Boys' lacrosse faced huge odds. Even though they'd locked up a number two ranking entering the playoffs, the team had been decimated by injury. Several key players would be watching Tuesday's quarterfinal game against Glenelg from the sideline and, cheering as they might, would offer little aid in the end. The Bruins trailed by three in the final quarter of regulation after succumbing to the Dragons earlier in the season, but only after three overtimes. Somehow Park's boys found goals. They found huge defensive stands. Somewhere within themselves they found the sheer will to place themselves down only one score while with seconds left on the clock. Battered, bruised and weary, they even held the ball, albeit at the wrong end of the field. The final sixty yard toss sailed wide and the Bruins season was complete, but not before learning (and hopefully teaching) a valuable lesson. These boys refused to sit when a chair was offered and struggled literally until the final whistle, relinquishing their hope and effort only when the officials informed them that no time remained. The scoreboard read 9-8. Hold your heads high, boys.Last Tuesday marked the start of the MIAA boys' tennis Individual CHAMPIONSHIP Tournament. Junior David Spivey and senior Chris Benn, dubbed Park's "number two" doubles
entry, began the season playing separately. As fate would have it, both were stricken by injury and forced to attempt to rehabilitate their way back onto the team with precious little time left in the regular season. While not at full speed, each made enough progress to be considered for doubles play, and the pairing was set. Though their ailments certainly stole a step or two from their game, the two meshed their strengths and in short time found a chemistry as well as a strategy all their own. The plan, they realized, would entail a simple "cat and mouse" tactic. True, others may simply deem the boys slow starters, but let's not ruin a good story.The Bruins began as a five seed in the two doubles bracket, a victory in and of itself, for no Park player(s) had attained such a high rating going into the tournament in recent memory. They'd also achieved a bye in the first round, held Monday. We may never know whether it was the extra day off or devious strategy that accounted for the boys' shaky start against Mt. St. Joe's on Tuesday but, in the end, they'd managed a three set win going 4-6, 6-4 and 6-3. For many, a bye and a quarterfinal triumph would have proved accomplishment enough, especially given the fact that Wednesday's match pitted Park against number one, Gilman. Add to that, Chris and David immediately dropped four of the first five games in set one. Trailing 1-4 to the top seed, the easy and, perhaps, intelligent thing to do would be to simply yield and concede defeat. Instead, the boys rallied to 3-5, then 5-5, and eventually a tiebreaker win in the first set! Having broken the imposing Greyhounds' confidence, the Bruins stubbornly refused to deviate from their plan and lost the first two games of the second set before cruising to another 6-3 victory. On to Thursday's final, where there remained only one more hurdle between them and a title; the two seed from McDonogh. Nervous? When in doubt, stick to the plan. The first set passed 4-6, a seemingly painful stumble by the underdogs. The two may have even feigned a limp before their resurgent 7-5 and, you guessed it, 6-3 second and third sets that sealed the CHAMPIONSHIP. The boys showed grit and determination in the face of overwhelming odds, proving that no matter the name across the front of the opposition's jersey, Bruins are not to be trifled with. The theme would continue.
The softball team played their CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, but theirs was quite a different tale. A one seed and having run off ten straight victories, these Bruins were certainly no underdogs. Securing the title would be no small feat, however, as number two Bryn Mawr had earlier proven themselves a worthy adversary by testing Park's metal in a 4-3 loss. Just over halfway through the contest, though, it appeared that Park might again ride the pitching of Chelsea Burwasser (17 strikeouts in the game) to another easy win as the Bruins banged out a six run fourth inning to go up 7-0. With an all-star hurler in the circle and momentum thouroughly on our side, the game was over. There was one nearly fatal flaw in that notion. Namely, Bryn Mawr did not believe it and, perhaps more importantly, maybe Park did. The Bruin defense stumbled badly and even the unwavering accuracy of Burwasser seemed to falter. Suddenly at 8-6, up only two and reeling, the Bruins were on their heels looking for an escape from the fifth inning like a boxer praying for a bell.The story of this game may have been a calming, deep, collective breath taken by the Bruins somewhere late in the afternoon when it appeared the sky was falling. The girls regained their composure and produced a perfect sixth and seventh inning, that's six up and six down, to gain the CHAMPIONSHIP. Again a situation had presented itself during which a Park team could have taken the path of lesser effort, succumbing to fear and doubt and what might have appeared an inevitable outcome to some as the game tilted in the favor of their adversary. Yet, the Bruins held their ground, rebuked the voices that whispered for their submission and rose to a new level of talent and success, worthy of the title.
