Posts Tagged ‘Men’s Varsity’
Cavalier Invitational Re-Cap
The High School Boys season is off to a great start! After only 2 outdoor practices before their games over the weekend at the Cavalier Invitational, both teams already look to be much improved over last year’s squads. The White Team was able to run their offense effectively all weekend and generated a lot of good scoring opportunities. The Black Team showed a lot of grit and heart, earning their first win of the season in their 4th game of the weekend.
On Friday, March 11th, the boys loaded up the bus in Missoula and hit the road for Bellingham. After a few movies, the teams stopped in Sammamish, Washington, to watch the Western Washington University Vikings host the St. John’s Johnnies (MN) in an MCLA-D2 match up. The game was a defensive battle for both teams and the boys stayed in the rain and watched as long as we could, before leaving at the start of the 4th quarter to finish the drive to Bellingham. St. John’s, who is ranked 5th nationally, would go on to win 7-6 over the Vikings.
Saturday morning the White Team played the first game of the 2011 season, showing ups and downs but eventually falling 9-5 to Skagit Valley. The team showed a lot of potential, but many players also seemed rusty from a long off-season and the new players still had some kinks to work out on the field. Coty Becker (SR, Valley Christian) and Jack Lundin (JR, Hellgate) led the offense, with Becker collecting a team-high 5 groundballs and Lundin scoring 2 goals. Becker, Spencer Schultz (SO, Hellgate), and Brylan Larson (JR, Big Sky) each scored once and Trevor Johnson (SR, Sentinel) dished out the game’s only assist. Larson’s goal was the first of his career, which is only a few weeks old. Defensively, the long poles chased a lot of sticks (a theme for the weekend) and 1 on 1 let downs led to a number of the Skagit goals allowed. Goaltender Brandon Roose (SR, Sentinel) registered 4 saves and cleared the ball well during the game.
The Black Team was next to face off on Saturday, kicking off their 2011 campaign against Lake Tapps. The team struggled early to find their legs, but eventually started to figure things out on the field. Griffin Williams (SO, Hellgate) and Logan Kuhn (SO, Hellgate) led the offense from the midfield, each chipping in a goal in the team’s 14-2 defeat. Kuhn also led the team in ground balls, collecting 5 in the game. Goaltender Nick Grimm (SO, Big Sky) registered 8 saves in his first game ever. Zane Nicholson (JR, Big Sky) and Jed Diehl (SO, Hellgate) both communicated well and played solid man-to-man defense in the defeat.
Following the morning games, the boys hopped on the bus and headed over to Western Washington University. The teams did a walking tour of the campus and stopped briefly at the WWU/Pacific Lutheran game, which was being played on Western’s campus, before stopping back at the hotel to rest up for a few hours.
Game 2 for the White Team came Saturday evening as the boys took on Wenatchee. Wenatchee looked much improved since last season and their offense took advantage of the White Team defense all game, en route to a 9-2 victory over the boys from Missoula. Coty Becker and Leroy Bearmedicine (SR, Loyola) each scored in the game and goaltender Brandon Roose registered 6 saves. It was Bearmedicine’s first career goal.
Immediately following the White game, the Black Team took on the hosting North County Cavaliers. The game was riddled with penalties, both called and ignored, and the Cavaliers chippy play and lack of respect for their opponent and the rules was really sad to see at this level of lacrosse. The Black Team stayed positive and did their best to honor the game, but they eventually fell in the contest 10-0. Logan Kuhn saw his first action in goal during the second half and finished with 2 saves. Griffin Williams played well from the midfield, collecting a team high 5 ground balls and winning 6 of 9 face-offs.
Sunday morning’s action kicked off with a trip to Civic Field, where the Black Team took on Whatcom JV in a scrimmage scheduled outside of the Cavalier Invitational. The game was a good opportunity for 2 young teams to get in an extra game and we thank the Whatcom program for putting things together.
