Top Lax Recruits
Top Lax Recruits -
By Chris Goldberg
TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 7/17/19
FREDERICA, Del. – Four games, four impressive wins – a 34-10 goal differential and even a shutout of perennial power Long Island.
That’s the standard Team Colorado has set through Pool Play at the Maverik National Lacrosse Classic here at the Delaware Turf Sports Complex during the past two days. On Thursday Colorado will learn if it’s is good enough to earn a trip to the Brogden Cup, played every year against Team Canada in Florida
On Wednesday Colorado wrapped up the top seed in Pool A with a key 6-4 win over defending champion Pennsylvania and a 6-0 blanking of Long Island.Colorado meets Michigan at 9 a.m. in the first round of the playoffs.
“Last year I was on this team as a 2020 and we came in this year with a chip on our shoulder,” said attackman Josh Yago (Wheat Ridge High), who was named to the All-Star Team and is committed to Air Force. “People don’t expect a lot of good lacrosse from Colorado and last year we actually went undefeated in pool play and then lost in the quarterfinals. We just want to take that out and keep it rolling and see if we can win a championship.”
“Honestly, I thought we would be challenged a little more,” added 2020 faceoff specialist Jaydon Adfield, an All-Star alternate from Thompson Valley. “I didn’t think we’d be shutting teams out.
“I feel like we’re all playing as a team and making smart decisions. We are not throwing many bad passes.”
Defenseman Joseph Carpinello, a 2020 from Heritage High who also made the All-Star team, said the team is strong at every spot.
“I think our defense is pretty suffocating,” he said. “Jaydon is pretty good on the faceoff and the offense can score goals and that helps the defense jell.”
Carpinello said a number of the players compete together with the Colorado Outlaws club team, so it was easy to mesh.
“I think we came in confident and thought we had a good chance,” he said. “If we can keep our success going from previous tournaments we’ll do well.”
What will it take to win a championship?
“Not playing selfishly, making the extra pass and getting all the groundballs,” said Yago. “We have to keep getting into transiton – we are killing teams there – and I have to give our faceoff guy and the defense props.”
New Jersey High School Team remains undefeated
The New Jersey girls’ High School team finished 4-0 in Pool Play with two wins today, 6-4 over New England and 8-6 over previously-undefeated Long Island. New Jersey, as the top seed in Pool A, will open playoff action at 8 a.m. against Pennsylvania.
In the win over Long Island, All-Stars Maddie Barber (Middle Township, 2020) and Emily Guenther (Notre Dame-NJ, 2020) each scored two goals to pace a balanced attack as NJ built a 6-2 lead.
“Honestly, I think we just meshed really well as a team; even on the first day of practice we said if we were a club team or school team we’d be really good,” said Guenther. “And I think having that confidence put us over the top.”
“I feel like we connect really well,” added 2021 attack Lainey Walterson (Egg Harbor Township).
Said Barber: “I think the main reason for our success is that we have a lot of shooters and we all can shoot. We are not relying on two or three people.
“Also, the defense just kills it. They are always on the right slide and always helping. They are always there when you need them to be.”
Why did the girls decide to come out for the NLC?
“I did this in 8th grade and I really loved it,” Guenther said, who is committed to D2 Indianapolis. “”I never had time to do it again, but figured it was my senior summer and I was committed so I might as well come back and have fun.”
What will it take to win the championship? “I I think we have to capitalize on other teams’ mistakes and take advantage of that and stay connected and make better choices,” said Walterson.
“I think what we have – our foundation – is pretty good,” added Barber. “We just have to clean up the little things and be smarter with our passes and in placing our shots.”
The post .@NLClacrosse wrapup: Colorado boys, New Jersey girls take No. 1 seeds into playoffs appeared first on Top Lax Recruits.