Michigan Lacrosse April 27, 2009

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 3 | APRIL 27, 2009

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BE OUR GUEST

4

KRISTEN KJELLMAN

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

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APRIL

27,

2009

Summer means its time for camp

Former Northwestern University star Kristen Kjellman conducts a clinic for girls players at last year’s US Lacrosse 7 v. 7 event in Novi.

Attending lacrosse camps was always one of my favorite times of the summer.

Camps were the best way for me to mix my competitive spirit (through scrimmages and competitions) and my eagerness to learn and improve my game.

Not only are summer camps perfect for developing skills and game sense, they are also a great way to be seen by college coaches of all levels. Whether you’re looking to play Division 1, 2, 3 or Club lacrosse in college, most coaches run their own camp or attend other camps throughout the summer.

The main reason I received the opportunity to attend and play at Northwestern University was because I attended an Amonte Sports camp after my sophomore year in high school.

After meeting Kelly Amonte Hiller, I knew that she was the type of person and coach who I wanted to play for in college. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was good enough to play at Northwestern, but I did know that I could learn so much from the programs’ coaches and current players.

So at her camps I really worked hard on improving my skills and I learned new tricks and drills that I could work on in the off-season.

Fortunately, my hard work paid off and I was recruited by NU. Lacrosse summer camps are terrific because you have the choice to take away as much knowledge and feedback that you desire. Sometimes they are great to attend with your friends and teammates - you can just have a fun time enjoying the game with your best friends.

Other times they’re perfect for fine tuning skills and learning new concepts. And more advanced and committed players find camps are great to attend for recruiting purposes as well. So no matter

what type of player you are, or hope to become, there’s always a camp that will suit your style.

If you’re the type of athlete who really wants to improve at camp, then I have some advice. First, work on skills that are new and difficult. Step out of your comfort zone and really challenge yourself. Camp is the best place to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.

Second, don’t be shy or afraid to ask your coaches and counselors questions or help in explaining moves and concepts. That’s what they are there for and they will be more than happy to teach you.

Third, don’t go back to your old habits once camp is over. Write down some of your favorite drills, routines and plays so that you can remember to practice them on your own and with your team.

Not all camps that look and sound terrific on a brochure are as great as they seem. One time I chose to attend a lacrosse camp solely because it was at a college that I loved and I thought it would be unbelievable to play there.

Well, that camp turned out to be less than par. It seemed like we were bused around all day long from field to field and I never even saw the head coaches after the initial welcome.

I guess I learned my lesson. So one last piece of advice. Talk to people and make sure you do your research before choosing the camp to attend. Find out what the daily schedule is like, what the coach-to-camper ratio is, and try to get feedback from someone who has attended the camp in the past.

Summer camps are meant to be a fun, exciting outlet for you to improve your game and learn from talented coaches. So, ask questions, stay positive, work hard, and make the best of a great opportunity!

INSIDE_04.27.09

STAFF Editor-in-Chief.................................................... Philip D. Colvin Advertising ..............................................................Lucia Zuzga ........................................................................... Philip D. Colvin ........................................................................... Lauren Kovacs Design Editor/Cover Design .............................. Chuck Stevens Distribution Program ...............................................Lucia Zuzga Administrative Director ..................................... Peggy A. Griffin Controller .......................................................... David J. Klavon Administrative Assistant............................................Amy Jones Circulation: 5,000 - 8,000 copies with estimated readership of 15,000-18,000 per issue Contributing Writers: John Raffel, Susannah Nichols, Terry Jacoby, Carl Chimenti, Ryan Doherty, Courtney Welch, Greg Normand, Jamie Munro, David Mitchell, Larry O’Connor Photographers: Tom Turrill, Dave Reginek, Brian Dudek, Michael Knoll, Mike Ruccolo LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MICHIGAN LACROSSE® welcomes Letters to the Editor. They must be signed and include the writer’s full home address and day and evening telephone numbers.

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23995 Freeway Park Drive • Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48335 TELEPHONE: (248) 478-2500 FAX: (248) 478-1601 EMAIL: ml@michiganhockeyonline.com COVER PHOTO: Detroit Mercy freshman Brad Janer (Novi) in between two Wheeling Jesuit defenders at the Titans first-ever home game on April 11 by Tim Busch/UDM Athetics.

THIS PAGE (FROM TOP): Camp instruction by Bob Bruce/ Michigan Lacrosse; Kristen Kjellman by Michigan Lacrosse and Camp instruction by Bob Bruce/Michigan Lacrosse.

4 BE OUR GUEST

- Kristen Kjellman remembers summer camp

13 WARRIOR HIGH SCHOOL REPORT - Girls’ team reports - Boy’s team reports (p. 15)

6 SUMMER CAMPS

- Michigan offers numerous camps this summer

16

COLLEGE REPORT

- Detroit-Mercy plays first-ever home game - CCLA Championship in Saline on May 1-3 (p.17) - Men’s college reports (p. 17)

THE NEXT ISSUE OF MICHIGAN LACROSSE HITS THE STANDS ON MAY 18, 2009. PLEASE CHECK OUT MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM FOR DISTRIBUTION SITES!

CAMP FEATURE

6

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

•

APRIL

27,

2009

PHOTO FROM LIGHTNING LACROSSE CAMPS

Michigan playing host to numerous summer lacrosse camps SESSIONS CAN HELP YOU WORK ON YOUR GAME, IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS AND HAVE SOME FUN

BY SCOTT MCNEISH Summer vacation, with its gorgeous weather and freedom from reading, writing and arithmetic, presents an excellent opportunity to become a better lacrosse player.

To help this happen, some of the best names in college lacrosse will direct camps throughout the state. Kids can receive instruction from the men and women coaching the country’s No. 1 teams, or they can play in a multi-million dollar stadium. They can have their game tweaked by U.S. national team members and All-Americans.

Want top-notch lacrosse camps? No look further than the across the state.

Camps offered this summer in Michigan include: GameBreaker Lacrosse Camp (June 28-July 1 at Oakland University); boys Nike Complete Skills Camp (July 13-16 at Adrian College); girls Nike Varsity Elite Camp (Aug. 7-9 at Adrian College); Top Dog Camp (July 26-29 at Adrian College); WomensLax.com Camp (Aug. 3-6 at MVP Field House in Grand Rapids); Lightning Lacrosse Best of the West Camp (June 15-18 at Western Michigan University); Total Sports Lacrosse Camp (July 13-16 at Total Sports Complex in Wixom); and the University of Michigan Team Camp (July 31-Aug. 2) and positional camps (Aug. 3-6).

