NCAA Player Impact Ratings

In an earlier post, I covered a mathematical system, developed by Dr. Martin Feldman, for assessing the impact lacrosse players have on the game. My earlier post can be seen here.

In this post, I list the NorCal NCAA players in DI and DII who performed in the top bracket created by Dr. Feldman, the author of "Player Impact Ratings". To make Dr. Feldman's list, DI players had to participate in at least ten games. Players whose Impact Rating number would have made this list, but who did not participate in ten games are not included. To give just one example, Giancarlo Sangiacomo's Impact Rating would easily have made the top defender list, but he did not play in the requisite ten games.

NCAA DI:
Attack: Parker Brown (Brown), Alex Capretta (Princeton), Billy Mattimore (Bucknell)
Midfield: Rob Emery (UVA), Roy Lang (Cornell), John Glesener (Army)*
Defense: none in top 200
Goalie: none in top 200

NCAA DII:
Attack: Austin Pridham (Colo. Mesa), Casey Hock (Queens), Gabe Garcia (Colo. Mesa)
Midfield: none in top 200
Defense: Brian Raaka (Dominican U)
Goalie: none in top 40

NCAA DIII:
Attack: Jack Bodine Haverford)
Midfield: Nick Alimam (Kenyon), David Lee (Williams)
Defense: none in top group
Goalie: Nick Massa Kenyon

You can find the rankings for all NCAA players whose complete stats were reported by the respective colleges here.

Taking all positions into account, NorCal's highest rated NCAA DI Impact Player was Parker Brown of Brown University. For NCAA DII, Brian Raaka of Dominican University was NorCal's highest rated Impact Player, and for NCAA DIII, Nick Aliman of Kenyon College.

Congrats to the players who repped NorCal Lacrosse so well!
________________________
* John Glesener played his Youth Lacrosse for the Scorpions and played his Freshman year at De La Salle, before moving to West Genesee, New York.

update on Mike Tagliaferri

Mike Tagliaferri

An article in the Danville, CA Patch provides an update on Mike Tagliaferri, with particular emphasis on his time with Team USA U19. You can read the entire article at:

http://danville.patch.com/articles/danville-lax-star-is-home-after-whirlwind-year-including-a-gold-medal-win-for-u-s

Key quote: "Michael Tagliaferri has been home in Danville maybe three days since graduating in June from San Ramon Valley High School.

Actually, he missed his graduation ceremony. And his grad night. And other festivities.

But ... he has a gold medal to show for it."

SRV's Niko Souza commits to Furman

Niko Souza

Niko Souza, San Ramon Valley's versatile Junior (Close D, LSM, FO), has committed to Coach Richie Meade and Furman University. On the summer circuit, Niko played for The Golden State Titans in 2011 and the Alcatraz Outlaws this past summer. As a Soph he was named to the 2nd team of EBAl's All-League squad. 

Watch Niko's highlight Reel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQpMncdwR34

Looks like Coach Meade is getting a good one!

St. Ignatius to make East Coast trip!

It's official! St. Ignatius will travel to New York to play the legendary Long Island Catholic powerhouse – Chaminade. Last year, Chaminade finished 16-2, playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. They finished the year rated #8 in the country. The Flyers had wins over national #2 ranked West Islip and national #6 ranked St. Anthony's.

In addition, SI will play Seton Hall on their Eastern swing. This game will be played as part of the Konica Minolta Big City Classic event, held at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, NJ. More important, Seton Hall is coached by Dave Giarusso, formerly Head Coach of St. Ignatius. What a reunion and what an amazing road trip for the SI guys!

Game info:
Thursday 4/25/13 at Chaminade, Mineola, NY @ 4PM
Saturday 4/27/13 vs Seton Hall at the Konica Minolta Big City Classic MetLife Stadium, Rutherford, NJ @ 11AM

While it's too early to speculate on whether SI can win one or both of these games, I am sure the Wildcats will give it everything they have. Here are some stats on college commitments and school size that show SI will need to be on top of its game:

Current NCAA Commitments*: DI DII DIII Male students
Chaminade Flyers                     21   2     4         1,700
Seton Hall Pirates                       7    0     3           975
St. Ignatius Wildcats                   8    0     3           710

I wouldn't miss it!
______________
* Data from LaxPower recruiting lists for recruits entering college in school years 2013-14 & 2014-5

The most important stats in a lacrosse game

Mathematical analysis of sports performance has become an important tool for player evaluation. In baseball, Bill James analyzed more than a hundred years worth of box score data to determine which statistics had an impact on game outcomes. Over time, Baseball's General Managers have used his system – Sabermetrics –  to evaluate players. GMs seek to trade low-rated players for higher-rated players to improve their teams' onfield performance. The same statistical exercise goes on in basketball, football, and hockey. Now, the math whiz behind LaxPower, Larry Feldman, has produced a set of factors that determine, not only player performance, but tell us which factors of our game have the biggest impact on winning and losing Lacrosse games.

 Once these factors are given relative weights – determined via multivariate regression analysis – it is possible to rank player performance. Feldman goes one step farther, by adjusting player's performance rankings to the quality of opponents a player and his team face. This data, for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, is now available.

 So, what factors from the box score does he consider and how does he weight them to produce accurate predictions of game outcomes and relative player performance? Here they are, sorted by largest absolute number, regardless of positive or negative value:

 Assists 1.25
Goals 1.00
Caused Turnovers 1.00
Goals saved 0.80
Goals allowed -0.80
Turnovers -0.60
Groundballs 0.25
Faceoffs won 0.22
Faceoffs lost -0.22
Shots on Goal -0.10
Missed shots off goal -0.05

 Without having attempted to quantify these factors myself, I – like many lacrosse observers – have long felt that Assists, Goals, Caused Turnovers, and Goalie Save percentage were the most important determinants of victories. That's not to diminish Groundballs. Though Feldman gives a positive weight of 0.25 to a single Groundball, fact is that there are LOTS of Groundballs in a game, and the team that wins the majority of them will cumulate a substantial statistical advantage.

Still, Feldman has produced a set of "weights" for lacrosse statistical events that help us understand the game in new ways. I believe that Feldman's system, or a variant thereof, will become a standard set of tools used by coaches to analyze their own players, as well as the players on opposing teams.

Finally, Feldman takes into account the quality of competition faced in determining overall rankings of players by position. I'll post on this player ranking scheme in the next day or two.

