2008 Marshall Lacrosse Top Stories

3/15/08 - Marshall High School
STATESMEN HOST ST. JOHNS FROM DC/WCAC
Sam Newland gets goal #2 in his hat trick!

Obviously, one of the (many) goals for this year's Statesmen lacrosse program has been to step up the level of competition that our players face in non-league play. And Saturday's schedule put us up against a strong DC private school from the highly-touted Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. St. John's went home from Jimmy Miller Stadium with a pair of Ws in the win column, but the games were close and we came out with a very good showing against a very tough program!
-- View From The Stands says our Statesmen seemed to come out slow (maybe a little wary of playing a private school for the first time in as long as anyone can remember). Our offense couldn't get anything going--we always seemed in a hurry and we'd either turn the ball over without getting a shot, or if we took the shot St. John's would get the clear and turn it around! Meanwhile, the Cadets were patient and kept the pressure on ... almost the entire first half was played in front of our own net. Despite the near-constant attack, our defense played great and we were down by only six at the break.
-- Coach Vasquez saw what was going on and made some key adjustments at the half. And maybe our players saw something as well, because the Statesmen team that came out for the second half didn't even look related to the team from the first. Brandon McCullen started the scoring for GCM with a goal in the third quarter, and then the Statesmen took over! Sam Newland scored three for a hat-tric, and Mike Born added another. Delean, Gehley and Chambers completely shut down the St. John's attack along with help from Newcomb and Nguyen, plus of course a monster effort from Junior goalie Matt Hia. Momentum was on our side and deep into the fourth quarter we'd made up almost the entire first-half deficit--trailing by just one in a 6-5 game. With just a minute to play, our Statesmen were pulling out all the stops. But with 44 seconds left on the clock, our last-ditch gambling and scrambling turned into a chance for the Cadets and they converted (spoiling our would-be second-half shutout). The final in the Varsity game was 7-5 in favor of St. John's.
-- We ran out of time in this game, but our players came away with a realization that we can play with the better teams. We'll see if this carries over into the Langley game after spring break.
-- View From The Stands didn't get as much detail on the JV game, but the overall impression is that we were out-manned in size but put up a good fight. As happened in the Varsity game, we spotted them six in the first half, but then stayed in there and never gave up. Goals were by Eddie Stevenson, Mark Bergenholtz and Ben Gentile. And we saw some great goalie work from newcomer Marquez. The final in the JV game was 7-3.
-- Our new players on the JV squad are coming on strong, and going up against quality competition helps the program for both this year and years to come. When we come back from Spring Break, we're on the road against perennial LAX powerhouse Langley.
-- Fastest Sport On Two Feet!

3/13/08 - Marshall High School
SEASON OPENERS SHOWS HIGHS AND LOWS
Fastest sport on two feet!

There's never a dull moment out on the lacrosse field this year!
-- Things had been looking really rough for the JV in the preseason. Scoreless against Herndon, and then a very tough outing in the South County scrimmage. But when Falls Church came into Jimmy Miller for the season openers, our JV went crazy! We lit 'em up for 9 goals, played like monsters on defense, protected our crease and played through a bunch of nicks and dings. (We were almost running out of middies by the end of the game! :-) Freshmen Ben Gentile and Cameron Holdaway showed a lot of leadership out there, and Ben had a great game in the offensive end--scoring six of our nine goals. It was a really nice comeback for our JV squad after the South County scrimmage, and the final score was a who-are-these-guys 9 to 1 ... Statesmen!
-- Sweet!
-- Things were much tougher when the Varsity came out to play! Coming off a terrific double-overtime win against South County, we thought we had a bit of momentum on our side. We'd been playing good D, and the offense seemed to be coming around. But when the Jaguars hit the field, we flat out got blasted. Falls Church controlled the ball and that meant we were spending most of our time on the wrong side of the field. View From The Stands (who's seen a lot of lacrosse over the years) tells me that when the other team controls the ball like that, you tend to rush things when you finally do get the ball into their zone--and that just makes it worse.
-- We got our shots. Our Statesmen put up 5 even though the Jags played a terrific ball control game. But the constant pressure just wore us out. You can't give a good team that many chances and expect to coem away with the "W." And sure enough, Falls Church hit often enough to make the final score 11-5.
-- Saturday, the Cadets from St. Johns will travel here from DC - and you definitely don't want to miss this game! Be there Statesmen fans!

3/11/08 - Marshall High School
GCM TAKES PRESEASON NAILBITER IN DOUBLE OVERTIME!
After the rain shoved around our preseason schedule, we finally put on the pads against South County--and oh man, what a great night of Northern Virginia lacrosse!
-- The Varsity game started out as tight as could be, and at the halftime break our Statesmen had earned a hard-fought two-goal lead. But in the second half the Stallions came roaring back. South County went ahead and we came back to tie it up. Again, they pulled ahead. And again (just before the end of regulation), our Statesmen tied it up.
-- View From The Stands was already exhausted from sitting on the edge of his seat for so long--but little could he have imagined that the score would STILL BE TIED at the end of the first overtime! Both defenses were playing great, and that meant there was no room for error. And then there it was. In a rapidfire sequence we seemed to get our stride back and Junior middie Sam Newland blasted in the go-head goal. Double overtime and Marshall takes the win! Final score 7-6.
-- Our scoresheet showed tallies by McCullen, Chamberlin, Stonehill and Newland with the game-winner and Smith racking up three.
-- The South County JV had much better success than their Varsity did. Although the final score in this scrimmage was 10 zip in the Stallions favor, our coaches saw some encouraging developments--especially on the defensive side--as the game progressed.
-- The Statesmen season opener is on Thursday! Be there Statesmen fans!

