|
Triton Playday -- February 27, 2010 |
Behind MVP "homegrown" goaltender Lee Williamson, the upstart Blackhawks started their historic, inaugural spring season with two wins and three losses in today's Triton Playday at Triton High School in Erwin, NC. Nate Gann, Abel Tacuba, Kavas Grills, and Harry Keefe each scored unassisted goals in the 'Hawks 4-2 opening victory over Northeast Guilford. In the second contest, Hunter Braddy assisted a Harry Keefe goal, and Bing Yu assisted a Casey Wilson goal to clinch a 2-0 shutout victory over the Village Vipers of Fayetteville. The 'Hawks turned in a lethargic third game performance against Fuquay-Varina, falling 4-0. After the lunch break, the revived 'Hawks took the field with a better attitude, losing to the host Triton High School varsity, 4-2, in a game in which the 'Hawks had all the momentum at game's end. Arthur Wall and Harry Keefe each scored against Triton, and Shane White and Nate Gann provided the assists. The finale, against tournament champion Southeast Guilford, ended with the Blackhawks on the short end of a 2-1 nailbiter. Abel Tacuba assisted a Casey Wilson goal for the Blackhawks' goal. The consensus among the coaches was that the Blackhawks were playing their best ball at the end of the tournament.
In addition to the play of goalie Lee Williamson, the defense was highlighted by the steady play of defenders Cole Clifton, Seth Boling, Brian Wells, Will Brown, Wilson Croft, and Robert Miller. On offense, in addition to those mentioned above, Jalen Harper created fits for the defense with his play near the crease, and the 'Hawks saw spirited play from attackmen AJ Hyatt and Michael Yu. Hunter Braddy played some key midfield defense and shined with his hustle all over the field. Carter Lassiter and Jordan Carter created several possessions for the Blackhawks with their tenacious groundball play.
Kavas Grills was impressive as the Blackhawks main faceoff specialist.
The final five of the Blackhawks nine tournaments goals were assisted.
Six Blackhawk players saw their first ever high school lacrosse action.
Today's offensive stats:
|
Triton Playday Scoring |
|
First |
Last |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Harry |
Keefe |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Casey |
Wilson |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Nate |
Gann |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Abel |
Tacuba |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Kavas |
Grills |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Arthur |
Wall |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Bing |
Yu |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Shane |
White |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Hunter |
Braddy |
0 |
1 |
1 | |
|
Blackhawks 6, Cabarrus Clash 3 |
March 6, 2010 -- The Blackhawks came away with a victory in their season opener this afternoon, beating a tenacious Cabarrus Clash team at Montlieu Fields. Coming off a disappointing last-minute cancellation by Northeast Guilford of last night's scheduled game, the Blackhawks took a while to get going, but finally put the game away in the 4th quarter. Attackman Jake Kielus celebrated his first action this season with a hat-trick, despite fighting off the effects of bronchitis, as well as several key feeds on the offensive end and his trademark tenacity in the riding game. Kavas Grills controlled the faceoff game and drew a key second half slash followed by a goal on the ensuing man-up possession to help put the game away. Harry Keefe scored a goal off of a brilliant assist from Abel Tacuba, and contributed an assist himself for the 'Hawks. Captain Bing Yu found space on the right side of the high crease for the 'Hawks last goal of the game. Arthur Wall and AJ Hyatt helped to open holes in the Clash defense and made several key feeds. It was a game of missed opportunities for the 'Hawks' offense, which failed to finish on at least 7 crease shots after outstanding feed. The offense, however, showed considerable improvement over last Saturday's play day.
On defense, captain Cole Clifton led the charge, with help from Wilson Croft, Seth Boling, Will Brown, and Robert Wilson. Brian Wells delivered some key checks to prevent goals by the Clash. Midfield defense was a bit off its game, but the Clash was unable to convert the resulting fast break opportunities. Jordan Carter, playing on a bad ankle, contributed with a couple key ground balls.
In goal, the inspiring play of rookie goalie Lee Williamson continues to impress, as he made seven saves on ten shots on goal (70% save percentage) and showed great savvy in the clearing game in only his third day as a goalie facing live action.
Here's how the scoring looked:
|
First |
Last |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Jake |
Kielus |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Harry |
Keefe |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Kavas |
Grills |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Bing |
Yu |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Abel |
Tacuba |
0 |
1 |
1 | |
Blackhawks 8, HP Wesleyan Christian 6 |
March 19, 2010 --
Sloppy play and penalties were the name of the game for the Blackhawks, but it was a victory nonetheless for the Blackhawks over the High Wesleyan Christian Trojans, 8-6, this afternoon at Brentwood Park in High Point.
