Brown 13, Delaware 5

I know I said I was going to do an update on both games now, but I lied. I'm doing a write-up for the Delaware and I'll let pictures speak for themselves for Dartmouth. I also did video so it's gonna take a while to get that uploaded. For now, entertain yourself by reading about the Delaware game and hopefully in a few days you'll get Dartmouth material.

So, Delaware game. If you look back, there was only one thing I was remotely worried about early on in the season for Brown and that was quick execution of goals. Not anymore. They completely redeemed themselves and showed more promise than ever during Saturday's match against the Blue Hens. With the win, the no. 11 Bears advance to a 7-1 record, the best start since 2004 when they also opened at 7-1.

The scoring started off just 39 seconds into play with a shot by defenseman Jake Hardy that led to a roar from packed stands. From then on, the Bears put on a show of accuracy, intensity and a never say die type of play. Over the following minutes, sophomore Andrew Feinburg tallied his first of the day before a beautiful unassisted lefty shot from around the crease by Reade Seligman to put the Bears at 3-0 after the first.

Delaware's Martin Cahill got his first and only goal of the day in the second quarter off of an

assist by Josh Coveleski to advance to 4-1 after another Brown goal by Thomas Muldoon. Delaware rounded out their scoring in the second quarter with another by Mark Steverson and a third by Kevin Kaminski with just 12 seconds left in the half. The Bears, however, dominated the second quarter with goals by senior Nic Bell, a man-up goal by senior Kyle Hollingsworth and another by both Feinberg and Muldoon.

Despite a broken stick, goalkeeper Jordan Burke held off the Blue Hens to no goals in the third quarter as the attack continued the push with two goals by Muldoon. Then came the Play of the Game.

Off of a clear from Burke, Jeff Foote carried the ball down the field with a pass to Hollingsworth behind the net. Amidst a sea of Blue Hen defenseman in front of the cage, Hollingsworth found Williams who snagged his first of the day with just 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

Moments later, the Goal of Game was scored by senior Jack Walsh who hustled the entire game popping up in what seemed like every play for the Bears. Walsh's unassisted mark came off a 1v1 in front of the cage when Walsh dodged before finding the perfect angle for a behind-the-back stick-side high shot to make the score 12-3 in the fourth.

The Bears finished 13-5 after a goal by Foote and two shots by Delaware to round out the scoring. Overall, the intensity remained for the bears throughout every minute of play as they proved they are a force to be reckoned with throughout the division.

The Blue Hens fall to 3-7 as they look to get a win against Hofstra Saturday at home.

The Bears advance to 7-1 and look to take down Bryant University in the teams' first-ever meeting Tuesday night on Bryant's turf at 7:00 p.m.

Brown 9, UMass 8

We win! It was a close match all the way through, although the Bears seemed in control for the majority of the time. I only got to listen, so I didn't see what was going on but I gathered some important stats and info from the broadcast. The biggest key to this game from what I could tell was possession. While I still think we could execute more quickly, the guys were smart with the ball and changed up the speed with some stalling and some quick 1v1s.

The Bears were in the lead for most of the game and were tied at 6 in the third quarter. The Minutemen, who lost to Albany last week but beat Harvard, who beat Duke, now have their second loss in a row. And the Bears? They have their third WIN in a row and they move on to 4-1 for the season. This is big. Because I say so. And I think they would all agree with me.

Unfortunately for those listening to the radio broadcast, Reade has an awesome game which meant lots and lots of SEALigman comments (refer to previous post) but he was certainly a threat on the field today. We got some good face off possessions, we fired some good shots and ultimately, we scored more than they did...which is all that matters in the end.

As for the goalie duel. Jordan won...he ended with 20 saves and Doc ended with 14 I think. You should probably double check those stats, but that's what I gather. I think this is the last game I won't physically see which is good for me and this blog. K See Ya.

I'm Back

Alright, I know it's been a while, but I am back. I missed the last two games last weekend but they were both wins. Great weekend. I would take the time now to update, but everyone that reads this already knows what happened and I'm no longer writing this for a class.

Now, We're at UMass...again, personally, I am not. THEY are there and I am sitting in Jordan's room listening to the game on the radio. I just got back from vacation. If you want a PREVIEW of the team...you can look here.

