Freezin' for a Reason

This past weekend, members of the Plattsburgh State Men's Lacrosse team took part in the Inaugural Polar Plunge to raise awareness and funds for the athletes of Special Olympics New York. Approximately 200 people leaped into the chilly waters of Lake Champlain to raise $22,000 for the Special Olympics.

Team FUNdraiser

I never realized until now that the word fundraiser literally means FUND-RAISER, as in we are "raising funds". Well now that the internet knows how much of an idiot I am I should pass along this gem to you guys and gals.

Looking to represent the Dirty Birds in your native town but don't have the chance to get up to Plattsburgh to buy the gear? Looking for that perfect holiday gift for your child or significant other? Just can't get enough Plattsburgh Lacrosse gear? Want to look like your favorite Plattsburgh lacrosse player? If the answer to the last question is yes I suggest you stop shaving and invest in a plethora of sweatpants. If the answer to the rest of those questions is yes than you my friend are in luck. We here at Plattsburgh have developed a way for you to help yourself to some fine Plattsburgh lax clothing while helping out the program! Head here to find a ton of men lacrosse gear that you can order to have shipped directly to your home! Also because we are so boss we got the nice folks at "Wear Your Colors" to give us free shipping on all orders over $50. A portion of the profit made on the items will be donated to the team so everyone wins. If you wanna get gear but can't find anything you like check out Turfers main site here and we'll see if we can update it.

That's really it for now folks. Hope your fall is going well. I'll feel a lot better when the Jets stop trying to kill me. Also Call Of Duty: Black Ops came out today so any parent curious as to why their son stopped calling them that is probably why.

Can you hear it....?
-DeFran

Representing the Red, White and Blue

Awesome game on Thursday! I believe the final was something like 26-6, a far cry from last years thrashing. Although I don't think McGill was the team we expected them to be we still executed well up and down the field.

Today marked the official end of fall ball with our final practice on this rainy afternoon. I think we really finished our off season strong. Although their is plenty of room for improvement we are making moves in the right direction.

That's all for now. I'll keep you posed throughout the semester of the on goings of our team.
-DeFran

America got a couple of things right: cars....and freedom

Hello all! I'd like to start off this patriotic post by showing you a great commercial:



Sorry I haven't posted on here lately. Strangely senior year of college isn't as easy as senior year of college. For all who were there the alumni game went great, except for Luke's broken thumb that is. Other than that the game was a lot of fun for everyone.

Fall ball has gone well these past couple of weeks. The team is really starting to gel together. The younger guys have learned the system and are proving their worth day in and day out.

On to tomorrow. For those of you that don't know we will be shaving our heads at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow in the ACC as part of the St. Baldrick's foundation. Up to this point we have raised $5,250 which is $1,250 more than our goal! But we still could use more so if your interested in donating go here.

After the head shaving we will be playing McGill in our fall scrimmage. This is a huge game for us as it is our only scrimmage in the fall and one of our last events for the whole fall ball. It will be a good measuring stick for how far we have come and how far we have to go. The game is at 7:30 p.m. so if you can make it we would greatly appreciate it.


For those of you driving up tomorrow be safe. I leave you with a classic American tale of overcoming the odds.
-DeFran

Fresh Start

Hey all! So we just completed our first week of fall ball. Gotta say I am impressed with a lot of the new guys. Although we lost a lot of talent to graduation we definitely are bringing in some great players.

Fall ball kicked off at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday for us all. In an effort to be one of the best conditioned teams in the country, our team has pledged to do the "Insanity" workouts featuring the infamous Shaun T. Let me tell you, their is really something special about going to sleep when it is dark out and waking up when it is still dark out. All kidding aside though it is a really good workout and it will definitely benefit our team. Getting 40 18-22 year olds up before 7 a.m. is a testament to how dedicated our team is to winning this year.

Not much else to speak of. Practice has been basic, nothing out of the ordinary. Alumni game is next weekend so that should be fun.

More importantly St. Baldricks is less than a month away! If your interested in donating to an awesome cause check it out here. You could honestly not pick a better foundation to give to. Any donation small or large is greatly appreciated!

Well looks like we all know who the REAL New York football team was this Sunday...

-DeFran

Ready to Start

Hey all! Hope everyone had a great summer. I know I did. Their is nothing quite like learning the finer points of air conditioning installation and maintenance. Really makes you appreciate cold air.