Why attend camp? Camps offer players an avenue to spur offseason training, get better and have some fun.

“I think it’s important for the continuing development of the player, especially these days, when kids are getting more specialized in sports and play year-round,” said Adrian College men’s lacrosse coach Chris Delfausse, who directs the boys Nike camp. “It allows you another opportunity to get more instruction with technique.”

In other words, coaches can strengthen fundamentals – the game’s foundation.

That, according to Michigan State University men’s coach Dwayne Hicks, who directs the Total Sports camp, makes camps vital in the pursuit of maximum improvement.

“You want to go to a fundamentals camp, where you can fine-tune your game,” Hicks said. “If you’re a better player and you come to me, I’m going to fine-tune you. Maybe I’ll tell you to change your hands a little bit. Maybe it’s a little thing, but it makes a big difference if you want to play at the college level.”

Not to mention, players will receive instruction from college coaches, who boast some of the greatest lacrosse minds in the country.

“Lacrosse is still growing, so there are many areas where the high school programs are just in their beginning stages, so the skill level isn’t quite there yet,” WomensLax.com camps director Chelsea Strodel said. “We can help provide the tools that some schools may not be able to provide yet.”

Players also get a taste of college intensity. Early exposure to this could make the high-school-to-college transition much smoother.

“We want to show what it’s like to have the life of a college

Camp can also serve as a skill barometer. Players learn where they fit in the big picture when competing against some of their most-talented peers.

“If you think you’re the best kid on your team, and then you go to camp, where everybody thinks they’re the best player on their team, you’re looking around and you say, ‘You know what? That kid’s a lot faster. That kid’s a lot better. I need to work harder,’” Hicks said. “It sets you up for how hard you need to work to get to the next level.”

Most camps follow a similar pattern. A typical day has three sessions, starting with group drills in the morning that promote strong offensive and defensive fundamentals. An afternoon session generally practices team concepts, and campers put it all together in games during the evening session.

“You work on your offense. You work on your defense. You put it into practice, and then you put it into a game,” Hicks said.

But each camp does have its advantages.

University of Michigan men’s coach John Paul will conduct a team camp for the first time this summer, followed by individual position camps for attack, defense, goalies, midfielders and face-offs.

“We found a better response when you offer something for specific positions,” Paul said. “People wanted more structured and positionspecific instruction. The position camps for us were selling out every year, and the general technique camp that we had, that has always been successful, was having numbers starting to drop. The response we had from people was that they wanted camps for positions.”

I only kept 40,” he said. “But everybody thought, ‘I can make this team.’ I think when they got there, they were a little surprised and said, ‘Hey, everybody here is as good as me, if not better.’ You really have to have your game fine-tuned before you get to college. That’s exactly what summer camps help you do.”

The WomensLax.com camp follows the Amonte Sports Camp model, developed by Northwestern University women’s coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who has piloted the Wildcats to four consecutive national championships.

Northwestern assistant coaches Lindsay Munday, who also plays on the U.S. National Elite team, and Ann Elliot direct the camp.

Other camp helpers: U.S. National Elite team members Kristen Kjellman and Acacia Walker, who doubles as UMass associate head coach and offensive coordinator; Northwestern’s Hannah Neilsen, the reigning college player of the year; and Northwestern All-American Hilary Bowen.

“Essentially,” Strodel said, “kids are being taught by today’s national champions.”

“We have focused our efforts on spreading the word of women’s lacrosse across the country, with the hopes to get young girls excited about the sport.”

The GameBreaker camp at Oakland University, one of 126 GameBreaker camps occurring throughout the country, provides a personal evaluation for each player. Directed by Ohio State University assistant coach Bill Katsaros, the camp offers 10 skill clinics, which include triangle offenses, fast breaks and man-up or man-down situations.

Fairfield University coach Andrew Copelan directs the Lightning Lacrosse Best of the West camp at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo.

Lightning Lacrosse Camp will use the same drills and teach the same techniques that Fairfield players work on. The camp also offers additional shooting and goalie clinics, as well as a recruiting seminar for high school players.

GET PREPARED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

CHOOSING A CAMP

lacrosse player,” said Adrian College women’s coach John Sung, who directs the girls Nike and Top Dog camps. “We don’t harp on them like they’re my players, but they can see the intensity of a drill, things like that. They can see if college lacrosse is the right thing for them.”

A SKILL BAROMETER

Paul, who commands the No. 1-ranked men’s varsity club team in the nation, runs camps that strictly present lacrosse instruction.

“Our camps don’t have a lot of fluff,” he said. “They’re doing lacrosse. There’s no swimming session and volleyball session – stuff like that. They’re here to play lacrosse.”

Campers attending either Nike camp or the Top Dog Camp will compete in one of the finest facilities in NCAA Division III athletics.

The $6.5 million Multisport Performance Stadium on the Adrian College campus houses the school’s lacrosse teams, as well as its nationally ranked football team.

At the Total Sports camp, players will receive tips from Hicks, a coach considered one of the nation’s top teachers of fundamentals

by U.S. Lacrosse.

Hicks stresses polishing skills as early as possible.

“This year, I had 90 kids come out for the Michigan State team.

Every player can benefit from camp. But each camp offers something different, and each one will benefit players in different ways.

According to the men and women directing the camps, it all comes down to who’s in charge.

“The camps that are better, you have to look at the coaching,” Hicks said. “It all comes down to who’s going to be there, who’s coaching and what are you going to get for your money. It’s not rolling a ball out on the field and watching them scrimmage all day.

That’s not camp.

“Camp is learning how to be a better player, how to dodge, how to play defense, how to have a better shooting accuracy. So at the end of the week, you will be a better lacrosse player.”

Best of the West Featuring Univ. of Maryland & Fairfield Univ. Coach and Players!

Boys Lacrosse Camp - Ages 9-17 June 15-18 at Western Michigan Univ.

Overnight and Day Options Available ($465 for overnight - includes meals/housing and $365 for extended day - includes meals)

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Visit www.LightningLax.com Discounted Subscription to Inside Lacrosse or call 877-812-2219 Given to All Campers!!

