Yarmouth Lacrosse - Home of the Yarmouth Clippers, Yarmouth Maine

Choose a team

Boys	Girls
2008 Varsity	2008 Varsity

2008 Boys Varsity Game Summaries

6/11 - The Clippers faced NYA, an always dangerous nemesis, who had beaten them their last time out and looked to have turned a corner in their trying season. Thus the Clippers seemed to be tight and opened up with an all too familiar tension while the Panthers played with abandon. This lead to a 4-2 halftime NYA lead. Coming out of the half though the Clippers adjusted their defense, putting Joe Dilworth on NYA's Taylor Gorman to interrupt his play in the transition game. The interruption was achieved as Joe held Taylor scoreless in the second half but more importantly kept him out of the NYA clearing game giving the Clippers time with the ball on O. This resulted in a 10-3 second half allowing the Clippers to advance to the finals for their 5th time in the last 6 years.

6/7 - The Clippers hosted Lincoln Academy, winners of the eastern quarter finals over St. Dominics, at home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The Clippers came out firing on all cylinders and had the visitors at a 9-0 disadvantage by the end of the first quarter. From here on the second group played with great poise and purpose finishing the game, preserving the shut out and building the score to 16-0. This seemed to shake the early game lassitude which had frequented the Clippers all season.

6/6 - The Clippers hosted Cape Elizabeth in the final game of the season at home on Senior night. After the introduction of our 18 seniors and their parents we were treated to a rousing rendition of the National Anthem by our own Wilson Slader #13. The Clippers then per their usual pace came out and fell behind 2-0 immediately. Then, as was the case for most of the year they got their legs under them and began to crawl back into the game. From this point forward it fast paced transition to quickly settled possessions at each end of which the Clippers got the better. The Clipper defense stiffened and allowed only one more goal for the remainder of the day and found the net 7 times on their own to win 7-3. This was a good win going into the playoffs.

6/2 - The Clippers looked to bounce back after a disappointing outing on Saturday against the Rams of Kennebunk on a cloudy but beautiful evening. The absence of an interceding practice made the task more challenging but the Clippers were up to it on this night. After a slow start (sounding like a broken record) during which the Rams scored the first goal and then held the lead while stifling the Clipper offense for much of the first quarter. The Clipper offense finally tickled the twine with 2 minutes left in the quarter and then 2 more times to take the lead 3-1 at quarters end. Kennebunk again scored the first goal of the however this time the Clippers answered right back and from there it was all Clippers. Tim Sweeney had a dominating evening in the face off circle. The game was also notable for the fine exhibition of stick skills put on by lacrosse neophytes Eb Fazeli and Joe Dilworth leading to a fast break goal in the final quarter.

5/31 - On an overcast afternoon the Clippers traveled across town to take on the Panthers of NYA. It was clear form the outset that this would be a defensive struggle on both parts as neither team managed to score until NYA got on the board with 1:07 left in the quarter. The Clippers answered right back and the see saw action continued throughout the game. Neither team managed to seize control of the game but the Panthers managed to gain a lead with 4;19 left in regulation at 5-4. At 2:22 in an attempt to wrest back control of the ball the Clippers committed 2 one minute penalties and looked to be out of luck. Then after a magnificent stand by the man down (who managed to kill 7 of 8 penalties) and a brilliant clearing run by Peter Erickson the Clippers got man up and Jack Gross tied it up at 1:06. The game went into overtime were the Panthers scored first to take the game. While heads hung low the Clippers realized that this was not their last game and that they had plenty of opportunity for redemption and now a renewed sense of urgency.

5/28 - The Clippers faced the only Maine team to defeat them this year, Portland at home. With a full and healthy squad the Clippers felt confident and they came out playing that way. From the opening stand it was clear that the Clipper D was going to carry the day. Lucas Denning had an exceptional night not only controlling his man but putting the ball on the carpet and clearing for fast breaks as well. Jack Gross and Dan Gerges also lead fast breaks out of D stands that netted goals. Goal scoring was spread out nicely across 6 players.

