in Canada, he recounted the path — the weekends away from family and friends that the players missed and the messages from outsiders he received doubting their ability along the way that he saved on his iPhone.
“People out there don’t know what we’ve done,” Kelly said in Green Timber 1. “People out there don’t know what we’ve become. I think that’s why we’re going to win the gold today.”
+++
With time ticking down down, the final play call echoed from the sideline. “Buffalo! Buffalo!”
As in wing. Pat Myers installed the set exactly one week earlier after a pool play game against Australia. “We wanted to be able to have options from a point-of-attack standpoint,” Myers said. “We got short sticks on Sowers, Simon [Mathias] and Bernhardt, guys like that. We just wanted to be able to organize ourselves a little bit.” Bernhardt had already subbed in from the sideline. The youngest of the three brothers who, like Jesse and Jake, the Florida native will play at Maryland. He dodged from the left wing and drew a double team by way of a short-stick slide on the crease. He swung it behind to Mathias, who tossed a backside pass to a cutting Conrad on the crease for a quick-stick goal to put the U.S. ahead 13-12 with eight seconds left.
Shades of January? That’s when
Canada’s Inacio won a faceoff in the waning seconds of a scrimmage against the U.S. at Team USA Spring Premiere in Bradenton, Fla., then flung a half-field toss to Ryan Lanchbury for an unlikely goal that forced overtime. Canada won 14-13 after outscoring the U.S. 5-1 in the fourth quarter. Inacio won the last faceoff of regulation of the gold medal game, too — “Those eight seconds were really scary,” Klan said, “because of what happened [in January].” — but couldn’t connect on a downfield pass after winning it clean. The ball went out of bounds, time expired and the U.S. started to celebrate an incredible comeback victory.
“Just like we drew it up!” defenseman Dylan Johnson screamed afterward. Johnson said it in jest, of course. But maybe the raucous finish was a part of The Blueprint, after all. Event plus response equaled outcome. Above the line.
laxmagazine.com 2. VIVA MEXICO
Mexico, one of six first-time U19 men’s participants, won its first game on the tournament’s penultimate day, beating Taiwan 9-4 for 13th place. Twenty-one of the team’s 23 players were from Mexico City, where five university teams play. “They are the youngest people in Mexico playing right now,” said Jose Luis Espinosa, founder of Mexico Lacrosse. He said the number of total players in the country is about 450.
3. THE WOOD STICK Canada defensive midfielder Warren Jeffrey broke out a wooden stick for use in the
championship game. It was certainly noticeable from the opening faceoff, when he started on the wing.
4. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON Gordon Purdie, Jr. was sure he never wanted to play for his father. Turns out he’s around him
more than ever. His dad, an Australian lacrosse trailblazer who was the 1994 top midfielder of the men’s senior games, was an assistant coach for this year’s Australian U19 team. Son also played his freshman college season for dad at Adelphi, where he is head coach. Originally intent on stepping out of his father’s shadow — “Everyone calls me Junior,” he said — Purdie Jr. had a change of heart at the end of the recruiting process and stayed home on Long Island, though he lived on campus. Purdie notched 21 points in the tough U19 Blue Division and the Aussies took fourth, and he will take on an even bigger role at the Division II program next year, where he was the team’s second leading scorer as a rookie attackman.
5. THE OLYMPIC PURSUIT
FIL officials continue their pursuit of the Olympic dream — lacrosse’s return to the games. It starts with provisional recognition, which the FIL will seek approval of over the next year. If designated such status, use of the five Olympic rings by the FIL is permitted in marketing materials, but then the toughest part comes: cracking the Olympic lineup. — C.M.
September/october 2016 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 25 5 U19 TAKEAWAYS
GET TO KNOW TEHOKA NANTICOKE VIVA MEXICO THE WOOD STICK
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON THE OLYMPIC PURSUIT
1. GET TO KNOW TEHOKA NANTICOKE He’s not exactly the same as Lyle Thompson, but will likely draw comparisons to the two-time
Tewaaraton winner. Nanticoke, a Mohawk, has one more year at IMG Academy in Florida before he takes his game, incredible stickwork included, to Albany, where Lyle once ran the show. Nanticoke scored 31 points in seven games to lead the Iroquois to the bronze medal and was named the tournament’s top attackman. Words don’t do some of his scores justice. “He’s tough and he’s a lot stronger than he looks,” Iroquois coach Freeman Bucktooth said. “He’s got so much control with his stick. He’s fun to watch.”
©RANDY DALY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68