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CAMP LISTINGS

27,

2009

8

Champion Lacrosse

Nike Elite Girl’s

30700 Telegraph, Suite 3655 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 • (248) 232-9964

Adrian College • 1-800-NIKE-CAMP

Email: info@championlacrosse.com Website: www.championlacrosse.com Director’s Name: Ethan Frank Age Levels: 4 – Adult Programs Dates & Fees: Varies Hours on Field: Varies Programs: Leagues, Classes and Camps Location: Adrian, Ann Arbor, Birmingham/Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, West Bloomfield

Email: lacrosse@ussportscamps.com Website: WWW.USSPORTSCAMPS.COM Director’s Name: John Sung, Adrian Head Women’s Coach Age Levels: 14-18 Dates & Fees: August 7-9, Overnight $315 /Extended Day $215 Hours on Field: 15 + Programs: Varsity Elite Camp designed for girls ages 14-18 Location: Adrian College/Adrian

GameBreaker Lacrosse Oakland University - Rochester, MI • 800.944.7112 Email: support@laxcamps.com Website: www.LaxCamps.com

APRIL

Lightning Lacrosse

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

Age Levels: Boys 8-18

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Director’s Name: Bill Katsaros Dates & Fees: June 28-July 1, Overnight $475/Extended Day $375 Hours on Field: 9-11 am; 2-4 PM; 6-8 pm Location: Oakland University/Rochester

2125 Hyde St., San Francisco, CA 94109 • 877-812-2219 Email: sean@lightninglax.com

Player's Choice Lacrosse PO Box 99, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 • 1-800-224-5785 Email: pclax77@earthlink.net Website: www.pclax.com Director’s Name: Greg Munro Age Levels: 12-18 Dates & Fees: 3 girl's sessions and 4 boy's sessions in July and August.

Hours on Field: 9 AM - 8:30 PM (3 sessions daily) Programs: Girl's Full-Field Team & Skills Camp, Girl's One-On-One Goalie Camp; Girl's Elite Showcase and Elite Goalie Camp; Acacia Walker Girl's Extreme Offense Camp; Gina Oliver Girl's Extreme Defense Camp; Billy Daye Girl's Extreme Goalie Camp; Boy's Full-Field Team & Skills Camp; Boy's Full-Field Goalie Camp; Paul Rabil Elite Offense Camp; Kyle Sweeney Elite Defense Camp; Kip Turner Extreme Goalie Camp; IronMan Video Goalie Camp; IronMan Shooting Camp; IronMan Goal-To-Goal Transition Camp; Chazz Woodson Extreme Attack Camp; AJ Shannon Extreme Midfield Camp; Chris Surran Extreme Goalie Camp; Brodie Merrill Extreme Defense Camp.

Location: University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth in North Dartmouth, MA

Website: www.lightninglax.com Director’s Name: Sean Furber Age Levels: Boys 9-17 years Dates & Fees: June 15-18, 2009 Overnight $465/Extended day $365

Run N' Gun Lacrosse

Hours on Field: 5

Holland, MI • 616-396-9751

Location: Western Michigan University/Kalamazoo

Email: total.athlete@hotmail.com Website: www.RunNGunlacrosse.com, www.thetotalathlete.com Director’s Name: Kyle Harrison, Joe Walters, Mark Mealey Age Levels: Middle School and High School Dates & Fees: July 12th - 15th, fees can be found on the website.

Hours on Field: 9am - 4pm Programs: All Programs and drills will be taught by Kyle Harrison and Joe Walters. They will be there the whole time!

The rest of the 6-8 man staff will consist of other Professional and D I players. There will be a goalie coach and a defense coach. All positions welcome and encouraged to attend. This camp was sold out last year so sign up early.

Location: Overnight Campers stay at Hope College in Holland. All meals will be at Hope College. Camp fields are Harbor Lights Middle School (West Ottawa) 1024 136th St., Holland, MI 49424. Hope College provides bus transportation during camp hours.

Camp Options: Day Camp or Overnight Camp

Michigan Men’s Lacrosse University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI • 734-622-9942 Email: jjhennes@umich.edu Website: www.umichlacrossecamps.com Director’s Name: John Paul Age Levels: Team Camp 15 – 18, Position Camps 12-18 Dates & Fees: Team Camp: July 31 – August 2 ($495 overnight, $395 commuter), Position Camps ($550 overnight, $450 commuter) Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Nike Boy’s

Total Sports Lacrosse

Adrian College • 1-800-NIKE-CAMP

Total Sports Complex - Wixom, 30990 Wixom Rd, Wixom, MI 48393 • (248) 669-9817

Email: lacrosse@ussportscamps.com Website: WWW.USSPORTSCAMPS.COM Director’s Name: Chris Delfausse, Adrian Head Men’s Coach Age Levels: 9-18 Dates & Fees: July 13-16, Overnight $425/Extended Day $325 Hours on Field: 20 + Programs: Complete Skills Camp designed for boys ages 9-18 Location: Adrian College/Adrian

Email: Laxplay@aol.com Website: totalsportscomplex.com Director’s Name: Dwayne Hicks Age Levels: 4th through 11th grade Dates & Fees: July 13-17, $170 Hours on Field: 4 hours per day Programs: Focus on fundamentals. All the basics plus learning how to play at a faster pace.

Location: Indoor field in Wixom. No Rainouts to worry about

Check out Michigan Lacrosse on Facebook.com

Oakland University, Rochester June 28 - July 1 Led by Top NCAA Coaches

13

ROCKFORD

Okemos has soared to an 8-0 record so far this year. The Chieftains gave Rockford its only loss this season and handed Tecumseh, a team scoring 13.1 goals per game, a convincing 17-2 defeat.

“I just wanted us to be in the running to defend our league title,” Okemos coach Bill Prahler said. “To do that we need a solid defense and balanced scoring. This is a very tough game if you rely on just one or two scorers.”

Returning Division 2 All-State goalie Bre Stocktall and defenseman Olivia Hudson lead a defense that is allowing just 2.6 goals per game.

“We want to limit the scoring against us to five goals or less per game,” Prahler said.

Defensive wing Darby Dudley has a team-high 23 goals and 14 assists. Attack wing Mackenzie Lawler has 19 goals and a team-high 18 assists, while center Mallory Flanders has recorded 11 goals and three assists for Okemos, which reached the 2007 Division 2 state title game.