Clusters of NorCal laxers in NCAA lacrosse

In an earlier post, I posited that NCAA guys from California were finding other California guys on their rosters. But what about NorCal guys having other NorCal guys as teammates? Looking at rosters for the 2013 season, there are some rosters with multiple NorCal laxers, but not a huge number. Next year the number will grow, but what about this season? In NCAA DI, I believe Duke leads the pack, with 3 NorCal guys on the Blue Devil's roster. In NCAA DIII, my cursory search reveals Kenyon College getting the top spot, also with three NorCal guys. The action in NCAA DII is amazing, with Dominican having 10 NorCal laxers on the squad and Colorado Mesa having 6 Bay Area guys. If you're aware of NCAA Mens lacrosse teams in each Division that have more NorCal guys than what I've found, please leave a comment and a link to the 2013 roster of that school.

Also, I have a quiz for readers. The NorCal guys on the rosters of Duke and Kenyon have several AMAZING similarities! Can you name at least three things the NorCal guys at Duke have in common with the NorCal guys at Kenyon? Leave your name on your post if you'd like a little publicity as a Wizard of NorCal lacrosse! If you just like being first with the correct answer, but want to remain anonymous, that's fine, too.
---------------------------------
Update on 12/22/2012

OK, it's been a week since I posted my quiz, and no one has answered correctly. So, I'll respond to my own quiz!

The AMAZING similarities between the 3 NorCal guys on the Duke roster and the 3 NorCal guys on the Kenyon roster are:
• Each team has a pair of NorCal brothers
• All 4 of those brothers went to St. Ignatius
• Each team has a NorCal goalie on the roster
• Both of those goalies attended Foothill High School
• Each team has one player who was named a US Lacrosse High School All-American

Now, can you name all the players?

2012 Laxies: Top 5 goals of the Year

Here are 5 video clips from the Laxies, representing the top goals of the year. They are all fabulous and some seem impossible! I find that they load irregularly, but it's worth your while to keep trying, so as to see all of them.

http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2012/11/22/2012-laxies-highlight-reel-goal

Liam Burke commits to NCAA DI Michigan

Liam Bourke, LSM, Redwood HS, Class of 2014, has verbally committed to the University of Michigan. He made first-team All-MCAL and led his team with 58 ground balls. The 6'2" 175 Bourke showed well this past summer, playing for the Alcatraz Outlaws and the Golden State Titans.

Congratulations to Liam!

Patrick Tracy commits to Brown

Patrick Tracy, Redwood High School's dynamic Attack, committed to the Admissions process at NCAA DI Brown University recently. During the 2012 season, the then Sophomore put up gaudy numbers, with 61 goals  and 46 assists. During the summer, he played for the Alcatraz Outlaws, during whose tournaments Coach Lars Tiffany saw him play.

Congratulations to Patrick!

Growth of California NCAA DI lacrosse recruits over time

Has the number of California Boys NCAA DI recruits changed over time? How are our HS players perceived at the top levels of the College sport? Using the databases of Lax Power, I gathered the information needed to create a longitudinal picture. Here it is:

College                        % change
Academic       # of        from prior
Year         DI recruits        year
2007-8           20                -
2008-9           21              +5%
2009-10         24              +14%
2010-11         15              -37%
2011-12         20              +33%
2012-13         29              +45%
2013-14         40              +38%

California has had the 2nd highest number of Boys' Lacrosse teams of any State for the last several years, so one might expect that we could have the second highest number of DI recruits. That would be wrong – for several reasons. Those reasons include:
• Lacrosse is a relatively new sport in California,
• No NCAA DI programs exist in California
• Almost all DI coaches reside a continent away, making it hard to see our players
• Most California players have not had Fathers, Uncles, and cousins who introduced the game to our players

So, I think the best way to look at the stats is by growth rate of our State's DI recruits. While results wobble a little, it is clear that California DI recruits are  both growing, and growing faster than the number of NCAA DI programs is growing. So, our guys are gaining share of the overall number of recruited athletes.

This is a good sign!

N.B. I didn't tally the recruitment results for our guys who have been recruited to play NCAA Div II and DIII, but I'd guess the growth rates look similar.    

Jackson Teague commits to DI Mercer University

Jackson Teague, De La Salle's versatile A/M has recently committed to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. I've long felt that he sees the field exceptionally well, moves well without the ball, and makes great assists. He is a very capable offensive player. Mercer is getting a good one. Congrats to Jackson!

Oakland Lacrosse Club

A well-organized Lacrosse Club has emerged to serve Oakland. The time is right, the people are right, and a little monetary assistance would go a long way to opening up this East Bay community to our sport.  Skyline Lacrosse Club has been very helpful to this effort, and those efforts have resulted in a new club and will produce new Boys and Girls NCJLA U13 teams this Spring. Here's the press release:

Introducing Oakland Lacrosse Club Registration Now Open

The burgeoning enthusiasm for and success of the lacrosse teams at Oakland Technical High School and Skyline High School spurred parent volunteers to form the Oakland Lacrosse Club during the summer of 2012. When the high school teams were initially established, they functioned as a special program of Skyline Lacrosse Club entitled Skyline Lacrosse HS. Under the umbrella of the Skyline Lacrosse Club the teams were able to grow and develop. Additional teams were added to accommodate student interest. As we contemplated future development of lacrosse in the Oakland public schools, the time was right to spin off from Skyline Lacrosse and establish a new club.
With the blessing and support of the Skyline Lacrosse Club, parent volunteers formed the Oakland Lacrosse Club; to this end bylaws were drafted, Articles of Incorporation were filed, a board of directors was elected, our membership in the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association was approved and a website, Oaklandlacrosse.org, was established. The newly launched Oakland Lacrosse Club will support the high school teams and we have added a comprehensive middle school program. Our phenomenal new Oakland Tech JV Boys’ head coach, Kevin Kelley, with the army of volunteers he recruited has put lacrosse sticks in the hands of over 500 Oakland middle school students this fall! We are now well on our way to fielding U13 boys’ and girls’ teams in the 2013 spring season! Many of these new players will eventually attend Oakland Technical or Skyline High School. Experienced players will strengthen our high school teams.
Registration is now open for Oakland Tech boys’ and girls’ teams, Skyline High boys’ and girls’ teams and the new boys’ and girls’ Middle School (U13) teams. Click here to register Oaklandlacrosse.org
Do Not Delay. Teams may fill up. Registration closes November 25, 2012. Questions? Contact info@oaklandlacrosse.org 

Kevin Kelley

Kevin played NCAA DI Lacrosse at Providence, was the Head Coach at Piedmont High School, is a coach at UC Berkeley, and has been the Coach of the Oakland Tech Boys' Lacrosse team.

As with all new enterprises, funding is necessary. Fund raising is off to a very good start, but they still need a few more contributors.Here is an opportunity to put Oakland Lacrosse on a solid footing:
http://www.indiegogo.com/oaklandlacrosse

This is the infrastructure and leadership team that can pull this off! I've made a contribution and hope readers will consider doing the same.

Uncommon for now....

A feed from one California guy to another California guy for the finish. Bang,bang...assist and goal. That's an uncommon occurrence in NCAA DI lacrosse. But not for long at the pace our guys are getting recruited.