The Blackhawks played the first half flatfooted and uninspired, seemingly unprepared to meet the Trojan tenacity. Arthur Wall's feeds from x, two goals from Hawks' scoring leader Jake Kielus and the goalie play of Lee Williamson were about the only highlights for the 'Hawks. The lackluster effort had the Trojans and the Blackhawks tied at halftime, and the boisterous yells from both the Wesleyan huddle and their vocal cheering section indicated that momentum was clearly against the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks found some focus, however, in the third quarter and went up 4-2 in the third quarter on a Nate Gann goal from the left side off a feed from Casey Wilson.
The Trojans quickly tied it up 4-4 on a man-up goal, one of three man-up goals against the 'Hawks during the game. Finally, Brian Wells added some aggressive play to the defensive side and Kavas Grills scored off of Arthur Wall's third assist to put the Blackhawks back on top. By the end of the 3rd quarter the score was tied at 6 and the prospect of overtime appeared on the horizon. Cole Clifton and goalie Austin Adzima stepped up with some defensive leadership and Bing Yu's midfield play and a Harry Keefe to Jake Kielus pass for the game's final goal put the Blackhawks in a position to run out the clock. Three key second=half backups on Trojan shots by hustling goalie Austin Adzima were key in the victory.
Jake Kielus ended the game with his second straight hat trick.
The game scoring was as follows:
|
Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Jake Kielus |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Kavas Grills |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Arthur Wall |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Nate Gann |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Bing Yu |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Casey Wilson |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Harry Keefe |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Blackhawks 13, Village Christian Vipers 11 |
March 20, 2010 --
Wow! In a game marked by back and forth momentum swings, the Blackhawks eeked out a 13-11 victory over a spirited Village Christian Viper team this afternoon under a long-overdue hot sun at Burnett Park. The victory moves the 'Hawks to 3-0, with perhaps their toughest opponent of the season (Caldwell) coming into town on Monday night.
The Blackhawks opened the game with their best quarter of the year and looked like they would run away with the game, leading at the quarter break 4-1. Some lapses in the clearing game and a general loss of focus turned the momentum to the Vipers, as they erased a 7-4 Blackhawk lead to go into the halftime intermission ahead 8-7. Most of the Vipers scoring came on blasts from outside the defensive perimeter that frequently found net. The Blackhawk deficit at halftime could have been much worse, as the Vipers simply took control of the tempo and the possession.
Sophomore attackman Harry Keefe -- for whom lacrosse is only one of three sports he is playing this spring -- was able to play only in the first half. leaving midway in the second quarter. He nonetheless had an astounding five assists in the first half, breaking the 4-season Triad Blackhawks' record.
In the second half, the Blackhawks took back some of the momentum as the two teams sparred fairly equally in an increasingly physical game. Austin Adzima stepped into goal and showed great leadership as the defense -- which was missing two of its regulars -- settled down and started making some stops. Senior Brian Wells made several key defensive stops, and freshman Robert Miller got some key ground balls from his long-pole middie position. Junior Chris Desmond had his best game of the season, making several key defensive stops from the midfield position. Junior defender Seth Boling and sophomore defensive captain Cole Clifton were also key in the Blackhawks' defensive scheme.
In the 4th quarter, a defensive breakdown off of a ground ball scramble allowed the Vipers to steal a goal to go up 11-9. It was then that the Blackhawks showed their true character, totally shutting down the Vipers for the final 6 minutes of the game and scoring 4 straight goals to earn the hard-fought victory.
In the second half, junior middie Abel Tacuba imposed his "refuse to lose" will on the game, scoring three goals, scooping up 5 ground balls, and altering the tempo of the game with his blazing speed. One key goal was scored by senior goalie-turned attackman Lee Williamson off of a brilliant assist from freshman midfielder AJ Hyatt. Also key in the comeback was the play of sophomore middie/attackman Zach Thamm, whose ground ball tenacity resulted in a key "failure to advance" call that cost the Vipers a key possession. Also key to the midfield play was freshman Preston Wall, who caused several loose balls, had a key assist, and showed remarkable ground ball aggressiveness. Sophomore middie Nate Gann played another solid game for the Blackhawks, helping to lead the offense and contributing a key assist, and sophomore midfield Hunter Braddy, coming off an illness, gave his usual workmanlike, hustling effort on both sides of the field.