Not much to report on the team over the summer but I'll hit the high points:

-The majority of the returners and new guys from Long Island played on a summer league team together that did pretty good in a tough league.

-As for our friends out West, although two of the Oswego natives weren't able to play on their usual summer league team (Tucker and Will), Sean Jaquin and sophmore transfer Brett McClelland brought home the teams third straight UOLL championship

-My summer league team won back-to-back-to-back league championships...BOSS.

-Sophomore LSM Ryan Phillips played for the Dutch national team in the World Games in Manchester, England. That's legit.

-In our own micro-version of "The Decision 2010" Kyle Norchi announced that he would in fact be bringing his talents back to Plattsburgh for a fifth year.

-I turned 21.

I think that about sums up everything important.

Now...onward and upward to this year! Believe it or not fall ball is just around the corner. Tuesday is our first official day of tryouts. The alumni game is less than 2 weeks from that, occurring on September 25! Our fall scrimmage is set for Thursday October 14 when we will take on McGill under the lights. As an added bonus all the Cards will shave their heads as part of the St.Baldricks foundation. St. Baldricks is a great organization that our team got involved with last year. Team members shave their heads to show support for children suffering from cancer. Last year we raised a ton of money and hope to bring in even more money this year. For more information and to donate go here.

I drafted my fantasy team named "Cromartie's Ninth" (in honor of one of my favorites cornerbacks) tonight. A couple of the guys on the team are in the league so I'll be sure to keep you posted on my dominance in our league "Jamarcus's Secret Sauce".

That is all that's really going on now. I'll keep you posted on fall ball throughout the semester. For now though it's mostly pick up.

By the way...He's backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

As always I'll leave you with a jam:



-DeFran

Every end is a new beginning

Sorry for slacking. I don't know why but for some reason I've kinda been dreading making this last post about this years season. I guess I figured if I never wrote anything I could wake up one morning and it would be January 25th and the season wouldn't have started yet. Honestly though that's how great this season has been for me. I'm not gonna lie, fall ball definitely had me a little skeptical. Losing as many guys as we did last year in key positions in addition to bringing in a huge freshman class definitely didn't seem like a recipe for a successful season. The young guys really stepped it up though and earned their keep and I couldn't be prouder of them. I don't know the stats off the top of my head but i think we had something like 8 come from behind wins and were 5-0 in one or two goal games. That just shows the will to win this team has.

Really sorry to see the seniors go. Great group of guys that I got the opportunity to play with for three years. I'd just like to say a little something about each of them.

Luke Flegar: Luke used to give me rides to fall ball every day when I was a freshman so I'll always owe him for that. Even though he wasn't a captain this year he definitely was a leader on the team and gave his all every single day in practice. Glad he came back for his senior year.

Kevin McMahon: One of the funniest kids off the field. Kev def keeps everybody on there toes. Great midfielder that was willing to do anything to help the team win. Kev's going to the NYPD and I wish him the best of luck and couldn't be happier for him.

Mike Keenan: I had the pleasure of being in Mambas weight lifting group this fall. Mike brought it hard every day to the gym and was willing to work out non-stop. It was definitely unfortunate that he tore his ACL this year but hopefully he will be back next year.

Ryan Price: Price was one of our most important players for us this year. Not only did he win face-offs for us, but he scored goals as well. As a captain he was one of the best I have ever had and was a truly phenomenal leader.

Mike Glynn: What can I say about this kid? I had the pleasure of playing defense with him over the past 3 years and couldn't be happy. I don't know many people that play with more heart than Glynn. And what a shot! Too bad that whole man-up thing never worked out.

Luke Weidlein: Playing against Luke definitely wasn't the biggest confidence booster over the past 3 years. But he made me a better player and I can't thank him enough for that. Luke made the most out of his four years here and it was fun to watch him play from the other end.

Also quick side note: I doubt he remembers but when I first came to PSU as a walk on during the tryout my first time playing in front of coach I was matched up against Luke. The first time the ball came down I threw a back check and helicoptered his stick. To this day I think that was a major reason why I made the team so thanks Luke!

Kyle Norchi: Kyle Norchi hands down has the most passion out of anyone I have ever played with. I have never seen someone get so mad during 3-on-2's or fast break drills. It definitely brought practices to a new level of intensity. I'd love to play another year with Kyle but if he heads somewhere else I wish him the best of luck.