3/8/08 - Old Redskins Park
HERNDON SCRIMMAGES
Old Redskins park is pretty amazing. And fortunately it comes fully equipped with rain-draining Asto-turf, which meant that the lacrosse scrimmages sloshed on!
-- View From The Stands tells me it was a great start of the season. The guys look like they're really coming together as a team. (Why is it that rain and crazy-foul weather have a bonding effect like that :-) We really seem to be getting into full throttle.
-- This was one of those split-scrimmages--half of the time was spent in a controlled 6-on-6 matchup, and the other half was in game-like conditions. Because of that scrimmage format it doesn't really make sense to call it a game-type score. But as you'd guess, View From The Stands was still watching for the scores (and of course he was counting :-). Both Varsity squads put in 6 goals apiece. The JV scoring favored Herndon, 8-0.
-- Fans should realize that the JV guys are new to the sport. They're improving with every minute they're on the field, and their enthusiasm and excitement is entirely fun to watch.
-- Be there on Tuesday for the South County scrimmages! Marshall Pride!

2/29/08 - MARSHALL PRIDE
PUTTING THE LEAP INTO LEAP YEAR
Here are the upcoming events to kick off our LAX calendar for 2008:

SATURDAY SCHEDULE, MARCH 1
2 Mile Run: 7:30 am
Practice: 8:00-10:00 am
Leave for Face off Classic: 10:30 am (1:30 pm for the SAT group)
MEET THE COACHES NIGHT - Tuesday, March 4
All parents should plan to attend the Meet The Coaches Night for spring sports, which begins at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 4. Important information will be distributed by the coaches and the Lacrosse Boosters committee concerning team events during the year. This is also the best time to talk to the coaches about any concerns or information needed for the upcoming season.
TEAM PICTURES - Wednesday, March 5
Wednesday at school; forms have been given out in the locker room. If you do not have one, please see the coaches.
FIRST SCRIMMAGE - Wednesday March 5
The first scrimmage will be held on our home field on Wednesday night, March 5, against South County. The JV game is at 5:30, the Varsity game begins at 7:15.
-- The following Saturday, March 8, we will scrimmage the Herndon Hornets at the Dulles Complex turf field, also know as Old Redskins Park. Times are JV at 12:00 noon and the Varsity at 2:00 pm. Directions and maps are online (as usual :-). There will be a dinner event for the team and parents after the game. More information will be given out at Meet The Coaches Night.
FIRST GAME - Thursday, March 13
Our season opening game will be at Home on Thursday, March 13, against Falls Church. The JV will play at 5:30 and the Varsity game will begin at 7:15. Let's have a great turnout for the first of many wins this season!
MARSHALL LACROSSE FUNDRAISING - program due date: Saturday, March 15
Remember to support our players by participating in the annual fundraising activities! (See the writeup and links under NEWZ&NOTES on the right.) Talk to your favorite player to see how you can help, or contact Coach Gehley.

-- Marshall Pride!

8/28/07 - MARSHALL PRIDE
WELCOME BACK
2008 GCM LAX - The school year has started and it's time to look forward to "whats up for the year." To those of you who are new to the area, or new to Marshall ... Welcome to GCM Statesmen Lacrosse! We are a team on the build--with new coaches in 2007, and bold goals for improvements in skills and results every year.
-- Although this is the offseason for high school lacrosse, there are additional opportunities for our Statesmen (particularly for those not playing a fall sport) available in the fall:

MADLAX FELL - Fall Elite Lacrosse League
Location: FCPA fields in McLean, VA
Days/Times: Weekdays at either 4pm or 5:15pm
Dates: Starts around Sept. 17th and ends on Oct. 29th
Cost: $150
Details: 10v10 / Up to a 10 game season (games only no practices) / All-Star Game / Elite Team
Web site: www.madlax.com
TRIPLE EDGE FALL LEAGUE
When: Sunday's 9:00am - 5:00pm; Starts Sept. 23rd and Ends on Nov. 4th
Where: Frost MS and Providence MS in Fairfax, and Herndon MS in Herndon
Who: JV and Varsity - sign - grades 9/10 - JV; 11/12 - Varsity - In Most situations
Details: 10 v 10/ 6 games/ no practices
Cost: $125 on or before Sept 12, $150 after Sept 12 per player. Individuals need to sign up on their own.
Web site: www.tripleedgelax.com
GHOST AND GOBLINS TOURNAMENT
When: Saturday, October 27
Where: Games will be played at Colonial Forge & Brooke Point High School in Stafford, VA (Both schools are located in central Stafford about 1 hour North of Richmond / 1 hour South of DC)
Who: JV and Varsity
Cost: $1000 per team including a $350 Deposit
More information will come out on this as the time draws near
TURKEY SHOOT-OUT
When: Saturday, November 17
Where: Oakton H.S.
Who: Varsity
Cost: $560 per team
More information will come out on this as the time draws near

-- We are SO looking forward to this year! Marshall Pride!

4/10/07 - MARSHALL PRIDE
SUMMER LAX CAMPS
"Practice is the best instruction of them all"
-- And during the offseason, some of the very best practice comes at the lacrosse camps that are made available during the summer months. Some of the camps are right here in Northern Virginia - McLean, Reston and Fairfax - while others are "boarding camps" in some of the most active LAX hotbeds in the nation (especially Baltimore and Annapolis).
-- Here's a list of 2007 summer camps. And here's the Web site for the camps run by Virginia Head Coach Dom Starsia (ACC Coach of the Year in 6 of the last 12 seasons).
-- But whatever you do, GET OUT AND PLAY! Fastest Sport on Two Feet ... it's a blast!

Last updated: 03/23/08 .

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