More and more, California guys aren't lone rangers when they go back East. Next year, for example, it will be Jack McCormack of DLS and Wiley Osborne of Menlo School heading off to Dartmouth. Middie Mike Hernandez of Piedmont and Attack Brendan Gaughan of La Costa Canyon are Frosh who are both attending Michigan. At Penn State, Two Freshmen from the same school have enrolled at Happy Valley. Close D Jordan LaTendresse and M Jordan Weiss, both from San Ramon Valley, will be playing for Coach Tambroni!  At Notre Dame, former SI Attack, Bobby Gray, joins former Corona Del Mar standout Attack, Ryan Mix. This year's Yale Freshman class has another pair of SI/CDM guys – JW McGovern, an Attack from St. Ignatius and Mike Keasey, a Middie from Corona Del Mar.

Here, Yale takes on UMass in a Fall Ball game. Both Yale and UMass made the NCAA tournament last season and new guys are always competing for playing time. In this video from LAX.com, #10 Keasey brings the ball up the field and spots #4 McGovern sneaking around the crease from X. Feed and finish in the blink of an eye! From 3:16 to 3:24 in the vid.




By the way, the same thing is happening at top NCAA DIII programs. We've got former Foothill Goalie Patrick Shevelson and former SI Middie Phil Aliman who headed off to Kenyon this Fall where they'll join Phil's older brother Nick. Similarly, Close D Matt Corbin of De La Salle joins D Somer Stein of Marin Academy and A Jack Bodine of St. Ignatius at Haverford. It's absolutely explosive growth, folks, and you're watching it happen!

NorCal & NESCAC

The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is one of the nation's finest Lacrosse Conferences. All the schools are academic powerhouses, they are all elite Liberal Arts schools, and they play a wicked brand of NCAA DIII lacrosse. It's no surprise that a large number of NorCal laxers accept invitations to play for NESCAC schools. For those who have never seen NESCAC campuses, herewith a sample. I've added to each school a few of the NorCal guys who play – or are committed to play – NESCAC lacrosse. Enjoy viewing the good life!

Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut:

Brendan McDermott

Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont::

Mani Ghiasi, Will Ernst

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts:

Duncan Cummings, Austin Shea, David Lee

Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts:

Johnno Gibbons

Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts:

Ryan Le

Colby College, Waterville, Maine:

Alex Rutan, Riley Burke

Michael Tags – US Lacrosse write-up

Michael Tagliaferri

It's always nice to read about Michael Tagliaferri, whether it's coming from his 2X AA San Ramon Valley days, his exploits on the USA U-19 team, or his upcoming performances with UNC. Lacrosse Magazine, the official publication of US Lacrosse has just published another article on Mike. This one reveals more details about his family, and also gives a tutorial on his dodging techniques.

For those of you who are members of US Lacrosse, you can read this story in the current issue. Non-members will have to wait a month or so until it shows up on the website. Ah, the privileges of membership!

The dodging tutorial is terrific. Be sure to see the pix and read the details. Key quote from the tutorial: "Watch the defenseman's front hip. If he opens his hip, split dodge the other way. If it stays closed, run past him."

OSU v Lehigh at Kezar – the local story

Will McKee (photo by Doug Ko)

Lehigh defeated the Ohio State University at Kezar Stadium Sunday, 15-13. It's always fun to watch Lacrosse, even Fall Ball games, but for me the story was the return to San Francisco of Lehigh FO/M Will McKee, who plays DI Lacrosse for Lehigh. Will has played in Kezar Stadium many times – in both Football and Lacrosse – but this time had a different vibe. He was a Lehigh MountainHawk and kids in the stands asked for his autograph after the game. San Fran Preps did a story about Will's return, which you can read at: http://www.sanfranpreps.com/2012/10/22/beyond-preps-will-mckees-return-to-kezar-stadium/

Will took a few face-offs, played some midfield, and his team won, so he had a great time at his homecoming. He even got a plateful of his favorite cookies from a fan (Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Chunks for those in the know).

Both Ohio State and Lehigh practiced at St. Ignatius' turf field on Saturday, so that was yet another familiar field for Will. He was a High School All-American at SI and he'll develop into a fine college player. Way to go Will!

Landmark event for California lacrosse

The St. Ignatius College Prep Boy's Lacrosse team will take the field in 2013 with at least eleven NCAA recruits on the roster. I believe this is a high water mark for any team in California Boy's lacrosse history, Only teams like Garden City on Long Island or the best MIAA A Division teams in Baltimore produce numbers like this. Quite an accomplishment for SI.  Northern California's approach to Boy's lacrosse was to create a solid Youth Lacrosse program – the NCJLA – and have the talent "bubble up" to High School programs. This differs from most other non-hotbeds, which put most of their effort into High School programs – taking good athletes and teaching them the basics of lacrosse. I have long contended that the Northern California approach to building a strong Boy's Youth lacrosse infrastructure would prove superior to any other approach. Mission accomplished.

That same Youth lacrosse excellence will allow more High School teams to reach this "every starter an NCAA recruit" landmark. Don't have any idea which team comes next, but I'd be surprised if that team didn't have initials like BCP, DLS, MC, MV or SRV,.

Here's the rundown for SI 2013:

Attack
David Fleming Fairfield 2013 DI
Joe Lang Harvard 2014 DI
Moore Harris Washington & Lee 2013 DIII

Midfield
Chad Bell Boston University 2013 DI
Matt Emery Virginia 2013 DI
Spencer Evans Harvard 2013 DI
Brendan McDermott Trinity College 2013 DIII

Defense
Riley Burke Colby College 2013 DIII
Charlie Ford (LSM) Georgetown 2013 DI
Jack McGovern Holy Cross 2013 DI

Goalie
Cyrus Scott* Colgate 2014 DI
______________________
*I had earlier heard from a goalie on the recruiting trail at the Ivies that Cyrus committed to UPenn, but have subsequently confirmed with the Scotts that Cyrus committed very recently to Colgate. Congratulations to this fine lacrosse player with strong academics!

11/12/2012 UPDATE: A/M Moore Harris Washington & Lee 2013 DIII, has recently committed.

Cyrus Scott to Colgate

While on the East Coast this past week  – taking in 5 DI Fall Ball games in two different states – I met a  goalie who was visiting an Ivy League school. Just an accidental brush, but in our chat, I asked if he knew Cyrus Scott (SI's fine Junior goalie) and got the response, "Sure do. He recently committed to Penn." Now I don't know if this is factual, but goalies in the hunt for DI slots always seem to keep their eyes and an ears open to what their competition is doing. So, if this is true, congrats to Cyrus! Penn is getting a very good goalie.

