I predicted this would be some of our best matchups of the season.  Prediction came true.  We had an outstanding Fall Ball Final Day, with some great lacrosse action, some excellent team and individual performances, and some almost unbelievable finishes.  Congrats to the Machine, who closed out their undefeated Fall Season to win the 2013 Championship, with a hard fought victory over the Bayhawks.  Thanks again to all the players, fans, referees, and coaches who participated.  Below is a summary of the highlights from Sundays action:

GAME 1:  Hounds v Cannons.  You wouldnt have guessed this was the 7th place game, by the way the two teams battled in this one.  Michael Beisheim started off the scoring for the Cannons to take the early lead.  But a Ben Hastings goal and a nice outside shot to the low opposite corner by Jordan Jenab on an Extra Man play, gave the Hounds the lead 2-1.  On the next possesion, Jenab fed Jack Mcrea for a nice goal, then Ronan Sidebottom stole a clearing pass, made a SWEET toe drag dodge, and put the ball in for a 4-1 lead midway through the 1st half.  Momentum seemed to be all Hounds, but things tightened up on both defensive ends, until Beisheim Blasted in his 2nd goal right before half, to make it 4-2.  Steven Jenab had a great half for the Hounds in goal, with 4 saves. The Hounds got a quick goal early in the 2nd, but Chuck Stephenson and Beisheim both answered to pull back within 1, at 5-4.  After a couple traded goals, the Hounds took charge.  Tristan Mori-Sloane came up with a big goal, and later when Ben Hastings put in his 2nd of the game to make it 9-5, it looked all but over.  But the Cannons were not without a final push. Paul Bienaime scored one from in close and Stephenson drove right down the middle to blast one in for a 9-7 score.  But Tommy Walter came up big with a couple HUGE saves late in the game for the Hounds, and the clock wound down with the Hounds holding on for the win.  Casey Hanni and Brendan Radcliffe were huge on the Defensive side, as the only two longsticks for the Hounds.  Beisheim led all scorers with his Hat Trick.  We saw some of the best ball movement by either of these teams on Sunday, congrats to both for finishing strong!

GAME 2: Rattlers v Outlaws.  Couldnt have asked for more excitement than this one.  For two teams who have put in some goals, these two defenses came to play.  Cyrus Mostofi was notably present for the Rattlers, and Kegan Briesach made a ton of plays for the Outlaws.  On Offense, it was the Tale of Two Halves.  The Outlaws Ryan Zaky scored first, Aidan Healy answered for the Rattlers after stealing a clearing pass, to tie it at 1.  Defense kicked in for both sides, and thats where the first half ended still 1-1.  Bruno Geoly (Rattlers) and Tobias Schenck (Outlaws)were both solid in goal.  Zaky scored his 2nd to start the scoring, and Henry Holden made it 3-1 shortly after, on a nice man-up rip.  When Joey Cassin put one in to make it 4-1, things looked bleak for the Rattlers.  But they werent done.  Bryson Bockman put one in, and then Aidan Healy made the play of the day.  He scooped up a ground ball on the D side, and attempted to clear it.  He was boxed in by 3 people multiple times, and ended up losing the ball.  But he chased down the Outlaws player, and got the ball back.  He proceeded up the sideline, where some nice footwork helped him get the ball over the line just in time.  He wasnt done there.  A nifty dodge, and a nice pass to Chase Madrid put the Outlaws D on their heels.  When Madrid gave it back to Healy, he finished the amazing run with a perfect quick stick goal, just before getting cracked with a late hit drawing a penalty with less than 3 minutes left.  The Rattlers Man up didnt dissappoint.  After some excellent ball movement, Bockman found Max Lacerca open for an outside shot, which he buried to tie the game, with under 2 minutes to go.  Both goalies made a late save on each end, and this one was HEADED TO OVERTIME!  The Rattlers won the faceoff and looked to finish this amazing comeback....but it wasnt to be.  The Outlaws pressured on D, and got the ball back.  Kevin Frazier took advantage of the possession, and notched the OT gamewinner on a nice outside shot, as the Outlaws closed on their B Bracket Championship.  Healy had 2 for the Rattlers, and the Outlaws were led by Ryan Zaky with two of his own.  A great hard fought game on both sides, as the players left it all out on the field.