As crazy as it sounds next season is already in the works. We had our first team meeting for 2011 and captains were named. Kyle Norchi and Mike Keenan were both named captains if they choose to remain at school to use their extra year of eligibility. Also I am honored to say that I was chosen as well. I think that was the best way to say it without sounding like a tool. But seriously I am very proud to have been chosen and am looking forward to next year.

In case you haven't noticed I'm a big fan of absurd news stories that aren't really news. This one takes the cake though.Not only does it include sports and mascots, but Jerry Springer as well. The Mets aren't doing to bad all things considered.

That's about all for tonight. We have a team BBQ tomorrow where our team awards will be announced so I'll let you know how that goes. Also will keep you posted on SUNYAC honors.

When I write my first movie Mr.Norchi will be selecting my soundtrack.
-DeFran

Cavanagh Piece

Blogger's Note: I had to write an article for my magazine class about a normal person doing extraordinary things. I decided to do a piece on assistant coach Ryan Cavanagh. Ryan organized our Saint Baldrick's event this Spring. Enjoy!

Ryan Cavanagh is no stranger to adversity.

As a young boy he saw his father brought to death’s door. He watched as each trip his father took to the hospital made a strong, powerful man weaker and smaller. Barely old enough to understand that cancer was destroying his father’s body from the inside out; that he was dying.

“He’d go through these treatments that make you so sick you just want to give in,” Cavanagh said.

But then things changed.

His father grew stronger. He looked healthier. Things seemed to be back to normal. The cancer vanished, or so it seemed.

Years would go by. Birthdays would passed with no sign, no whisper, of the dreaded “C” word. Each passing day was a better chance the cancer was gone for good, the doctors said. Then, like a beast erupting from its slumber, it returned.

It started out as back pain. Ryan’s father, Tom, went to the doctor to get it checked out and was given a bombshell. Cancer. The pain came from a tumor that was pushing on his nerves.

Back to the hospital with the treatments that broke him down. The second time proved only harder. With cancer technology and procedures still in its premature stages, the methods were still new and raw. Treatments became harder as the veins that had already weathered one battle with cancer refused to cooperate for a second one.

At a time when Ryan should have been celebrating his senior year of high school, enjoying proms and making plans for college, he chose instead to remain at home to take care of his father.

“Everything got put on hold.” Cavanagh said. “I lived with him and took care of him.”

But once again, things changed. Cavanagh’s father became stronger and healthier, beating the disease for a second time.

Cavanagh would go on to attend college, first at Nassau Community College and then to Plattsburgh State where he would have a successful career as a face-off man. In his senior year he would be named a team captain and earn all-conference honors while re-writing the record books in regards to face-off statistics. His father there with him every step of the way.

After being named the assistant coach of the men’s lacrosse team at PSU, Cavanagh was anxious to get the team involved in a charity. While riding with his dad over the summer he asked him how he stayed so positive through two bouts of cancer.

The elder Cavanagh told him a story. Although angry at first for having been diagnosed with a form of bladder cancer that had seen no survivors, his outlook changed after one particular day of treatment. Cavanagh, who had spent his career putting away “bad guys” as a homicide detective, voiced his feelings of resentment to his doctor, who decided to take him on a walk that would change his life.

He brought him to the children’s ward of the hospital. There, Cavanagh was shocked to see young children with tubes in their throats, struggling to stay alive, unaware of the life they had yet had the opportunity to live. From that point on, Cavanagh realized how lucky he was compared to those kids, having at least had a chance to live a somewhat full life compared to these unfortunate children.

“He really had a better outlook on his treatments from then on out,” Cavanagh said.

Cavanagh was inspired by his father’s story. He decided he wanted to work with a charity that benefited children with cancer. After doing some research he came across the St. Baldricks foundation.

Founded in 2000 by three executives, the trio attempted to raise money for children’s cancer by shaving their heads. Ten years later, the foundation has grown into a multi-million dollar non-profit organization. Cavanagh said one of the most appealing factors of the charity was the percentage of donations that actually goes toward cancer research.

“If you look at a lot of charities, sometimes 50-60% of the donations are used to cover employee’s salaries,” Cavanagh said. “St. Baldricks is made up completely of volunteers so all the money is going toward cancer research.”

Cavanagh would then embark on a nine month project. The plan was to get the team to get their heads shaved during the day followed by a game that night, all on Long Island, where a majority of the players were from and therefore their families could attend.

