Our Woodville team experienced another loss, this time
falling to Sturt 13-6. This one hurt as
we’re nearing the point in the season where we need to start winning
consistently or we can kiss the playoffs goodbye.
A few weeks ago I mentioned how much I enjoy playing on
the grass fields in Australia. Every of
the fields I played on up to that point were in tremendous condition and had
great playing surfaces for running and for ground balls. That is until we played at Sturt. The pitch was slightly slanted and very wet
as it lies at the bottom of a large hill.
The field provided a challenge to gain solid footing and it hurt our
ability to cut on dodges and on defense.
That said, the way we played we wouldn’t have won no matter where the
game took place.
We played very uninspired lacrosse, especially in the
second half. Our team went into the
mid-game break down two goals but couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm in the
third quarter to mount a comeback. We created
some good scoring looks but instead of capitalizing on our opportunities we kept
hitting the post. To his credit Sturt’s goalie came up with some good saves as
well.
One of the major issues with the game was once again the
Australian referees. A lot of the flags
that were thrown were for clean hits while a lot of the dirty hits and
legitimate penalties went un-called.
While I was on the wing on a face-off, the Sturt player who was lined up
next to me tapped me and said, “So what do you think of our umpires over
here? At least they’re bad for both
teams.” There is no doubt that reffing a
game is a difficult task to undertake but some of the calls here are
baffling. I’m hoping we don’t see those
same referees for at least a few weeks.
Myself (14 in green) racing
in on the wing during a faceoff. Tom
Filpy, our faceoff guy was one bright spot for Woodille on the day, winning 10
of 14 faceoffs.
Our next opponent is against Burnside who is in the top
four spots on the league ladder. In
order to make the playoffs, we need to advance to at least the four seed, and
right now we’re about 4 wins behind that mark so we have our work cut out for
us. Fortunately for us, my St. Mike’s
teammate Christian Cook just had the cast on his hand removed so he can help provide
some offensive firepower for us. The
only unfortunate aspect of Christian joining is that only two foreign players
are allowed to play on the state team every week, meaning that one of the three
of us will have to play on the reserves team.
Although this is a bit of a bummer, we came to Australia mostly for the
opportunity to travel and meet new people so there is no major issue. Not to mention we’ll still be playing in a
game- it will just be in a lower division.
Aside from lacrosse we’re having an unbelievable time. Members of the Woodville lacrosse club are
extremely close and we have developed great relationships with countless people. Hanging at the clubhouse and having a few
pints of beer is a regular thing for a lot of the guys and we all enjoy each
other’s company. We St. Mike’s guys like
hearing stories about other alumni who played for Woodville over the last 4
years. It’s becoming a great tradition for
a growing collegiate program and I hope future Purple Knight alumni will look
into it when they graduate.
A lot of people back home have been asking me what
kangaroos and koalas are like. Up until
last week I had no idea. Fortunately our teammate’s father works at the Cleland
National Park and organized a trip for us to visit some of the animals. The three Americans and some of the other
guys from the team went to Cleland and fed kangaroos which are extraordinary
animals. Seeing them up close gives one
a good idea of how strong their tails are.
Apparently if you aggravate a kangaroo it will balance on its tail and
kick you. Luckily these kangaroos were
accustomed to humans walking around and petting them so we didn’t have to
worry.
New Hampshire native Tyler
Violette with a mother kangaroo who has a Joey in her pouch. Oddly enough, this Joey is tucked away
head-first
The highlight of the day trip however was the koala. Most Americans are under the impression that
koalas are cute and friendly. It’s certainly
true they are cute but they are not as friendly as one might think- it is
recommended to keep your distance from a wild koala. The reason we were allowed to hold one (his
name is Thomas) is because he was high from the toxins in eucalyptus leaves;
the favorite food of koalas. They love
these leaves as it gives them a euphoric feeling, resulting in them acting
extremely lazy. For example, Thomas
sleeps 19 hours a day and while he’s up he eats these leaves non-stop to keep
him mellow around humans. Although you
need to be careful around most koalas, Thomas didn’t mind us holding him. Although I must admit I was nervous after
seeing the length of his claws, he was very soft and I am glad to have had the
opportunity to carry him for a bit.
Myself holding Thomas. Notice the eucalyptus leaf he is munching on…
the park rangers constantly feed him these to ensure his good behavior.
Cheers!
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