Following the game at Civic Field, it was back to the Cavalier Invitational. The final game of the tournament for the White Team featured their toughest opponent, the 3-time defending tourney champions, the Overlake Owls. The White Team played well against the Owls, clearing the ball effectively and generating good looks on offense, however the shot quality was not very high overall and the team scored only 3 goals. Coty Becker chipped in 2 and Spencer Schultz tallied the other goal. Overlake looked solid throughout but had to fight tough for the 10-3 victory. Again, the defensive effort from the White Team needed to be improved and the Owls capitalized off of mistakes. Brandon Roose played well in goal, registering 7 saves in the contest. Midfielder Brylan Larson and LSM David Anderson (SO, Frenchtown) improved throughout the weekend on face-offs, combining for 16 groundballs on the weekend.
The last game for the Black Team featured the first win by the team in 2011, as the boys in Black took down Mount Si by a final of 8-4. Logan Kuhn led the offensive charge, netting a hat-trick in the victory. Griffin Williams, Connor Skiftun (SO, Hellgate), Kieran Hubber (JR, Hellgate), Cameron Klise (JR, Big Sky), and Blake Dufner (JR, Sentinel) each chipped in a goal; displaying the teams potential for balanced scoring. Many of the goals were career firsts. Goaltender Nick Grimm had a number of great saves, including some key stops to keep the Black Team in the lead late in the game. It was a great overall effort by the team and a great way to end the tournament.
On the way home from the tournament the teams stopped in Everett, Washington, to watch the NLL’s Washington Stealth take on the Calgary Roughnecks in a professional box lacrosse match up. The MEL teams were recognized at the game by the Stealth organization, which allowed the boys to form the tunnel on the field during the announcing of the starting line ups. Getting a high-five from superstar Paul Rabil became one of the highlights of the trip. The exciting NLL action was a great way to wrap up an excellent weekend of lacrosse… but it did make for a long overnight drive back to Missoula. The bus barely rolled into Missoula at 5:30 AM on Monday, bringing the trip to a close.
Huge thanks to the parents who chaperoned and fed the boys all weekend! Also big thanks to Chris Kelly and the rest of the Washington Stealth organization for treating the boys to a great experience!
The White and Black Teams will hit the field again this Saturday, March 19th, in Missoula as they take on Sandpoint High School. Stay tuned to www.missoulaelite.com for details.
Cavalier Invitational Preview
On Friday, March 11th, the Missoula Elite Lacrosse High School Boys White & Black Teams will be on the road for a series of weekend games at the 2011 Cavalier Invitational. The tournament is hosted by the North County Cavaliers and is held in Bellingham, Washington, at Whatcom Community College. This will be the first test for two young Missoula teams and the weekend is sure to bring some great action!
The bus takes off at noon on Friday from Missoula and marks the official start of competition for Missoula Elite Lacrosse in 2011. On the way to Bellingham, on Friday, the teams will be stopping outside Seattle to watch a top level MCLA-D2 match up between Western Washington University and St. John’s University.
Games kick off on Saturday at 9 AM when the White Team takes on Skagit Valley, who finished 3-10 last year in Washington’s Division II. The Black Team plays next at 12 PM against a young team from Washington’s Division I, the Lake Tapps Titans. Following each team’s first game, the boys will all head over to Western Washington University to watch the Vikings take on Pacific Lutheran in an MCLA-D2 match up. After the game the boys will tour the WWU campus. The next game on Saturday is at 6 PM when the White Team takes on the Wenatchee Panthers. The Panthers finished 2010 with a 15-2 record in Washington’s Division II and they beat the White Team last year in Kennewick 2-0. Saturday’s action concludes at 7 PM with the Black Team taking on the hosting North County Cavaliers. The Cavaliers finished 2010 with a 2-13 record in Washington’s Division II and they will look to these early season home games as a big push for their young team.
Sunday’s action kicks off at 9 AM when the Black Team takes on the Whatcom JV team. The JV team at Whatcom is in their first year and this will be their first game. The game will be played at the Civic Field Complex in Bellingham and is not part of the Cavalier Invitational, but it is a great opportunity for two young teams to get an extra game in. At 11 AM the teams will be back at the Invitational and the White Team will take on the Overlake Owls. The Owls had a strong 2010 season, finishing with a 9-7 record in Washington’s Division I. They are also the 3-time defending champions of the Cavalier Invitational. The last scheduled game on Sunday is for the Black Team at 2 PM, when they face off against the Mount Si Wildcats. If either team advances, playoffs begin following that game and can run until 7 PM. Following the games, the teams will hop on the bus for the long ride home to Missoula…
If you can’t make it to the games, you can follow the action throughout the weekend on our Facebook page, which we will be updating regularly.
