Rundown Week Eleven

 

Welcome back to our second to last Rundown of the 2011 season.  The boy's DI and DII state semi-finals are this Wednesday May 25th with the winners advancing to Championship Saturday May 28th at Memorial Stadium.  This week we have the previews for these up coming semi-final match-ups.  We are going to have game-write ups for all the games this week and full coverage of Championship Saturday. In Division I, it came as no surprise to which the four semi-final teams were going to be.  Both of the Division I games have grudge match written all over them. In Division II, it will be a different story, but the storylines are just as impressive.

 

 

The Final Four Previews

Eagles Fly to Bainbridge Island

In the first DI semi-final, Issaquah travels to Bainbridge Island for a game that has some interesting storylines.  For Bainbridge, it will be a test for the Spartans to see if their big game cold feet can catch fire.  A roster holding 13 seniors and a coaching staff of alumni will need to buckle their chinstraps and get tough.  They torched Eastside Catholic 14-4 to enter the game against cross Sound rival.  All-time Issaquah is 3-0 against Bainbridge in the playoffs.  The Eagles owned them in the state semi-finals in 2005 and 2009 as well as taking the title game from them in 2008.  Will the Spartans be able to overcome a fourth time snub? Bainbridge seniors Alex Crane, Cam Parker, Alex Rabin, Henry Deery-Schmitt and Quinn McMahon must play the game of their lives. In the last contest between the two clubs, Issaquah controlled the game from start to finish, securing a victory despite a score of 8-6.  They enter the game after throttling Tacoma 18-5 with strong performances from Matt O'Neill (5g), Jake Fritz (3g, 4a) and Kevin Powers (3g, 2a).  In this game, they will be without First Team All-State goalie O'Neill Hughes out for the rest of the season.  This game will come to whether the Spartan offense can flex and show why they are a top team in the state.  For big games Bainbridge’s offense has gone cold and stagnant.  Issaquah, only four months ago reeled from the tragic loss of Tyler Lucas, will now face the real possibility of the season ending at Bainbridge.  Key players needing to step up will be First Team All-State defender Kole Lindor and Second Team All-State defense Aidan McDonald.  Without Hughes the Eagle defense are without one of their keys to victory over the Spartans last time.  On the offensive, Matt O'Neill proved to be the hot stick and had success against BI's Crane at the face-off circle.  If Issaquah’s defense can hold out against the Spartans they should be able to make the title game.  However, a home crowd at Bainbridge maybe a tipping point for the Spartans. 

Backyard Brawl between Islanders and Wolverines

In the second DI semi-final game, Mercer Island will host cross town rival Bellevue.  The bad blood rivalry runs deep between the two teams not just between the two cities.  The rivalry has surged in the past five years and was redefined last season in the state championship.  The "Stick Check Heard Round the World" caused an even greater rift between the two clubs and this semi-final game will no doubt be another fight to the wire. Bellevue enters the game escaping Curtis 8-6 in their quarterfinal game.  Mercer Island is feeling comfortable after downing King's Way 15-2.  These two teams were destined to meet again in the post-season.  Earlier this season, Mercer Island controlled the game against Bellevue securing an 8-6 victory.  Junior Wolverine midfielder Drew Douglas emerged as the team's point leader complimented by sophomore Cole Johnson and freshman Hank Bethke on the attack.  The Wolverines will need others to step up in order to combat the Islanders.  On defense the junior core of poles and keeper led by All-American Sam Leggett and Second Team All-State goalie Austin Boyd will need to play their best game of the year to advance to the final game. Mercer Island will need to play lights out all over the field.  If they perform with the same intensity, focus and discipline like their dismantling of Bainbridge this season they should have no problem dispatching Bellevue.  Their midfield led by All-American and First Team All-State senior Doug Mahony, Second Team All-State junior Connor Bernal and workhorse Colton Knebel are unmatched by in-state opponents this season.  Their trump card against Bellevue could be Third Team All-State goalie Brian Bernstein- when he's hot he is a wall.  The x-factor will be the atmosphere.  Students, parents and fans will add electricity to elevate both teams' fervor.  Look for heated teams and high-energy fans to define the growing "MI-B Rivalry".

