Friday, October 30, 2009

Wolverines Snared by Wildcats

Bridgton Academy traveled to University of New Hampshire to take on the Wildcats on a rainy Wednesday night. The deeper UNH squad was able to control the pace of the game and pull out the win, 13-6.

Bridgton played a solid first half and was able to get shots off by moving the ball quickly. Trailing only 6-3 at the half, the depth and pace at which UNH played at caught up to the Wolverines. The offense was not able to beat the defenders and the goalie made a number of saves.

"The pace of the game got to us. UNH moved the ball around and kept the pressure on us, not letting up on either end. Our lack of communication and inability to finish caused problems for us," said Head Coach Garrett Bamann. Bamann added, "There was no lack of effort on our part."

Kam Bumpus (Needham, MA) scored twice for the Wolverines, while Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA), Kevin Looney (Manhattan Beach, CA) and Steve Knezick (Burlington, NJ) added one goal apiece. Knezick handled the face-off duties, winning 53%. Mark Wood (Camarillo, CA) rounded out the scoring with a goal and two assists.

The Wolverines encourage fans to come out and support them during the upcoming weekend as they compete in the Crimson Classic at Harvard University on Sunday November, 1st. Bridgton will compete against prep schools and elite teams from New England, in front of a number of college coaches.

Monday, October 26, 2009

BA Downs Dean 14-8

Wolverine Lacrosse swept the weekends games by posting a 14-8 over Dean College. The Wolverines have now won three consecutive games to even their record at 3-3.

Bridgton came out, "Flat, and we played a sloppy first half," according to Head Coach Garrett Bamann. Leading 6-4 at the half the Black and Gray turned up the intensity and outscored Dean 8-4 in the second half. "We decided to pick up the play from the first half and gave a great effort in the second half."

Coach Bamann was pleased with the weekends results as the goal was to win both games. Leading the way for Bridgton was Mark Wood (Camarilla, CA) with a hat trick, while Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA), JP Coombe (Annapolis, MD), and Kam Bumpus (Needham, MA) each collected a pair of goals. In goal Sean Igoe (Oceanside, NY) turned away eight shots to earn the win.

Coach Bamann and Bridgton Academy Lacrosse would like to send out a special thank you, to Mr. and Mrs. Hay for putting on a great tailgate after the game.

Bridgton will travel to University of New Hampshire on Wednesday October, 28th to take on the Wildcats at 6:30 PM

Wolverines Shootdown Minutemen

The Bridgton Academy Lacrosse team defeated the University of Amherst Club team 13-7. The Wolverines used an early 4-0 lead to keep the Minutemen at bay. Bridgton was then able to continue to move the ball and play consistent defense to hold on for the win.

Coach Bamann said of the game, "Ball movement was key, as we were able to get good shots, because of it." "The defense played well, limiting shots," added Bamann. The defense was lead by Chris Ames (Plainfield, CT), Breck Ecker (Chapel Hill, NC), Matt Janetos (Rollingsford, NH) and Rick Nistico (Trumbull, CT).

Offensively JP Coombe (Annapolis, MD) lead the way with four goals and an assist, Kam Bumpus (Needham, MA) added three goals and an assist, Mark Wood (Camarilla, CA) collected two goals and two assists, while Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA) posted two goals and three assists. Steve Knezick (Burlington, NJ) won 65% of the face-offs. Will Janney (Richmond, VA) stopped 10 saves in the effort.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

BA Picks Up First Win of Season Over Hartwick

Facing the host team, in the Hartwick College Fall Ball Lacrosse Tournament, the Wolverines jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and never looked back, en route to a 9-2 victory.

Coach Bamann saw his squad, "come together as a team; by playing unselfishly, making the extra pass, and moving the ball quickly we found success." The defense played very well, not allowing a goal until five minutes left in the game.

JP Coombe (Annapolis, MD) led the way with three goals, Kam Bumpus (Needham, MA) collected two, while Kevin Looney (Manhattan Beach, CA), Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA) and Mark Wood (Camarillo, CA) added a goal a piece. Steve Knezick (Burlington, NJ) played well on face offs, winning the majority.

The Wolverines will next travel to Amherst, MA to take on the UMass Club team on Saturday October, 24 and Sunday the 25th they face Dean College.

BA Falls to Iroquois National Team

Bridgton Academy Lacrosse traveled to Oneonta, NY to play in its first ever College Fall Ball Tournament, hosted at Hartwick College. BA was the only non-college or non-professional team invited to the tournament. Also participating were Pace University, RPI, Hartwick College, and the Iroquois National Team.

Bridgton first faced off against the Iroquois National Team, a team composed of professional and former D-I players, including Drew and Brett Bucktooth, Brett now plays for the Rochester Rattlers in the MLL, both Bridgton alums. Coach Bamann called the match up with the Iroquois squad, "A great honor to play a team of their caliber." The Wolverines got out to an early 2-0 lead, but the skill of the Iroquois team was too much and Bridgton fell 14-5.

Kam Bumpus (Needham, MA) collected three goals, Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA)and JP Coombe (Annapolis, MD) each added a goal. Defensively Ricky Nistico (Trumbull, CT), Chris Ames (Plainsfield, CT) and Matt Janetos (Rollingsford, NH) played well. Sean Igoe (Oceanside, NY) and Will Janney (Richmond, VA) each collected five saves, in splitting time.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Wolverines Fall to LaxPros

The Wolverines Lacrosse team fell 13-4 to the Portland LaxPros, (a professional club team out of Portland, ME), on a rainy Saturday afternoon. In just their second game of the fall, the Wolverines were undermanned with 11 guys playing. Mark Wood (Camarillo, CA) lead the way with three goals and an assist. Casey Helms (Sandwich, MA) scored a goal, and Chris Kidger (Groton, MA) and Ryan Cordero (Orlando, FL) each collected an assist. In goal Sean Igoe (Oceanside, NY) made 10 saves. Brent Brothers (Tewksbury, MA) did well on face-offs as well.

Coach Bamann appreciated the 11 players hard work saying, "the guys who were out there worked very hard the whole game with little rest."

The Wolverines are set to compete in a round-robin tournament at Hartwick College. They will be taking on the Iroquois National Team which includes Brett Bucktooth '02, Cody Jamison and Sid Smith all of whom won a National Championship while at Syracuse University. The Wolverines will also face Pace University freshman team, and host Hartwick College.