SCHEDULE
Sat 3/12 – 9 AM: White Team vs. Skagit Valley
Sat 3/12 – 12 PM: Black Team vs. Lake Tapps
Sat 3/12 – 6 PM: White Team vs. Wenatchee
Sat 3/12 – 7 PM: Black Team vs. North County
Sun 3/13 – 9 AM: Black Team vs. Whatcom JV (at Civic Fields)
Sun 3/13 – 11 AM: White Team vs. Overlake
Sun 3/13 – 2 PM: Black Team vs. Mount Si
Sun 3/13 – 3 PM: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed
Sun 3/13 – 4 PM: #3 Seed vs. #6 Seed
Sun 3/13 – 5 PM: Semi Final 1
Sun 3/13 – 6 PM: Semi Final 2
Sun 3/13- 7 PM: Championship
FREE BOYS WINTER SESSIONS!
Come play lax with Missoula Elite coaches this winter and help keep that stick fresh for game day!
We’re offering FREE fun- filled sessions that are sure to satisfy your lax craving!
Sessions are open to new & returning players, so bring a buddy!
Middle School Boys – December 20th & 22nd – 6:30 to 8:00 PM
High School Boys – December 2oth & 22nd – 8:00 – 9:30 PM
*Sessions are held at the new gym at Meadow Hill Middle School.
For more information email Coach Flynn at kevin@missoulaelite.com
Space Needle Re-Cap
The drive home last night was, at least for me, filled with a lot of mixed emotions. On the one hand, it had been an amazing opportunity for us to be a part of the 2010 Space Needle Shootout. The talent in the Pacific Northwest has grown so much since I first came here 8 years ago and it is very satisfying to see the game being taken so seriously. There are only a handful of really dedicated coaches out here, but the hard work of few has gone a long way for the huge number of players who now have a stick in their hand… but on the other hand, our boys still need a lot of work.
With only one practice and little time to be outside with all the snow, it was really difficult for us to ever have a chance to settle down and run our systems this weekend. By the time we got the chance, fatigue would set in and we would get sloppy. The caliber of teams we played were just too overpowering for a short roster that was out of practice. Five games in 3 days is also a pretty tall order for any team… At least 4 players tried playing long stick defense for the first time, which to me is our biggest weakness as a team right now… so it was good to see the boys recognize this and try to step up and fix it.
Sometimes its hard to focus on the good things when it seems like the overall result was so one sided, but after watching the films today I think we actually played better than I felt at the time. Our defense still has a lot of holes, but the offense just really needs to work on their sticks and otherwise looks pretty good for this early in the year.
I’m not sure when we’ll have the opportunity to play teams of this caliber again, so I really just hope the boys learned something and will use this experience to fuel their work this off-season. If they understand that the game will give back to them what they put in, then they will find success this spring.
I read the boys a quote from Peter Kohn, from the lacrosse documentary The Keeper of the Kohn, before we left that I think summarizes my feelings about the event… “Lacrosse is part of life. The responsibilities there are no different than out in the world. You have the same responsibility to give more than you think you can give, the requirement is the same. We are all called to duty at some times in our life. You have to be ready for that.” Well said Mr. Kohn, I feel exactly the same way.
Congratulations and thank you to the South Sound Starz (both U18 and U16 teams), Rhino Selects, Maryland Rockfish, and Pac Rim U18 team… you all played hard and with great sportsmanship. Congrats also to the Seattle Starz team for winning the Shootout, great job Coach Hush.
Keep your heads up boys and don’t worry, bruises heal.
Thanks so much to all the parents who chaperoned the boys this weekend, we really couldn’t do this without you. Thanks also to our fans who made the trip! Big thanks to Coach Foss for coming down from Vancouver to help out the boys again, we really appreciate the support. For anyone out in Seattle area, be sure you hit up Pizzuto’s Italian Restaurant, food is good!
Lastly, thanks to Gordy Pace for more great photos… which you can check out here. Also thanks to Gene Fowler and Tom Schultz for the video!
