As we detailed last week, a probable record of 6 teams traveled a good distance for spring break – Bellevue, Mercer Island, Newport, Issaquah, Skyline, and Tahoma. How did Washington state fare against unfamiliar, distant competition?

Washington teams’ combined record was 8-8. Each trip was ambitious, not one team choosing to travel to easy wins.

What a trip for Bellevue! Three wins against three powerful teams from Northern Virginia. Langley, St. Stephen/St. Agnes, and Dominion all fell to Bellevue, and the games were never in doubt for long. Wins over these teams show that not only Bellevue is a force to be reckoned with, but also the entire state of Washington.

Mercer Island went 2-1, their only loss coming against Wilton. They pulled out a 12-10 win against Joel Barlow, and a convincing 13-5 against Xavier. Against Wilton, Mercer Island trailed 11-5 in the third, and managed to narrow the margin to 3, but ran out of time. Between Barlow and Wilton, Mercer was facing both state championship finalists from last year. Their results are another very positive statement for Washington lacrosse.

Tahoma and Newport unfortunately couldn’t find a win. In Newport’s case, they dropped two 1-goal games, and lost one to a very strong Chatfield team, who are ranked in the top twenty in Colorado. Tahoma took on two very strong Arizona teams, and weren’t able to find a win in the desert.

In Maryland, Skyline rebounded from their tight loss to Towson High School with a win over Gerstell Academy. It is believed that this is the first time a Washington team has defeated a team from Maryland. A milestone for Washington lacrosse and Skyline!

Issaquah traveled to Austin, Texas and put together two great games, winning against Austin Westlake and Vandegrift. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep the train on the rails in their final game against Austin HS and lost their final game. 2 wins, great barbecue, and a visit to the University of Texas ensured it was still a great trip!

We at the stroll are proud that our Washington teams took on such lofty challenges, and all the successes and near misses that came with it! Welcome back home!

Meanwhile, back in Washington and surroundings….

Blanchet earned their first DI-Metro win against Kennedy Catholic. Blanchet put together a solid game, but Kennedy Catholic showed they have a lot of fight in them with a very strong 4th quarter performance. Hats off to Blanchet!

Last week we featured Seattle Prep vs. Shorecrest as a good upcoming matchup – and it didn’t disappoint! This one came down to the wire, Seattle Prep scoring with just moments left to secure the win. Shorecrest has repeatedly been competitive with Division 1 teams – and we expect this to continue.

Eastlake traveled as well for spring break, but not too far. Coach O’Dougherty’s boys performed well against teams from the borderlands, with wins against King’s Way, Camas, and Beaverton.

Best upcoming matchups

D-I:

4/19: West Linn (OR) @ Bellevue – Bellevue takes on another highly ranked Oregon team at home. West Linn has been ranked 7th in the West by Lacrosse Magazine – perhaps the Wolverines will have something to say about this

4/17: Eastlake @ Skyline – Eastlake travels a few miles down the street in a rivalry game with playoff implications

4/19: Sehome-Bellingham @ Snohomish – Tied for 1st in the Wesco/NW – Both teams have looked impressive recently, who will take the lead?

D-II:

4/19: Wenatchee @ Gonzaga Prep: Two undefeateds in the Eastern conference. Who will take first?

4/16: Seattle Academy @ Bainbridge Island: Seattle Academy, first in D-II Metro, hops the ferry and meets D-I Metro’s 2nd place

4/15: Snohomish @ Shorecrest: Snohomish is tied for first in Wesco/NW D-I, while Shorecrest is in first in Wesco/NW D-II.

Anything we missed? Got some good comments or questions for us? EMAIL: [email protected]