Before the season began, I posted a poll asking which team will win the 2010 Central Iowa Lacrosse Association Summer League. After three weeks of games, the poll closed with these results:
Tie: Wellspring Parable, Lightning Wear - 33% each
3rd: Mi Casa Rustic Furniture - 25%
4th: Clark Physical Therapy - 9%
How does that stack up with the league after four weeks of competition?
1st: Lightning Wear - 4 Wins, 0 Losses - 12 Points - 42 Goals For, 13 Goals Against
2nd: Wellspring Parable - 2 Wins, 2 Losses - 6 Points - 29 Goals For, 25 Goals Against
3rd: Clark Physical Therapy - 2 Wins, 2 Losses - 6 Points - 25 Goals For, 26 Goals Against
4th: Mi Casa Rustic Furniture - 0 Wins, 4 Losses - 0 Points - 14 Goals For, 46 Goals Against
We are now 1/3 of the way through the regular season. It will be interesting to see how the final standings shake out in light of the predictor polls.
Best Place to Find Low Prices - Discontinued Gear
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Iowa Threshers - July 2 @ Valley Stadium
Always in support of local sports teams, I recently learned that one of my friends is the offensive line coach for the Iowa Threshers football team. The Threshers are a semi-professional team playing in the North American Football League.The following comes from the team website:
The Threshers are playing tomorrow night at 7:00 pm at Valley Stadium. The gates open at 6:00 pm. I do not have ticket price information. Come out and support your local semi-professional football team under the Friday Night Lights!The 2010 Iowa Threshers will be led by quarterbacks, Terrell James and Da'Marco Jackson both 2 year semi-professional veterans in the North American Football League (NAFL). Both quarterbacks will look to former Iowa State receiver, Milan Moses to be on the end of a number of passes while providing leadership to the offensive unit. Also returning 2 year veteran semi-pro wide receiver, Chris Schippers and rookie sensation, Brandon Brown will be on the other end off passes thrown by James and Jackson. Brown is a predicted to lead the conference in reception yards for the 2010 season. Accompanying Schippers and Brown are, rookie Hemie Collie playing dual roles as wide-receiver/defensive back and Shawn Lents, a 2 year veteran receiver from the Iowa Lightning and Florida native Herman McRae who will balance the receiver threat as the team captain for the offense.
On the opposite side of the ball the "darkside defense" aka as PAIN Inc. of the Iowa Threshers will be led by veteran semi-pro line-backer/defensive captain, Rob Vandermolen and semi-pro veteran defensive lineman, Brooks Barney, of the University of Northern Iowa. Brooks will be joined by Terrence Manning, Iowa Central, a 4 year veteran defensive back and Alex Smith, a 2 year veteran defensive end of the Iowa Lightning defense. The Iowa Thresher defense is looking forward to reaping havoc at Valley Stadium renamed the "Terror Dome" and the home field for the Iowa Threshers.
CILA Summer League - Week 5 Results
Whew, I definitely blew the predictions yesterday. Not only did I fail to predict the winners, but the games were worse blowouts than I could have imagined. In my defense, both teams were missing a significant number of players (despite me not being notified). In fact, both games were played with eight rather than ten men - two defense, two attack, three middies, and a goalie; a maximum of three poles were allowed on the field at a given time. This certainly opened the field and created interesting dynamics.
Clark got up by two early with me losing the first and second face off in pathetic fashion. I failed to get back on defense on numerous occasions and simply could not run. This led to a switch to attack, where I fared better, but not as well as teammate Kaufmann. Kaufmann stayed up top all four quarters and led the team in goals with a hat trick. He also netted an assist to Kayser. Miska rounded out the scoring with a goal assisted by Aukes, who was on fire in the transition game. Try as I might, I failed to score. My first shot went behind the cage. Other efforts were squashed by an aggressive defense.
After a tied half time, Clark came out firing on all cylinders. The middies ran the ball with ease and the attack was coordinated. PSU alum Ripchinski was definitely a force to be reckoned with as he scored at will all night. The defense quickly adapted to the smaller numbers and their speedy middies managed to beat ours for numerous double teams.
While both teams played very well, Clark's fitness and communication won out. Our defense was not up to guarding Ripchinski and the other guns on the Clark roster. Blay was definitely a missing component last night.
The Bolts complained before the game that they were forced to play without goalie Hunter Couch (work), Bostwick, and the brothers Griess (Vail) to the point of suggesting that the game should not count towards the standings. Ben Couch filled in for his younger brother in the net for the first quarter before handing the reigns over to LSM McDougal. Truly a great and adaptable athlete, McDougal made impressive saves all night while Shleton did his best to make sure very few were taken.