The Chieftains will play three of the state’s top teams in a three-day span. They face Ann Arbor Pioneer on April 23, Flint Powers the following day and have a rematch against Rockford on April 25.

“This is one real tough week,” Prahler said. “We will see what we are made of.”

Rockford blasted into the OK Rainbow 1 conference season by dominating East Grand Rapids 22-4 April 17. The win gave the Rams a 6-1 overall record.

Center Andi Raymond posted six goals and six assists in the victory and attack Meagan Emery added five goals and three assists. Co-captain Raymond (32 goals, 22 assists) and Emery (20 goals, 7 assists) along with first home co-captain Michon Moline (19 goals, 10 assists) lead the way for the Lady Rams on offense.

“As Meagan and Andi go so does our offense,” coach Mike Emery said. “They have played together since 7th grade and know where each other will be all the time. If someone tries to shut them down that creates opportunities for Michon and others.”

The Lady Rams depth has also helped.

“We tell everyone to be ready and that sometime through the season each one of them will make a play that helps decide a game,” said Emery. “We have seen Roxy Rosema have a fine season and display leadership that earned her the right to be our third captain.”

ANN ARBOR PIONEER

BRIGHTON

TROY

BLOOMFIELD HILLS UNITED

Bloomfield Hills United is setting up to defend their conference title from last season with a 5-1-1 overall record early in the year.

The young squad is led by the five sophomores who joined the Bloomfield varsity last season as freshmen. Two of those sophomores currently are scoring leaders; D-wing Armani Hawes has 38 goals, eight assists and attack Anna Servo has nine goals, 13 assists.

Junior attack Katherine Fons also adds to the offense with 13 goals and four assists.

“They work very well together,” coach Darsha McManus said of the sophomores. “I’ve been here for six years and so far this is the best season. I see an increase in their determination.”

Senior captain Stephanie Nagel is in goal for the United team, and has stopped 64 of 121 shots. “(Nagel’s) strengths are she’s a very good leader,” McManus said.

“She’s a player that was talked into playing goal and she took the challenge and has done very well.”

Bloomfield’s strength is its defense. They’ve incorporated a new system and junior Kendra Krentz is the backbone of the scheme.

“Krentz is as solid as a rock back there,” McManus said. “She has groundball control and has 12 defensive stops.”

By Sarah Zientarski and Scott McNeish

2009

Troy’s Jenn Studnicki took on the challenge of moving up to varsity and switching positions.

“This is her first year playing goalie ever,” Troy coach Liz Waters said of Studnicki. “She has done a tremendous job transferring from a field player to goalie and has worked non-stop to improve her skills.”

Studnicki led her Colts in a pivotal early season game when she held Clarkston to two goals in Troy’s 15-2 win April 16. The victory came two days after losing to Detroit Country Day. “We had just come from a very tough loss where we played the game in the rain,” said Waters. “Our passing and shooting were very weak compared to what we are capable of. Our defense was not organized as well as they normally are. Two days later we played Clarkston and all of those shortfalls improved greatly.”

Senior home Carolyn Reimann, sophomore wing Kristin Soreide, junior home Emily Raymond and senior low defense Megan Ferriby lead the Colts on offense.

“They are confident in their skills and are able to maneuver around defenders,” said Waters about her scoring leaders.

27,

The Indians started this season with four straight wins, including a thrilling come-from-behind win over Sylvania, Ohio. But they have lost three of their last four games, the latter of which against No. 1-ranked Okemos, 17-2.

“Okemos is a great team,” Tecumseh coach Cindy Hill said. “We couldn’t put together our passing game. Our defense had a hard time keeping up with their cutters.”

Tecumseh has lost in the regional opening game three of the last four years. The Indians reached the second round in 2006.

“We work hard with what assets we have. I don’t think winning a regional championship is going to change much. I am proud of our kids no matter how they finish. They work hard, have a lot of heart and do their best. That is all I can ask of them.

“Improvement is important. If you win a title, that is great. If not, it’s not the end of the world.

“This is a game,” Hill continued. “I want it to be fun for the kids.

I want them to take something positive away with them from the lacrosse experience. Titles are not the name of the game. I know it is for some, and that is great if they can do it. But we all lose sometime. That’s life. It’s how you handle that. That can make great players, too.”

APRIL

TECUMSEH

Rockford’s Roxy Rosema (right) carries the ball against Okemos defender Olivia Hudson during the Chieftains 13-6 win over the Lady Rams on March 30.

•

The Bulldogs installed a new offense this season and have scored 11.9 goals per game on their way to a 5-2 record, but coach Mike Staruch sees room for improvement.

“The keys for us in the second half of the season is our offense needs to continue to improve,” he said. “Although we have scored, I feel we still have a ways to go. We have had lapses and need to play a complete game.”

Brighton’s two losses came against Ann Arbor Pioneer and South Lyon. The Bulldogs have a rematch with South Lyon on May 4, and they face Flint Powers in the regular season finale.

“Both of those teams are very well coached, and it will take our best effort,” Staruch said. “But I do think we can compete with them. It’s been a while since we have beaten those two teams, and a win against them might just be the thing that gets us to the next level.”

Senior midfielder/attacker Kelly LaChance has 19 goals, six assists and a team-high 32 ground balls. Freshman attackman Jenessa Staruch leads the team in scoring with 30 goals and seven assists, and senior goalie Kara Stoltz averages nine saves per game.

The Lady Pioneers have come out strong early in the season with a 6-1 overall record, 2-0 in the South Central Michigan Lacrosse Conference.

Seniors Madeline Kreykes (attack) and Jane Petoskey (midfielder) lead the Pioneer’s offense. Kreykes notched 26 goals and Petoskey 20 in the first seven games.

“All eight seniors have taken it upon themselves to each lead this team in a dynamic way,” coach Zachary Maghes said. “They all want each other to look good out there and this leads to unity on and off the field.”

Junior Sophia Hart plays between the posts for the Pioneers.

She’s stood tall through some defensive shortcomings with a 7.86 GAA. “Sophia always has a positive attitude, is a team player, extremely coachable and likes getting bruises,” said Maghes.

“I couldn’t ask anything more. All in all the whole team defensively can always make improvements to come together as one cohesive unit.”

