Going into our last weekend of the season, and the last weekend of my career, it is nice to know that the other seniors and myself will be ending our time here at Vassar proud of what we have accomplished as individuals and as a team. This past Wednesday, in an exciting back and forth game under the lights on Weinberg Field, we lost to one of our rivals, Union College, 12-8. While we did not manage to defeat a Liberty League opponent this year, we definitely showed that we are no longer a team others in the Liberty League can assume is an automatic win. I am confident that our program will continue to get stronger and be a factor in our league.
This is a time of the year where not only is our season coming to an end, but tours flood our school daily with soon-to-be Brewers. It is unbelievable to think that a few short years ago I was walking amongst those tour groups as an innocent high school senior who had no idea what Vassar would have in store for him. Playing lacrosse here has really been a blessing, and was one of the main reasons I chose to come here. The unique dynamic our team has I feel is unparalleled by any other teams we have played against, and to others, even some on our own campus, is downright strange.
Our brotherly qualities to one another, and our ridiculous antics from mustaches to the days of team ice (yes, my freshman year nearly every single member of the team pierced their ear with an large fake diamond earring, causing the Piercing Pagoda to run out of that model because of us) really made for an experience that I would not trade for anything.
I look forward to the last weekend of the year as we finish up against SUNY Cobleskill and Cazenovia College. Come out and support as the weather will be sunny and possibly in the 80s as this chapter of the Vassar men's lacrosse team finishes its story.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Season Winding Down, But Still Heating Up
The past few weeks have been filled with challenges, many of which we have been waiting to encounter since before the season started. Liberty League competition has always been the most difficult part of our schedule, frequently playing teams of top 25 quality. While we still seek our first Liberty League win, following losses to RPI, Clarkson, Hamilton, and St. Lawrence, we feel as though we have grown immensely as a team during these games. We haven learned a few things throughout the first few games of league play. First of all, we realize now that we no longer need to be absolutely perfect to compete with league opponents (and perfection is never something we expected to happen). In each of the games we have played against league teams this year, we competed again our opponents in ways we never had in the past creating a competitive atmosphere where both teams were on their heels. Secondly, we learned that as of two seasons ago, a season is never complete without a game where mother nature chooses to throw a fit. Two years ago it was the negative temperatures of the Western Connecticut game.
Last year, it was the Kingston monsoon against Keuka. And just when we all thought we escaped the winter without a bad weather game, Clinton, New York showed us that somtimes Mother Nature is completely indecisive give us an afternoon with a wintery mix consisting of snow, rain, sleet, and hail. We also learned that our offense can finally, when it plays near its potential, support the strong defense we historically have. Against Farmingdale, the only non-league game we have played in the last two weeks, we raced out to a 12-2 halftime lead, including starting off the game with two goals in under 50 seconds. Finally, we learned that March Madness is maybe a more appropriate nickname for the month for a particular Ryan, who we wish the speediest recovery from Staffgastroanteriorcrutiatemeniscusitis. He will miss him on the field for the rest of the reason, but for anyone reading this blog please go to www.myspace.com/underspinninglights and listening to a few of a songs. I figure a few more hits on his bands websites might cheer him up a little. (Yes Ryan, I just plugged your band in the Vassar lacrosse blog).
After the St. Lawrence game I was lucky enough to take the trip with my fellow teammates Ross and Paul to Paul's home in Syracuse, New York to see how Easter is celebrated the Danaher way. There was plenty of great food at the occasion, very friendly family, and a whole lot of giggles. Perhaps the best part of the trip to Syracuse was the tour Paul gave Ross and I of the lacrosse history of the area. Coach Proud, being a West Gennesse alum speaks volumes about the area. Paul showed us the famous Syracuse Carrier Dome, Onondaga Community College (the best JUCO lacrosse program), and West Gennesse High School, the old stomping ground of Coach Proud.
I also discovered that lacrosse is not the only dominant program at West Genny high, and in fact takes a backseat to its marching band program, which has won the state championship 31 times in the past 37 years. The lacrosse team is catching up though with 15 state championships. We also saw the Reservoir, the frightening hill that Coach Proud tells us about running timelessly after poor games, a West Genny tradition of sorts. Let me just say, thank goodness the biggest hill on campus is to the mud hut near Walker. We look forward to these last two weeks of the season, where we finish up with our remaining four games at home. Hope to see you all there!
Last year, it was the Kingston monsoon against Keuka. And just when we all thought we escaped the winter without a bad weather game, Clinton, New York showed us that somtimes Mother Nature is completely indecisive give us an afternoon with a wintery mix consisting of snow, rain, sleet, and hail. We also learned that our offense can finally, when it plays near its potential, support the strong defense we historically have. Against Farmingdale, the only non-league game we have played in the last two weeks, we raced out to a 12-2 halftime lead, including starting off the game with two goals in under 50 seconds. Finally, we learned that March Madness is maybe a more appropriate nickname for the month for a particular Ryan, who we wish the speediest recovery from Staffgastroanteriorcrutiatemeniscusitis. He will miss him on the field for the rest of the reason, but for anyone reading this blog please go to www.myspace.com/underspinninglights and listening to a few of a songs. I figure a few more hits on his bands websites might cheer him up a little. (Yes Ryan, I just plugged your band in the Vassar lacrosse blog).
After the St. Lawrence game I was lucky enough to take the trip with my fellow teammates Ross and Paul to Paul's home in Syracuse, New York to see how Easter is celebrated the Danaher way. There was plenty of great food at the occasion, very friendly family, and a whole lot of giggles. Perhaps the best part of the trip to Syracuse was the tour Paul gave Ross and I of the lacrosse history of the area. Coach Proud, being a West Gennesse alum speaks volumes about the area. Paul showed us the famous Syracuse Carrier Dome, Onondaga Community College (the best JUCO lacrosse program), and West Gennesse High School, the old stomping ground of Coach Proud.
I also discovered that lacrosse is not the only dominant program at West Genny high, and in fact takes a backseat to its marching band program, which has won the state championship 31 times in the past 37 years. The lacrosse team is catching up though with 15 state championships. We also saw the Reservoir, the frightening hill that Coach Proud tells us about running timelessly after poor games, a West Genny tradition of sorts. Let me just say, thank goodness the biggest hill on campus is to the mud hut near Walker. We look forward to these last two weeks of the season, where we finish up with our remaining four games at home. Hope to see you all there!
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