On the other side of the field, a late notification from Taylor left the Young Guns without a keeper. Kaufmann stepped up and hopped in the cage, where he did an admirable job despite never playing the position before. Like McDougal, he looked confident and made several tough saves. With Zielonko gone, Neilsen ran the team fairly well against the best team in the league. Kurt Sundermann is a better defender every time he is on the field and worked well with several partners all night. Will Tornberg won several face offs and ground balls; when he gains some size to complement his stick skills he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Throughout the valiantly fought game, the Bolts managed to get more breaks. Several times it seemed that only Neilsen and Oberender had any interest in moving the ball forward for the Young Guns. Unfortunately both were often double teamed before they were able to move the ball. Even without two of their big shooters and their best middie, the Bolts proved to be too tough for the Young Guns.
Do not discount the late game, however. Depending on which personnel show up, it could be a real cracker. With Blay, Johnston, and Stachan out this week, Mi Casa missed three of its key guys. Blay has the ability to run our defensive end while Johnston boosts our attack and Stachan gives much needed speed to our midfield. They may prove to be enough to boost the rest of our team to victory.
Game 1 - Mi Casa Rustic Furniture 5, Clark Physical Therapy 12
Clark got up by two early with me losing the first and second face off in pathetic fashion. I failed to get back on defense on numerous occasions and simply could not run. This led to a switch to attack, where I fared better, but not as well as teammate Kaufmann. Kaufmann stayed up top all four quarters and led the team in goals with a hat trick. He also netted an assist to Kayser. Miska rounded out the scoring with a goal assisted by Aukes, who was on fire in the transition game. Try as I might, I failed to score. My first shot went behind the cage. Other efforts were squashed by an aggressive defense.After a tied half time, Clark came out firing on all cylinders. The middies ran the ball with ease and the attack was coordinated. PSU alum Ripchinski was definitely a force to be reckoned with as he scored at will all night. The defense quickly adapted to the smaller numbers and their speedy middies managed to beat ours for numerous double teams.
While both teams played very well, Clark's fitness and communication won out. Our defense was not up to guarding Ripchinski and the other guns on the Clark roster. Blay was definitely a missing component last night.
Game 2 - Wellspring Parable 4, Lightning Wear 9
The Bolts complained before the game that they were forced to play without goalie Hunter Couch (work), Bostwick, and the brothers Griess (Vail) to the point of suggesting that the game should not count towards the standings. Ben Couch filled in for his younger brother in the net for the first quarter before handing the reigns over to LSM McDougal. Truly a great and adaptable athlete, McDougal made impressive saves all night while Shleton did his best to make sure very few were taken.On the other side of the field, a late notification from Taylor left the Young Guns without a keeper. Kaufmann stepped up and hopped in the cage, where he did an admirable job despite never playing the position before. Like McDougal, he looked confident and made several tough saves. With Zielonko gone, Neilsen ran the team fairly well against the best team in the league. Kurt Sundermann is a better defender every time he is on the field and worked well with several partners all night. Will Tornberg won several face offs and ground balls; when he gains some size to complement his stick skills he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Throughout the valiantly fought game, the Bolts managed to get more breaks. Several times it seemed that only Neilsen and Oberender had any interest in moving the ball forward for the Young Guns. Unfortunately both were often double teamed before they were able to move the ball. Even without two of their big shooters and their best middie, the Bolts proved to be too tough for the Young Guns.
***
Next week sees the surging Clark Physical Therapy team facing the Wellspring Parable Young Guns at 5:45 and the dominant Lightning Wear Bolts playing Mi Casa Rustic Furniture at 6:45. The first game will be the one to watch as Wellspring is currently sitting in second place over Clark with a better goals against average (+4 vs -1). With the key players back next week, this could be a real battle. Taylor is expected to be gone, but Wellspring may receive the services of former Texas Tech player and captain of the ISU box team, Mark Anderson instead. More on that once it is confirmed.Do not discount the late game, however. Depending on which personnel show up, it could be a real cracker. With Blay, Johnston, and Stachan out this week, Mi Casa missed three of its key guys. Blay has the ability to run our defensive end while Johnston boosts our attack and Stachan gives much needed speed to our midfield. They may prove to be enough to boost the rest of our team to victory.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
CILA Summer League Predictions - Week 5
Last week saw a break in the competition due to numerous absences. Instead we had a pick up game which gave players the opportunity to try new positions and play with fresh faces. Overall, the experience sounded like a good time (I did not make it due to some personal business).
This week the league resumes with rematches from Week 3. While the first game will be a straight up rematch, the second will turn out to be interesting since at least three key players may be missing in action due to Vail. As an added bonus this week, all four teams will (finally) be sporting their new jerseys. Mi Casa and Wellspring will wear silver while Clark and Lightning will wear lime.