The first step was to get a base group of sponsors. Cavanagh was surprised to find how many people were willing to donate when the opportunity presented itself.

“That was the real experience,” Cavanagh said. “To see how many people helped, I was like ‘Wow this isn’t as difficult as I thought’.”

Raising money wasn’t Cavanagh’s only job. Every detail, from who the Card’s opponent would be and where they would play down to what food would be served at the head shaving ceremony was organized by Cavanagh. Even the bag piper that played prior to the game, which was held on St. Patricks day, was set up by Cavanagh.

“I was literally in the office every day filling out tons of paper work,” Cavanagh said.

The event ended up raising $4,000 for the charity, and went off without a hitch. The cherry on top was the 25-8 win the Cardinals posted that night against Briarcliffe. Cavanagh showed no doubts when asked if all the work was worth it.

“When you give something back like that you never regret it,” Cavanagh said.

In the future, Cavanagh hopes to have the team build a tradition of doing St. Baldrick’s and possibly bring the charity to the PSU campus, making it a staple in the community similar to what Relay for Life has become. In the same way that his father did for him a summer ago, Cavanagh hopes to inspire his athletes.

“I’d really like to get all the guys involved in the setting up process,” Cavanagh said. “If we could make it the ‘lacrosse event’ on campus that’d be great.”

Thanks to Coach Cavanagh for being so willing to talk!

-DeFran

Final Lap

So it's been a week since I've posted on here and I hope you can forgive me. Sadly their has not been much positive to talk about. Wednesday's loss to Potsdam was one of the hardest I have ever been apart of. The past couple of days have definitely been weird. It's tough knowing no matter how well we play tomorrow our season is over.

Today we did our senior speeches where our seniors get to talk to the team about their four years. Every year I've sat their and listened, but kinda felt that I still had a lot of time left here. Seeing guys that I've played with for the past three years talk about their experiences was definitely eye opening.

Sure, playoff wise tomorrows game means nothing. But it means a helluva lot to my teammates and me. I know no one on this team wants to send the seniors off with a loss after all they have done for us. It also helps that they beat us in overtime last year and stole the three seed from us.

I don't want to jinx us but...HOW BOUT THOSE METS!


So game at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Come out and be loud for the seniors.

Classic...
-DeFran

Along the Western front

I figured I'd drop a quick blog before I starting packing for our trip to Cortland today. What can you say about Cortland? They'er 4th in the nation and the defending national champions. So their pretty good. But so are we, if I do say so myself. Last year I think a lot of people didn't think to highly of us and played them to a four goal game. This years team is even stronger. I know I have said this a thousand times but I really feel that when we are on we can run with any team in the country.

So travel day today. Get to eat some more Brooklyn Pickle which is fantastic. Price told me he picked up Avatar for the bus ride so that should be good. Anything is better than Twilight which Coach Kav continues to threaten us to show. Yes that is, Twilight, the movie based on the book who's biggest fans are 14 year old girls. Fantastic.

Lost ten bucks yesterday on a bet I made freshman year that Tim Tebow would not go in the first round. Thank you Denver Broncos. Jets picked up DB Kyle Wilson from Boise State. Don't know much about the kid except that he had 10 tackles his freshman year in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma aka the greatest game ever. Quick side note, what in gods name are the players doing in that stupid video they show of them after they get picked. Was the camera man like "Ok, for most of you this will be the first time you get serious face time on national television, so try to look like as much of an idiot as you can." Their is nothing more awkward than a 350 offensive lineman trying to dance.

Yesterday I learned an important lesson. Anyone over the age of 55 is terrible at Family Feud. Also Richard Dawson is my hero.

My astronomy teacher showed me this video last year about what would happen if an asteroid the size of Texas hit us. Pretty unreal. And who doesn't love Pink Floyd?
-DeFran

Bounce Back

Awesome win today! Beating a team 17-15 that averages around 8 goals against a game show that when we are on we can run and gun against any team in the country. This is the same team that played Connecticut College and Tufts, two top ten teams, to one goal games. Big ups to Mr.Goose aka Kyle Norchi for having a 9 point day (8g,1a) and eclipsing the 200 point mark. Norchi is only the second player in school history to do this and 15th (not sure exact number) player in the SUNYAC to accomplish this tremendous feat. Eight goals, that's how much teams are averaging against Williams...wow. Kyle also broke the single season school record for points in a season by passing Frank Sangiovanni's mark of 73. Also fantastic tailgate by the Desantis's, hot dogs and Chinese food was great. Thanks for the leftovers, I won't have to go food shopping for a week!

