No hyperbole, THIS IS THE BEST WEEKEND IN LACROSSE of the whole season and will cap off probably the best week in high school lax of the regular season. Why is this the best weekend? We're throwing in some out-of-state competition, some prep schools, and, most importantly, the NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY WILL FACE OFF; that would be the Haverford School in Pennsylvania and our very own Darien, respectively. Three other big-time CT schools (Wilton, Prep, Greenwich) are going to the all-day tournament in PA on Saturday too and the link for the schedule and cause is right here: http://www.checkingforcancer.org/tournament.html. I would almost go if it wasn't so far away from me and gas wasn't almost four dollars a gallon!
Friday 4/15
No good games (out of the 4) but I recommend either checking out Hall host Suffield at home at 4pm or Brien McMahon go to Brookfield for a game at 530.
Saturday 4/16
Darien @ Haverford School (PA) @ 11am
-see top; this is the game of the year in boys' lax since Darien is #2 in the nation and Haverford is #1! Darien can certainly pull off the win and it will be huge for not only them but also for CT lax. I think the fact that the game is so early and they have to travel so far to it, really puts them at a disadvantage but Darien coach Jeff Brameier should have his boys ready and there is no doubt they will excited and good to go once they get there! I can't wait to see how this one goes; GO BLUE WAVE!
From LaxPower: Host school Haverford gets things underway Saturday at the Checking for Cancer Lacrosse Tournament just outside of Philadelphia. The Fords will take on Connecticut power Darien in one of the weekend's most anticipated boys' contests. Despite sporting one of the nation's toughest overall schedules, the Fords continue to roll at the midpoint of the regular season. The squad is coming off of big wins over St. Joseph's Prep (9-8 in OT) and Inter-Ac rival Malvern Prep (7-4) to stay undefeated at 9-0 overall. Along with goalie Conor Kelly, seniors Hup Hupfeldt and Joe McCallion have been dynamic all season long for the Fords, particularly in the clutch.
However, an elite Darien squad should give Haverford quite a test on its home turf. The Blue Wave finished No. 1 in Connecticut and No. 11 nationally in the final 2010 LaxPower rankings en route to their sixth consecutive state title. As for '11, the squad looks as strong as ever. Seniors Ben Preston and Graham Maybell will look to push the tempo from the very onset against an opportunistic Haverford squad – a team they certainly cannot afford to fall behind early to. All in all, expect a physical, fast-paced game that could very well be decided in overtime.
Newton @ Conard @ 11
-Newton is a team on the rise and Conard (3-1) isn't doing too bad themselves having only lost to New Fairfield in their season opener. Newton (3-0) deserves a lot of credit since they lead the state in average goals per game (18.33) and net goals per game (15.00)!
Southington @ Xavier @ 11
-Two teams just outside the Top Ten really need another big win to make their move in. Xavier beat Simsbury in Middletown last Saturday and hope to do the same to Southington this weekend. Southington murdered their first three opponents but played Cheshire on Thursday and lost 7-10. Although it seems like Xavier has the slight edge, either team can really win this one and it will be a good one to watch as Xavier is quicker but Southington is bigger.
Ridgefield @ Summit (NJ) @ 12
-Coming off a 10-6 "upset" of Staples, another Top Ten team, the Tigers (3-0) don't make things any easier by going to NJ and taking on the 6-0 Summit Hilltoppers!
Hand @ Simsbury @ 1230
-Hand's record says they are 1-3 but when they're losing to the top two teams in the SCC and the best the CCC has to offer, it's no indication of the talent and potential they posses this year. Simsbury would love to make up for their loss to Xavier and send a message to G-bury by really beating up on the kids from Madison. This one can really go either way but if I had to pick a winner I'd go with the SCC team, Hand.
Medfield (MA) @ Weston @ 1 - neutral site
-Medfield is 4-1 in Massachusetts's "division 2" so they will present a tough test if Weston hopes to improve to 5-0.
Greenwich @ Conestoga @ 1 @ Harverford School
-Defending Pennsylvania state champion Conestoga looks to dispatch a talented Greenwich squad that's hoping to bounce back from a 13-6 loss to rival Darien. After notching impressive wins over Boys' Latin and St. Joseph's Prep to open the season, the Pioneers (8-0) have steamrolled their competition with consistent play on both ends of the field. Conestoga has averaged 14.4 goals per game in its last five (before Thursday) while limiting opponents to an average of just two goals per contest. However, a win over Greenwich will certainly be no walk in the park. The Cardinals' talented trio of Stephen Dodd, David Dickson and Eric Foote should be a force to be reckoned with offensively and will likely give the Conestoga defense all it can handle. While Conestoga has the edge on paper, Greenwich certainly has upset capability! [from LaxPower]
Bay Shore (NY) @ Cheshire @ 230 @ Western Connecticut State University
-Bay Shore is 4-2 and an overall decent team but Cheshire really ought to win this game and have a fun time doing it against some new faces.
Wilton @ La Salle College High School (PA) @ 3 @ Haverford School
-LaSalle is 4-3 and on a four-game winning streak. They play a motley crew of opponents from different states and even different divisions within the large state of Pennsylvania so it is hard to predict how they will do against our very own Wilton. I think this is a great game for Wilton to rebound from their 7-14 loss to Darien and get back on track for when they return to in-state play.
Fairfield Prep @ Chatham (NJ) @ 3 @ Haverford School
-Chatham sits at 5-1, having only lost to a very good Delbarton team from New Jersey so can certainly beat the Jesuits but this game also presents an opportunity for CT to flex what it has, besides Darien, in the extremely dominant Fairfield Prep program. This game will make for a great end to a great tournament of high school lacrosse!
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