UPDATE: I recently talked with a member of the Scott family who told me that Cyrus has very recently committed to DI Colgate. Cyrus is a very talented goalie with strong academics. I am not surprised that he had a number of opportunities to play NCAA lacrosse

Organized Lacrosse in Oakland Public Schools

Lacrosse has had its ups and downs in Oakland, with early efforts to launch the game going back more than twenty years. Despite great effort and dedicated coaches most of those early efforts failed. But efforts continued and it may be that Oakland's large school population may be on a path to critical mass. Here is a terrific story about the Oakland Lacrosse Club and Kevin Kelley, who are organizing a major effort to expose Oakland boys and girls to our sport. I wish them the very best of luck:


Kevin played Division I lacrosse at Providence College, where he graduated in 2000. After graduation he moved to the Bay Area and helped start the Piedmont high program. He was assistant coach in 2002 and 2003 and head coach from 2004-2009, compiling a 73-42 record and three straight NCS appearances (2006-2008).


Oakland Lacrosse Club

NCAA rule changes for 2013 and their impact

Every year, the NCAA makes rules changes  – some years fewer, some year more. Those rules have a way of flowing down to High School and Youth Lacrosse. The MLL has its rules, but in our sport, the NCAA is "King of the Hill." This year, the NCAA made, in my opinion, dramatic changes to the rules of the game. Below, I list the key changes the NCAA has made and provide the perspective of an NCAA DI player whose Fall practices and Fall Ball activities provide a "real world" commentary on the NCAA's changes.

NCAA Rules changes discussed herein:

• eliminate the horn on dead ball out-of-bounds situations

• Institute a 30 second shot clock after a stall warning has been issued

•  extend the length of the substitution box

• change the shape of "shooting strings" within NCAA legal heads

First, here's an article featuring the opinions on the rules changes:

http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2012/09/24/rule-changes-approved-panel

I asked an NCAA DI player who is working with these rules in Fall Ball what his opinions of the following rule changes are:

• No dead ball horn
• Longer substitution box
• 30 seconds to shoot after stall warning
• Defenders 5 yards off the ball carrier. Is this true?
• Stringing changes

He responded as follows:

The no dead ball horn makes the game a track race. In practice, we are getting up and down the field with almost no breaks in the scrimmage. The longer substitution box doesn't play a huge role, except in the clearing game the middies try to get little advantages to maybe get a fast break or get open. The stringing rule has had no effect whatsoever and is a pretty pointless change as far as I'm concerned. I'm a fan of the 30 second shot clock: it's really plenty of time to get a quality shot, and it doesn't restrict the offensive strategy by being forced to keep it in the box. 

2013 will see big changes in the pace of the game. Looking forward to the season!

Mike Tagliaferri to undergo shoulder surgery

NorCal's Mike Tagliaferri will undergo shoulder surgery at UNC soon. The USA U19 team's storied midfielder is expected to play this Spring, but awaits results and recovery from his surgery. You can read an article about Mike's injury at:

http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2012/10/02/north-carolinas-michael-tagliaferri-have-shoulder-surgery

Roy Lang traded to Ohio Machine

Roy Lang 

Roy Lang, SI 2x HS AA, Cornell 2x NCAA DI AA, and Tewaaraton semi-finalist,  had a terrific first MLL season with the Rochester Rattlers. So good, in fact, that he was a hot commodity as other teams sought to upgrade their rosters. And, as often happens, Roy was sought by, and traded to, the Ohio Machine today. Head Coach of the Machine, Ted Garber, said,""Roy has quickly proven to be one of the up and coming dynamic midfielders in the MLL. I was very impressed with him when we played the Rattlers last summer," said Garber. "In order to be able to trade for Roy, we had to give up Dan Groot a proven quality MLL player and a tremendous team member, but in the end I believe that the trade worked out for both the Machine and Rattlers in a positive way. Roy will give the Machine another tremendous athlete at the midfield position who will add to our offensive fire power."

Roy had 13 goals, 7 assists and 26 GBs in his rookie season.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.theohiomachine.com/news/6251/machine-acquires-midfielder-roy-lang

Joe Lang to Harvard

Joe Lang

Joe Lang, SI's rising Junior Attack has committed to the admissions process at Harvard. The flashy lefty – and younger brother of Cornell All-American Roy Lang – also wrestled with offers from Princeton and Duke.

Joe had a wonderful summer on the recruiting circuit. Playing for the Alcatraz Outlaws, he made the All-Star teams at both the Gait Cup and King of the Hill.

I've had the good fortune to watch Joe play most of his regular season games since he was in 6th grade. It was evident then that he was destined to become a special player. He was a key member of the Attack line this past season at St. Ignatius, which line Coach Chris Packard has called "the most productive Attack line in SI history."

And so the NorCal pipeline to the Ivy League continues. There are seven lacrosse playing schools in the Ancient Eight (only Columbia does not field a men's team) and each of the Ivies has at least one NorCal guy on the squad or committed and on the way!

Congratulations, Joe!

Chris Hill to USNA

Chris Hill, Marin Catholic's nifty offensive laxer, has committed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. He was a first team all-league selection at Middie in the MCAL this past Spring, though he does play some Attack as well. Congrats to Chris on his commitment and, as always, thanks to Chris and all those who put themselves in harm's way to protect our country.

Here's a short vid of Chris in action:

Jerome Rigor commits to DI Sacred Heart

Jerome Rigor, Foothill's multi-faceted Attack – and US Lacrosse Junior year All-American – has committed to NCAA DI Sacred Heart. He's been on every NorCal Lacrosse fans "watch list" since 7th grade. Congrats to Jerome!

From Inside Lacrosse:
Jerome Rigor, A, Foothill (Calif.) has verbally committed to Sacred Heart. An All-American from Northern Cali, the team captain tallied 61 goals and 51 assists this spring. In the summer, he played in events with the Alcatraz Outlaws, West Coast Starz and NorCal Braves, turning in All-Star performances at King of the Hill and Gait Cup.

Matt McGloin commits to Mount St. Mary's

Rising Senior, Matt McGloin, who was 1st team WCAL All-League this past Spring, recently committed to NCAA DI Mount St. Mary's. Inside Lacrosse reports the following:

Matt McGloin, A, J. Serra Catholic (Calif.) has verbally committed to Mount St. Mary's. The 6-2 attackman played for the Golden State Titans, and the Norcal Braves in the past year, and attended Peak 200, and the Sonoma Showcase. McGloin also played at the Sonoma Shootout, Chicago Cup, and Gait Cup (all-star honors). He is a four year starter, posting 66 goals and 54 assists this year and received first-team all-league. McGloin strongly considered St. Johns, Hobart, and Salisbury.