On offense, in addition to the passing wizardry of Harry Keefe, junior attackman Jake Kielus gave another strong performance with 4 goals, a key assist and leadership in the riding game, while Kavas Grills also had 3 goals and played a key role in the faceoff and transition game from his midfield position. Senior captain Bing Yu scored the game's first goal and found both groundballs and space in the Blackhawks' transition game. Junior Arthur Wall played another strong game as "quarterback" of the offense.
For the game, here's how the scoring looked:
|
Blackhawks Scoring vs. Village VIpers, 3/20/10 |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Jake Kielus |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Harry Keefe |
0 |
5 |
5 |
|
Kavas Grills |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Abel Tacuba |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Bing Yu |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Lee Williamson |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Nate Gann |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Arthur Wall |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
AJ Hyatt |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Preston Wall |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Caldwell Academy 16, Blackhawks 4 |
March 22 --
The Blackhawks three-game winning streak game to an end tonight at Burnett Park with a resounding 16-4 thumping at the hands of a seasoned Caldwell Academy Eagle team. Little went well for the Hawks, as they lost 90% of the faceoffs, came out on the short end of most ground ball battles, and were largely inept at the clearing game, accounting for an overwhelming possession disadvantage.
The Hawks trailed 4-1 at the end of the first quarter, 7-1 at half, and 12-1 at the end of the third quarter. The outmanned Hawks put up a game effort in the fourth quarter, hitting the back of the net three times, but there was simply no cutting into the Eagles' advantage.
Sophomore midfielder Kavas Grills led the Blackhawks offense with two unassisted goals and an assist against the aggressive Eagle defense. Junior attackman Jake Kielus and sophomore attackman Harry Keefe each added a goal in the losing effort.
The Hawks saw continued hustle and tenacity from freshman midfielder AJ Hyatt, and sophomore midfielder Carter Lassiter returned after a two-game layoff with a spirited effort on both offense and defense.
Hawks sophomore goalie Austin Adzima made several impressive saves in the game, and sophomore Cole Clifton turned in another steady performance at close defense.
Attackman Jake Kielus was superb in the riding game, causing several Caldwell turnovers.
The Hawks scoring on the evening:
|
Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Kavas Grills |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Jake Kielus |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Harry Keefe |
1 |
0 |
1 | |
Western Storm 10, Blackhawks 0 |
March 27, 2010 --
Remember the Alamo! Seventeen dedicated Blackhawks gave up the first day of their spring break and traveled into the mountains of Henderson County, North Carolina to take on a hungry and workmanlike Western Storm team under sunny skies at East Flat Rock Community Park in East Flat Rock, NC. Though the talented Storm clearly deserved the win, the 10-0 shutout was somewhat deceiving.
The spirited Blackhawks played more than 40% of the entire, physically-demanding game man-down, sustaining an astounding 20 minutes of penalties. The Hawks were frequently 2 and even 3 men down, but never let up in defending the "Alamo" in front of the goal. After going down 4-0 with just less than half of the first quarter remaining, the Hawks stiffened on defense and onlly allowed two more goals in the next 3 quarters of play before allowing 4 late goals to account for the final margin. In true Blackhawk spirit, the players never quit on themselves or their teammates, playing hard until the final whistle.
This was clearly one of the Hawks' best defensive efforts, both 6 v 6 and man-down. On the down side, however, the Hawks struggled again in the clearing and faceoff games and spent a large part of the match on defense.
Long-pole defenders Cole Clifton, Robert Miller, Wilson Croft, Brian Wells, and Seth Boling (who missed much of the game with an injury) were outstanding on defense -- often man-down -- turning away the skilled Storm team time and time again. Hunter Braddy, Casey Wilson, Nate Gann, Michael Yu, and Bing Yu made several strong defensive plays from their midfield positions to help keep the Hawks in the game until the late-game burst by the Storm. Freshmen AJ Hyatt and Preston Wall were tenacious in the ground ball battles at midfield, and Zach Hyatt displayed quickness and dogged ground ball play from his attack position. In one sequence, Hyatt bested three physical Storm played for a ground ball and still had the presence of mind to find an open teammate for a clearing pass.
