Back Home After a Victory

We are now back in Oberlin after a long three days of driving and a thrilling win over Vassar. Sunday we played Vassar and won 11-9 in a back and forth game. Afterwards we had a barbeque with parents, friends, alumni and the Vassar team. Then we loaded up the bus and headed for Oberlin, we didn’t get in until close to 3:00 am.

We finally earned our first win with the victory over Vassar in what is becoming a great rivalry. Last season we won in double overtime. The weather was a bit colder in New York, but the temperature was good for playing. Fortunately the rain and wind held off until after the game, but it did put a damper on our barbeque. There were so many parents, relatives and alumni at the game that it almost felt like we were playing at home.

The game started slow for us as we went down 0-4 in the first quarter. However, the team responded and scored five straight goals. The game continued to go back and forth. Late in the fourth quarter it appeared that Vassar had tied the game at 10, but the goal was called back because they had too many men on the field. That call was quite a relief. Playing in a tight game that went down to the wire was nerve-racking but also exciting.

The post-game barbeque was great and our alumni put in a lot of work organizing the event. We got to mingle with our families and meet alumni. The two teams even interacted, it can be hard after a tough game. After eating burgers, potato salad and cookies we got on the bus for the long drive home.

We had a wonderful Spring Break that brought us our first win and a chance for the team to bond. We spent a lot of time with each other and had a lot of fun. We also got a lot of good practice in and got refocused for the season.

Pulling into Oberlin, after what seemed like an extremely long drive, felt comforting and sad. Our Spring Break trip was over, but we were back home and were ready to get back to classes and seeing friends. Although waking up for class was a bit rough in the morning, it is good to be back at Oberlin, especially when the weather is nice.

On the Road

We have spent the last two days on the road and have finally arrived in Poughkeepsie to play Vassar College. We got into our hotel around 4:30 and had time to have a brief practice at Vassar. Running around and having a toss was a good warm-up for Sunday’s game.

Tomorrow’s game against Vassar should be a competitive and exciting match. Last season we won in double overtime. A lot of our friends and families will be coming to the game, along with alumni. We are all very excited about seeing our families and getting to play in front of a lot of people. There is going to be a tailgate before the game for alumni and parents. My whole family, including my dog is going to be there.

Friday morning we left South Carolina and stayed in Fredericksburg, Virginia. By the time we rolled into the hotel there was still enough time to go for a short jog and stretch, it felt good to move around after a day on the bus. For dinner we ate at a good steakhouse and had some time to hangout in our hotel rooms.

Saturday we woke up pretty early and drove to New York. The drive was pretty interesting as we drove through D.C, Baltimore and New York City. We got stuck in some traffic for the D.C Cherry Blossom Festival, but we did catch a glimpse of cherry blossoms and the classic Washington monuments. Driving in and around D.C. made me reminisce of home.

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant and then headed back to our rooms to relax and watch the NCAA Final Four. Then, it is off to bed to get a good night of sleep before the game.

Chillaxin in Hilton Head

Today is our last full day in Hilton Head. Tomorrow we leave in the morning and begin our drive to Poughkeepsie, New York to play Vassar College. We have had a wonderful week of productive practices and fun on the beach. Our time in Hilton Head has helped the team come together and bond, while re-energizing us for the rest of the season.

The weather has been great, although a few of us have gotten pretty nasty sunburns. We have been able to spend time on the beach before and after practice. The water is cold but your body gets used to the temperature after a few minutes. We have played Frisbee, bacci ball and buried our statistician, Brooke, in the sand. Today the wind picked up in the afternoon, which made the beach a sandy and windy mess. Instead, we headed to the pool and hot tub.

Practices have gone well and have helped refocus the team on our goals. We were able to keep our stick skills sharp and take care of some injuries. Now we are playing hard to keep in shape and be sharp on the field. One of our practice fields overlooked the water and was surrounded by marsh, quite a bit more scenic than North Fields. Spring break has given the team time to discuss why we are playing, what we want to get out of the season and how we can achieve our goals.

Last night, my housemates and I went miniature golfing with some members of the women’s and men’s tennis teams. The tennis teams are also staying on Hilton Head Island and it was great fun to meet up with them. I amazed myself by getting a couple hole-in ones. Both tennis teams had an early match this morning; they were playing University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who is one of the top teams in the nation. The women’s team has already played several matches; unfortunately they lost their first two. They are getting in a lot of good competition and practice, while enjoying the beach and gorgeous weather. The men are also having a great time and are doing well in their matches. The men won one of their first three matches and looks forward to more talented opponents.