Joe Reid to Denver

Casa Grande's All-American midfielder has committed to Denver. Inside Lacrosse reports the following information:


Joe Reid, M, Casa Grande (Calif.) has verbally committed to Denver. The 6-1, 185-pound midfielder led his team in scoring with 48 goals, 16 assists and 64 points. He participated in Jake Reed's Blue Chip Camp and made the all-star team at King of the Hill and Gait Cup with the Alcatraz Outlaws as well as the Sonoma Shootout with the Golden State Titans. Also plays basketball. Reid strongly considered North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan.

Sean Mayle commits to Denver

Sean Mayle, 2014, Sacred Heart Prep's fine midfielder has committed to Denver, according to Inside Lacrosse:

Sean Mayle

From Inside Lacrosse:

Sean Mayle, M, Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) has verbally committed toDenver. Mayle, a 6-1, 180-pound midfielder has been a varsity starter and all-league selection since freshman year. He attended the Jake Reed's Blue Chip Camp juniors this summer. He also played for the Alcatraz Outlaws and the Golden State Titans, participating at King of the Hill, Gait Cup, Brine Shootout Session 1, and the NSCLA 2014 Young Guns. Other schools strongly considered were Georgetown, Loyola and Maryland.

Vitality Lacrosse videos: Battle of the Bay

A frame from the Party Down vs NorCal Braves Championship Game

Plenty of videos to watch of Vitality's Battle of the Bay. See you favorite local team in action at the following URL:

http://readyreplay.com/portal/show/82

2012 NorCal Talon videos

PTown Dad alerted me to a number of vids he took of NorCal Talon at the National U15 Championships. They're worth watching! Here's a URL into YouTube where you can see a bunch of NorCal Talon vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9AY3k7BFyk

Thank you, Sir!

NorCal Talon finishes 4th in US Lacrosse U15 National Championship

NorCal Talon, which made the semifinals in the US Lacrosse National Championship, lost both its games today to finish 4th in the nation. They lost their semi-final game to Long Island Express (the eventual Champion, 8-2. In their consolation game for third place, Talon lost a heart-breaker to Florida, 9-8. Congrats tot Talon for its continuing strong showing at the US Lacrosse Nationals!
Aren Broekmate, a Talon defender, made the All-Tournament team.

NorCal Talon was not the only NorCal team contending for the National Championship, as NorCal Platinum and NorCal Blue were also participating. That's a HUGE contingent of NorCal's best. Congratulations to all of these fine players!

Lacrosse Magazine ranks Western HS Lax teams

Lacrosse Magazine, the official publication of US Lacrosse, recently published their annual review of top teams around the country. In their Western rankings, the magazine named La Costa Canyon the top boys team in the region and named Michael Keasey of  Corona Del Mar the Player of the Year for the Western region.

Michael Keasey

In their listing of the top 10 teams in the Western United States, Lacrosse Magazine included two NorCal teams. Here is their commentary:

3. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.) 21-1
The Wildcats took the West Catholic Athletic League championship with a 16-2 win over Bellarmine (Calif.). They've won the first three WCAL titles by a combined score of 526-119. JW McGovern (Yale), who coach Chris Packard called "the most complete attackman I've ever seen on the West Coast," led the way.

JW McGovern

8. San Ramon Valley (Calif.) 20-3
The Wolves won the East Bay Athletic League and North Coast Section Division I titles, ending on an 11-game win streak. Senior All-American midfielder and US U19 star Michael Tagliaferri (North Carolina) had 48 goals and 25 assists.

Mike Tagliaferri

Coincidentally, Mike Tagliaferri & JW McGovern are both two-time US Lacrosse All-Americans, while Michael Keasey and JW will both be attending Yale in the fall.

The complete article appears in the August 2012 print edition of Lacrosse Magazine.

NorCal Talon U15s in Semi-finals of US Lacrosse Nationals

Connor McNeill of NorCal Talon

A great article today from Lacrosse Magazine on the NorCal Talon U15 squad at Nationals. Read it at:

http://laxmagazine.com/high_school/boys/2011-12/news/072812_final_four_set_at_us_lacrosse_boys_u15_championship

2012 Tahoe: Complete Game results

Inside Lacrosse has posted complete game results for the 2012 Lake Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament (LTLT). The Adrenaline Tropics won the tourney again, with an 8-6 victory of Dub-C.
The link is:
http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2012/07/24/lake-tahoe-lax-tourney-sights-swag-and-scores

Pix from 2012 Tahoe

The following link contains a few (14) pix from the 2012 Lake Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150831915507395&set=a.10150831915317395.352981.40830472394&type=3&theater

I'm looking for more. Send an anonymous comment with a link to more pix and I'll post them. Also let me know results of the playoff bracket by anonymous comment.

Thanks,
Dilettante

US retains U19 Title: Defeats Canada 10-8

The United States retained its title as winner of the FIL U19 Championship, by defeating Canada 10-8. The United States is the only team to ever have won the Championship in the history of this event.

Mike Tagliaferri scored one in the US victory. Read more at:
http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2012/07/21/u19-world-championships-usa-beats-canada-keeps-gold-streak-alive

Nicely done, boys!

Champ Camp Game 8: Fog City wins 8-3

The final game in Fog City's Champ Camp odyssey resulted in another win and a 7-1 overall record at Champ Camp. As you'll read, the Dukes, a multi-school team with 35 DI commits, went on to win Champ Camp again. There is a big dichotomy that is worth understanding here. There are tournament teams, built from All-Stars from a wide array of schools, usually – though not always – from a specific geographic area. The Dukes are such a team. Then, there are single school teams. These are teams with all their players from one High School. Fog City is such a team. Fog City plays at Champ Camp to improve team coordination and team bonding. Regular readers of this blog will recall that I am a big, big fan of single school off-season travel teams. I've commented before on my admiration for Monte Vista, De La Salle, and Saint Ignatius for their devotion to team above all. These schools follow a path of improvement among teammates.  They prepare for the season. The season, the Conference Championship and the Section Championship are EVERYTHING. Big-time summer tournaments are merely a vehicle to prepare for the season. This is pure  Lacrosse. It is all about team and nothing about individual. It is heaven to watch!

Here is Ed McGovern's report on Game 8 at Champ Camp 2012:

Fog City vs. Paragon of Connecticut

Billy Sullivan starts in goal.  Riley Burke, Cole Steigerwald and Lorenzo Iacomini at long poll D.  Dave Fleming, Joe Lang and Marcus Holzberg at attack.  Brendan McDermott at face off with Spencer Evans and Charlie Ford at midfield.

Paragon (White) controls the face off.  Quick shot on goal but Billy Sullivan grabs the shot and clears.  White is called for a penalty and FC immediately goes man up but we can’t score and possession back to White.

Wolverine Iacomini forces a turnover and clears to Cullen Vincelette.  But again, FC can’t score.  On the transition, Marcus Holzberg forces a turnover and passes to Spencer Evans at the top of the box.  Evans passes to Moore Harris cutting towards goal and he buries the shot from the left alley.  1-0 FC.