Maghes takes the task upon himself to bring his backfield together.

“Our defense is a work in progress,” he said. “I haven’t been particularly happy with our progress and that’s on me for not preparing the girls the best I can. Everyone has to have a defensive mindset.”

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

High-powered Okemos Chieftains off to great start this season

PROGRAMS

• Classes • Youth Leagues • MS, JV, Varsity Leagues • Men’s Rec Leagues

• Women’s Rec • Men’s Elite • Travel Teams • Camps

Check out the Details and Registration Forms online!

15

PHOTO BY ROGER ROSENTRETER/OKEMOS LACROSSE

The Irish don’t expect an inexperienced roster and early-season injuries to keep them from having a strong season.

After losing two of its first three games, young Notre Dame won four straight, including a string of three one-goal victories.

“They have learned not to give up in any game no matter what the score is,” Irish coach Ben Ingram said. “We have been plagued with a couple injuries the past few games, and the team has began to realize that everybody needs to step up their level of play when we are shorthanded as a team.”

The Irish gave Saline and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard their only losses this season. They beat Saline, 9-8, in overtime and topped Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 6-5. They also handed Flint Powers, which eliminated them from the 2007 postseason, a 6-5 defeat.

“The team is improving every day,” Ingram said, “and is really beginning to mesh as a unit.”

Sophomore attackman Brandon Beauregard and junior midfielder Tommy Sardelli have led the offense.

Beauregard has 13 goals and six assists, while Sardelli has nine goals and 10 assists.

Junior defenseman Nick Garippa leads a defense that has allowed 6.5 goals per game.

“Nick can go head-to-head with the best player on any team,” Ingram said.

DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL

coordinator to head coach.

“The biggest challenge is finding a way to articulate and position a choice for our players,” he said. “We can prepare them well, but they have to see the opportunity and decide to go for it — as a team.”

Brighton faced Okemos on April 14. The Bulldogs fell behind 5-1 after one quarter and did not score in the second. Though it outscored the Chieftains, 8-6, in the second half, Brighton lost its first game of the year, 14-9.

“This is new territory for us playing against a top-10 team,” Charlie Estey said. “We hold Okemos in high regard and recognize that this is a great opportunity and test for our team.”

Matt Tague and Jack Grady spearhead the offense.

Sam Swanson, who scored the game-winner against Catholic Central, has performed well in the midfield.

CRANBROOK-KINGSWOOD

After losing to eventual Division 2 state champion East Grand Rapids in the semifinals last season, the Cranes had a long time to regroup.

Half of the team played on the CK hockey team that won the 2009 Division 2 state title and the squad really didn’t get going until late March. And while the Cranes haven’t lost yet, the team hasn’t really hit their stride yet either.

“We had a tough start,” said Cranbrook coach Justin Ronayne. “We missed the kids that played hockey and then we had a stretch of injuries.”

Still, the Cranes opened with seven straight wins, including victories over Birmingham Seaholm (OT), Bloomfield Hills, Flint Powers, De La Salle and a shutout of Lansing Waverly.

Senior all-state goalie Adam Wells and all-state attackman Dean Stanton, along with junior midfielder Ben Momon, have led the way.

Cranbrook faces a difficult stretch in late April with games against Forrest Hills Central and Detroit Catholic Central.

“I can’t complain about our record,” said Ronayne.

“But those games will be a big test. We want to continue to improve so we can be playing in June.”

• APRIL 27, 2009

Catholic Central opened the season with two wins in their first five games with a schedule that is as tough as any in the state.

“We try to play the best,” Catholic Central coach GROSSE POINTE NORTH David Wilson said. “We know we may take a hit in winGrosse Pointe North kept its perfect record by loss record, but we want to be built as a playoff team. blasting L’Anse Creuse North 16-2 on April 9.

Playing top-caliber teams now gives us the experience “The offense keeps on putting up some big numbers we need to face good teams after Memorial Day. and it’s forcing the opposition’s offense to try to push “It’s not going to do us any good to go 15-0 and the ball up faster to get more chances, which is playing lose in the first round.” into our favor,” head coach Dan Preston said. “I wish The Shamrocks, who lost last year in the Division our clears were a little better, but we really haven’t 1 regional final to U of D Jesuit, have 13 sophomores much opportunity to practice those since we’re indoors on their roster. practicing most of the time.”

“You have to strike a balance with realistic The lack of practice doesn’t seem to have hurt the expectations and desired expectations,” Wilson said.

Norsemen’s offense - they’re averaging 15.6 goals per game through their first five contests.

“We had a one-goal loss we’d like to have back.”

That came against Okemos on March 31. Catholic Okemos attackman Matt Tague makes a move against an East Lansing defender in the Chieftains 16-4 “We have a veteran group of attackmen and Central lost, 5-4, after leading late in the game. It also win over the Trojans on April 16. middies,” Preston said. “Not only are we scoring a ton of goals, but our defense is doing a great job of lost a 12-6 decision to East Grand Rapids and fell to limiting the shots on our netminder.”

Ann Arbor Pioneer, 6-0, while playing with five players out with OKEMOS illness or injury.

Senior Nick Rochte, the starting goalkeeper, has allowed only 10 For years, the Chieftains beat the teams they were supposed The Shamrocks defeated Birmingham Seaholm and Orchard Lake goals in the five contests. to beat, but struggled to beat the state’s best, especially in the Against the Crusaders senior Ian LaValley paced the Norsemen St. Mary’s. postseason. with five goals, followed by senior James Tocco with four, senior Sophomore attackman Mitch Burgin has led the team in scoring.

Okemos hopes that changes this season. Four straight losses in Junior goalie Kevin Lerg has performed well, while seniors Scott Mato, Brandon Davenport with three, senior Joe Youngblood with two, the Division 2 regional semifinals have the team wanting more.

John Dwyer and junior Alex Moore have anchored the defense. junior James Mattes with one and junior Jeremy Payton with one.

“It has been extremely frustrating,” Okemos coach Shawn Grady said. “We like how our team is coming together, but take nothing BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY LIGGETT for granted. We really want to learn to play the high-quality teams First-year head coach Charlie Estey has guided Brighton to a University Liggett has wins over Bishop Foley and Grosse Ile as tough as we can.”

5-1 record this season thanks to an offense averaging 12.8 goals sandwiched around losses to Rochester Adams and Cranbrook so Okemos has started this season 5-0, including a come-from-behind far this season. per game.