We are up 2-1 right now. The Bears are seeming in control. They have had the ball for the majority of play so far, it's still the first quarter. The radio guys have been saying "SEALigman" for Reade, which is getting old. Hopefully they stop that soon. Jordan has some good saves so far as I can tell. Walsh got the first goal of the day. UMass answered soon after...apparently it hit off of Jordan in. But Muldoon answered quickly with another sniper, if you will.

OK OK OK... THIS GUY just scored the tie things up again just seconds into the second quarter.

Meet Evan Blum. He has no manners...scoring a goal on us.

Alright...I'll do a wrap-up at the end. But for now, I have to sit and listen. Another save and apparently "Sealigman" has the ball again. Williams and SEALigman are having a catch according to the radio.

And I quote from the beginning of the radio broadcast: "A face-off between two of the best goalies in the nation." Oh Please...you wish Doc.

One Game at a Time

The Bears play two games this weekend, but as the saying goes, let's take one day at a time. First up is Quinnipiac, who often goes under the radar. While they may not be the biggest threat of the season, the Bobcats did have a winning record in 2008 (8-5) and played well against seemingly stronger teams. However, this week they are coming off of a loss.

The Bears will go over a full scouting report tomorrow, a day before the game, but they already know that Quinnipiac runs a lot of motion in their offense. Without giving away the Bears' game plan, not that I even have that information, the focus for practices today and tomorrow are going to focus on covering cutters and being ready to slide at all times.

Aside from preparing for certain traits of Quinnipiac's system, I personally have a lot of thoughts about where the focus should go in terms of preparing for this game. Since I was benched in lacrosse after starting for an entire year (I'm not bitter), I spent a lot of time on the sidelines dissecting games. For Brown, I would focus on possession and execution. These may seem vague and I may sound like a jerk, but listen to my point. In order to possess the ball and maintain that possession, you need to be confident with it. You need to know that you can do something with it and you need to know that you can depend on your teammates to also.

Sure, winning face-offs helps, but you can't win all of them. It's about how you react to not winning the possession that really matters. And it's about how you react to turning the ball over that matters. Back each other up. When you have the ball, make a decision on what to do with it and commit to that decision. When your teammate has the ball, make sure you are in a position to either screen for him or catch a pass. Don't second-guess.

All in all, be confident. And remember, this is your enemy.

Faces in the Crowd...BIG Faces

How do Brown fans show their support for the Men's Lacrosse team? Simple. They create giant cardboard cutouts of the players' faces. This past weekend, the Brown tailgaters were joined by the faces of the men's lacrosse seniors. 

Photo Credit: Brett Finkelstein

The Bears have always had a loyal following, but now, I think it's reached a new level. Over the past three years that I have watched Brown lacrosse games, fans have been present but never in this way. Every year though, the fan base grows and their method of supporting the team has come a long way from merely throwing a party in the parking lot while the Bears play a game. Now, Brown fans run back and forth across the bleachers cheering on the reigning Ivy League Champions with larger-than-life heads, which are essentially, portable versions of FatHeads.

Photo Credit: Brett Finkelstein

While I'm not on the team, despite my overwhelmingly successful D3 lacrosse career, I know what it's like to have great fans and to have no fans at all. The louder your fans are, especially when holding ridiculous cardboard cutouts, the more exciting it is as a player. So I think I speak for the team when I say, thank you Brown fans.

...and I speak for the fans when I say, You Make Us Proud.

Oh, and by the way, I was awesome at Field Hockey. See for yourself at the bottom left of page 3. Thanks:)

Westermann Reacts to Hofstra Game

Junior defender Jake Westermann talks about the ups and downs of Saturday's loss in double overtime. Watch the following video to learn what worked, what didn't and what the Bears are focusing on for next week.

Oh My God...No Way

Those were the only words, aside from curse words, coming out of my mouth during the latter part of Saturday's game against Hofstra. While a lot of the game was spent in awe for the amount of skill and excitement I saw on the field as the Bears trampled over the Flying Dutchmen to a 10-3 lead in the third quarter, the the final quarter and overtimes were spent in awe of a terrible turn of events. Here is my perspective of Saturday's 11-10 loss to Hofstra.