It’s now pouring rain! But for anyone who was at this very same field at St. Paul’s last year where it was over 100 and every parent was fighting for any little shade, this was more like SF weather.

Cullen Vincelette on the face off but ball goes to White.  Cole Steigerwald knocks the ball loose, grabs the ground ball and clears to Cullen Vincelette.  Matt Emery gets loose for a shot from the left but it goes just wide.  Possession back to White.

Wolverine Iacomini scoops up a loose ball on the wing and clears to Cullen Vincelette at midfield.  Vincelette dodges 4 White players at midfield and pushes the ball to FC offensive end.  Joe Lang gets off a nice bounce shoot that goes a little wide, but Dave Fleming is there to grab the loose ball.  Joe Lang gets the ball again and hits Chad Bell driving to goal in the left alley.  Bell buries the his overhand shot in the bottom corner and FC goes up 2-0.

Brendan McDermott on the face off and Charlie Ford grabs the loose ball.  But ball gets loose at midfield and Joe Lang is there to pick it up.  Silky sprints towards goal and the goalie is helpless as Lang buries the shot in the top corner.  3-0 FC.

Ryan Pidgeon at LSM grabs a tough, contested ground ball and clears to Spencer Evans.  But Evans shot is stopped and ball goes back to White.

August Peters now in at long poll and makes a great play knocking a ball loose and scooping up the ground ball.  Peters clears to Spencer Evans but ball goes back to White again.

This time White gets off a shot, but Billy “Brickhouse” Sullivan is impregnable and stops the low corner shot.  Sullivan clears to Brendan McDermott.  Danny Casey gets loose cutting across the goal, but his shot is stopped by the White goalie and they clear.  

But again, great team D with August Peters, Lorenzo Iacomini and Riley Burke in at long poll and White turns the ball over.   Defense has been impressive during the whole tournament.

Chad Bell gets loose for two different shots – one wide and the other somehow stopped by the goalie – and White tries a fast break.  But Billy Sullivan is aggressive in net and intercepts a pass to prevent a shot.  FC clears.

This time Brenden Hahn and Spencer Evans team up with Hahn making a nice pass to a cutting Spencer Evans in front of the goal.  Evans is deadly there and shoots it top corner to push the lead to 4-0.

Next face off, Ryan Kase in at middie grabs the loose ball and gets tripped by White.  Possession by FC.  Boys work it around to Joe Silky Lang behind the cage and Lang shows his magic again, curling around the crease on the goalies right and one-handing a bounce shot past the goalie to push the lead to 5-0. 

Halftime.

2^nd Half. 

Cyrus Scott in goal.  

Brendan McDermott on the face and controls for FC.  Pass gets to Joe Lang on the left wing who hits Spencer Evans driving down the left alley and Evans finds the back of the net to make it 6-0 FC.

Cullen Vincelette wins the next face off but ball goes back to White.  But tough transition D by Vincelette and he finds Brenden Hahn who quickly hits Joe Lang in front of the crease and Lang scores.  Now 7-0 FC.

Brendan McDermott wins another face off and ball gets to Silky Lang behind the cage.  Lang curls around from the back (it must be a nightmare to try and guard him) and as he’s falling down he buries the shot past the goalie.  8-0 FC.

Fog City gets another couple of chances, including a nice play by Brenden Hahn who gets a shot in the crease that somehow ends up in the goalie’s shirt for about 5 seconds before he can locate it.  But FC doesn’t score.

Boys make some nice plays before the end of the game.  Ryan Pidgeon forces one turnover at midfield.  August Peters plays tough D.  Charlie Ford forces a turnover.  Ryan Kase plays tough and makes catches a very high pass in the middle of the field and clears down to offensive end. Riley Burke is terrific with some one on one D and Cyrus Scott makes some nice saves including at the end of the game and clears to Moore Harris as the game ends.

White was able to get three scores at the end after we were up 8-0 but FC was clearly a superior team.

Scoring:  Goals: Joe Lang 4, Spencer Evans 2, Moore Harris 1, Chad Bell 1.  

Assists: Spencer Evans 1, Joe Lang 2, Brenden Hahn 2

Tournament Notes; 

First, be very, very proud of your sons.  They are gentlemen, grateful, well mannered and mature. They are a credit to you and to their school.  To see them sing the fight song in front of parents and other teams here was moving.

Second, this was a terrific bonding experience for this team.  Right now at the airport, they are all sitting together laughing, talking, and enjoying each other.

Third, this was an incredible result.  To go 7-1 in this tournament and to have the only loss be to the team who did win the tournament today (The Dukes won 7-6 over Got Skills for the Dukes 6^th Champ Camp championship) is a phenomenal accomplishment.

Fourth, there is an incredible amount of talent on this team.  We lost a lot of talent with the graduating seniors last year, but we have young men ready to step up and step into those rolls.  Some things need work, but this tournament showed there will be very little, if any, drop off from last year.

Fifth, they were very publicly appreciative of the help and coaching from John Eagan and Wells Stanwick.  I saw them all come up and shake hands and thank both coaches after the last game.  Very classy.

Watch out LAX world.  Can’t wait for Spring!

My thanks to Ed McGovern for his great reporting from Champ Camp! As a final note, just as the Dukes defeated Fog City in 2011 and went on to win that tourney, they were the team who defeated Fog City in 2012 and went on to win this year's tourney. In the 2012 tourney, the Dukes, a regional All-Star team defeated GotSkillz, a NATIONAL All-Star team in the finals. In 2011,  the Dukes regional All-Star team, similarly defeated Gotskillz National All-Star team. Hmm.  Fog City represents a set of schools who play the game the right way. The Old School way. I'm quite impressed by Fog City. A little school, with less than 700 boys, makes the Sweet Sixteen at Champ Camp. The other contenders were all Regional and National All-Star teams. AMDG. 

Champ Camp Game 7: Fog Ciy prevails 6-5

OK, so the Championship is not within Fog City's grasp, but the tourney goes on. Fog City has two more games to play. Here is Ed McGovern's report from Game 7.

Fog City wins 6-5 on last minute goal.  

Sorry for the tardiness in the report.  It was raining before the game last night and then a heavy mist during the game that had everything wet, including my notebook.  And then about 5 seconds before the end of the game, when the other team was trying to tie it up and had possession, their attackman tried to curl around from behind the cage and he and our Jack collided and Jack's helmet crashed down on the bridge of his nose with a terrible cut that took 10 stitches at Hopkins Emergency last night.  He's ok though.

Game Report:

Billy Sullivan starts in goal and played the whole game.  Made some great saves including two terrific saves in the last 30 seconds to preserve the win.