Current Standings: Lightning Wear 3-0, Wellspring Parable 2-1, Clark Physical Therapy 1-2, Mi Casa Rustic Furniture 0-3
Last time this game came down to the final minute when Clark had a massive rally to squeak out a victory. This week, I think we are in for another treat. Both rosters should be full once again and these teams have already proven that they can play with each other.
This difference in this one will be Mi Casa's hunger for a win. With a goose egg in the column, we are looking to build off of last game's momentum and claim our first victory. Our back line is strong and confident and our middies showed real grit in possessing the ball last time. Our attack continues to strengthen.
That is not to take anything away from Clark, who is still a well rounded team. With regular practices and strong communication, Clark is always a threat. Their back line seems more coordinated than ours, but their transition game is easy to disrupt.
Prediction: Mi Casa gets revenge with a 2 goal win
Game 2 - 6:45 - Wellspring Parable vs Lightning Wear
Arguably the two toughest teams in the league, the Wellspring Young Guns and the Lightning Wear Bolts are always a highly anticipated draw. Last time out the Bolts manhandled Zeilonko in an attempt to take him out of the game. The other Young Guns were seemingly intimidated by Shleton and Mundus on the back line which led to their eight goal loss.
This week the league resumes with rematches from Week 3. While the first game will be a straight up rematch, the second will turn out to be interesting since at least three key players may be missing in action due to Vail. As an added bonus this week, all four teams will (finally) be sporting their new jerseys. Mi Casa and Wellspring will wear silver while Clark and Lightning will wear lime.
Current Standings: Lightning Wear 3-0, Wellspring Parable 2-1, Clark Physical Therapy 1-2, Mi Casa Rustic Furniture 0-3
Game 1 - 5:45 - Mi Casa Rustic Furniture vs Clark Physical Therapy
Last time this game came down to the final minute when Clark had a massive rally to squeak out a victory. This week, I think we are in for another treat. Both rosters should be full once again and these teams have already proven that they can play with each other.This difference in this one will be Mi Casa's hunger for a win. With a goose egg in the column, we are looking to build off of last game's momentum and claim our first victory. Our back line is strong and confident and our middies showed real grit in possessing the ball last time. Our attack continues to strengthen.
That is not to take anything away from Clark, who is still a well rounded team. With regular practices and strong communication, Clark is always a threat. Their back line seems more coordinated than ours, but their transition game is easy to disrupt.
Prediction: Mi Casa gets revenge with a 2 goal win
Game 2 - 6:45 - Wellspring Parable vs Lightning Wear
Arguably the two toughest teams in the league, the Wellspring Young Guns and the Lightning Wear Bolts are always a highly anticipated draw. Last time out the Bolts manhandled Zeilonko in an attempt to take him out of the game. The other Young Guns were seemingly intimidated by Shleton and Mundus on the back line which led to their eight goal loss. This week the Bolts look to be missing four key players in Shawn Harrington, Bostwick, and the Brothers Greiss. Considering their combined input on the offensive side of the field, the Young Guns may have the advantage in this one. However, the Young Guns are missing Crites (Duke camp) and Zielonko, which could impact their goal production. Co-captain Nielsen is confident in his ability to lead the team to a redemptive victory this week. Regardless, this game should be close regardless of the scoreline.
Prediction: The Young Guns capitalize on Griess & Bostwick with a 3 goal victory
Sunday, June 27, 2010
They're Heeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeee!
Even though our season is 1/3 complete, I am happy to report that our jerseys are here!!!
This photo was hastily taken with my iPhone yesterday almost immediately upon receipt of the box. As I was literally on my way out the door when I got them, I quickly grabbed I jersey showing each of the three sponsors. The photo quality is more of a testament to my poor skills than the iPhone's ability.
But the important thing is that WE HAVE OUR JERSEYS!!
As to why they are all lime green and silver on another: The plan is to use these jerseys for more than one league. We will wear them again in box lax, for example. By having them all the same colors, we can mix and match teams with relative ease. I also have no duplicate numbers for the same reason. In fact, Team Lightning Wear (aka Bolts) already wear a hodgepodge of sponsors. When I initially sent the order, we were not quite up to four teams, so this was the result.
This photo was hastily taken with my iPhone yesterday almost immediately upon receipt of the box. As I was literally on my way out the door when I got them, I quickly grabbed I jersey showing each of the three sponsors. The photo quality is more of a testament to my poor skills than the iPhone's ability.But the important thing is that WE HAVE OUR JERSEYS!!
As to why they are all lime green and silver on another: The plan is to use these jerseys for more than one league. We will wear them again in box lax, for example. By having them all the same colors, we can mix and match teams with relative ease. I also have no duplicate numbers for the same reason. In fact, Team Lightning Wear (aka Bolts) already wear a hodgepodge of sponsors. When I initially sent the order, we were not quite up to four teams, so this was the result.
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