BISHOP KELLY GIRLS LACROSSE

MAY 19, 2009

KNIGHTS TAKE STATE WITH 13-9 WIN OVER EAGLE

Combining a stifling defense with a highly efficient ball controll offense, the BK Knights put the finish touch on a perfect season by defeating Eagle 13-9 in the State Championship final.  A crowd of nearly 400 saw the senior-laden BK team utilize their skillful attack and in-game saavy on their way to the Idaho High Schools Girls Lacrosse Championships at BK’s lacrosse field.
The Knights finished the season 19-0 and ran their overall winning streak to 20 games.  BK Head Coach JoJo Brunelle (67-13-1) picked up her second State title in five seasons at the helm.
“The girls wanted it, you saw it on their faces all week and you saw it on the field and with their body language,” said Brunelle, whose winning percentage of .878 tops the All-Time BK Coaches list in all sports.  “Our D put the clamps on them, and we simply have too many weapons to contend with on the offensive end.  Hats off to Eagle, they gave it everything they had and stayed with us.”

IN CONTROL ON “O”

Once again the BK offense presented multiple scoring threats and tossed in seven 1st half goals. A tempo-setting stall at the end of the 1st half — and again in the final minutes of the game — set the overall tone for the evening.  Scoring on settled half-field offensive sets, free position shots, and fast breaks, BK showed a diverse arsenal of approaches, feeders, and scorers. 
Amanda Smith led all scoring with 5/1, Cassie Brunelle had 4/1, Mariah Adcox had 1/3. Goals by Bregeen McClure, Katie O’Neill, and Elise Talboy 1/1 and an assit by Sarah Hassell covered the scoring.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
BK’s defense held the high-scoring Eagle squad to just four goals in the second half, sealing the win for the Knights. Facing inumberable free position shots, sometimes multiple times during a single Eagle possession, BK defenders and goalie Kelly Grove thwarted shot after shot from the well-positioned Mustang shooters.  The consistent awarding of ball possession and free position shots to the opponent was higher than in any other game this season and kept the pressure on the Knights defensive unit.  Despite this unique advantage, BK remained stalwart and time after time frustrated the hopes of those supporting Eagle’s cause.   Meredith Metsker, Trinda Taggart, and Sarah Hassell were especially tough on the defensive perimeter and around the crease, according to coach JoJo Brunelle, who pointed out that not a single Eagle goal was scored in a settled situation.    “They scored on free position shots and run outs on unsettled situations, nothing else,” said one Knight defender.  “Our defense could not be broken down when they ran their set offense. That’s why they only got two assists on 9 goals — it was all free shots given to them or fast breaks mainly off the draw.”   Eagle entered the game averaging 16.6  points per game, more than BK’s 15.3. While the Knights put 13 on the board and stalled away more than four minutes of clock in the 4th quarter, the Mustangs scored five goals in the first half and four in the final frame.  Eagle’s final goal came with 5 minutes remaining in the contest, but BK was ahead by five at that point.   Amy Johans’ amazing interception of a shot on goal late in the second half was among the big plays turned in on D.  With BK holding a slim two goal lead, Eagle attacked the goal and shot without direct pressure. Johans, moving to her left in front of the crease, picked the shot out of the air and in continuous motion sprinted past the Mustangs to clear the ball into the BK offensive end of the field. The BK crowd reacted to Johan’s play with wild cheering — underlining their appreciation of the Knight’s defensive effort in the championship game.

Eagle to Face Bishop Kelly in Girl’s Lacrosse Championship

The defending state champion Eagle Mustangs will take on Bishop Kelly in the Idaho Girls Lacrosse 2009 High School State Championships on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Bishop Kelly.  The Mustangs won a dramatic semifinal match over Centennial 12-11 to advance to the finals.  The Patriots (10-5) face Borah (8-7) in the Third Place game at 5:15 p.m. at BK prior to the finale.

Eagle (13-4) has lost just two times this year in Idaho and is seeking its third consecutive title. BK is 18-0 on the season, including five straight victories in Utah on its way to winning the ‘09 Beetdigger tournament championship in Salt Lake. Eagle and BK have faced one another two times in previous state championship games, with the Knights winning in 2006 and Eagle taking the crown in 2007.

Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to sit on at the game, which is being held on the Lacrosse Field behind the Carley Center at Bishop Kelly. There will be no admission charge, though donations will be accepted.  All-Star team selections and U.S. Lacrosse All-American nominees will be announced at halftime of the championship game. The Idaho Lacrosse Association, which serves as the Idaho Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Association, is presenting the tournament along with host school Bishop Kelly.