5-4 win over perennial power Detroit Catholic Central.

“With a strong offensive nucleus, we anticipated high scoring this Senior Jack Fisher, junior Dan Zukas and freshman David Gushee “We fell behind 4-3 and thought CC might try to break loose,” season,” said Estey, who took over the head coach position after each had three goals to lead the Knights. Freshman Boris Canzano Grady said. “We have been there before, and teams have pulled away serving as offensive coordinator the last two seasons. and senior Andrew Callawaert chipped in with two goals apiece. from us. This time was different. This was probably the high point “Our motto for the season is ‘work hard and do the little things “We’re getting more scoring opportunities as we blend the new of our young program. It meant a lot for us to be able to compete extremely well.’ This may prepare us to handle close games this guys with our veterans,” head coach John Bartoy said. “The new at their level.” season.” guys are picking everything up very quickly, which is making it The Chieftains faced Brighton on April 14. They rocketed to an Senior attackman Tyler Staruch, who has received interest from easier to run more plays.”

8-1 lead after two quarters and held on for a 14-9 win.

NCAA Division I University of Detroit-Mercy, averages four goals Junior goalkeeper Rory Deane has been solid in net.

“They can score goals,” Grady said of Brighton. “Our schools have a per game. Senior attackmen Bennett Estey and AJ Sweatman add “We’re making progress,” Bartoy said. “We still have to focus great rivalry in boys and girls soccer. We think this will add to it.” two goals per game. Junior goalie Alan Kimball averages 15 saves on becoming a more complete team, but overall I like the play of Seniors Cole Miller, Sam Collier and Brian Hirt, plus freshman per contest. our guys.” goalie Matt Henry, lead the defense. Attackmen Cody Eggenberger, Charlie Estey reported no problems making the jump from

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

Notre Dame Prep not letting inexperience get in the way of winning

COLLEGE REPORT

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Detroit Mercy men make history with home debut at Titan Field

2009 MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

•

APRIL

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BIRMINGHAM TO HOST GWLL CHAMPIONSHIPS AGAIN

Detroit Mercy played their first-ever home game at Titan Field on April 11.

BY CARL CHIMENTI Towards the end of a whirlwind first year as a Division 1 program, the Detroit Mercy men’s team made history with their first-ever home game on April 11.

The Titans Pat O’Shea scored the school’s first goal at home, but UDM lost to Wheeling Jesuit, 14-7.

“It felt great to get the first goal, but I would have loved to trade it in for a win,” said O’Shea, a junior from Dix Hills, NY. Over 700 spectators were on hand during a sunny, breezy Saturday afternoon and saw the Titans get two goals from senior Kevin Demorest (Birmingham). Junior Vince Diana played all 60 minutes in goal for Detroit and made 11 saves.

“It was great to really get all these fans out here for our first game,” said Titans head coach Matt Holtz. “The support and atmosphere was great.”

The first home game less than two years after UDM announced the expansion of the school’s athletic program to include both men’s and women’s Division 1 lacrosse.

Holtz was hired after spending 10 years at Michigan State, the last two as the Spartans head coach. Holtz was thrilled with the new challenge that was presented and with time working against him went right to work.

“I was hired five weeks before signing day and despite the short period of time, we were still able to find some solid players who have played well for us,” Holtz said.

The 26-man Titans roster was made up of mostly freshmen, sophomores and juniors along with three seniors, Demorest, Riley Turchetti (Grand Rapids) and Michael Schumacher (Grand Rapids).

Prior to the April 11 game, UDM honored their three seniors, who gave everything they had in their only season with Detroit.

“The seniors have been a great asset all year for us,” said Holtz.

“We are very young and they did a great job all year long helping our guys get through this tough first year with the competition we have played.”

The Titans inaugural 11-game season included the lone home game against Wheeling.

“It is tough to get Division 1 teams to come and play here,” explained Holtz who promised that would change next year. “You have to play them first in their own backyard, but we should have seven or eight home games on next year’s slate.” The game at Titan Field featured live music, games for the kids and the Titans mascot to go along with a picture perfect sun soaked afternoon.

After the game fans were allowed on the field to meet and mingle with the players and have a chance with an autograph or two. Matt Gregson, a sophomore from Flint, thought it was a nice touch to meet the fans.

“We had great support from all the people who took time from their Easter holiday to come watch us play,” said Gregson, who played last year at Flint Powers Catholic Central. “It’s just too bad that we did not give them a win this afternoon, but we really do appreciate their support.”

Holtz was excited about the fan support and said the whole program has been embraced by the entire school from the get go.

“The University has been absolutely phenomenal in terms of support,” stated Holtz. “The administration starting from the top with the President all the way to the Athletic department has been great and of course our fans who really came out today.”

Last year’s first-ever Great Western Lacrosse League championship at Birmingham Seaholm drew big crowds and featured exciting games.

This season’s second annual event, set for May 1 and 3 at Seaholm’s Maple Field, will again include the top four teams from a league that includes Air Force, Bellarmine, Denver, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Quinnipiac.

Semifinals are set for Friday night (5/7:30 PM), the final is noon on Sunday and the winning team gets an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Tickets are $20 in advance for all three games. Check out collegelacrosseinmichigan.com for more information.

ALBION COLLEGE NAMES DECOLA NEW HEAD COACH

Albion College’s recently named men’s lacrosse coach Jacob DeCola is already eyeing the state’s prep talent for the school’s maiden voyage as a varsity program next year.

DeCola, 35, was named coach April 6. He previously was an assistant at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. since 2004.

An abundance of talent and the college’s strong educational reputation made the job appealing, DeCola said.

“There is an untapped resource that I consider very valuable and a big asset for me, and that’s one of the real exciting things about this Albion job,” DeCola said. “I wouldn’t want to go halfway across the country to take a job if I didn’t believe in the educational mission of the school.”

The Beverly, Mass., native also served as an assistant at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and the University of Utah.

DeCola, who has a master’s degree in sculpture, has prep experience as a head coach at Salt Lake (Utah) City East High School and at Greensboro (N.C.) Day School. The former netminder also worked as a goalie coach.

Though he’s spoken to potential recruits in the Detroit area’s Catholic League and prep circuit, the process is evolving.

