Spring is in the air...

From Coach Larkin...Varsity girls’ lacrosse is off to a great start as they head in to their third game 2-0. Against Norwood on Monday, we were up 6-3 at half time. With about five minutes left in the second half we were tied 7-7. The Woods Academy came away with a 9-7 win after great work by our strong defense and many saves and excellent clears by our goalie, Lindsay Joseph.  Kathryn Maloney came up with a big interception which led to a beautiful transition and finished with a goal by our fierce attack in the final minutes of the game. Looking forward to playing Langley next week!  

From Coach Damien...The Woods Academy vs. Mater Dei - April 7th

On Monday, The Woods Academy Varsity lacrosse team lost on the scoreboard to Mater Dei by the score of 12 – 5.   The players were disappointed in their loss and this is a good thing; they want to win. 

Prior to the season, this game appeared a bit daunting to the team of 13 players - playing against an opponent that outnumbered them 2 to 1 and spends a good part of their actual school day devoted to practicing lacrosse as a team.

One could really question whether The Woods Academy could make it a competitive event, but they did. And the Owls did this despite losing to injury their best defenseman, who exited the game mid-way through the second quarter, after having scored two goals.

A great Coach, once said, “You can play a terrible game and win; and play a great game and lose.” The latter was the case for the Owls on Monday.  For The Woods Academy team, this game was an all hands on deck affair.  To match the numbers of their opponent, everyone had to assume roles and positions they normally do not play. Attack players played midfield, and in goal; a goalie played midfield; middies and defenseman played everywhere and everywhere they competed well.  

Defenseman slid correctly to support their teammates, the attack brought the ball correctly behind the goal to attack and maintain possession, midfielders did a wonderful job playing defense, switching when necessary; and, on offense---dodging strong from up top.

As stated, after the game the boys were not pleased with the results. They left the field upset discussing missed opportunities, strategies that could have been exploited to better their chances - searching for ways they could have won.

In the team’s disappointment, their Coach took great comfort because from his vantage point he saw and heard things they did not see or hear.  He could see novice players executing as a team in a way they never had. On the sidelines, throughout the game, he heard the Mater Dei coaches saying, “You know this number and that numbered player is really good!  They are beating us to the ground balls!  They want it more!” The Woods Academy players didn’t hear this; and in their exhaustion they couldn’t see what they had accomplished.

Prior to the season, many players openly questioned whether playing Mater Dei was a bit too ambitious---placing the bar a little too high. “It wouldn’t be fun,” they said.  “They have too many players, too many experienced players….far more time to practice.” For the record, it should be acknowledged all of their observations were correct.  And yet, during the game, their Coach saw these same players play fearlessly to win.  At each break between quarters and time outs, he heard them offer suggestions on how they could beat the opponent. And when they lost, he saw a team genuinely disappointed in the results, no longer intimidated by the Griffins, and believing they could have won.

From Coach Washington...It was a cold and sunny day for softball.  Woods vs. Norwood was the varsity girls first fast pitch game of the season. McKenna, our pitcher, played a excellent game. Even though she had never pitched, she connected with our catcher, Elizabeth. Thanks to Grace's excellent skills in the short stop position, Norwood was shut down from getting on base. Thanks to outstanding base running by the Owls, we ended the first inning with a 9-3 lead. This was a great first game of the season for our squad. Despite the cold, the girls played their hearts out. We beat Norwood 15 - 5. 

From Coach Maloney and McLean...Luke Diess pitched 3 impressive innings and Chris McCormick was excellent in relief for the varsity boys’ baseball team. The Woods was in the game until the final inning. There were some sparkling plays in the field by Anthony Mahshigian, Luke Humler, and Ned Flanagan. Gabe Schneider had a terrific at bat, fouling off 6 straight pitches to keep his at bat alive. Boys supported each other throughout and played without fear.