Got a little bit of a long break until a HUGE conference game against Cortland. Also thought I'd let you guys know we revamped out website! Check it out here.

The Jets schedule came out in which they have the pleasure of playing the Ravens, Steelers, Vikings and Bengals. Fantastic. But that's OK because we just picked up JASON TAYLOR. Yeah I'll take another Pro Bowl player thank you very much.

Love me a lil Red Hot
-DeFran

Tough Times for the Cards

Another tough game to swallow on Saturday. Losing by eight goals is definitely not the kind of thing that goes down easy. Geneseo is no doubt a strong team but I don't think they are eight goals stronger than us. The one thing I can say about the game is that everyone definitely gave it there all for the whole 60 minutes which is different than the Oneonta game where we came out flat. It's too bad because if we would have played like that on Wednesday than I'm confident we would have had another W under our belt, but that's neither here nor there.

On a lighter note we did watch Hook on the way home which is an epic movie. Also I did a little research and found out that not only was it directed by Steven Spielberg but also featured a young Gwyneth Paltrow in only her second on screen performance. Even weirder...Spielberg is her godfather. If that is ever a bar trivia question you can thank me later.

Big game Tuesday against Williams. Although it's not a conference game and has no bearings on our playoff chances it is still a big game none the less . Williams is a strong program from a strong conference (NESCAC) that put four teams in the NCAA tournament last year. We need to come out strong and shake the last two losses off before we finish up the remainder of our season.

In other news... the Met's seemed to have exhausted all their energy in last night's 20 inning win over the Cardinals as they are back to their losing ways. I really don't care about how the Yankees are doing so don't tell me. But who cares about all that because the Jets have SANTONIO HOLMES! With the addition of Holmes, who is suspended for the first four games for breaking the substance abuse policy, and Antonio Cromartie, who has fathered seven children by six women in five different states this year is shaping up to be very fun, on and off the field. Cromartie had to be fronted $500,000 of his salary to pay backed child support. If only they could somehow make a reality show about the team...

Sometimes you need some soul...
-DeFran

Cards in Cuse part 2

Hey all! First I'd like to apologize for my lack of posts over the past couple of days. My computer was being fixed this whole week so my internet access was limited at best.

Obviously Wednesday's game was terrible. It's really hard to take away anything positive from that result. I think everyone can agree we did not play even close to our best lacrosse. The one bright spot of the whole situation was the fact that despite being down 11-4 in the fourth we did not ever give up and came within 3 goals. When it comes down to it though Wednesday hurt but we have to regroup and move on.

Luckily for us we don't have to wait too long to get back on the field. Tonight we're staying in Syracuse. Got a great sandwich at everyone's favorite Syracuse deli, The Brooklyn Pickle. A team favorite was "The Brooklyn Pickle" which consists of pastrami, roast beef, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing. Congrats to Norchi who had his first ever pastrami sandwich.

Tomorrow we head out to Geneseo. The Blue Knights are definitely a strong squad that's gonna come out hard against us. We need to come out strong and keep the pressure on for a full 60 minutes.

I hope all of you can make it out to the game. I know it's a long drive though for a lot of you islanders so any support is good support!

Sidenote- Have you people seen the new sandwich at KFC? This monstrosity of a sandwich is known as "The Double Down" and prides itself on the fact that it has no bread. The sandwich is made up of a piece of fried chicken, cheese, bacon, more cheese and another piece of fried chicken. Good god. I just read that last sentence and had a heart attack. The nutritional facts can best be described as comical: 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium. Don't worry though, for those of you on a diet they have a grilled version as well. I think my favorite part of this whole thing are some of the comments left under the sandwich commercial on Youtube. Some of my favorites:

"And with 1 more dollar the cashier will kindly stab you in the heart"

"My friend had one of these Thursday, the funerals on Sunday"


Give it all or don't bother giving anything...
-DeFran

Crazy Conference Commencement

Oh you know, just your typical day in Plattsburgh. Go out, play one of your conference rivals, and then win the game in the last 49 seconds. Seriously, I know I have said this before but this team is going to give me a heart attack before season end. For those of you who weren't there here is a quick recap. Back and forth game, B'port takes the lead and gets the ball with 49 seconds remaining. After a time out we put Beach and Glynn on the ball who get the job done and the ball back. On the clear Beach gets the ball at about midfield and clears the ball all the way down the field, finally hitting Pete Morgan on the pipe who puts it away to tie the game. Price comes out for the face off, wins, runs down the alley and hits Weidlein on the opposite pipe to put in the eventual game winner. Words don't give it justice. Such a great win, honestly this team does not quit, ever. Also shout out to the Norchi's who, I believe, hosted the tail gate which was fantastic as ever.

