Friday Night Bites: 'Cats vs. Dogs

After a tough battle down at the Coliseum, the 'Cats are now gearing up for 2 more in conference games this weekend that hold just as much worth as the BC game last Friday. We'll be traveling down to Boston to play another perennial rival Northeastern Huskies on Friday night, in a game that will be played at Malden Catholic High School at 8 p.m. From there, Sunday, we have the lovely drive to Smithsfield, Rhode Island to take on the Rams of URI.

The focus is on the game this Friday night, as we have only beaten Northeastern once in my four years here, and it came in a 6-5 thriller that happened to be at Malden Catholic as well. The only guarantee for this game, is that a member of the beloved Red Army will come out on top, as NU's head coach, and Walpole native Joe Brady is one of the founding founders of the greatest Men's league teams on this side of the Great Wall. That being said, I gotta give it to the Army for their showing at the BC game. I wasn't expecting it, but to look up and see CCCP members both new and old, sent a single tear of joy trickling down my cheek. I'm sure they will be out in full force again Friday night, hopefully getting raw, and hopefully on the side of the Wildcats, but who I am to try and persuade them? I mean, I'm sure Northeastern's blog gives the Red Army the respect it deserves on the reg. . .

(Also there is a new poll up. I'm going to start interviewing players on the team with ridiculous and outrageous questions. If you'd like to see anyone in this segment, please let me know, and I'll be sure to accommodate)

UNH Bumped to #17 in the U.S by CollegeLax

After a 24-2 win over CCSU going into Spring Break, UNH is now ranked number 17 in the CollegeLAX Prodigy Poll for the week of March 17. And just as I did when we were 21, I Googled "17" and changed the first image to suit us appropriately. In this case, it happened to be a Zac Efron movie, but of course I'd find a way to make it work. Instead of just making it work, though, I made it pop, with what might be my favorite blog post of all time.

Everyone's favorite Sailor/LSM John Tyler Markley's physique, attitude, hair, style,all the way down to the way he walks, all have an uncanny resemblance to the High School Musical Star, and he just so happens to wear jersey #17. And that, ladies and gentlemen is why they call me The Boss, and that's why I get paid the big bucks. Well, that, but also this. . .

Quick Scheduling Info

Due to some logistically nightmarish organizational skills by our fellow PCLL teams, a couple of our games have been changed and can be seen at right in bold pink. But for those that don't want to do the work to scroll over, here it is in summary.

We are still hosting Bridgewater State College tonight at 7 p.m

• This game will be played on the brand new fields built behind Bremner Field, and are specifically lined for lacrosse. One of few games out there this season.

Our biggest game of the year vs. Boston College has been moved

• Instead of next Thursday at BC, it'll be played this Sunday, March 28th at 8 p.m. at the Harvard Coliseum in Allston/Cambridge shown above
  

Our game vs. Northeastern University is still on ice.

• Hang tight on this one. We are definitely playing them, but the time and place has yet to be determined by them. Their field time is limited and the originally scheduled games have been bumped. Stay Tuned, and when I hear, you'll hear.

So change your Blackberry Calendars, tell your friends, and pencil UNH Lacrosse in for the remainder of the season. I promise it will be worth it, but as Levar Burton said on Reading Rainbow, "But you don't have to take my word for it."

UNH Ranked #21 In The U.S by CollegeLax

This link says it all. The 'Cats are in the top 25 for the first time in my four year career, and possibly in the history of the club. With another big out of conference game tomorrow night vs. Minnesota State, it's time to climb that ladder.

Rookie Look-A-Likes 2010

Well, here it is, everyone's favorite time of the year. The time when I dig deep through the trenches of Facebook and find embarrassing photos and compare them to the celebrities and figures we know and love. You can check out all of the older Look-A-Likes in these links. Round 1 featured a Bulgarian footballer and John C. Reilly, while Round 2 touched up on everyone's more animated side. But, like everyone's favorite juicer, I'm not here to talk about the past. To the pics! And make sure to vote on which is most similar on the poll to the right.

Choice A: Rookie Attackman Conor Murphy and The Office's John Krasinski AKA Jim Halpert




Choice B: Rookie Goaltender Jacob Katz and Beans from Even Stevens




Choice C : Rookie Attackman Joe Gardiner and Super Bowl MVP Drews Brees



Choice D: (the most obscure actor you'll see all day): Rookie Midfielder Garrett Buckley and Kyle Howard AKA Gunther from the Paper Brigade



Vote! And if you think you have any better lookalike comparisons, post 'em in the comments.