“We really had a short recruiting season,” he said. “So we’re really going to rely on the club guys to get us to where we need to be.”

By Larry O’Connor

PHOTO BY TIM BUSCH/DETROIT MERCY ATHLETICS

Schumacher believes this season’s trials will help next year’s squad.

“Even though we have a couple of guys that have Division 1 experience, we have a bunch of young guys just out of high school going against Division 1 teams who have three-year starters,” he said. “It’s tough for the young guys to learn how to win and keep their heads about them. But they will be better next year from this learning experience.”

Holtz and his staff, which includes assistant coach Chris Kolon and volunteer coach Bill Kozyra, expect this season’s experience to help next year.

“I thought we have progressed and we have played some good games this year,” said Holtz. “I am excited about next season.”

COLLEGE REPORT

17

Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association Championship headed back to Saline

BY PHILIP COLVIN

PHOTO BY BOB BRUCE/MICHIGAN LACROSSE

MICHIGAN READY TO DEFEND TITLE

Games all day Friday and Saturday. Division 2 final is 7 PM Saturday night and Division 1 final is 3 PM on Sunday.

Visit cclax.org for complete event schedule and more information.

Facebook Event: CCLA 2009 Tournament

TICKETS JUST $5

2009

Averaging better than three goals a game, sophomore attacker Cameron Holding remained the Lakers’ main offensive weapon.

The Whitby, Ontario native proved pivotal in Grand Valley State CCLA championship run last season, which included a trip to the MCLA finals.

Holding, who played at DeWitt High, rammed home 30 goals in nine games to go along with 10 assists. As set-up man, freshman Jack Dumsa has averaged 4.4 points-per-game with 16 goals and 22 assists. Senior mid Brett Weinberg (17 goals), sophomore mid Bailor Bell (14 goals) and senior attack Jonathon Fangboner (11 goals) have also contributed.

In addition to the crucial encounter with Davenport April 21, the Lakers traveled to Saginaw Valley to close out the regular season April 25. The team’s lone blemish came in a pair of losses to St. John’s, 9-7, and St. Thomas, 18-12, in Minn., April 4-5.

“We’re together as a team just when we needed it,” Lakers’ assistant coach Russ King said. “We’re getting our offenses and our defenses down. We’re pretty confident going into the playoffs.”

Team features by Larry O’Connor

See the CCLA’s top six Division 1 teams and top six Division 2 teams compete for a league title! Participating teams include The University of Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Pittsburgh, SUNY-Buffalo and more.

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A pair of wins over Big Ten foes Illinois and Indiana primed the Spartans for their penultimate clash with interstate rival Michigan on April 25.

The regular-season curtain closer was expected to be a preview of the CCLA championship in Saline. First-year coach Dwayne Hicks wanted the regular-season finale to be a positive entering post-season.

“We want to use this game to take the momentum and drive right into the CCLAs and right into the nationals,” Hicks said. “It’s key

GRAND VALLEY STATE

The 2009 Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association Championships will be held at Saline High School on May 1-3.

APRIL

MICHIGAN STATE

The first-place Panthers remained neck-and-neck with Grand Valley State heading into a pivotal season-ending encounter with the Lakers April 21 before heading into the CCLA playoffs.

On April 18, Davenport commandeered the top spot in the CCLA Division II North with an emphatic 14-6 victory over Ferris State. The triumph came on the heels of a 33-6 home shellacking of Aquinas College April 16.

Sophomore attacker Shawn Beer maintained his torrid 4.4-goals-a-game scoring pace with a team-leading 53 goals to along with 23 assists in 12 games.

While Beer was a known quality, the Panthers have received an added boost from freshman mid Christopher Kendro (Spring Lake) and freshman goalie Zack Higgins.

“What we have left for us to do is have more focus and discipline as far as not taking so many penalties and mistakes,” Davenport coach Bob Clarkson said.

A s i d e f ro m b e i n g a potential preview of the CCLA DII finals, the Grand Valley State clash would have a large affect on playoff seeding for both teams.

“Dayton is going to be a big force in that too,” said Clarkson, whose team lost to the Flyers, 13-8, in Dayton on March 29.

•

With the loss of its top face-off man Brekan Kohlitz, No. 1 ranked Michigan wasn’t expected to be as quick on the draw this season. Junior mid David Reinhard has quelled Michigan those concerns. sophomore The 5-foot-6 East Lansing defenseman native has been a vital cog in the Wolverines’ quest to repeat Harry Fried will help as Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse the top-ranked Association champions. UM Wolverines defend was undefeated heading their CCLA title into its regular-season finale in Saline, with arch-rival Michigan State May 1-3.

April 25.

Through 12 matches, Reinhard led the Wolverines by gathering140 groundballs while winning .694 percent of face-offs. In terms of d e v e l o p m e n t , R e i n h a rd is ahead of where Kohlitz was as a junior, UM coach John Paul says. Kohlitz, a senior, was drafted by the Major Lacrosse League’s Washington Bayhawks.

“A lot of people thought we would take a significant step back in face-offs this year,” Paul says. “We knew we wouldn’t because we had ‘Rhino.’ He’s not quite where Brekan was, but he’s been dominant.”

Reinhard has also been durable during a season where the Wolverines have been playing banged up. The team is down to one netminder – Mark Stone – after starting netminder Andrew Fowler went down with a foot injury. Fowler is expected to return for the MCLA tournament, Paul says.

That means UM will enter the CCLA playoffs with only one healthy goalie. Stone, who was vying with Fowler for the starting job, was 5-0 with a 6.40 goals-against average and a .551 save-percentage.

“We’re really confident in Mark,” Paul says. “More than anything, we’d feel more comfortable having two healthy goalies.”

DAVENPORT

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

After hosting the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association championships last season, Saline High School will be the site of the league’s postseason playoffs again this year on May 1-3.

In fact, the Saline Area Lacrosse Program has inked a deal with the CCLA to host the league championship for the next three years.

“We had a lot of support from our group as we use the championship as a fundraiser and the CCLA was more than happy to sign a three-year deal to have the tournament in Saline,” said Bob Tillman of the Saline Area Lacrosse Program, who serves as tournament director.

Defending Division 1 champion and top-ranked Michigan will be back in the tournament, and will be joined by Michigan State and Central Michigan. On the Division 2 side Oakland University, defending champ Grand Valley State, Davenport and Hope College should be there once the rest of the regular season schedule shakes out.