Oneonta is up this Wednesday, definitely gonna be another barn burner. Quick side note, what does "barn burner" even mean. Lee Corso says it about 15 times on College Game Day episodes during college football season and too this day I have no clue why a barn burning means it will be a great game. Whatever.

In other news, the lefty won the Masters, good for him. As for Tiger....nah I'm not even going to touch that one. I will say that he gets the award for the weirdest commercial...ever. Rangers lost in a heart breaker, rough status. And how could I not mention my Mets losing two in a row to team that could technically be considered a AAA squad. Gotta love the Mets.

Team win...song about teamwork
...I wonder what Fred Savage is up to nowadays...
-DeFran

Start of SUNYACs

HUGE game tomorrow. Plain and simple, everything we have been doing over the past seven months has been building up to this moment. Sure 8-2 is a very respectable record and something we should all be proud of, but we are still 0-0 in conference and that's where it all matters. Every team from here on out will give us an absolute battle for 60 minutes. Brockport is a team that's definitely going to be out for blood after beating them last year to knock them out of the playoffs.

Well not much else to say. Hope to see you all at the game. Be sure to be plenty loud...hopefully the weather will hold up for us. Than again this is Plattsburgh we are talking about so don't hold your breath.

This video is boss...like '90s clothing boss, not the guy that does half as much work as you but gets payed twice as much boss.
-DeFran

A stumble against the Saints

Tonight definitely hurt. Losing 12-8 to a local rival is one thing. But to do it in a game you were in control of in the first half is a tough pill to swallow. If we would have played a full 60 minutes I'm confident the final would have been different. Some will say the fact that we stayed in a game against a perennial powerhouse such as St. Lawrence is an achievement in itself. I for one am not one of those people. Personally, I feel the sky is the limit with this team, playing tight games against nationally ranked teams shouldn't be an achievement, it should be expected. I know the guys will be chomping at the bit to get back on the field to redeem ourselves, so practice these next two days will definitely be crisp.

On a lighter note, thank you to all the parents that made the trip up tonight to catch the game. Also a very big thank you to the Carpenters for a fantastic tailgate all of which was homemade (minus the pizza) and Logan's sister for convincing me to try the fruit dip/pudding which was fantastic.

SUNYAC opener on Saturday against Brockport...more on that later in the week, but start making plans to get up here and come support!

I don't think anyone can quite convey pain like Johnny Cash...
-DeFran

Cards making big moves

Check out the Cards making headlines! Junior goalie Logan Carpenter and senior FOSHO Ryan Price (both pictured above) were honored this week not only with SUNYAC Goalie and Player of the week but ECAC Goalie and Player of the week, a first for our program. Although these are obviously individual accolades, they "represent our success as a team" as Coach Kavanagh so eloquently put it. Therefore, I told Logan I expect a quarter of the award.

St. Lawrence is up tomorrow in our final game before our SUNYAC schedule begins. The Saints are a tough team, and it will definitely be a battle from whistle to whistle. For those of you that can make it, be sure your extra loud to make up for everyone that can't come! For those of you that will be staying home check out our live stats feed here. Now I know their seemed to be some difficulties with Clarkson's live feed last week (I heard Mr. Norchi punched his monitor). However, here at Plattsburgh State we pride ourselves in being technologically savvy and I have full confidence in our sports information director Patrick Stewart that none of you will have to abuse your computers (no pressure Patrick).

How about Duke? If Hayward would have hit that shot at the end I think my housemate/teammate Tucker Glass would have put his foot through the TV. The UCONN women won as well..shocker, I know. Also my Mets currently have a better winning percentage than the Yanks so all is right in the world. I think I'm gonna watch the Bird/Magic documentary and then hit the hay. Honestly, I know I've told you people before, but this thing is magical....wow that was a terrible pun. Seriously though, it's an awesome story that's really well done. On top of all that Bryant Gumbel curses in what may very well be my favorite quote of all time (this does not include anything said by Mike Tyson or Ron Artest who are just priceless in interviews).