On offense, Arthur Wall and Preston Wall made a couple of nice feeds each, and Casey Wilson had three hard shots on goal that were saved by the Storm's outstanding goalie. Kavas Grills, from his attack position, had the Hawks' best scoring opportunity in the first half, and Abel Tacuba took an impressive shot from the left side in the fourth quarter, but it hit pipe instead of net.
Lee Williamson turned in perhaps his best game yet in goal, showing his trademark courage and making at least 10 impressive saves.
Many thanks to our gracious hosts, the Western Storm, whose post-game cookout was second-to-none and was most appreciated by our tired and hungry Blackhawks before we hit the road back to the Triad. That gracious hospitality was provided in the true spirit of lacrosse brotherhood!!
|
Blackhawks 6, Village Christian Vipers 5 |
April 10 --
When the Blackhawks defeated the Vipers in High Point three weeks ago, one would have thought the Blackhawks had played their most exciting game of the season. Until today, that is!
In another back-and-forth contest against the resilient Vipers, the Blackhawks won 6-5 thriller to end a two-game losing streak.
Sophomore Harry Keefe was the offensive hero, delivering a key stick check in the riding game near the Vipers' goal with 2:34 left in the game and then having the presence of mind to scoop the ground ball, juke a defender, and put the game winner in the back of the net. With the goal, along with an earlier assist, Keefe took over as the team's overall offensive point leader.
Eight of the goals in the earlier game against the Vipers were scored by players who did not play today, so the 'Hawks knew that defense would have to carry the day against the never-say-die host Vipers.
Goalies Lee Williamson, who saved 8 of 10 shots, and Austin Adzima, who made several brilliant second-half saves, were key in the Blackhawks' triumph. Cole Clifton, Seth Boling, Wilson Croft, Will Brown, and Robert Miller each made timely checks in the Blackhawks "scissors" defense to keep the Viper offense off balance much of the game. Recovering from the penalty-filled marathon in their last game against the Western Storm, the Blackhawk defenders only had to play man-down on one occasion in the game. In the latter half of the 4th quarter, co-captain Clifton shut down the Vipers' top attackman, removing him as an offensive factor in the game's critical final minutes.
The first half ended with the score knotted at 2-2 as senior Bing Yu and junior Abel Tacuba each scored unassisted goals for the Blackhawks.
Bing Yu also scored off a Harry Keefe assist in the 3rd quarter. Sophomore Nate Gann, who led the team with 7 ground balls, broke a 3-3 tie with an unassisted "jump-shot" from 8 yards out on the right side late in the third quarter, which ended with the Hawks leading 4-3.
Freshman Preston Wall scored his first goal of the season off a Seth Boling assist to extend the score to 5-3, before pesky Vipers took advantage of two Blackhawk defensive mistakes to tie the game. Just as it appeared the the game might be headed for overtime, Keefe stepped up to score the game winner.
The offense showed improvement, as Arthur Wall and Harry Keefe continued their development as a lethal 1-2 passing combination, and Jalen Harper moved well to find space in the Village defense. Casey Wilson was a huge plus from his new-found attack position, creating several opportunities for the Blackhawks offense. During the ground ball scrum in the game's tense final seconds, Wilson seemingly held off all six Viper players to seal the game for the Hawks.
Unlike in the Blackhawks recent losses, the Blackhakws had the edge in the transition game, winning most faceoffs behind senior Bing Yu, who also was outstanding in his ground ball play, and limiting the Vipers to less than a 50% clearing percentage. Sophomore Hunter Braddy and freshman Michael Yu had several key hustle plays in the riding game to help stifle the Vipers. The Hawks also showed some improvement in their clearing game, using the speed and savvy of AJ Hyatt, Preston Wall, Seth Boling, Cole Clifton, and Chris Desmond to advance the ball from the defensive side into the offensive box. Speedy juniors Tacuba and Desmond also showed a lot of heart in their ground ball battles.
Scoring for the game was as follows:
|
Blackhawks Scoring -- @ Village Vipers |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Yu, Bing |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Keefe, Harry |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Tacuba, Abel |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Gann, Nate |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wall, Preston |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Seth Boling |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Northeast Guilford HS 6, Blackhawks 5 |
April 14 --
The Blackhawks traveled to McLeansville tonight, leaving with a tough 6-5 loss to the Rams of Northeast Guilford High School. Spirited play by the Rams coupled with mental mistakes by the Blackhawks helped pave the way for the Rams' well-deserved first victory of the season.