Bishop Kelly senior midfielder Elise Talboy has accepted an offer to play lacrosse at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.  Talboy has been in the middle of BK’s success on the lacrosse field for three seasons, playing at both ends of the field and establishing herself as a scoring threat, playmaker, and aggressive defender.  A three-sport athlete for the Knights, Talboy competes in swimming and basketball along with lacrosse.

Talboy has tallied 49 goals and 25 assists over the past two seasons, helping the Knights to a 16-4 mark in 2008 and a perfect 16-0 record so far in 2009.

“Leesi excels at lacrosse, in part, because the wide open space allows her to use her outstanding open field speed and stamina,” commented Head Coach JoJo Brunelle. “She has worked hard on her stick skills to complement her good strength and endurance from swimming, and strong ‘court sense’ and team-orientation from all her years of basketball. I am excited to see Leesi take on this challenge to play at the next level.”

The Boxers, an independent team in the West Region of  NCAA Division III lacrosse, posted a 6-7-0 record in 2009 under third year coach Wynne Lobel. A win over East Coast opponent Washington & Jefferson was among season highlights for Pacific.

THREE-SPORT ATHLETES IN SEARCH OF 50th WIN OF 2008-09

Not too many high school athletes compete at the varsity level in three sports, but at Bishop Kelly there are least four girls who can make that claim. And all four of them are striving to reach a special milestone as the spring sports season comes to an end.

The milestone? A  total of 50 wins in a single school year. The four athletes are seniors Cassie Brunelle and Mariah Adcox and juniors Sarah Hassell and Michelle Violette. The four have been teammates for the entire 2008-09 school year, competing in volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse for the Knights.

As three-sport athletes for all four years of their high school careers, Brunelle and Adcox have learned to balance academics (Adcox is a 4.0 student, Brunelle carries a 3.98), student leadership positions, and the all important social lives along with the wins and losses. Hassell and Violette are following directly in their footsteps and have been alongside their senior teammates all year long.

The 3-Sport Foursome led the Knights to a 13-6 record in volleyball and a trip to the 4A State Tournament, a first for BK since 2003. An 18-5 record and 4A SIC Championship in basketball came next, though Violette missed the final five games of the season with a knee injury and Brunelle was forced to watch a stunning season-ending loss in district due to illness.

Now the Fab Four are members of the undefeated (16-0) lacrosse team, and need to run the table in postseason to become Idaho’s 2009 State Champions — and pick up their 50th win in the process.   In an era of specialization, where kids pick a specific sport and play for traveling club teams rather than competing in multiple sports for their school, it’s refreshing to see BK athletes playing — and winning — all year long for their school teams.

GIRLS FINISH REGULAR SEASON 16-0; ON TO STATE

Senior Night was a big hit with the players as the Knights smoked Rocky Mountain High, 19-2. Thanks to the non-senior players and their parents for making it a fun night at the BK Lacrosse Field.

3/17/09    4:45 PM    vs.     Vallivue (Caldwell, ID)   14-1 (W)
3/18/09    6:00 PM    @    Centennial (Boise, ID)  18-7 (W)
3/20/09    12:00 PM    @    Waterford (Sandy, UT) (Beetdigger - SLC)   16-3 (W)
3/20/09    4:00 PM    @   Bingham (South Jordan, UT) (Beetdigger - SLC) 11-5 (W)
3/21/09    9:00 AM    @    West Jordan (West Jordan, UT) (Beetdigger)    15-0 (W)
3/21/09    2:00 PM    vs.    Riverton (Riverton, UT) (Beetdigger - Semi’s)  7-5 (W)

3/21/09    6:00 PM    vs.    Jordan (UT) (Beetdigger - Championship)     10-7 (W)

4/02/09    7:30 PM    @    Eagle (Eagle, ID)  12-9 (W)

4/07/09    4:00 PM    vs.    Timberline (Boise, ID)     21-3 (W)
4/14/09    6:00 PM    vs.    Boise (Boise, ID) 11-3 (W)

4/16/09    6:00 PM    @    Borah (Boise, ID) (Cassia Park)    15-3 (W)

4/21/09    6:00 PM    vs.    Eagle (Eagle, ID) 18-10 (W)
4/23/09    5:00 PM    @    Skyview (Nampa, ID) (Skyview) 15-5 (W)
4/28/09    5:00 PM    @    Vallivue (Caldwell, ID)  17-3 (W)
4/30/09    6:00 PM    vs.    Centennial (Boise, ID)
5/05/09    6:00 PM    vs.    Rocky Mountain (Meridian, ID)
5/13/09    TBA    vs.    TBA (State Championships)   
5/15/09    TBA    vs.    TBA (State Championships)  
5/19/09    TBA    vs.    TBA (State Championships at Bishop Kelly)