Lorenzo Iacomini, Riley Burke and Ryan Pidgeon start at D.  Brenden Hahn, Joe Lang and Marcus Holzberg start at attack.  Game had some very good plays by Ryan Kase, Danny Casey, August Peters and Lorenzo Iacomini.

The White team scored first and lead most of the game.  My notes are all a mess from the rain but I think Cullen Vincelette scored our only goal of the first half and it was 2-1 the other team at halftime.  We had a lot of shots go wide or off the post and it looked like we were down because of the earlier loss to the Dukes team.

But we make a charge in the 2nd half.

2nd Half:

Spencer Evans got us tied up with goal #2 for FC.  They took back the lead at 3-2 and Matt Emery tied it at 3-3 on a man up situation for FC.

Moore Harris scored the next goal for us on a rocket of a shot driving down the left alley of the box.  4-3 FC  Joe Lang put us up 5-3 with the next goal.  But White came back and tied it up with 2 straight goals.  5-5 with about 1 minute left.

Then Cullen Vincelette grabs a loose ball and sprints down the field creating an unsettled situation for the White on their D.  He finds Joe Lang cutting across the middle and Silky buries the shot to give us the final lead 6-5.

But as I said earlier, it was far from over.  The D played tough and Billy Sullivan made some terrific saves in the last 30 seconds to preserve the win.

One more game this morning.  It would be great for the boys to go 7-1 here if they can win.

Champ Camp Game 6: Sweet Sixteen

In the 2011 edition of Champ Camp, Fog City made it to the Sweet Sixteen, only to meet and be defeated by the Dukes, who went on to win the 2011 Champ Camp. The Dukes are out of Philadelphia and fielded a squad of 35. Last year they ended Fog City's run at Champ Camp and went on to win the tourney. Here is Ed McGovern's report from the 2012 Sweet Sixteen match:

Well, the run is over.  Boys played Dukes 1 - winners of Champ Camp five previous times and with 35 D1 commits on the team.  Your boys played with heart, never let up and fought to the end, but this Duke team could probably beat half the D1 College programs in the country.  They had the #1 ranked goalie and some amazing lax players (although our boys had much more class than their team).

 

Lost 13-2.   Not much more to report.

Champ Camp Game 5: Fog City 8 - TriState Black 3

Tri-State Black is one of the East Coast's legendary recruiting teams. Here's the game report from Ed McGovern:

If last night was great, this win was even better.  Fog City wins 8-3 against All-Star team TriState Black mostly from New Jersey.  Dominating team win.  Defense was absolutely outstanding and awesome goalie play.  TriState Black won Champ Camp last year which was their 5th Champ Camp win and is tied for most all time (research courtesy of Don Sullivan).

 

Game:  8:30 time.  Thought we were in San Francisco with fog and overcast skies.  Cool temperatures.  Played on turf field of St. Paul's school - terrific facilities.

 

Cyrus Scott starts in goal.  Marcus Holzberg, Dave Fleming and Joe Lang on attack.  Riley Burke, Jack McGovern and Cole Steigerwald at long poll D.  LSM Charlie Ford with Cullen Vincelette at face off and Spencer Evans at middie.  Black wins face off (and would go on to win nearly 90% of face offs) and they get to goal quickly, but terrific team D prevents fast break goal.   Charlie Ford makes a nice stick check to force a shot high. Riley Burke called for slash (looked very questionable) and FC goes man down right away.

 

Jack McGovern steps up on man down and forces a turnover, grabs the ground ball and clears to Cole Steigerwald who clears to Cullen Vincelette at midfield.  Quick passing from Cullen Vincelette to Matt Emery who finds Marcus Holzberg in front of the net.  Holzberg buries the shot and FC goes up 1-0.

 

Black gets the next face off, but Jack McGovern is all over the field and forces another turnover and clears.  Joe Lang gets loose for a shot but it's stopped by the goalie and ball is back to Black.

 

Again, stellar D - Chad Bell knocks one shot wide and Cyrus Scott hustles to the back line to get possession for FC.  Brendan McDermott clears to the offensive end.

Matt "the truth" Emery gets loose at the top of the box for a rocket shot to push the lead to 2-0.

 

Black wins next face but Cullen Vincelette won't give up and back checks the Black middie to force a loose ball.  Spencer Evans grabs the loose ball and clears to the offensive end.  Moore Harris drives from the top and gets off a nice shot, but goalie stops it.  Dave Fleming on transition D forces a turnover by knocking the stick out of the Black player's hand and FC takes back possession.  But we can't score and ball goes back to Black.

 

Black is a very patient team, and often tried to isolate a short stick on our short stick with a one on one situation, but our D rose to the occasion - sliding and helping so they could never get off a clear shot.  Cyrus Scott makes a nice save after two shots and Riley Burke clears to Spencer Evans.

 

But Black gets the ball back and their patient offense finally gets loose for a score.  2-1 FC.

 

Black again wins the face off but Cole Steigerwald forces a turnover and grabs the ground ball.  He clears to Spencer Evans in the middle of the field who drives through the defense and buries a shot with defenders draped all over him.  3-1 FC.

 

Cullen Vincelette wins a tough contested ground ball on the next face off and FC controls.  But FC can't score and ball goes back to Black.  Danny Casey on D makes a terrific play to force a loose ball and grabs the ground ball.  FC clears.

 

Black holds the ball for long time but great team D by Fog City and Black can't score.  Finally, Cole Steigerwald is able to grab a loose ground ball and clears to Riley Burke who takes it across midfield. 

 

FC sets up and works the ball around to Joe Lang on the left wing and Silky gets into the act with a great swim move past his defender and bounce shot top corner to push the lead to 4-1. 

 

Riley Burke forces a turnover after Black gets the face off and clears but Black takes back possession.  Moore Harris makes a nice back check to prevent a last second shot by Black.  FC takes possession and holds the ball until halftime.  FC leads 4-1

 

2nd Half

 

Cyrus Scott starts in goal.

 

Riley Burke, Jack McGovern and Cole Steigerwald start at D for 2nd half.  Brenden Hahn, Marcus Holzberg and Joe Lang start at attack. Cullen Vincelette, Spencer Evans and Charlie Ford on face off line.

 

Cullen Vincelette wins the face off.  Joe Lang hits Matt Emery cutting towards goal but his shot is just high.  Joe Lang gets off a shot that is stopped and ball back to Black.

 

Charlie Ford plays tough, tight D and forces a shot high.  Black again shows their patience and it works after a long possession.  Black scores 4-2 FC.

 

Black wins the next face off but Cyrus Scott makes another great save but Black keeps possession.  Brendan McDermott plays nice D and checks the player causing a loose ball.  Riley Burke clears to Chad Bell at midfield but errant pass gets loose.  Marcus Holzberg nice hustle to keep possession for FC and passes to Moore Harris at the top of the box.