Upset City: Winner, Winner, Buffalo Dinner

For those of you who aren't following our new live Twitter feed, let me be the first to say that you missed out last night. We played Colorado University, who was ranked by CollegeLax as the #8 team in the country. UNH isn't even near the top 25 (yet). On paper, this game seemed to be a logistical nightmare for the Wildcats, and that's before you even factor in the altitude. But, the Wildcats came from behind and were able to take the Buffs down 9-8 in a game that was as classic as jeans and a white tee.

We went down 3-0 to start the game, but fresh off a 6 goal deficit turned into upset win not even a week ago, there never a sense of panic, and a consistent focus at what was at hand. After the ball landed on the turf in front of the cage, the kid was able to scoop the GB and bomb a 5 mph shot (change up) past the keeper for a garbage goal that put us on the board. Captain James Rubio scored the next goal stick side high coming off a dodge, but we just could not seem to close the door. Every time we scored, they answered. 4-2, then 5-3, the cushion was always there. They netted one more, and we went into the half down 6-3, yet still fully confident that the game was ours. There was no more shock, and realized that we could easily run with or past the Buffs we had heard so much about.

We did exactly that, flattening their cushion with goals coming from a few kids that were born in the 1990's. Freshman Joe Gardiner had a hat trick, while his classmate Garrett Buckley had two goals that went into the net instead off the iron around it. And of course, sophomore Evan Flower tagged a chone of his own. Gardiner's first goal was notched with less than one second left in the third quarter, making the game 7-6 heading into the fourth.

Despite never leading, the momentum was all on the away bench, and the CU boys were unravelling before our eyes. Whether it's the fact that they were blindsided by their "blind date" or that they just hadn't been in a situation like that in a long time, the game got chippy and the flags flew accordingly. We spent a good part of the fourth man-up and netted the tying goal in a said opportunity. Then with 2 minutes remaining Joe "Fructis" Gardiner beat the keeper and we had our first and last lead of the game. Keeper Jake Katz made 21 saves on 29 shots for the Wildcats, stomping out kick saves like a champagne glass wrapped in a napkin. We cleared, possessed the ball, took and took a timeout. Then, we unanimously decided to put the ball in the hands of Taylor Kenny to run out the final 25 seconds. Of course, he chilled, and ran out two All American defensemen to kill the clock and we were free to rush our goalie like a bunch of wild buffaloes. We did, fully solidifying the biggest win for UNH Lacrosse within the Sullivan era. This is exactly what we needed to kickoff the season. A team building, rejunivating, come from behind victory. And to get a great feeling like that just from your own hard work is a feeling that no money could ever buy. Especially in this economy.

If you want to check out all of the stats from this nailbiter, you can get them right HERE off the MCLA website. Also, check out the CU Lacrosse blog, at www.redhotbuffs.com (Inspired by Yours Truly). Their blogger is a rad dude and they have some very entertaining videos, polls, and interviews of their own.

Wildcats White Out the PENmen in OT Thriller

Despite looking like he belongs at the Magic Kingdom signing autographs, this is not one of the Seven Dwarfs. This is in fact, a Penman, the mascot of Southern New Hampshire University. Why they would name their team after a journalist like myself is completely beyond me, but that's a whole 'nother blog. What I do know, however, is that they have a Division II lacrosse team that has literally trounced us every single year and twice on Sundays for the last 4 that I've been involved. One year it was close, but every other time, they basically showed us why they were D2 and we were exactly what every player and coach hates, "Just a club." And to start the game, we were on pace for another one of these embarrassments. With a miscommunication of the starting time, the original field not being plowed, and our flat demeanor, we came out and went down 7-1 to start the game, and it was as ugly as one of Don Cherry's suits.

But, they call it halftime for a reason, and if one team can score seven in a half, there's no reason the other can't do that in the second. The beauty of live sports. We did exactly that, possessing the ball, keeping it simple, and slowly but surely creeping back into the game. A few man-up goals, an unsettled or two, all backboned by sound defense and great goaltending, suddenly their 7-1 half was matched by us starting the second 7-1 and we were in a 9-8 game. We tied it up with just over a minute remaining, and almost closed it out in the final seconds, but of course, a game like this had to be settled in overtime.

They call it sudden-death, but it seemed more like a dragged-out, waterboarded death. 10 minutes of overtime play, and probably 8 saves to boot. Back and forth, SNHU would have a great chance and our goalie would make a great play, feed, and then we were going back. Then we'd dodge, and shoot, and their goalie would literally stand on his head to keep his boys hopes alive. We hit the crossbar. They hit the crossbar. There were literally no fingernails left in the stands. That is, until sophomore Evan Flower, received a pass about twelve yards out and ripped a duck into the side panel, quietly giving himself a gentleman's 6 goals on the day. The bench erupted and stormed the field, debris everywhere, and it was official. The Wildcats just topped SNHU for the first time, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. With our two toughest games of the season this week in beautiful Colorado, a win like this can only help. It can boost team morale and create the positive vibe we need, and it reminds us that even if we are already written in for a loss in some people's books, that someone still invented the erasable PEN(men).

