First, with no postseason of their own, the struggling golf team ended their 2009 campaign last Thursday at 2-9 with a one-sided defeat to Friends. It was Wednesday's loss, however, that team members point to as a measure of success. The squad managed a strong performance against Glenelg, falling short by only two points. The Dragons finished 7-4 in the conference and sent three athletes to the Individual Stroke Play Tournament. The Bruins count the challenge as an expectation of the level of play they'll need in order to compete in the future, and now begin their search for up and coming talent.
The tennis team experienced its own inflated share of disappointment this year, ending the regular season with a 3-8 A-Conference record. Missing the team playoffs by only one game, the boys spent last week preparing for this week's individual championships at McDonogh. Several Bruins expect to advance beyond today's (5/11) first round, including the two-doubles squad who have overcome injury and even surgery to obtain a four seed and an eye for the final. Today's matches begin at approximately 2:45 PM.
Baseball provides a prime example of the late season confusion created by Mother Nature's interference. With heartbreaking losses to Friends and, more importantly, Severn last week, the boys placed themselves in the precarious and undesirable position of awaiting help from others around the conference still embroiled in rain-delayed competition this past weekend. At "press time," as it were, it was not known definitively whether or not the Bruins had indeed played themselves out of the postseason. Some investigation into Digital Sports' standings reveals that the boys, at 7-7, trail Severn by only one half game. However, even given a win in Monday's (5/11) contest against 11-2 Pallotti, the Bruins would appear to continue to trail the Admirals due to their 0-2 head-to-head record. So it may be that Park's only remaining role in the MIAA playoff picture would be that of spoiler, looking to prevent the Pallotti Panthers from taking at least a share of first place. The wise among you would certainly not trust a simple blogger to unravel the intricacies of MIAA tie-breakers, however. Instead, check the website, come out to Sugar Field on Monday to see the game, and get all the answers firsthand.
Another minor mystery exists concerning our other Sugar Campus tenants, the softball team. Perched atop the C-Conference at 8-1 and recently receiving praise from the Baltimore Messenger, the girls are hardly in danger of missing the playoff party. Rather, it is their opening dance partner that remains unknown. The girls ended their season toiling unopposed on the practice field, prepping for an as yet unidentified quarterfinal victim... er, adversary. Humor aside, the playoffs offer different pressures and a singular environment with which the young squad may not yet be familiar. Will they be ready? See for yourself on Tuesday (5/12) at 4:30 PM as the Bruins begin their march towards the title. With continued success, Thursday's semifinal, currently scheduled for 4:00, will also occur at home. The final looms Saturday (5/17) at 1:00 PM at Harford Community College.The boys' lacrosse team also awaits confirmation of their opening round opponent as their postseason is set to begin Tuesday as well. The Bruins had a busy final week, beating Key School Monday, falling flat Tuesday in a 17-5 pasting by top-ranked AACS, and cruising over Chapelgate on Thursday. The results, however, were not the chief headline at week's end. Instead, the dominant story was the loss of key offensive and defensive contributors to the recent injury bug that has decimated the team. All is far from lost, though, as reserve personnel stepped in and performed admirably, locking up the number two seed in the Black Division of the B-conference. As such, the boys will face the number three team from the thorny Red Division which, at last check, still offered the possibility of a three-way tie among John Carroll, Archbishop Curley and Glenelg Country. Whomever the foe, should the 7-4 Bruins prevail on Tuesday (Boys' Varsity Field at 4 PM), their semifinal game would occur Friday (5/15), again at 4 PM, at the home of the higher seed.
The immediate future of the girls' laxers is clear. Park sails into their own Tuesday quarterfinal at home at 4:30 PM after commanding 14-5 and 19-5 victories over AACS and Mercersburg Academy last week. Awaiting them is 0-12 Chapelgate. The girls' most prominent challenge may be holding their focus, preparing for the game at hand while avoiding looking ahead to the next rival. Fortunately, we need not be so cautious. Thursday's (5/14) semifinal would pit the Bruins against the victor of the IND-Glenelg pairing, again at home, again at 4:30 PM. The final is set to occur at 1 PM on Sunday (5/17) on the campus of Gerstell Academy in Finksburg. Undefeated Friends School, to whom Park suffered it's only two losses (each by a single goal), could very well occupy one of the championship benches as they attempt to "run the table," but I digress. No one among us would dare gaze that far into the future, imagining one more shot at the Quakers.
Our GAMES OF THE WEEK include all our "second season" contests, both impending and potential/hopeful:
Boys' tennis plays daily Monday through Friday.
Boys' lacrosse:
...Quarterfinal - Tuesday 5/12, 4 PM, Boys' Varsity Field
...Semifinal - Friday 5/15, 4 PM, Higher Seed
...Final - Next week
Girls' Lacrosse:
...Quarterfinal - Tuesday 5/12, 4:30 PM, Girls' Varsity Field
...Semifinal - Thursday 5/14, 4:30 PM, Girls' Varsity Field
...Final - Sunday 5/17, 1 PM, Gerstell Academy
Softball:
...Quarterfinal - Tuesday 5/12, 4:30 PM, Sugar Field
...Semifinal - Thursday 5/14, 4 PM, Sugar Field
...Final - Saturday 5/16, 1 PM, Harford Community College
See you there!
GO BRUINS!
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