Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Saturday, July 2, 2005

VAIL LACROSSE SHOOTOUT ELITE DIVISION – DAY TWO

It's only day two, but I already have no voice left.  I guess I forgot to do my primal screaming exercise preparation for Vail this year.  It's hard to come out "cold" and yell for four days straight in early July (out of season).  Perhaps I was too busy abusing some other parts of my body in June (kidney stone and leg/old faithful thing, etc.) to properly prepare my cords. 

ROCK-IT POCKET 10 – JAMMIN' SAMMIN' 7 

Knock Knock.  Who's there? CINDERELLA – Cinderella who?  You can't come in whoever you are.

We (Team Rock-it Pocket) have taken the giant fairy tale step from Rocky Balboa all the way to Cinderella (what was her last name anyway?).  Tomorrow is the day when tickets to the "Ball" will be available for us to obtain.  We are in the semi-finals of the Vail Lacrosse Shootout.  Wow!  Again you would have to call us a very long shot against a giant of an opponent, but then where else would you rather be?  You have to get there to have a shot and all that. 

We (Team Rock-it) once smote a Goliath here.  Why not again?  Why not tomorrow?

FIRST QUARTER

We did not come out like a house on fire.  In fact, we came out and looked for a minute like a house that would need to be torched, incinerated, razed and built over. Hmmm. Then we managed to settle down fairly quickly and soon thereafter we started to look like team on mission, and I was not very nervous for most of the game after that.  We trailed 2-1 after one. 

SECOND QUARTER – Power surge

In the second quarter we began to really assert our defense upon a very accomplished group of Salmon players trying to play offense.  We contested their shots and even forced a few violations/turnovers where they (Salmon) could not beat the 30-second shot clock.  We went on a bit of a power offensive run in the second quarter as well, scoring 5 goals in the period, and that left us with a welcomed 6-4 halftime advantage.  We were playing hard, playing hungry, and my voice was rapidly leaving.

THIRD QUARTER – momentarily lost in the Sahara

We didn't score at all and the quarter ended with two goals for "them" and the score knotted at 6-6, but I felt comfortable with our emotion and intensity.  The people I want to live and die with were in position to keep us alive and they were doing it.  We would not be out run, nor would we be run out of anywhere (Ford Field) by anyone on this day.

FOURTH QUARTER –

Since we outscored the team in orange 4-1 in the final stanza, it is hard to not feel good about the way we "finished" the game.  We were not holding on for dear life, and never for a moment did we give the impression that we cared how much time was left until only seconds remained to be ticked off, and we led by three. 

We attacked the salmon all game long.  We did not think in terms of preservation.  We thought in terms of asserting ourselves and showing the kind of team we were becoming on this day.

HARP MUSIC

Nick Stanitz-Harper (#2 - CSU 2005 – A) stepped up to the fourth quarter pressure and took charge with two goals and an assist.  In my mind he was and is a stable component of any team that is remotely team flip these days.

PLONKEY TIME

Mark Plonkey (#17 CSU – 2004 – LSM) played great, but as he took us down the stretch, doing whatever it took to get us back those precious ball possessions, he lifted us up.  He would not allow "them" to ever feel too comfortable about having the ball whenever he was in the neighborhood, and I generally leave him in the game at the end, no matter how dead tired he might be or whichever team has the ball.  He does not come out just because we get the ball as most long stick middies always do.  He is sort of like our bodyguard when we are ahead as the game nears conclusion, always there to make sure nothing bad happens.

He (Mark) just showed the true grit and determination today that makes him what and who he is and why I/we leaned on and took him for granted for four years at CSU.

BUCKEYES BABY

Our two Ohio Staters were a big part of our offensive output against the Jammin' Salmon, but we are counting on that daily right now.  Lance Vitt (#16 – OSU – 2005 – A) was the thrill today with two exciting goals.  Craig Nolan (#7 – A – OSU -?) had 2 goals and two assists and the two together make us dangerous, even though the both of them put together (size wise) barely add up to one Harper (large).  They make up for it with skill and sneaky.  I hope they hold up tomorrow against some very large long sticks.

Overall we had 7 assists on our 10 goals, and that is a percentage that will always be playing music to my ears.  Huge goals by Pat Bird (#1 – CSU – M – 2007) and Tyler Bue (#19 – CSU – 2006) rounded out our scoring.

We got production from the midfield.  If we can do that tomorrow, who knows?  We know that the GMH middies are great and present us with the ultimate challenge.

MURPHY'S LAW WAS GOOD TO US TODAY

Michael Murphy (#9 – CSU – M – 2006) scored two goals, and the day almost seemed to be one where he went from being one kind or category of player to jumping up to a whole other one where he could see what was and knew what to do inside a game that moved extremely fast and at a pace that can be very intimidating.  I am proud of him.  Yesterday I kind of jumped on and challenged him at a point during the game, and to his credit he shut me the hell up about all that with what he did today.

MAY WE "SAVE" THE BEST FOR LAST

Alex Smith (#26 – G- 2003 – CSU - past/future CSU Coach) was indeed spectacular at times in the cage, and the rest of the time he was making stops on the ball that his defense was working their asses off for him to be able to get.  It all mixed together into a very memorable 25-save performance.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but for these first two games Alex has proven that he belongs with the other big goalie boys that are here in Vail this week.

As good as he was today, we will need even better performances from Alex and others tomorrow when we play GMH, a fantastic All-America filled Men's Club (semi-pro?) team from the great lacrosse city of Philadelphia.  This team is men, not boys.  If we bobble the ball tomorrow they (GMH and all its extremely talented, well cared for players) will eat it and us up like the appetizers they have likely ordered for their Independence Day "victory" celebration two days from now.  On the other hand, if we hang together and don't give them any "freebies", then who knows?

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD KILL? Every army has a "Waterloo" in them somewhere

As I sit and try to think of a better more complete plan that might somehow help us to survive, or dare I hope to thrive against a very strong and talented team tomorrow, I can only hope that some of our Rock-it Pocketers are doing a little extra guerilla duty tonight, as in downtown Vail drinking only water and saying it is Vodka while trying to entice the boys from Philly to somehow get extra special hammered as our boys butter those boys up with flattery and charm.

FAMILY GROWTH

This Rock-it Pocket family is using its short time together well.  They and we are close already.  This is the farthest we have come in the first two days that is for sure.  They have played well together so far and for the most part.  How far can we go tomorrow?  The truth is that I am looking for a certain kind of team, not necessarily a victory.  If we play with a certainty about ourselves, and we give them all we have to give, brains and brawn, then it will all be good for me.

ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE?

I will indeed be going somewhere new on Sunday.  Well, actually I have been to 33 or so days just like this one, only this time I will be standing someplace where I previously only dreamed of standing.  I know, I know, but I'm still not ready to wake up.  Do I have to????

Next Entry | Previous Entry


Flip Started Blogging Before it was Cool, Read Over 400 of His Entries Since January 2001
Jump to a Period:
2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
2005: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2004: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2003: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2002: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2001: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Sept Oct Nov Dec