Wildcats Make Bacon of War Pigs

In the words of Black Sabbath:

Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling

We finally got out of the Field House and back onto Memorial last week. Sure, practicing outside in the 20 degree weather is no picnic, but everyone seemed to be amped to have an entire field worth of space to work with. After only two days outdoors, we had our first test of the season, a club called the War Pigs, who are based in NH but tout players from hotbeds like MD, LI, NJ, and of course the big daddy, MA. The team was comprised of recently graduated college players, so it was a good place for us not only to start off but to be reminded what an entire game feels like, the spacing of rides and clears, and the finer points of a game that we can't touch on indoors. We rolled, 11-4, with three of their goals coming in unsettled situations. At the other end, goals came from everywhere on the field. Some beautifully crafted chone pieces, and some garbage rebound goals. It doesn't matter who had what, because in today's day, I'd like to remind everyone that nobody asks "How" its always "How many?" I mean, even the great Bill Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet said that a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. (English degree) If you want to check out photos from the game, there's 367 of them right here, starting with the most beautiful one on there.

Our next test will be against Division II Southern New Hampshire University, this coming Sunday. And for once, the "PenMen" are coming to Durham instead of the other way around. After that, we're moving to MCLA games for good, rallying up our top 25 and heading out west to Colorado to face two of the top 25 teams in the country. Stay Tuned. And as you could have guessed, I give you...War Pigs. And since everyone and their father has heard Sabbath, here's a cover by Cake to keep you on your toes.

You Be The Judge

Before I officially start blogging about my final UNH season, something has been brought to my attention that I need to share in a public forum. As is such, I figured that this blog would be the best place for it, also seeing as I have blogged about our Commy community that is the Red Army. The best summer club in the country has been robbed blind, with nothing to do except complain on blogs. Take a look at our Logo (top) that was coined in the summer of 2008, and placed on our uniforms. The sickle and lacrosse stick, edged out. A timeless symbol for a timeless team. Now look at the kits on the bottom. Ignoring the fact that their uniforms are incredibly rad, our logo along with our team name have been stolen like a Vanilla Ice track and stamped all over on these uniforms. We contacted them, told them to cease and desist. This "club" claimed they came up with the team name by themselves (please) and that they paid someone to make the design. (AKA Google Red Army Lacrosse to find our website). In the words of King Leonidas, This Is Madness.

Kids all over the country think they can just scoop a quick Google search and become members of the KGB? Do I wear Hopkins Gear and tell chicks I'm on the team? That I came up with the Blue Jay logo completely on my own with no accreditation to the fine learning institution of Johns Hopkins University? Just imagine if an expansion team in the MLB just casually decided to use the Boston 'B' as their logo. There would be riots in the streets, people would be outraged leaving only the women and children safe. This will end well for the (real) Red Army, I promise you. If we have to go old school, and settle it on the field, we will fight tooth and nail for the rights to our logo that was so craftfully designed over several years. We will not back down, we will not be intimidated. We are the Soviets. Long Live The Army.

P.S This is exactly what I needed to get me fired up for Blogging season. Getcha popcorn ready.

Happy Birthday to the Blog!

I know that I have been slow on the blogging lately, but quite frankly, nothing has really been happening in our lacrosse world up here. We've been practicing three nights a week in the Field House, we're hosting our Wildcats Lacrosse clinic this weekend, and we're less than a month away from opening our season, but these are all things I have already mentioned to the world.

However, I'd like the world to also know, that the blog has officially been up and running for an entire year. Actually a little bit longer, as the first post was Feb. 4, 2009. That's right, an idea that started from me being bored in my filthy apartment has grown into a year long phenomenon and will even be passed on next year to someone new while I'm in the real world, with a real job that doesn't include first person slang and Bruce Springsteen videos. So check out the new website, (the blog gets copied and pasted there as well) and get ready for some serious blogging once the snow melts and the ball starts rolling. For now, just go out there and sing happy birthday (right now) and try your best to do better than this little guy. Long live the blog.

Coming Attractions for 2010

Just a little video I made this morning to get the world fired up for our season. Song belongs to Deadmau5.

