before him.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/04/bannon-commands-eastlake/

College Men’s Lacrosse: “Konica Minolta Face-Off Lacrosse Classic” On Saturday, March In Baltimore, MD


Konica Minolta Faceoff Classic on 3.6.2010 in M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD. Features some new highlights from the 2010 season thus far.