5/23 - The Clippers traveled to Marshwood for the first time in memory. The stadium was beautiful. The Clippers played a number of combinations with many younger players stepping up against a game and athletic Marshwood. The underclassman scored 14 goals to send a signal about things to come next year.

5/20 - The Clippers hosted the Cheverus Staggs on yet another beautiful night to play lacrosse. The Staggs came in on a three game winning streak including a win over Portland, clearly playing well and improved since the first meeting. The Clippers came out slow and let the Staggs get up two before getting their first at the end of the quarter. The Clippers then played a fabulous quarter scoring 5 goals to none to build a comfortable cushion. The Clippers and Staggs then traded goals for the remainder of the game with the Final 11-7. Clearly Cheverus will be a team to reckon with in the class A playoffs.

5/16 - The Clippers traveled to Cape Elizabeth to play on the new Hannaford Field for the first time. The weather was perfect and the field and surrounding vista are beautiful however the Clippers had little time to enjoy the setting as the Capers were anxious for a victory on this evening. The game opened with intense and fast paced play by both teams. Both teams played with the confidence you would expect from teams so familiar with each other and well into their seasons. Yarmouth got it going first with a goal at 9:18 but Cape answered right back. Then the Clippers appeared to gain control with the next two goals to end the first quarter 3-1. But as seems the case in this great rivalry the Capers adjusted and shut down the Clippers clearing game and dominated the time of possession in the second quarter. But for great goal keeping for the Clippers the score could have been far worse during this time the Capers ended up scoring the remaining two goals of the half to tie the game going into half time 3-3. The Clippers D stiffened in the second half to match it’s great goal tending and this proved to be the difference as the we held the Capers scoreless for the while managing 5 more goals ourselves. The game was notable for the dominating defense which came on an evening when our usually dominating offense was well contained.

5/13 - The Clippers traveled to Kennebunk to meet the Rams under the lights on their beautiful grass field It was a cool, clear and dry night, perfect conditions for the game. With several alumni watching from the stands the Clippers wanted to play to their potential. The Clippers opened up cautiously against the Rams zone defense and controlled the time of possession while probing for openings. At first despite getting good looks at the cage they either fired wide or into the goalie who played extremely well. Ultimately though the shots began to find rope and once it started the Clippers rolled with extreme efficiency thanks to a great deal of unselfish passing (12 of 18 goals were assisted!). The defense did it's job when it had to both in halting the Rams attack and getting the ball up field for transition. Of note Will Woodworth struck the net for the first time this season with a nice move in the crease.

5/10 - On a beautiful sunny afternoon the Clippers continued to enjoy the comfort of their home turf this day against the Deering Rams. The Rams were big, strong with excellent goal tending. As a result the Clippers were slow out of the gate letting the Rams score first at 10:22. The Clippers settled down but saw numerous shots turned away by Deering goal tender Nick Sterling until they finally hit rope with 4:58 to go in the quarter. From there the Clippers rolled despite continued defensive pressure and strong goal tending by Deering. When the rubber pellets settled it was Yarmouth 16, Deering 3. The game was notable for excellent riding an decision making by the attack of Miller, Petrovek, and Erickson.

5/7 - The Clippers enjoyed some home cooking Wednesday night versus NYA playing on their own turf for the first time this season. NYA is a young and improivng tema and the Clippers wasted no time jumping to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter. The trend continued throughout the game with the final tally 16-6. Joe Dilworth was recognized for his physical play on D and ground balls.

5/2 - The Clippers played the Bull Dogs of Portland High School for the first time in this writers memory on a clear cool evening at Fitzpatrick stadium. The Bull Dogs came in with the confidence of a team who had disposed of Cape in the last week and their play reflected as much. They dominated the play in the face off area all game long. Both teams moved the ball well up the field in transition and in the offensive end capitalizing on any break down in the opponents D. Portland started with a lead and the Clippers would answer, but the Clippers could never actually get a lead. At the end despite a gallant fourth quarter rally the Clippers lost by one to a very good Portland team.

