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!