The mood was set, the momentum was there and the Bears came out strong in their second regular season game. The Bears started things off with four unanswered goals in the first quarter before Hofstra made the final goal of the quarter to make it 4-1. Senior Jack Walsh fired a shot past goalie, Danny Orlando, in a man-up opportunity off of an assist from senior Brady Williams. The events that ensued for the next two quarters showed Brown Lacrosse at its finest. Going into the half, the Bears led 6-2 and it seemed like nothing could stop them.

The Bears charged into the second half with even more energy and scoring four more goals to lead 10-3. Brown's final goal of the game was scored by sophomore Andrew Feinberg, which was his third of the day. And then something changed. Despite outstanding efforts by defensemen Peter Fallon, Todd Faiella and Ryan Cassil along with midfielder Nick Melvin, who I see as one of the team's unsung heroes, the Bears couldn't hold off the scrappy play from the Flying Dutchmen. Senior Jordan Burke played outstanding in goal with 15 saves and a hand in some of Brown's key transitions throughout the game.

With a series of unbelievable calls by the refs (sorry, but this is a blog and I can say that), Hofstra's success on some key face-off possessions, and five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter, the Bears entered overtime with bad luck and little less steam.

Not that anyone wants to hear complaints, but I'd like to call attention to one of the most ridiculous, although least devastating, official calls of the game. As you may or may not know, coaches are alotted two timeouts per half and one timeout in overtime. Since you don't have many opportunities to stop the game and regroup, these timeouts are important, especially when your team begins losing a dominating lead toward the end of a game. However, one of the Bears timeouts was taken away from them when an official mistakenly assumed Coach Lars Tiffany was calling for one. Well, he wasn't. In fact, he was calling for senior Phil Thebault (tay-bow) on the field. Nonetheless, the timeout clock was ticking as Tiffany used Thebault as his prop pointing to the back of his jersey, yelling "That's HIS NAME!"

Here is a picture of the Bears' "Thebault" in the second half.

In addition to Walsh and Feinberg, Nic Bell, Jake Hardy, Thomas Muldoon, Collins Carey, Kyle Hollingsworth and Todd Faiella each got on the board with a goal. Senior co-captain Faiella, who joined the Bears following a brief stint with the Brown Football team in 2005, tallied his first career goal.

While I may have felt like I was going to throw up for so much of this game, I see this loss simply as a reality check for the Bears. This isn't the end of the world and with the way their coach handles losses, I think this will get the team in gear for the weekend ahead. This Friday, the Bears face Quinnipiac at home before they meet with Denver on Sunday.

Battling a close rank

As noted earlier, the Bears face #13 Hofstra this weekend in their first Home game of the season. At 1-0, this is the time to crank things up and make a name for themselves...again. On the Hofstra roster are a number of lefties (leftys?) on offense. This might make things tricky. Numbers 3, 4, 32 and 40 all have a strong left and they are also some of the top shooters.

Practice Agenda this week: Getting back to the basics.

Facing a strong offense means the Bears need to focus on staying tight one on one. Quick slides and quick communication will help the Bears defense prove themselves at a time when they need to the most.

From my point of view, this can and may set the tone for the season. Whether the Bears win or lose, this is the time when other teams are looking and scouting to see what the other guys have to offer. It's still early and with so many close games happening throughout the division and the Ivy League going 7-0 last week, (Harvard over Duke, Princeton over Canisius, Penn over Drexel, Cornell over Binghamton, Dartmouth over Hartford, Yale over Holy Cross and Brown over Lehigh) now more than ever, the Bears can keep the momentum going and prove that they can make the tournament.

All in all, the better the league does now, while Brown isn't playing them, the sweeter league wins will be. So for now, we root for the Ivies.

Bears ranked #15 after Week 1

Following opening weekend for most D1 lacrosse teams, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association has released its weekly Coaches' Poll. The Bears, who were previously ranked 14th in the nation, have been placed at #15 following their performance against Lehigh Saturday. The USILA is made up of several Division 1 coaches who make their own rankings etc. blah blah blah. Every week, these coaches determine rankings based on strength of schedule, score and other factors. If you look at the actual poll, you see that Syracuse, who is ranked #1 has an absurdly larger number of points than those that follow it. Each team gets a certain number of points if they are ranked first, second, third etc. The more people who vote for them in a higher spot, the more points they get. See?

