Posts Tagged ‘win’
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!
Women Notch First MEL Victory
On Saturday, May 9th, the Missoula Elite Lacrosse Women’s team traveled to Spokane, Washington, to play their first games in program history. The ladies from Montana took the field against Three Rivers in their first game and battled the hosting Gonzaga Prep Bullpups in their second game of the day. Much of the game against Three Rivers was spent explaining rules to the players, most of whom are brand new to the sport, and the girls took time to try and understand things like spacing and transition offense.
Midfielders Carleigh LeBlanc (JR, Hellgate) and Hannah Karlsson (SR, Hellgate) got the ball moving up the field and paced the team with a combined 11 groundballs during the game. Offensively, the MEL Women were led by Center Jill Lindbergh (JR, Hellgate) who finished the game with 2 goals, and Attacker Kate Liddle Broberg (SR, Hellgate) who ran the game at “X” and finished with 1 assist in the contest. Midfielder Makenna Reisner (SO, Hellgate) also tallied a goal in the game and Goaltender Sara Hanson (JR, Hellgate) had a solid game and finished with 7 saves. In the end, the final score read 9-4 in favor of Three Rivers, but there were many positive things for the Women from Missoula to take away from the game.
In their second game of the day, the MEL Women were ready to show off their hard work and came out fired to get their first win. Center Jill Lindbergh took control of the game from the start, winning every draw in the first half and going 3 for 3 shooting in the half. Lindbergh’s hustle was matched by many of the other MEL girls, including Midfielder Anna Pickard (JR, Hellgate) who finished with 4 groundballs and 3 goals in the game, and Midfielder Hannah Karlsson who finished with 6 groundballs and 2 goals. The team’s youngest players, Midfielders Kelsay Adcock (8th, Target Range) and Julia Michels (8th, Target Range) each had solid performances with Adcock displaying great speed in her transition game and Michels netting her first goal. Defender Hannah Leonard (JR, Hellgate) wouldn’t let the Bullpups really ever get settled on offense and Goaltender Sara Hanson had a huge second half, where she registered 7 saves on many point-blank shots. The fired up first half combined with some really solid goaltending in the second half would prove to be enough for the Women from Missoula, who earned their first win ever over the hosting Bullpups by the final score of 11-3.
Missoula Elite Lacrosse would like to thank the Gonzaga Prep Lacrosse program for hosting Saturday’s event and for the girls from Three Rivers and Sandpoint for making the trip to Spokane. Also, a huge thanks to all the parents who made the trip to Washington to support the girls and congratulations to Coach Fahy and Coach Bona for their first win!