Well that about wraps it up for now. I'll try and post a game recap as soon as I can tomorrow or possibly Thursday...

I know it's April but come on who doesn't love a little E,W&F....
-DeFran

Bird is the Word

What a great weekend to be a Cardinal? Not only did we come out flying and play great top to bottom, but we had great weather and an even better fan base to cheer us on. Plain and simple, yesterday was a great team win. One look at the box shows that literally EVERYONE contributed. We ran deep into our bench from the very beginning of the game which shows what kind of confidence we have in our team as a whole. Sure 24-11 makes it sound like it was a pushover game for us but I really believe WE MADE IT a 24-11 game with aggressive defense and our relentless offense. Also shout out to Mike Glynn's mom Donna Domaratius for another awesome tailgate (LOVE crab rangoon) and to Mrs. Tansey for giving us all chocolate bunnies.

Really starting to get into the thick of our schedule now. From here on out every game is gonna be a battle from the first whistle to the last. First up is St. Lawrence, a team our program has yet to beat in its history. We are playing them in at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at home. I know this is a tough game to make for a lot of people but anyone than can make it would be greatly appreciated.

It seems every time I write about a team in here when it comes to march madness (Siena, Syracuse, West Virginia) they lose. So on Monday I'm definetly rooting for Duke! I mean come on their is no way the big three can be stopped by some chumps from Indianapolis (wink,wink).

I'm not a big Yankee fan...gotta support the Mets (or as some of my friends like to call them, the Muts). But in support of the a fellow New York team on opening day...
-DeFran

Dirty Birds flying high

Wow. Seriously. Wow.

That about sums up my thoughts on yesterdays game.

Clarkson jumped out to an early 4-0 lead but once again we stayed calm and kept battling back. Both teams made runs and with 1:30 left and a 12-12 score Clarkson took possession of the ball. The Golden Knights then hit about three posts and Logan made a huge save in some of the most heart pounding 2 minutes of my life. The game then went to OT where we had another two and half blood-pumping minutes until Luke "Flega Fage" Flegar sweeped across the box and scored the game winner, then celebrating by doing the dirty bird. Funny story: Two days ago in practice Flegar asked coach if we would get in trouble for celebrating after a goal. He then told us all how he'd love to do the dirty bird after a goal. Funny how things worked out. Big game Saturday for the home opener. More on that tomorrow.

Have you heard?
-DeFran

North Country Rivalry

I know it's been awhile since I've posted on here. Lately school's been a real doozy working on my thesis paper on Entourage for my woman's studies class. Did I mention how much I love college? How about March Madness? Butler and Michigan State? Now that the Orange are out I have to go with West Virginia, who's second best player, forward Kevin Jones, is from Section 1 just like yours truly. My senior year his team, Mount Vernon, came to Arlington to play us when he was a junior. I think the phrase "Man amongst boys" adequately sums it up. Also watched a lot of "Billy the Exterminator" which is an awesome show about a guy from Louisiana who's whole family runs an extermination business and says "dude" a ton. Hilarity ensues.

Not much to talk about this past week. Just plenty of practices preparing for the second half of the schedule. Tomorrow we have Clarkson. I know that on paper it looks like their not gonna be a good squad, they're currently 0-7, but they have played some tough competition. Also we haven't beaten this team since 2006. We need to come out firing like I know we can.

The game is at 4 p.m. at Clarkson so I know that will be a tough game to make for most of you...BUT...lucky for all of you we have a remedy. Clarkson, like good ole PSUC, uses live stats for all their home games. So go here at 4 p.m. and you can watching the running box score of the game. You'll practically be in the North Country with us, minus the weather and Canadian accents.

Quick side note- I just check ESPN and the UCONN woman's basketball team won their regional final game against FSU....wait for it....wait for it....90-50. That's boss.

