Coach's "Recap" of the 2003 Western States Tournament

at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA

**Panthers A Girls Team Brings Home the Western States Tournament Hardware for the Second Year in a Row.**

Twelve (12) Northwest teams traveled to Palo Alto, CA to participate in the annual Western States Tournament the weekend of April 5th & 6th. Forty-three (43) high school and women�s lacrosse teams competed during the weekend under blue, sunny skies on the perfectly manicured fields of Stanford University�coming off three-weeks of playing in the mud, rain and hail this is about as close to lacrosse nirvana as it gets.

The Panthers A team approached this Western States tournament defending their under-dog �shock and awe� championship of 2002. This year, as opposed to last year we had some idea of the talent we would face. On Saturday we woke up bright and early with the knowledge that we were about to face two California club teams Tomahawks and River City and our local rival Holy Names Academy. Having played and defeated these teams quite handedly in the past we were feeling confident that we could win our Pool in the tournament. The real challenge presented to us therefore was how we would beat these teams. In our minds we had two options: 1) we would play well and win and 2) we would play fabulous, fast, beautiful, creative lacrosse and win. I am very proud to report that we chose and achieved the latter. Is was clear to me at the end of the first half of our first game with Bainbridge three weeks ago that these athletes would not be satisfied with doing �well.� This attitude of truly going above and beyond expectations has exemplified if not created the �Panther Spirit.�

Back to the tournament�after a healthy and delicious carb-ladden breakfast at the lovely Stanford Inn Terrace we started off our day on Saturday facing River City, a club team from CA. They showed up with only 11 players so Panther B players Lauren Castiglia and Quinn Jenkins offered to start and sub for them so we wouldn�t have to play down. Kudos to those two for stepping up! Outcome�Panthers A 15, River City 2. After nearly a 3-hour break and visit with former Panther Kati Miller and her parents and brother we rejuvenated and faced Holy Names to take our first shut-out of the season with a 12-0 victory. Kudos to goalies Christine O�Connell and Katie Fitzmaurice who each played a half and therefore each earned a shut out. Following another near 3-hour respite of eating, sunbathing, (I told them not to!) campus touring and shopping at the event sponsor SportsHerWay vendor booth we met back at Maloney Field to dish up a healthy serving of WA state whoop-azz to the Tomahawks the other Cali club team. 17-4. Laura Blangiardi who often plays low-D added to that plate of you know what with two stellar goals as did rookie Mallory Baker with one fine goal.

By 6:15PM Saturday, after catching a few minutes of the CIF HS championship game and deciding 1) we were pleased that we were not playing in that game�after witnessing about 5 dangerous checks calls in as many minutes and 2) that we had our fill of lacrosse for the day and that it was time to fill our stomachs. We said our �so�longs� to the Miller�s and her parents and brother and headed back to the hotel.

Back at the Inn, most of us showered, a very few of us jumped into the hotel pool. Mind you the sun had set and it was about 55 degrees and breezy but that didn�t stop crazy girls Noelle Anderson, Sara Gasparich and crazy coach Gail Loveland. After suspiciously eyeing the messy pile of royal blue game jerseys, kilts, striped knee socks and sneakers I realized that they did in fact have on CA state-approved swimming �garments.�

The teams gathered in the lobby freshened yet exhausted while the invaluable WSPs (Western State Parents) figured out an efficient method of transporting 32 girls plus several of themselves to Palo Alto to a non-reserved dinner. It worked out perfectly. After only a 45-minute wait we were given a table for 25 at California Pizza Kitchen. The B team and parents went on to find grub at the famous Stanford Mall. So the 25 PLC A girls + 7 WSPs at CPK= F.U.N. We all enjoyed each others� company, each others� food and Chelsea�s birthday Sundae.

Still fresh, still exhausted and with full tummies we legally loaded into several cars and taxis and made our way back to the hotel for�.SURPRISE!...a yummy birthday cake for Chelsea Hansen who turned 18 that day. In addition to an enormous personalized cake Chelsea was given for her birthday a nice forehead bruise on her from the River City goalie. I wish it were the Tomahawks� goalie because then there would be all kinds of funny tomahawk jokes that could come off of that one.

After a brief logistical team de-briefing we all went straight to bed. No one stayed up late and no one made lots of noise in the hotel corridors and no one was pounding on walls next to coach�s rooms at midnight. No one. ;)

Our first game Sunday morning was against the Panthers B team. It was a friendly game and WSP Kathy O�Connell was happy to yell �Yea! Panthers� and not offend her B team daughter and scoring powerhouse Katie nor her A team daughter goalie Christine. Kudos to the B team for keeping the A team to their lowest score thus far in the tourney. The bench went nuts with screams and cheers when junior attacker Kaitlin Pleas put the ball the back of the net in the second half.

That win put us in the semi-finals against�you got it Holy Names. We faced Holy Names in last years� semi-finals as well. However this year at least we were given the privilege of playing them in the gorgeous Stanford Football Stadium on a shag carpet of green grass where sophomores and Western States rookies Allie Wise and Mallory Baker played impressively to help the team earn an immaculate win. Lauren Bailey was no less than perfect with her speed and reliable open- cuts to the ball...Bailey opens up more doors on attack than the doorman at the Ritz! We left Holy Names scoreless again with a 14-0 win which put us in the finals against West Linn, last year�s Oregon State Champions who had just beat Bainbridge Island one goal. We all had a chance to watch West Linn Lions play Bainbridge on Saturday and knew they would be a challenge. The Lions have several strong attackers with superb stick skills and a tendency to double-team in the mid-field�a tactic we had not really faced so far this season.

Back to Maloney Field, oh�Maloney field is where Stanford�s D1 lacrosse team plays their home games� with their voluptuous resources you can bet it is an incredible field. The girls had an excellent focused pre-game warm-up and took the field not really knowing what to expect of the Oregon girls. We did know one thing�that this would be the most challenging game of the tournament. I had an opportunity to speak with their coach Hillary Gilmore before the game. She said she and her girls were kind of stunned that they had made it this far in the tournament�this is their first year competing in Western States and she said they came down to �play some new teams, learn a few things, and if they happened to win one game that would be nice.� I thought to myself �hmmm�this sounds awfully familiar where I have I heard that?� And then I paused, smiled, and reflected in last year�s glory for a brief moment and then thought to myself, �HOLY BOVINE !! LET�S GO PANTHERS!!� And GO they did.

Caity Travers got the ball rolling with an amazing quick stick goal off a sharp pass from behind the cage from Chelsea Hansen. From that point on it was nearly goal for goal during the first half. The Lions were courageous and tenacious in their mid-field double-teams. They greased the crease successfully at least once. All tied-up with 4 goals each at the half. With such a low-scoring half it was apparent that both teams were nearing exhaustion. Low-defender Grace Canby rose to the occasion by helping to shut down many-a fast-break. After the half we fought tooth and nail, managed their double-teams with more frequent long-passes and kept the Lions on our Panther tails for the remainder of the game. Eileen Cahill earned the "Play of the Game" with a sneaky mid-field interception to put us where we belong...on the attack. Meredith Rockwell's amazing foot velocity and precise stick skills won the team some seriously critical ground balls. With 1:30 left in the game and up 7 goals to their 6 we had the ball on our attacking end and �scored� a beautiful stall symphony performed by Lauren Watts, Lauren Bailey and Joanne Krochalis conducted masterfully by center Jessica Verrilli to win the game and keep our title as Western State Tournament Champions. A sweet, sweet victory, no less dramatic and exciting than last year�s.

Coach Steph Cone