Still Perfect Sammamish Hosts Dark Horse Blanchet

Sammamish got their first big test last week in the quarterfinals against Providence.  The Totems won out 9-7 in a fist fight.  Their heavy guns are All-Cascade attackmen Tyvan Schmidt and Brian Headland, the duo racked up 43 goals, 19 assists and 37g, 19 assists respectively.  Junior midfielder Tyler Wright is a two-way old school midfielder, capable of carrying his team on his back for short periods. Matt Young accumulated 105 groundballs on the season thus far and is one of the leagues best at the face-off circle.  The Totems defense will have their hands full with a dark horse Blanchet squad looking to make a run all the way.  Blanchet downed Redmond and Skagit Valley in the first two rounds of the playoffs and will have the biggest test of the season against the Totem titans.  Senior captain Tyler Schmutz leads the Braves with 40 goals and 15 assists total thus far this season.  However, for Blanchet to surpass Sammamish the battle will come down to the midfield and face-off play.  Connor Black will need to step up big time as well as Austin Pruitt to gain and maintain possession.  Careful ball handing for both teams will be key and must avoid waste opportunities.  Action gets underway Wednesday at 7pm at Newport High School.

Heavy Hitters Woodinville and Garfield Collide

In the last semi-final match up the undefeated Woodinville Falcons host the Garfield Bulldogs Wednesday at 7pm at Woodinville High School.  This game could go down to overtime if both teams are mentally prepared for the fight.  The Falcons are led by senior midfielder Tyler Paris (16g, 10a) and freshman midfielder Daniel McKee (37g, 14a).  Both have developed into leaders on the field and are supported at the attack by JD Chapman (39g, 30a).  The Falcons’ emotional leader is goalie Dalton Combs, capable of making big plays with the ball out of the cage and forcing tempo up field, a la pro player Brett Queener.  The Falcon defense is going to face their biggest league test of the year with the Metro champ Garfield.  The Bulldogs come with sophomore power in attackman Cedric Rhodes (31g, 35a) and midfielder Jackson Lanning (33g, 15a).  Garfield is a team that starts hot in the first half. While Woodinville gets hot in the second half.  Two contrasting momentum styles will be matched up.  It will come down to whether or not Garfield can keep a lead going and hold off a Falcon surge.   

'Upset' is the Word in NCAA

All four of the quarterfinal games in the Division I NCAA tournament were upsets.  Denver blasted Johns Hopkins 14-9 ending a Blue Jay run for the title. It was a big game the west for the first time in history a team west of the Mississippi is playing in the national semi-finals.  Jamison Koesterer’s Blue Jay squad will return the majority of the talents next year, but their experience playing the new look style of the no. 6 Denver offense will be a good learning opportunity.  Bill Tierney’s Denver squad surprised many people this season and made it to the big dance Memorial Weekend.  Bellevue alum and Pioneer freshmen Cole Nordstrom is on his way to possibly gaining a championship ring in his first year as a collegiate player.  Surprisingly, no. 6 Virginia got back to heir winning ways and upset no. 2 seeded Cornell, going on a nine unanswered goal run cementing a 13-9 win.  It was Washington native Shane O’Neill’s final career game as he hangs up his Big Red jersey and enters the post-graduate life.  Washington is proud of one of its brightest stars.  Maryland made big news again, upsetting the no. 1 Syracuse Orange.  Drew Snider had one goal and Landon Carr made several big clears for the Terps in their 6-5 overtime win.  It is the first time the Terps made it past the quarterfinals since 2006.  They are the hot team this tournament and head to their home town in Baltimore to face ACC rival Duke.  The Blue Devils downed Notre Dame 7-5 in a low scoring contest that was a rematch of last year’s national championship.  The Blue Devils are a team that always peaks late and their game against conference rival will be one for the history books.