2009 Lacrosse Blog - Week 4

by Alex Crean - April 21, 2009

With just two and a half weeks remaining in the 2009 Season, we are in the home stretch, both figuratively and literally. Our team hosted NEWMAC opponents Springfield and MIT on Tuesday, April 14 and Saturday, April 18, respectively. Despite the fact that the number of playable pride members dwindles each day, we collectively continue to exhibit Lyon-worthy fight. 

Monday's Practive: Ashley DeFlumere (one of our captains) and Peggy Wefald shared with the team their physical inabilities to finish the season. Both players have been greatly missed in our NEWMAC tilts.

Wednesday Practice: An exhausted and battered team is given the “day-off” by Coach Esber. It was a break certainly earned due to our well-played and minimal substitution game. I hit-up the gym for a mid-morning elliptical workout and enjoyed a much needed afternoon of homework (with occasional study breaks to catch up on The Simpsons and Family Guy episodes) followed by Gracious Dinner at Abbey-Buckland Dining Hall.  

Thursday and Friday Practices: Suz Wilcox (another captain) and Clara Raugei also rejoin the pride with limited live-play from extended leaves of injury. 

Saturday Game vs. MIT: The Lyons primal athleticism falls short of the advanced technologies of the Engineers 16-11. There was solid scoring from Ava Gottschall (3), Clara Raugei (3), Taylor Hedges (3), Kristen Cody (1) and Hilary Bombard (1) and assists from Hilary (2), Ava (1) and Taylor (1). Jeannie Peterson made six saves in the second half in her second game of the season, and Missy Hartley took her athleticism to the field for defensive play. In the late second half, Clara re-experienced slight ankle irritation (a result of a game injury at WNEC). Initially, she was reluctant to remove herself from the game to ice it, until I threatened to personally tell Coach Esber. Still hesitant, the motivation of playing against Smith College prompted her to remove herself from the game to ice her ankle. Following the afternoon game, the team parents hosted a pot-luck “tailgate” organized by the Cody Family. The Lyons and their parents devoured delicious culinary goods and enjoyed playing with the Cody Family’s black labrador puppy. My two personal favorites were the hot wings and chocolate chip cookies. 

A week later: Today, the day of our most anticipated match-up against Seven Sisters rival Smith College, we will have no bench. Missy Hartley will be joining us on the Savannah (I mean pitch) as a defender. In reflection of the past week and in summation of our last full week to come, I borrow words from a favorite lyric from Aerosmith’s song “Dream On”: You got to lose to know how to win.

LET’S GO ‘YOKE!