After taking a 2-0 lead on goals by senior co-captain Bing Yu and junior middie Abel Tacuba (off a beautiful feed from attackman Arthur Wall), the Blackhawks made a series of unforced turnovers and substitution errors that the Rams took advantage of to score 3 unanswered goals. Northeast had both a 3-2 lead and all the momentum at halftime.
With a new fire, the 'Hawks scored the next two goals -- one on a feed from sophomore attackman Harry Keefe to sophomore attackman Casey Wilson and the other on an unassisted goal by Bing Yu -- to take a 4-3 lead. A late third quarter defensive lapse by the Hawks resulted in a Rams' goal and had the teams tied at 4 entering the 4th quarter.
The Rams scored early in the 4th quarter to take a one goal lead, and after several minutes of scoreless play, sophomore middie Nate Gann found the net on an outside shot to tie the game.
With 3 minutes remaining, savvy play by the Rams in front of the Hawks' goal resulted in Northeast scoring the winning goal. The Hawks had a man-up opportunity with 1:29 left, but ended up turning the ball over.
The Blackhawks hurt themselves by failing to take advantage of numerous man-up opportunities and by losing focus on several occasions in both the clearing and riding games.
Throughout the game, Zach Thamm and AJ Hyatt were tenacious in their ground ball battles despite being the smallest players on the field. Sophomore co-captain Cole Clifton and senior Brian Wells made several key defensive stops, and sophomore Seth Boling had several impressive long-pole clears. Hunter Braddy was solid as a defensive midfielder.
Abel Tacuba, Bing Yu, and Preston Wall were impressive in scooping ground balls and starting transition opportunities for the Blackhawks
The Hawks played well in spurts, but just were unable to sustain their focus and put together enough good play to bring home the win. Congratulations to the Rams on their hard-fought and well-deserved victory.
Scoring for the Blackhawks was as follows:
|
Triad Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Yu, Bing |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Tacuba, Abel |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wilson, Casey |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Gann, Nate |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wall, Arthur |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Keefe, Harry |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Blackhawks 8, Cabarrus Clash 7 |
April 17 --
In one of their better offensive performances of the year, the Triad Blackhawks won an 8-7 heartstoppper over the Cabarrus Clash today at Burnett Park, moving their season's record to 5-3 with three games remaining. Today's game marked the third straight one-goal game for the 'Hawks.
After leading throughout the game and protecting a comfortable 8-4 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the Clash held the 'Hawks scoreless the rest of the way and scored three of their own to keep the fans on the edge of their seats. The game ended on a 13-yard Clash shot that sophomore goalie Austin Adzima saved as the buzzer sounded.
The story on offense was balance, as Harry Keefe, Arthur Wall, Bing Yu, and Casey Wilson shared the scoring and assist load. This group was also key in killing two minutes off of the clock late in the game as the 'Hawks tried to protect their lead. Freshman midfielder Preston Wall also assisted in a goal by Wilson. Keefe, the team's leading scorer, had his first hat-trick of the year. The 'Hawks also had at least 4 other crease opportunities to score that they failed to finish.
Keefe also picked up four key ground balls in the offensive zone to help the 'Hawks win the possession battle.
Hunter Braddy, Zach Thamm, and AJ Hyatt also made key passes on the offensive side, and Braddy won several critical ground ball battles. Junior speedster Chris Desmond, returning from illness, helped the 'Hawks in ground balls, clearing, and riding with his trademark hustle.
The clearing game showed some improvement as middies Nate Gann, Preston Wall, and Hunter Braddy were able to find holes in the Clash riding scheme.
The 'Hawks top faceoff man, senior co-captain Bing Yu, was limited by a non-lacrosse injury during the game, but still played solid middie defense and created some key Clash turnovers. He also contributed two goals and is currently the 'Hawks active goal leader on the season.
Sophomore co-captain Cole Clifton spearheaded the defense along with senior Brian Wells and junior Wilson Croft. With an unexpected player absence, junior Will Brown was thrust into the long-pole middie role and played an outstanding game against the Clash middies.
Lee Williamson in the first half and Austin Adzima in the second played outstanding in goal, each making several skillful saves.
The scoring for the Blackhawks was as follows:
|
Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Keefe, Harry |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Wilson, Casey |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Wall, Arthur |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Yu, Bing |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Wall, Preston |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Caldwell Academy 12, Blackhawks 3 |
April 21 --
The Blackhawks came back from a miserable first quarter to nose to nose with a tough Caldwell Academy team, losing 12-3 but providing a lot of hope for a strong finish to the season. Two clearing errors and some lackadaisical defense had the 'Hawks facing a 7-1 deficit as the second quarter got underway. From that point on, the defense played with spirited aggression and the offense put together some quality possessions, making the game much more evenly played for the last three quarters.