No easy task indeed, with five minutes left in the IAAM B-conference lacrosse CHAMPIONSHIP, trailing undefeated
Friends School 11-7, a Bruin victory was simply impossible. The game had begun well enough for the girls as they traded goals with the aggressive Quakers and ended the first half down 6-5. It was an admirable effort that certainly left Park hope of success after having lost their previous two matchups with Friends by only a goal apiece. Early in the second half, though, Friends flexed their muscle and the Bruins gave up their own equivilent of a big inning, allowing a handful of tallies that landed them in their late game, four goal hole. Those four goals would have to occur in under five minutes to force a tie and overtime, thus salvaging their season for at least a few minutes. What's more, the girls would need to shut out the Quaker offense that had just exploded upon them as well. Just one of those missions might be deemed a very slim possibility, but both? Even the most steadfast and optimistic of fans subtly shook their heads and silently contemplated the impending heartache of a second successive lax final fallen short. Visions of another runner-up platter on the mantle loomed.
A roar of the crowd lifted eyes towards the field once again and the score was 11-8. Then, 11-9. 11-10. At just under a minute and a half, 11-11. Late in the game, Friends had chosen to possess the ball, wisely draining time from the clock, now their ally. However, once again it was a palpable change in the mindset of Park's athletes, an increased ferocity that belied not just a desire to win, but a sudden need for it that determined the ultimate outcome. Key turnovers, aggressive challenges to the goal and exhausting end-to-end sprints had enabled the Bruins to achieve the impossible and set their sights upon the unthinkable. Then, with only nineteen seconds frozen on the scoreboard, it was done. Park 12, Friends 11. Julia Meyerhoff had sunk the final goal and Adrienne Tarver scooped the last ground ball. The Bruins were CHAMPS. Fittingly, the team gathered tightly together and hoisted the trophy together. If there was ever a game that you had to see to believe, this was it. "Good game Friends. Thank you fans. Thank you officials. WAY TO GO PARK!"
This year's plaques will be displayed proudly, but younger Bruins should take note of what lies behind the polish. There can be little doubt that Park consistently fields a competitive level of talent. The stature of our bodies and the quickness of our feet are generally on par with our opponents. As exhibited by all three of last week's CHAMPIONS, the difference is often made in the strength not of our shoulders, but of our character. Physical advantages are often bested by mental toughness, and hunger and heart can topple the most confident of rivals. These athletes didn't simply hope that this would happen, nor were they satisfied by being given the opportunity. They each found in themselves a player better than they had known prior and, embracing that persona, became CHAMPIONS.
Congratulations all. Credits for photos to Digital Sports.
GO BRUINS!
Friends School 11-7, a Bruin victory was simply impossible. The game had begun well enough for the girls as they traded goals with the aggressive Quakers and ended the first half down 6-5. It was an admirable effort that certainly left Park hope of success after having lost their previous two matchups with Friends by only a goal apiece. Early in the second half, though, Friends flexed their muscle and the Bruins gave up their own equivilent of a big inning, allowing a handful of tallies that landed them in their late game, four goal hole. Those four goals would have to occur in under five minutes to force a tie and overtime, thus salvaging their season for at least a few minutes. What's more, the girls would need to shut out the Quaker offense that had just exploded upon them as well. Just one of those missions might be deemed a very slim possibility, but both? Even the most steadfast and optimistic of fans subtly shook their heads and silently contemplated the impending heartache of a second successive lax final fallen short. Visions of another runner-up platter on the mantle loomed.A roar of the crowd lifted eyes towards the field once again and the score was 11-8. Then, 11-9. 11-10. At just under a minute and a half, 11-11. Late in the game, Friends had chosen to possess the ball, wisely draining time from the clock, now their ally. However, once again it was a palpable change in the mindset of Park's athletes, an increased ferocity that belied not just a desire to win, but a sudden need for it that determined the ultimate outcome. Key turnovers, aggressive challenges to the goal and exhausting end-to-end sprints had enabled the Bruins to achieve the impossible and set their sights upon the unthinkable. Then, with only nineteen seconds frozen on the scoreboard, it was done. Park 12, Friends 11. Julia Meyerhoff had sunk the final goal and Adrienne Tarver scooped the last ground ball. The Bruins were CHAMPS. Fittingly, the team gathered tightly together and hoisted the trophy together. If there was ever a game that you had to see to believe, this was it. "Good game Friends. Thank you fans. Thank you officials. WAY TO GO PARK!"
This year's plaques will be displayed proudly, but younger Bruins should take note of what lies behind the polish. There can be little doubt that Park consistently fields a competitive level of talent. The stature of our bodies and the quickness of our feet are generally on par with our opponents. As exhibited by all three of last week's CHAMPIONS, the difference is often made in the strength not of our shoulders, but of our character. Physical advantages are often bested by mental toughness, and hunger and heart can topple the most confident of rivals. These athletes didn't simply hope that this would happen, nor were they satisfied by being given the opportunity. They each found in themselves a player better than they had known prior and, embracing that persona, became CHAMPIONS.
Congratulations all. Credits for photos to Digital Sports.
GO BRUINS!