I know people have been making requests for songs...but tonight I feel like playing something for myself because..well...I can.
-DeFran

March Madness

So after one week of traveling through seven states and playing four games the dirty birds have finally returned to the nest. The 15-12 win against Utica yesterday was huge for us. The Pioneers are a talented senior-heavy team so getting a victory against an experienced squad like that is always good. We jumped out to an early 4-0 lead until the game came to a streaking halt due to some terrible officiating. Utica than started to make a run tying the game at 6-6 with just about 15 seconds left in the first half. The second half was back and forth with Utica controlling it at first, at one point going ahead by three. Nobody on the team quit, however, and we ended up making a run of our own. Junior Pete Morgan put the nail in the coffin in the fourth quarter when he scored a goal with his back to the net. Also big ups to freshman midfielder Angus Rodriguez for scoring a huge goal for us in the fourth quarter. Great tailgate after the game held by the Folgherait's which featured lots of the local cuisine.

Coach gave us a couple days off to work on academics HA....but seriously. Our next game isn't for another week and a half when we face off against North Country rival Clarkson on the 31st so we have a bit of a layoff.

It's snowing here which is just a fantastic welcome home for us. Nothing like going from chilling by Tansey's pool in 70 degree weather to coming to the frozen tundra.

I leave you with a jam requested by Mr. Norchi....
-DeFran



-DeFran

Loose in Cuse

Today was a day off so not much to speak of up here in Orange country. After getting here in the wee hours of the morning we had the whole day to relax and watch some college basketball. Unfortunately my beloved Siena Saints lost in the first round meaning I'll have to support 'Cuse for the rest of the tourney.

I'd like to thank the Carni's for feeding us a phenomenal dinner of sausage and peppers and pasta among other things. This was the THIRD family this spring break to have us over their house and all three were superb. However, by law I'm required to tell you that my mothers cooking was the best.

Tomorrows a big game for us so I hope to see you all there. For those of you that can make it out be sure to be loud.


Here's another classic..
-DeFran

Cardinals > Ospreys

Today's 22-11 win, in a nutshell, was the exact opposite of Mondays performance against St. Mary's. We came out on fire scoring five unanswered goals to get things started. No box score out yet so I'll give you guys a quick run down. Norchi, Weidlein and Morgan had their typical monster days on attack (8,7 and 6 points each,respectively, I believe). Price dominated at the faceoff X, Logan played the first half like a brick wall letting up only 2 goals and the middies got it done between the lines. Oh and the close defense wasn't too bad either.

Also quick side note, sophomore middie Brandon "B-Nasty" Smith had the most absurd goal I've seen in a long time. After beating his man he dived around the goalie and couple more defense men to put it in. Straight up Gary Gait in the Dome circa 1990. Unfortunately at this point the score was already pretty out of hand and I don't think the ref's wanted to demoralize the other team to bad so they called B-Nasty in the crease. Either way the goal was out of control and deserves a shout out.

Not much else to say. It is however 4 a.m. and we just got to the hotel so I think I'm gonna pass out. I just would like to give a big obscene gesture to the capital district before I go. Not only did you have horrible weather while we were their on spring break postponing out games, you ruined my bracket. Georgetown....come on really?? I picked you guys to win it all and you decide to lose to A FOURTEEN SEED?! You were playing Ohio NOT Ohio State you know? Now that my bracket is essentially toilet paper I guess I'll cheer for 'Cuse considering all my roommates are orange crazed. First though my full support is behind Siena, considering they have a Poughkeepsie native in star g/f Edwin Ubiles. Ubiles also happens to be related to former Plattsburgh star baller Anthony Williams, weird.

Also big thanks to the Tansey's for being crazy enough to open their home and let us eat their fantastic food. It's gonna be hard eating microwavable dinners every night when I go back to school.

Great song...even better video:
-DeFran

Baldys do work

What a successful day! First we all get our heads shaved for childrens cancer. Than we come out flying and win 25-8! Don't have the box score so I can't give exact numbers I do know this though:

1.Weidlein reached 200 points, the first player to reach such a milestone in PSUC history.
2.Price broke his own record set at Farmingdale, scooping up 19 groundballs in one game.
3.We had the programs first international goal scorer (I believe). Joe "I speak properly" Tyers scored his first collegiate goal.

Another big day tomorrow with lunch at the Tansey's and a game at Richard Stockton so I'm gonna wrap this up. I leave you with a classic that and a favorite of Tom Cavanagh, Assistant Coach Ryan Cavanagh's dad and avid reader/listener of the blog. Both Cavanagh's were the driving force behind getting the St Baldricks event off the ground so this ones for you:

-DeFran