GAME 3: Nationals v Lizards.  We couldnt have asked for a more exciting game than Game 2....but we got one in Game 3, as the A Bracket Consolation game proved to be the most exciting one of the day.  Thomas Lopez of the Nationals kicked things off, with 2 quick goals, and the Nationals had a 2-0 lead early.  Sam Isola after getting cross checked to the back of the neck, ripped a top shelf corner to put the Lizards on the board, and moments later Isola found Andrew Chiang who ripped an outside shot to tie it at 2.  But the Nationals Defense really tightened up, and the offense was relentless.  The Lizards were helped by a few shots off the pipe, and some great saves by Dylan Edelson, but Lopez scooped a ground ball and made a nice lefty shot to notch his 3rd of the game, and give the Nationals a 4-2 lead at half.   Lopez started off the 2nd half with another goal, off a nice pass from behind from Adam Stockford.  A few minutes later, Aidan Drake took it coast to coast with the Long Pole, which seemed to be a back breaker making it 6-2 midway through the 2nd half.  But the Lizards were not done.  After making the job easy in the first half for Nationals goalie Sebastien Kister, the Lizards finally started putting shots on cage.  Kister came up with 3 nice saves in a row, but Karl Schenck broke the ice with a worm-burner that snuck by.  A minute later, D-Man Billy Hanford picked off a pass, ran it upfield, and found Isola who finished the fast break with a nice bounce shot, and the Nationals got a bit nervous.  It was warranted, as Sam Isola completed his hat trick with under a minute to go, and it was deja vu all over again from Game 2....Could the Lizards complete the comeback?  That question was answered when Sam Isola won the face off, and fed Karl Schenck, who streaked across the middle and put one in to tie it at 6, with 11 seconds left in Regulation!!  The Lizards almost finished this one off in Regulation, when Isola won another faceoff, but Kister came up with a HUGE save as time expired, his SEVENTH of the 2nd half alone.  This one was going into OT.  Defenses were big in the Sudden Death period.  Kister made another BIG save for the Nationals, and Billy Hanford was like a man-possessed, with 3 takeaways for the Lizards in the 4 minute OT period.  No one could score, and the first OT period wound down still notched at 6....we're going to DOUBLE OT!!  After Dominating the Faceoffs most of the game, Isola lost the Double OT faceoff, and the Nationals settled it with a chance to win.  Their first shot missed, then Edelson deflected one for a big save.  This is when Hanford took the spotlight.  He scooped up a ground ball, and chugged up field.  When no one stopped him, Billy took advantage and pounded one in with the Long Pole for the game winner, to close out a fantastic game, and lock up the Bronze Medal for Fall Ball 2013.  Isola had a hat trick to lead the Lizards, and Edelson had 11 saves.  Kister had 10 saves, including EIGHT after half time.  Lopez led all scorers with 4 in a fantastic effort.  Easily the most entertaining game of all Fall Ball, congrats to both teams for an amazing finish to their Fall Season.

GAME 4: Machine v Bayhawks.  The Machine had a pretty good run this year, undefeated, and solid in every category.  In 7 prior games, the Machine D averaged less than 3 goals allowed per game, and their Offense averaged 13 goals scored per game.  The closest anyone came was way back in Week 1 when they beat the Lizards 9-5, and they had a number of blowouts along the way, including a drubbing of the Bayhawks back in week 3.  So when the Bayhawks, missing some key personnell,  started the game with 11 players (1 sub), the entire deck was stacked against them.  But they were determined to fight.  Will Belshe started the scoring, with a nice pass from Joe Rodrigues, and Colin Whitney made it 2-0 early in favor of the Machine.  Jordan Gans blasted an outside shot low to get the Bayhawks on the board, but Rodrigues answered with a goal of his own.  Gans then fed Payton Dwight to make it 3-2,and the BayHawks were battling.  But then Matt Mingrone and Garret Chitwood stepped up on D with a number of Takeaways and Fast Breaks, and Connor McCarthy provided the finishing touches on the offensive side.  He first scored on a nice drive, minutes later took a pass off a Man Down transition from Chitwood, and finished the half with a nice goal off a face-off fast-break pass from JT Belshe, to give the Machine a comfortable 6-2 lead going into half.  Miller had a solid 4 saves in the half for the Machine, and Wise kept it close for the Bayhawks with 7 saves.  Considering the short bench, the Bayhawks have to be proud of their 2nd half effort.  Gans came out with a goal, but Rodrigues scored his second after stealing a clearing pass.  The Bayhawks were hit with a couple penalties late in the game, and the Machine converted on both Man-Up opportunities, including a nice top shelf rip by Will Belshe for his 2nd of the game, to make it 9-3.  But the Bayhawks didnt fold.  Some great ball movement, Matt Seligson to James Harrison to Drew Chalmers made it 9-4, and Gans put another in a minute later to make it 9-5.  Another Gans goal off a nice drive made it 9-6, with momentum going the Bayhawks way, and we were all wondering if another nailbiter was about to transpire.  But Corey Burns scored on a nice outside shot to make it 10-6, as the Machine D shut down the Bayhawks the rest of the way, led by Goalie Warren Poh who had 5 saves in the 2nd half.  James Harrison was key for the shorthanded Hawks, contributing on both sides of the ball.  Wise finished with 10 saves, and Gans led all scorers with 4.  The exhausted Bayhawks were a bit down after the loss, but should definitely be proud of their 2nd place season, and especially proud of their Championship game effort, giving the Machine their closest game of the season.  McCarthy led the way for the Machine with 3 goals.

Thanks again to all who made Fall Ball 2013 such a great success, and we look forward to seeing all the underclassmen back in 2014!!

Team NorCal Lacrosse