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STATESMEN SCOREBOARD    VARSITY, MON 3/19 GEORGE MASON  9   MARSHALL  4      JV, MON 3/19 MARSHALL  1   GEORGE MASON  1

George Mason High School, 3/19/07 --
VARSITY FALLS 9-4 TO GEORGE MASON, JV TIES

Craig Murphy delivers a bone-jarring check!

View From The Stands says it was cold and yucky out there (yes, that's a technical term :-). OK, so it was definitely cold. But frankly it was the George Mason Mustangs who really made the night unpleasant. Oh man, they are quick!

In the opener, our JV squad battled and fought and scratched and clawed ... but the offense just never got on track. Fortunately, our JV defense played extremely tight: in fact we battled and fought and scratched and clawed. :-) In the end, the scoreboard reflected the strength of the defenses, and the difficulties that both teams had getting anything started on offense. The final turned out as a brutal, hard-earned 1-1 tie. (Man, can't we do a shootout or something? :-)

In the nightcap, our Varsity squad opened up with a couple of really nice plays and it looked like our offense was going to break out in a way that the JV never did. But then the Mustangs' defense seemed to get a second wind, their offense started to build on their pretty-remarkable team quickness, but most importantly George Mason started to pick up the loose balls. And against a fast team like the Mustangs, that meant we were always a step or two behind. We were reaching a lot, or chasing, or running just to try to get back in the play (never a recipe for success). Despite our early success, the Mustangs took the nightcap by a score of 9-4.

Hayfield is up next, and our Statesmen are finally COMING HOME for a game! ... so ya gotta be there for this one! Small school BIG HEART. Be there Marshall fans!

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JV GAME: MARSHALL 1 - GEORGE MASON 1
These are pictures from the JV game. Pictures from the Varsity game are on the Varsity Pix page!

Our JV take the field at George Mason stadium and here's your starting lineup: #14 Jonathan Geiger, #29 Collin Newcomb, #41 Andrew Embree, #35 Roman Polyakov, #11 Luke Brogan, #25 Cameron Herbolsheimer, #28 Brandon McCullen, #37 Nick Keshavarz-Nia, #22 Peter Martinez and #44 Tommy McCormick

The hitting is huge out here tonight ... #18 Craig Murphy makes it physical!

Hitting and solid defensive play always makes it difficult for the offenses to get on track, and tonight we're in a defensive struggle! #43 Alex Freedman, #25 Cameron Herbolsheimer and #28 Brandon McCullen try to grab a possession out of this scrum.

When long sticks collide! :-)

The hitting is brutal out here, but getting knocked down NEVER slows down Peter Martinez.  Even on the ground, Peter hangs on and throws the pass!  (Just amazing.)

BOOM!  Did someone say the hitting is brutal out here? #18 Craig Murphy is always in the center of the action, while Steven Nguyen scoops up the dividends :-)

#39 Anson Felder tries to take advantage, but neither offense is having much success.

Oh man, the hitting never lets up! #36 Viktar OpdeBeke takes this one on the chin!

Sweet D!  #41 Andrew Embree knocks the ball loose (and it rolls down the attacker's back :-)

End of the half, no one has scored, and #28 Brandon McCullen tries to break loose!

Nope! The defenses ruled the first half, and the Mustang wraps Brandon up! (Nice try, no cigar.)

The halftime huddle is pretty intense!  With a scoreless tie on the line, the pressure is on.

Our offense has to get on track somehow ... maybe take some chances!

But our defense can't let up for a moment! And you can bet that George Mason'll be bringing everything but the obligatory kitchen sink.

The second half starts and #25 Cameron Herbolsheimer gets an early chance on offense! Still no score, but we're mixin' it up!

#39 Anson Felder powers through a would-be check ... nice stick work!

#29 Collin Newcomb runs the clear and drives for a fast break chance!

OH MAN!  We've been goin' back and forth for so long, and now the Mustangs hit the scoreboard first! It's an outside shot that sneaks between #15 Steven Nguyen and goalie Jonathan Geiger. (Click on the image for a close-up!)

Can't let up now, but things are looking bleak! While #35 Roman Polyakov hits the deck and #43 Alex Freedman stands guard, the marshalllacrosse BallCam has highlighted (white circle) the ball rolling on the ground. Jonathan Geiger scoops it up and starts the clear!  Whew!

Time is running down and they're on our side of the field WAYYYY too much! Jonathan streaks out on the clear, with a defender in HOT pursuit!

We have SO gotta get on the board, but every time we turn around ... YIKES! Owen Weiss tries the sideline but finds a defender closing within slashing range :-)

OK, enough with the loose balls!  #11 Luke Brogan sticks his head down. picks the ball and gets possession ...

... then stick-handles his way across midfield!

Brandon McCullen squirts free for a moment, leaps high, and fires off a BLAST from the corner ...

HE SHOOTS HE SCORES!  The Statesmen have tied it up at one a-piece!  Brandon takes flight to celebrate with Cameron Herbolsheimer.

OK, no time for celebrating ... we've got a game to win! Can we pull it out? Alex Freedman absorbs the check and keeps on running!

The clear pays off. Cameron has the ball and spots #44 Tommy McCormick open in the middle!

SWEET PASSING!  Craig Murphy has the ball coming around up front, and there's #22 Peter Martinez streakin' for the crease!

WILL IT GO!???  Peter gets off a blistering shot headed straight for the top shelf corner, but the goalie has too-good of a look and hauls it in. And that does it. Final score is a brutal, hard-earned 1-1 tie. (Man, can't we do a shootout or something? :-)

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Your moment of Statesmen Zen? No way, this is the Varsity ... what are these guys doin' here?!!! OK, during halftime of the JV game, our Varsity squad pulled together to let Mrs. Newcomb take some pics!