'Cat Nip Is Back! (sort of)

Well, I finally got my new username and password to do some solid write ups for the national MCLA website, www.collegelax.us , and posted my first one of the new millennium which you can conveniently find right HERE. I'll try to update periodically up there about game updates, spring trips, or anything else that might interest those blog-readers who have yet to discover this blog. The first one is bland, strictly a press release about our new schedule. So mark your calendars at home and get your popcorn ready, because remember, CatNip is not just for cats. To read all of my old Cat Nip columns to prepare your brain for the phenomenal writing you will endure this spring, click on the logo on the right column....or right here if your lazy.

New Website Up and Running

We have finally caught up with the times, dumped our old, broken down, HTML based website and have launched something spectacular. We're still getting some of the kinks out with domain name, which will soon be easily accessible at www.UNHLACROSSE.com but you can check it now here for now. Just click ENTER and you will be sent to the new and improved website that features sections for multimedia like pictures and videos, along with a fully functioning store that you can purchase some UNH Lax swag, and. . . sadly to say, a section entitled Blog. That's right, I have been informed the the blog will be moving from here to there sometime soon, but will still function from here as well. I feel like Conan, but the truth is that it looks cleaner there, not to mention it gives you access to everything else UNH just a click away. So bookmark the new site, check it out, buy some merch and enjoy our new eye-friendly website courtesy of internet savvy Vice President Dan Hutchins.

Wildcats to Host 4th Annual Wildcats Lax Clinic

(Insert Your Son HERE)

Quite frankly, it would be un-American of us lacrosse players not to share our knowledge to the younger Granite Staters who look up to us in such a deserving light. So, without further ado, I am proud to announce that we will be hosting the 4th annual Wildcats Lax Clinic on Saturday, February 13. After a phenomenal turnout last year, we can only hope that more parents and kids will spread the word so we can top what we did in 2009. The clinic will be from 9am-1pm and offers copious amounts of benefits for the kids taking part. Along with getting to meet the best blogger on this side of the Hampton tolls, each player will be provided with:

• Snacks, water, refreshments.
• A UNH Lacrosse Clinic reversible pinney
• One on one instructions from the entire UNH squad
• Head and assistant coaches will be present as well
• Instructional drills along with controlled scrimmages

The clinic is $50, but wait, there's more! If you have more than one child interested in coming, it will only be $35 for each additional kid. Us college students understand the tough economic times, but this truly is a deal that should have been pitched by the late Billy Mays. So if you have any sons interested in learning some new skills and drills, or just wanna get a full gear run in before the season starts, please email our new team president, Tom Nazzaro at tjr26@unh.edu and he will get you all set up. If you don't have any younger kids, help out our cause and tell your friends, co-workers, Fantasy Leaguers, mailmen, and really anyone that might be interested, and it will be greatly appreaciated.

We will do our best to make your children good enough to play at Syracuse, but hopefully they will know their roots and choose UNH instead.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a safe and relatively sensible holiday season. I for one, had a phenomenal Christmas and a shocking New Years Eve, but now comes the time when people decide to make "resolutions" to make themselves feel like they have a fresh start, and I must begin to think about graduating college, but more importantly my final year of collegiate lacrosse. Yes, I still have the Red Army Dynasty to look forward to, but I am a ripe 22 years young, in the prime of my athletic career, and I'm looking to do this last year right.

So, chronologically, the first matter of business of me going hard is the 2nd Annual Febru-HAIRY competition. While abroad, I heard of this legendary tradition held in Minnesota every year, where men take 28 days to simply be men. No shaving is allowed, no trimming is allowed, and it becomes a competition of who can grow the gnarliest beard in one (short) month. This year, I am encouraging all of my teammates, coaches, fans and parents to join me again in this camaraderie-driven, team building journey in growing beards, and then seamlessly transitioning into what I like to call Mustache March. Some will be red (see below), some will be patchy, most mustaches will resemble those seen at Taco Bell, and some people will just plain scratch out of the competition(Pun intended). I admit, that last year I caved, probably around the 14th for some unknown reason, but this goes back to me doing it right on my farewell tour. I will consistently shave in January, so my Februbeard can be one for the ages, to contend with the Sullivans, Donovans, and Srebniks of Febru-hairies past. The blog will have pictures of these beards, and you guessed it, it will end in a poll. If you think you can contend, feel free to send me a picture and I will gladly enter you into the mix. Good luck gentlemen, it will surely be a long, itchy road, but the end result will be worth it. Plus, who doesn't like having an excuse to be grizzly, and make a hater look bad in the meantime? I can see it now. . . .

"Dude, that beard is haggard. You look like hell."
"Bro, it's Febru-hairy. Look around, your the only one without a beard."
"Oh crap. You lacrosse guys are so rad. I wish I could hang with you all."
"Later, Hater."