Sophomore goalie Austin "A-Train" Adzima energized the 'Hawks with four pad-popping checks out of the crease, and sophomore attackman Zach Thamm played his heart out in his best game of the season, winning some key ground balls, dodging through and around the Eagle defense, and contributing a brilliant assist to senior Lee Williamson as the final horn sounded.
Senior co-captain Brian Wells was outstanding on defense, joining sophomore Cole Clifton and junior Wilson Croft in sealing off the interior in the 'Hawks' defensive end.
The Hawks' first goal was scored on a hustling, groundball pickup and finish by sophomore attackman Harry Keefe
from 6 yards out half way through the first quarter.
Sophomore attackman Casey Wilson made an impressive assist to sophomore middie Nate Gann for the Hawks second goal early in the third quarter.
The Hawks' final goal, the Thamm to Williamson combination at game's end, was triggered by a groundball pickup and assist by junior Chris Desmond.
Senior middie Yu Bing, who was limited by injury, led the team in ground balls with 5, followed by Nate Gann with 4, and Zach Thamm with 3. Freshman middie Preston Wall, freshman Michael Yu, and sophomore middie Hunter Braddy played tough midfield defense for the Hawks.
Ultimately, the Blackhawks were unable to control faceoff play, losing a vast majority, and made too many errors early on to be able to close the gap on the Eagles. The clearing game also struggled, but the Hawks nonetheless had considerably more possession than in the early match against Caldwell.
The scoring for the Blackhawks was as follows:
|
Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Keefe, Harry |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Gann, Nate |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Williamson, Lee |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wilson, Casey |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Thamm, Zach |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Desmond, Chris |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Blackhawks 10, Northeast Guilford 8 |
April 24 --
On senior day for the Blackhawks, it was sophomores who sparked the Blackhhawks' best comeback of the season in a 10-8 victory over Northeast Guilford today at Brentwood Park in High Point.
Playing lethargically and trailing 6-3 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Blackhawks dug deep for their seniors, scoring 7 unanswered goals and avenging last week's loss to Northeast Guilford with a victory in the season finale for both team.
The Blackhawks played the game in honor of their three seniors -- Bing Yu, Lee Williamson, and Brian Wells -- who were recognized at halftime in front of the Blackhawk supporters.
Sophomore Casey Wilson scored a hat trick on attack, while sophomore Harry Keefe and senior co-captain Bing Yu each scored two to lead the offense. The real surprise, however, was sparkplug sophomore Zach Thamm, who not only scored a goal and added two assists to the cause but also won several key ground ball battles with his explosive speed and tenacity. A junior, steady attackman Arthur Wall, added three key assists. Though he didn't register in the scoring column, freshman AJ Hyatt made several key passes in the 'Hawks' possession offense.
Freshman Preston Wall and sophomore Nate Gann added a goal each.
The defense, led by senior co-captain Brian Wells, played aggressively and well, often man-down as the 'Hawks had to overcome several penalties (including two illegal-stick flags, one of which negated a goal). Will Brown, Robert Miller, and Wilson Croft made several key defensive stops to spearhead the victory. Speedster defender Seth Boling helped the Hawks considerably in the clearing game.
Sophomore midfielder Hunter Braddy was key on man-down defense and in the transition game. Junior Chris Desmond won several key ground balls and used his open field speed to spark the Hawks' transition game.
Attackman Jalen Harper won two key groundball battles on the offensive end, one of which resulted in a Blackhawk goal. Scrappy freshman Michael Yu also helped the Hawks control possession with both his passing and his hustle at both midfield and attack. Junior middie Abel Tacuba, limited by injury, still got some key groundballs at midfield.
Sophomore goalie Austin "A-Train" Adzima caused a stir with his continued aggressive play, making 9 key saves in the victory and leading a defense that played without perhaps its best long-pole defender.
With the victory, the first-year spring Blackhawks finish the season with a 6-4 record. Way to go 'Hawks!
Scoring was as follows:
|
Blackhawks Scoring |
|
Name |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|
Keefe, Harry |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
Wilson, Casey |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Thamm, Zach |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Wall, Arthur |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Yu, Bing |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Gann, Nate |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wall, Preston |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