Space Needle Shootout Preview: UPDATED
This Friday a group of Missoula Elite High School Boys will brave the winter weather for the game they love, as they head to Washington to compete in the 2010 Space Needle Shootout. The MEL Boys are part of a U18 Bracket that includes some of the top club programs from the west, in addition to elite teams from Canada and elsewhere in the country.
On Friday at 9 PM the team will begin play against the South Sound Starz. Game 2 is Saturday at 1 PM and features a team that really embodies the recent growth of the game in the west, as the boys face off against the Rhino Selects from Portland, a team created by lacrosse legend Ryan Powell. Game 3 on Saturday will pit the boys against the only team that traveled further than them, the Maryland Rockfish. That’s right, a lacrosse team from Montana will take on a lacrosse team from Maryland this weekend. Following the opening 3 games, the teams will be seeded for playoffs, schedule TBD.
In addition to the games, the boys will have the opportunity to participate in several clinics hosted by Warrior Lacrosse. The first is Friday at 7 PM, then Saturday at 9 AM, and finally Saturday at 7 PM.
Needless to say, this is a tremendous opportunity for our players and it’s truly a testament to the hard work that they have been putting in for us to even have the chance to compete in an event of this caliber. It is a landmark event for lacrosse in Montana and we will be here to share our stories, so stay tuned!
Directions to the 2010 Space Needle Shootout can be found here. We hope to see you there!
If you’d like more information, please email Coach Flynn at kevin@missoulaelite.com.
Featured Player
Colter Lear – Senior, Men’s Varsity
Colter just turned 18 years old, and is a senior at Hellgate High School. Colter played for the Men’s Varsity team last season, and is currently taking his game to “The Next Level.” This January he will be travleing to San Diego with Northstars Selects Lacrosse to play in the 2010 Adrenaline Challenge. Colter sat down with us to answer a couple of questions about his upcoming senior season with Missoula Elite.
Why did you start playing lacrosse?
“I have to put that up to Dane Kuhn, he started me at the YMCA stuff. I saw it was the fastest game on two feet, I just love the quickness of the game.”
What is your favorite memory from last season?
“When we won against Sandpoint and I ran across the whole field and jumped on Rian.”
What are you most looking forward to this season?
“Probably the expansion of the game, and having more games, because it is way more fun being out there on the field.”
What are your plans for college?
“Doing electrical engineering at either [MSU or Montana Tech]”
Are you planning on playing lacrosse in college?
“Hopefully still playing lacrosse at MSU, or starting a team at Montana Tech.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed meeting one of our players. Stay tuned for more throughout the season.
Shootout Scrimmage
On Sunday, Oct. 4, members of the Missoula Elite Lacrosse Men’s Varsity and Junior Varsity teams competed in an inter-squad scrimmage as part of the 3rd Annual Montana Shootout, hosted by The University of Montana Men’s Lacrosse team.
“Team Black” edged “Team White” in a 7-5 game that showcased players from the two programs. Junior Varsity attackers Jack Lundin (SO, Hellgate) and Logan Kuhn (FR, Hellgate) quarterbacked their respective offenses and led all scorers, with Lundin putting up a five-point performance and Logan Kuhn chipping in a trio of goals.
Varsity midfielders Coty Becker (JR, Sentinel), Matt Gosselin (SR, Big Sky), and Colter Lear (SR, Hellgate) controlled the ground ball game, transition play, and each contributed on the scoreboard as well. Becker finished the day with 2 goals and an assist. Other scorers on the day included Dane Kuhn (SR, Hellgate), Joel Colbert (SR, Hellgate), and Tanner Pace (SO, Big Sky), who each chipped in a goal. Both teams defenses played well, as did goalkeepers Rian Tuttle (SR, Hellgate) and Lance Altmaier (SR, Hellgate) who each finished with 5 saves.
Thanks to everybody who attended the event, especially supporters who came over from the Missoula Elite Fall Golf Scramble and The UM Men’s Lacrosse team for playing host. Also a huge thanks to the Kuhn’s, Gosselin’s, Reisner’s, Anderson’s, and all other family who worked concessions over the weekend to help support our program, it was greatly appreciated.
Summer Lax in Bozeman
On Saturday, June 27th, the Missoula Elite Lacrosse summer high school men’s team traveled to Bozeman for a game against the Gallatin Valley Lacrosse team. Both teams were evenly matched and the game slugged out for two overtime periods before the hosting Bozeman team converted a fast break game winner. The final score was 5-4 in favor of Bozeman.