This morning I woke up with a few other guys to see the sunrise on the beach. It was well worth waking up. The sunrise was beautiful and we saw a group of dolphins and some interesting birds. We went back to our house and made a tasty breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

Tonight we are going out for a seafood diner, which should be great. I miss good seafood; you can’t get a lot of seafood variety in Ohio. We are looking forward to our last night in Hilton Head. Then we have a two day drive to Vassar. The trip will be a bit long, but we are very excited about playing Vassar and hopefully getting our first win.

We Have Arrived in Hilton Head

We are finally in Hilton Head. The condos are awesome, quite a bit nicer than our dorm rooms. The bus pulled into our condos in Hilton Head Sunday night around 11, after a five hour drive from Greensboro. We marveled at what would be our new dwellings for the week and relaxed after the long day.

We lost our game against Guilford on Sunday 5-8, which was disappointing. However, the team did make some improvements and appears to be moving in the right direction. During the game the temperature was in the 80’s and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. This was quite a difference from overcast near-freezing weather. Last year we lost to Guilford by double digits, so this game was a sign of some progress. We were a little sloppy with the ball and failed to convert on some opportunities. The team did play strong defense and ran our offensive plays. Still, we would all like to get a win, so the team will be working hard this week to prepare for our game against Vassar College.

Our condos are awesome and equipped with nice kitchens, decks, grills and even Jacuzzis. My house overlooks a little inlet stream and this morning I have already seen a couple different types of interesting birds. In the morning we went grocery shopping, it takes a lot of food to feed a house of four hungry guys. I am looking forward to doing some grilling on the nice big charcoal grill we have on our back porch.

The beach is only a couple minute walk from our houses and we had some time to relax and have a catch on the beach before practice this afternoon. The water was pretty cold, but you got used to the temperature after a few minutes. Some of us rented bikes and even tried out a new a raft in the ocean. I got to read a bit more of my novel while sitting on the beach enjoying the lovely atmosphere and sounds of the waves.

We had a good practice today and benefited from playing on a full outdoor field. The defense worked on some footwork and technique, while the offense ran through several shooting drills. We were a bit sore and bruised, but we needed to keep working hard and focus on preparing for our next game.

This evening my house cooked a tasty spaghetti dinner with salad, garlic bread and sausages. I had to show a few of the freshman how too cook. After dinner we are looking forward to watching movies, hanging out with the guys and trying to beat Coach Walz in Risk.

We Are on Our Way

Friday afternoon, once everyone was done with their classes and had finished all their midterms, we loaded up the bus and headed out on our Spring Break trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. On the way down we are playing Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday. Everyone was excited about Spring Break and getting out of the cold Oberlin weather. It is hard to believe we are going to be in warm sunny weather near the beach in just a couple days. After the stress of midterms it is going to be nice to have some time to relax, spend time with the team and focus on lacrosse, hopefully picking up a couple of victories.

Friday night we had an eight hour-drive to Greensboro. The bus ride was long but we had a good time and watched a couple movies, including the classic Big Lebowski. Some of us got caught up on some reading and finally got to read that novel that has been sitting on the bed stand. We listened to music and played cards, we are pretty good at entertaining ourselves.

We rolled into the hotel after 1 am, a bit tired, but amazed to step outside into the warm air. We got our room assignments and headed off to bed. We slept in today and had a late breakfast, some good southern biscuits and gravy. I was pretty tired from studying and writing papers and needed a good rest.

This afternoon we went over to Guilford to have practice. Playing outside was wonderful after having been cooped up inside Jones Field House for most of the season. The sun was out and today’s high temperature was in the 80’s. Getting to play outside in warm weather was great, but you definitely get tired faster and need a lot more water. Tomorrow’s game is going to be a lot warmer than our earlier games that have been in the 30’s. The heat will be an adjustment but we are hydrating and are excited about playing in the sun. Today’s practice went well and it felt good to run around after the long ride. We ran through our plays and worked out some kinks.

After practice we grabbed some lunch and headed back to the hotel to relax for a while. This evening we went to an outdoor mall and walked around for a while enjoying being outside. Afterwards we went bowling; I got a little lucky the first game and then scored 40 points worst in the second. Ian Mark showed off his hidden talent with a high score of 177. Then we headed back to the hotel for dinner of some Carolina style bbq and got to watch the end of the Kansas v. UCLA basketball game. After the tasty meal, we had a players meeting to discuss the game and get focused for tomorrow. We had a little time to relax and watch some TV before going to bed. Tomorrow we get up at 9 am to play Guilford. The team is excited to play and kick off Spring Break with a great game.