Despite their drop in rank (by one) on the USILA Poll, a fan poll taken by Inside Lacrosse showed that lax rats everywhere feel that Brown remains #14. When all is said and done, the coaches' poll essentially means nothing now, but is interesting to follow week by week.

From the BEAR CAVE:
The guys had a day off today before they go into the next three practices with Hofstra in mind. Check back for a preview of the weekend and some commentary from players.

Quick Review

Unfortunately, I didn't begin this blog at the same moment that the team began their season. However, here is a review of what's been happening in the recent weeks.

Week 1: Alumni Game

After their first week of practice, the Bears faced last years' seniors and the old men that came before them in what was a dry heaving bonanza. This is not true at all, but I bet you laughed. Actually, there was just one former player who spoke too soon when he decided that he would dominate the field after 3 years. He lasted one play and was lost forever. The current players beat the alumni before they gathered to celebrate last years' victories with a banquet, where the 2008 team received their Ivy Title watches.

Week 2: Colgate and Hobart.

The Bears left Colgate with a win and a loss. These were just scrimmages, so in my book, the win counts and the loss doesn't.

Week 3: 1st regular season game at Lehigh

The Bears travelled 5 1/2 hours to Bethlehem, PA Friday where they defeated the Mountain Hawks 13-12. With just over 13 minutes left in the game, the Bears were in the lead 12-6. How did the score end up at 13-12 you ask? Simple. They just stopped scoring. Until of course, senior Kyle Hollingsworth got all hopped up on adrenaline and fired one in with three minutes left to play. Oh, and All-American goalie Jordan Burke remembered he was good and started making saves again. Easy solution for an easy victory.

Here is a picture of Hollingsworth's final goal by Kent Daiber from Brown Green Sports.

Up next: First home game vs. Hofstra on Saturday. See you there.

Brutality

Reason #1 that Brown is awesome: Brutality.

Two words: Providence Weather.

Photo by browngreensports.com

I know it may not seem that terrible to play sports in the winter, but I tell you from personal experience, it is. While other teams bask in the glory of their indoor playing facilities (ahem, Harvard), the Bears bask in the glory of being prepared for the beginning of the outdoor season.

To put things in perspective for those of you who aren't on the team, or didn't play lacrosse preseason in February in your lives, it is not fun. Five weeks (or less, depending on when your first game is) of cold, wet, snowy, icy pain. Imagine how brittle your fingers feel just walking to your car or work every day. Then, add a team of 38 barbaric boys whacking the living daylights out of your fingers, arms, bodies and every other part of your body they can find for three hours straight. Um...thanks, but no thanks.

Not only do they practice outside but these warriors tested outside too. A week before the NCAA allows these teams to legally practice beginning February 1st, the bears returned early from winter break for testing. On the agenda: leg press, squats, bench press, pull ups, sit ups, 300 yd shuttles, 1-mile relay, 2-mile run, 4.2 mile run, stick skills and one or two additional categories.

They have a team motto and it's called "Brown State." Here is an interview with senior face-off specialist and defensive midfielder, Joel Tracy, to explain more of what kind of Brutality the Bears have to offer.

To know where we are going...

You must first know where we've been.

And by we...I mean the team...and me. Why? Because, I never got to WIN a championship in college so I will now live vicariously through the team who I believe has the tools, the skill and capability to blow Division I lacrosse away.

Let's backtrack. May 3, 2008: Brown defeats Princeton to capture the IVY LEAGUE TITLE.



The only problem? So did Cornell. What made it more painful, and infuriating, was that while Brown may have trumped Princeton, Cornell unfortunately trumped Brown. Therefore, no NCAA bid for the Bears despite their Ivy Title. WIth a shared title and a "weaker" reputation than Cornell, the Bears' talent and success continues to go under-appreciated.

But that was last year.

Through this blog, I will give this team the attention they deserve and most of all, the ability to document, in their own words and mine, their journey through the 2009 season. All the while, you, the reader, will get to know and love them through interviews, player profiles and commentary presented by yours truly as well as the guys themselves.

Let the games begin...