 

Moore Harris uses his size and speed from the top to split dodge two defenders, dodging another, and fires a shot into the top corner of the net.  Great effort and goal.  5-2 FC.

 

Cullen Vincelette gets the face off and finds Joe Lang on the left wing.  Silky Lang swims right past his defender and buries the shot to push the lead to 6-2.

 

Black is called for a penalty on the face off but FC can't get a score.  Ball back to Black.

 

Cullen Vincelette makes a great play on D to force a turnover but ball goes back to Black.  They work the ball around again and finally get an open shot and score. 6-3 FC.

 

Black wins the next face off but again tough D.  Chad Bell grabs a loose ball - both teams fighting hard for ground balls, but Black takes back possession.  FC plays D a long time and is helped by great goalie play by Cyrus Scott with another terrific save.  Black is finally called for a penalty and ball back to FC with a man up.  But again we can't score.

 

Black takes over again and Cyrus Scott makes another amazing save on a man down situation.  Defense causes a turnover and nice long poll passing from Riley Burke to Cole Steigerwald to Jack McGovern clears to Matt Emery.  Time left on the clock is about 4:30.

 

FC clears to our offensive end and Coach Eagan calls necessary time out.  On the restart, Matt Emery is double teamed on the wing and split dodges two defenders, dodges another and buries the shot into the top corner.  7-3 FC.

 

Black gets the next face off, but Cullen Vincelette makes a nice play with a back check on a stick and clears the loose ball.  Joe Lang gets the ball behind the net on the wing and as Black is double teaming the ball, Matt Emery gets clear in front for another goal.  8-3 FC.

 

Less then 2 minutes left now, and Black gets the face off.  But D is absolutely stifling and Cole Steigerwald and Jack McGovern force a turnover on a shot that finds the net but crease violation on Black and possession back to FC.  Game ends and boys are thrilled.

 

Really, really great team win.  Our HS team beats one of the premier All Star teams from the East Coast. A dominating win.  Lots of open mouths by the Black parents.

 

Now we are into the sweet 16 against the Dukes at 1 pm today. 

 

Scoring:  Goals: Marcus Holzberg 1, Matt Emery 3, Spencer Evans 1, Moore Harris 1, Joe Lang 2.  Assists:  Matt Emery 1.

Fog City at Champ Camp: Whips Ridgewood1 8-4

From Ed McGovern:

Phenomenal team win for Fog City.  Two undefeated teams met tonight after a 2 hour rain delay and played under the lights on Hopkins field.   Fog City vs. Ridgewood1 of New Jersey and Fog City comes away with convincing win 8-4.  Because of the delay, the games were shortened to 35 minutes, so about 17 minutes a half.  Game temperature cool after the rain - and it was no little rain shower before the game folks  - torrential.

The beginning is somewhat abridged as I got there late.

Cyrus Scott starts in goal and plays the entire game.

By the time I arrived, Ridgewood (Blue) just scores their first goal, but Fog City is already up 2-0 by then on goals - first by Spencer Evans top shelf rocket and the second by Chad Bell.  Now 2-1 FC.

First observation - FC is fired up.  Lots of energy and drive.  Crisp passing, moving without the ball.  Whatever Coach Eagan gave them before the game we need to bottle.

Next possession, FC gains control.  Marcus Holzberg breaks loose from the right wing and bounces a terrific shot low and past the goalie to make it 3-1 FC.

Blue gets the next possession - they are a talented team.  Zipping passes and one player gets free in front for a goal.  3-2 FC.

Brendan McDermott on face but Blue gains possession.  Chad Bell makes a nice stick check on D and forces a turnover.  Ryan Pidgeon clears.  But quick shot by FCand their goalie tries to clear.  But Brenden Hahn playing tough transition D forces a turnover at midfield.  Joe Lang hits Matt Emery streaking towards the goal, but Emery's shot is just wide.  Ball back to Blue.

Spencer Evans plays great D on the transition and forces a turnover and starts a fast break.  Evans drives down the left slot pulling the D to him, he hits Brenden Hahn in front and of the goal and Hahn drills a left handed top right corner shot to push the lead back to 2.  4-2 FC.

FC gets the face off and works the ball around the cage.  Joe "Silky" Lang takes the ball from behind the cage, dodges right curls back to his left leaving the defender swinging at air and Lang's bounce shot scores to make it 5-2.  And half ends.

2nd Half

Cyrus Scott stays in goal for 2nd half.

Brendan McDermott on the face off and Spencer Evans scoops up a tough and contested ground ball.   But Blue gets back possession and is loose for a shot and score.  5-3 FC.

Blue wins the next possession, but terrific double team by Jack McGovern and Riley Burke forces the Blue player into the crease and turnover to FC.  CullenVincelette clears.  Again, crisp passing and finding the open man.

Joe "Silky" Lang on the left wing works his way past 2 defenders, dodges another defender and his bounce shot finds the net.  6-3 FC and Silky leaves a trail of frustrated defenders in his wake.

Blue wins the next face off but Riley Burke causes a turnover.  FC can't get off a shot and Blue takes possession.  But really tenacious transition D by Fog City and Blue is penalizied for a failure to advance the ball.  But FC is called for a penalty and they convert on their man up - 6-4 FC.

Fog City still with man down but the D kills the penalty.  But Blue keeps possession and one player gets loose behind the cage and heads for the goal for a shot.  But Jack McGovern comes across the crease and flattens the Blue player preventing the shot.  FC clears.

FC works the ball around the box to Joe Lang on the wing.  Silky cuts as if he's heading to goal again, but fires a pinpoint pass to Dave Fleming cutting in front of goal.  Fleming buries the shot and FC now goes up 7-4.

Now less than 2 minutes left, and FC wins the face off.  Cullen Vincelette gets the ball to Joe Lang.  Silky holds the ball for over a minute as time is running out, passes to Dave Fleming behind the net, who passes right back to Joe Lang who decides to take the open shot as the goalie is double teaming someone and out of the net.  Now it's 8-4 and time is ticking away for Blue.

Blue wins the face off with less than a minute left, but tough, tough D by Chad Bell, Matt Emery, and the four long polls - Jack McGovern, Riley Burke, ColeSteigerwald and Charlie Ford won't even allow them a shot on goal.

Terrific game and win.  Team effort.  Really impressive and to the Ridgewood parents - stunning.

Now we are into the round of 32 with single elimination games from now on.   Still trying to figure out the opponent for tomorrow's 8:30 AM game.  Rain and thunder forecast for tomorrow so we will see if we get the game in.

Scoring:  Goals - Spencer Evans 1, Chad Bell 1, Marcus Holzberg 1, Brenden Hahn 1, Dave Fleming 1 and Joe Lang 3

Assists:  Spencer Evans 1, Joe Lang 1