4/29 - The Clippers opened their MPA season against the Red Storm in Scarborough. The night was rainy and cold, the stands held only the most committed fans (i.e. parents and our CEO/owner). The Red Strom served notice early that they were athletic and confident scoring the first goal out of the box and answering right back after Yarmouth scored it's first. From there the Clippers gained control of the game showcasing their own athleticism and confidence and gaining control of the game by the end of the first quarter 6-2. The running and gunning continued through the night as neither team shied from the fast paced action. Notably Geoff Bell stepped up with Will Woodworth in the wings after injuries to three of our other face off men limited our options greatly. To his credit Geoff dominated allowing the Clippers many offensive opportunities for the remainder of the game.

4/19 - The Clippers opened the 2008 campaign against perennial New Hampshire state champion Pinkerton Academy Astros in Derry, NH. The day was beautiful for an opener with clear skies and warm temperatures. Unfortunately the Clippers came out slightly disorganized and the Astros capitalized on several unforced errors to take a quick 4-0 lead halfway through the first period before the Clippers struck with their first goal of the season. From here the Clippers marked the Astros closely to keep in the game and even lead in the fourth period 9-8 with 11:48 to go. The Astros the tied and the and took a brief lead till the Clippers tied it at 10 with 4:46 to go. The Astros then capitalized on a save and fast break outlet while man down to take a lead with 2:44 to play, the Clippers then spent most of the remainder of the game man down attempting to regain the ball and gave up two final goals in the closing minutes. All in all a good first effort for the boys. Dan Gerges was singled out for his tenacity on defense, clearing and ground balls.

2008 Girls Varsity Game Summaries

Clippers breeze past Morse
By RACHEL LENZI, Staff Writer

YARMOUTH — It only took a few goals to set the tone for the Yarmouth girls´ lacrosse team in its playoff opener Thursday against Morse. But it took an effort of a much larger faction -- 20 players, in fact -- in a 17-4 victory against the Shipbuilders in an Eastern Class B semifinal.
"Our coach definitely stresses that there are 20 people on the team and that 20 people are going to contribute," said Tierney Minte, who scored four goals for Yarmouth, the defending Class B champion. "That´s definitely the case on our team. It´s not one of us that´s going to win every game, it´s all of us together."

No. 2 Yarmouth will face No. 1 North Yarmouth Academy or No. 4 Freeport in the regional final Wednesday.

"Morse is getting stronger every year," said Yarmouth Coach Dorothy Holt, whose team has only three seniors. "They have a great freshman goalie and we weren´t sure (of Morse). We just had to go out there and play hard. We wanted to come out and score quick, and that was our plan.

"My team really needs that. We´re young so we need that emotional lift off the start and they got it."

The Clippers (9-4) took a 3-0 lead in the first eight minutes but then went nearly nine minutes before Hilary Attura scored with 8:26 remaining in the half, starting a four-goal run for the Clippers.

"We wanted to score first and we wanted to come out strong," Minte said. "It´s very important for us to have a good first 10 minutes."

Beth Suggs (two goals) scored with 6:21 left in the first half, one of Morse´s three goals before halftime as Yarmouth took an 8-3 lead.

"We struggled with (focus) this season, and we´ve kind of been a one-half team," Minte said. "We put a lot of stress on playing two strong halves. We actually didn´t feel that we played to our potential in the first half, so we wanted to pick it up."

Lanier Bolmer scored four goals, and Nicole Grover and Tess Beem each scored three for the Clippers, who didn´t allow a shot on Kelly Kasper (six saves) until seven minutes into the game.

"Yarmouth, historically, they double-team everywhere, all over the field," Morse Coach Linda Levesque said. "If you don´t handle the ball cleanly, you´re going to lose it.

"It took us a while to settle in and to play our game. We did some good things but (Yarmouth) didn´t drop the ball much."

Beem´s goal with 10:04 left gave Yarmouth a 14-4 lead.

Hannah Coleman scored twice for the Clippers. Sarah Rouillard and Maggie Smith scored for Morse (7-6), and Lisette Anderson made 21 saves.

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:
rlenzi@pressherald.com