Games take place all day Friday and Saturday at the Saline High School Athletic Complex, with the Division 2 final set for Saturday night at 7 PM and the Division 1 final scheduled for Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets for the tournament are $5 and check out cclax.org for the complete schedule and more information.

we have a good game.”

On April 18, MSU knocked off Indiana, 17-4, and followed up by beating Illinois, 12-6, the next day in a tournament in Champaign, Ill. With the pair of victories, the Spartans won six of their last seven contests with the lone setback to Brigham Young, 16-5, March 27.

Sophomore attacker Connor Bush continued the Spartans goalscoring assault with 25 markers to go along with seven assists in nine games. Fellow sophomore Patrick Nemes posted 15 goals and 10 assists during the same span.

In the trenches, the Spartans (10-2) have relied on freshman defender Wes Binder and Nemes, who have been the top groundball winners.

“We’re starting to find our offense and our defense,” Hicks said.

“We’re trying to work out the kinks right now.

“The regular season is set up to help you work out the stuff you need to work out before you get into the playoffs. If you hit your groove going into the playoffs, that can take you through the championships.”

18

OPINION

GREG NORMAND

MICHIGANLACROSSEONLINE.COM

•

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2009

When a ‘home and home’ isn’t

There’s an old scheduling adage that goes something like “if we travel to your place, you have to return the favor the next year.”

In some athletic scheduling circles that axiom is called homeand-home. The formula is not rocket science and it’s fair because both parties who enter into a contract to play against one another should live up to their end of the bargain.

The folks at the University of Detroit or Brother Rice have to keep four or five open dates each year to satisfy their league affiliation.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association will tell you that in addition to the 18 days of competition that are currently allowed, programs can stage four exhibitions, scrimmages if you like, to help

That’s an example of a great scheduling relationship. The other side of the sword is a program, which will remain unnamed, that agrees to play three ‘top-notch’ opponents during a summer team camp, only to find out later that all three backed out of the deal.

One opponent cancelled because their new coach didn’t want to play a team of that caliber, while the other two mentors just backed out because they were more interested in resume building than honoring their commitment.

The MHSAA does require athletic contracts be filled out in triplicate before schools agree, in principal, to play one another. And most off-season handshake agreements between coaches are only good if their athletic directors’ are agreeable to such a marriage.

But have you ever read the MHSAA schedule contract’s back page? Compliance with the agreement is based on mutual interests and the good wishes of neighboring communities.

The MHSAA contract has few enforceable regulations for programs that skip out on their responsibility.

DIFFERENCES IN CONFERENCE COMMITMENTS MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR TEAMS TO COMPETE AGAINST A WIDE VARIETY OF COMPETITION. THERE ARE SOME COACHES WHO WOULD LIKE TO ALTER THEIR COMPETITION LINEUP FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT THIS MONSTER WE CALL SCHEDULING IS BECOMING EVEN TIGHTER. For most high school lacrosse programs, the formula is simple.

If you have membership in a specific athletic conference, many of your play dates have already been determined and not all leagues follow the same agenda.

In the Detroit Catholic High School League, each team plays four games in Division I, while in the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association, members compete against each other twice in the same season, home and away.

The scheduling differences from conference to conference can vary by as many as 12-14 competition dates. The Catholic League leaves their coaches approximately 14 open dates to play outside teams because of limited membership, while in the KLAA, you might be

high school lacrosse programs play more often if they so desire.

But that’s not really the problem.

Trying to schedule a game for the first week of May at the end of April because you didn’t make the conference championships is tough. And the annual scheduling meeting at the Michigan High School Athletic Association offices in East Lansing sometimes looks more like a steak sale at Meijers than a horde of coaches trying to flesh out their calendars.

But what’s really beginning to screw up the scheduling formula is what I call lacrosse scheduling suicide.

There’s a trend, almost a movement, of a few programs that overscheduled themselves in the early part of the season and then

The other problem cropping up with scheduling is teams agreeing to play home-and-away, only to back out of the second year of the agreement. There were a number of situations this year where one team decided they didn’t want to take the bus trip to wherever and told their opponents, thanks but no thanks.

There’s no perfect solution to this problem and many coaches in Michigan may not have even experienced this issue, which is certainly positive for avoiding the no-show monster. But as we move forward, lacrosse needs to continue to push the envelope of progress to make sure we stay on the cutting edge, especially where scheduling is concerned.

We have tournament seeding in Michigan. We have some of

ANOTHER PROBLEM CROPPING UP WITH SCHEDULING IS TEAMS AGREEING TO PLAY HOME-AND-AWAY, ONLY TO BACK OUT OF THE SECOND YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT. lucky enough to secure three or four open dates.

The vast differences between the leagues make it almost impossible to compete against a wide variety of competition. There are some coaches who would like to alter their competition lineup from year to year, but this monster we call scheduling is becoming even tighter.

And if that’s enough of a deterrent to slow down a high school lacrosse coach trying to fill out their dance card, there are some leagues that have conference championships where only a limited number of teams gain entry, leaving the losing programs scrambling at the last minute to fill open dates.

The scheduling issue becomes even muddier if you add the Midwest League events for teams that compete in that conference.

back out of games for a wide variety of reasons. The problem with this approach to scheduling is an ‘honest’ team might actually like to lock up an opponent and date in the early part of the school year, only to find out the opposing coach wants to drop that team from the schedule for fear of losing.

At St. Mary’s, were I coach, we schedule our first four or five games on the road, and preferably artificial turf, because we have a great grass facility, but nothing turns green in March.

We have played at Notre Dame Prep for the last two years in the early part of our schedule because they have a great facility and it’s close to home. I am sure we’ll continue the relationship because the folks at Prep like the gate receipts and they let us wear white jerseys on the road this year.

the best educational models for coaches and referees. But what we need are more than 18 days of competition and an MHSAA contract that obligates the participants to comply with more than scheduling lip service.

The state officials and the lacrosse coaches association should open up the playing field and allow more games, like they do in Ohio, which makes scheduling easier because you’re no so limited by a tight… what’s the word… scheduling.

Greg Normand is a regular contributor to Michigan Lacrosse.

He also writes for MCLA, The Lax Magazine, Inside Lacrosse and coaches the lacrosse squads at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Eastern Michigan University.