Offensively, the MEL boys were led by Dane Kuhn (SR, Hellgate), who chipped in two goals at attack, and Matt Gosselin (SR, Big Sky) who put in two goals from the midfield and also recorded an assist. Midfielders Tanner Pace (SO, Big Sky), Al Plant (FR, Arlee), and Logan Kuhn (FR, Hellgate) all had solid performances, especially in the clearing game, and Mike Vessey (Grad, Sentinel) and Ryan Fowler (SO, Big Sky) set the tone on the defensive side of the midfield by laying some crushing hits during the contest.
Defenders Joel Colbert (SR, Hellgate), Mike Lloyd (Grad, Sentinel), and Jake Smith (FR, Sentinel) each had good performances, winning at least 5 ground balls each during the game. Goaltender Rian Tuttle (SR, Hellgate) had another great game in goal, recording 14 saves on the day and Colten Birdeau (SO, Sentinel) stepped in for a few minutes of leading the team in cage when Rian went down to injury during the 1st quarter.
Overall, it was a good growing experience for some of the younger players on the MEL roster and the team is looking forward to their rematch with Bozeman on July 18th here in Missoula. Thanks to the GVLL program for hosting and for all the families who made the trek to Bozeman.
Spring Jamboree
The first annual Missoula Elite Spring Jamboree kicked off on Saturday May 30th at Dornblaser Fields in Missoula. The event was an all-day celebration of our season’s efforts and featured action from all of our participating players. Varsity, JV, Women’s, Middle School, and Youth games ran throughout the day and the event culminated with a Adult Men’s Scrimmage – which enticed several player’s fathers to suit up for the game. The beautiful weather, great crowds, and fun atmosphere made this a memorable event for all. Thanks to all the families who volunteered with concessions and set up. Congratulations to the following Varsity players on their season awards: Dane Kuhn, Best Attack; Matt Gosselin, Best Midfield; Joel Colbert, Best Defense; Coty Becker, Most Improved; Colter Lear, Coaches Award; Keegan Adcock, Coaches Award; Rian Tuttle, Team MVP. Congratulations and a huge thank you to everybody who helped make our first spring season such a success. See you again soon!
Men’s Varsity Wins in Sandpoint
On Saturday, May 16th, the MEL Varsity boys headed to Sandpoint, Idaho, for a game against Sandpoint High School. The boys from Missoula came off the bus looking strong, jumping out to a 4-0 lead to start the game on top of some excellent ball movement in the transition game. Midfielders Matt Gosselin (JR, Big Sky) and Coty Becker (SO, Sentinel) were all over the field and dominated on the ground, with Gosselin recording a team-high 9 groundballs and Becker registering 6 on the day. Long stick midfielder Dillon Linhart (JR, Loyola) recorded his first goal ever on a rocket shot from the outside during the second quarter which ignited the MEL sidelines and took the team to a 5-3 lead going into halftime. Both teams battled hard in the second half and the MEL boys did a great job showing composure as the contest started to become a bit chippy. Defender Dale Hooker (JR, Hellgate) and Goaltender Rian Tuttle (JR, Hellgate) both contributed solid second half performances, especially in the 4th quarter. With 1 minute to play and a 1 goal lead, the MEL team was flagged for a crosscheck and the defense came up huge to stop the Sandpoint EMO and preserve the team’s first victory in program history with the 9-8 win over Sandpoint! Attackman Lance Altmaier (JR, Hellgate) lead the team in scoring with 3 goals on the day, followed by Midfielder Trevor Johnson (SO, Sentinel) who had 2 goals. Midfielders Matt Gosselin, Coty Becker, and Cody Branson (SO, Big Sky) each earned themselves a goal and assist on the day, while Attackman Dane Kuhn (JR, Hellgate) and Midfielder Colter Lear (JR, Hellgate) each chipped in an assist. Goaltender Rian Tuttle had another solid game in net, registering 8 saves on the day.
Thanks to Sandpoint for hosting another great day of lacrosse in the Pacific Northwest, we look forward to playing your teams again soon! Thanks also to the parents who made the trip to Idaho, see you at the Jamboree on May 30th in Missoula!
