The Newman Greenies 114 year Lacrosse winning streak came to an end last Sunday against Dutchhtown losing 13-3.The team only came off with 3 goals on Sunday. Midfielder, Connor Zura was able to rip one past the goalie and straight into the net. Towards the end of the half, midfielder, Ben Rosamond, managed to get on the inside and score another for Newman. After what seemed like a drought of scoring Newman was finally able make a third goal. Team Captain and attacker, David Scharff made it past the defender and scored the third and final goal for Newman of the game.

Although the team lost their first game Coach Burns seemed positive about the outcome. When asked about the performance he said, “ Given that we have a lot of inexperienced players, we did pretty well”. He also mentioned that it was a “good opponent to start off with” which let the team able to compete most of the game. Defender, Braedon Moore unknowingly agreeing with Coach Aaron said, “ we really just need to work on the fundamentals…  you know like cradling and catching.”

After the game Coach Burns clarified that the team has to master the fundamentals of the game. Throwing, catching, scooping, shooting, and cradling were all skills that the team needed badly in order to run a good offense. Burns casually said, ”We can’t run a good offense if we are dropping the ball”. Burns also stresses preparation, specifically to first time Lacrosse players. The new players have to work on knowing where to be on the field when any situation arises.

In an interview with the athletic director, Patrick Summerour; he discussed the origins of how the lacrosse team became a possibility, why it took so long, and why it does not count as a P.E. credit. Currently in his third year as athletic director, the former history teacher heard enthusiasm about lacrosse from students and parents in his first year. With so many questions and concerns about starting the team Mr. Summerour’s go to response was “We’re not going to do anything on a whim”. He explained that there was so much involved (like how much would it cost, who would be the coach, where would we practice, when would we practice, and how many days of the week would we practice) that it would take time for these dreams to come into fruition. These issues that Mr. Summerour explained were “not simple things to get through”.

He also mentioned that at the time everything was fine and there was no need for a whole new team. However, he did discuss that “ It’s not fair to draw current student athletes away from spring programs”. He feared that kids on the tennis and golf team would quit in order to play lacrosse.

One big issue that most players on the team are talking about is the fact that the team does not count as a P.E. credit. When asked a similar question as to why there is no P.E. credit he simply replies, “I want them to join lacrosse because they love lacrosse… it’s about being part of something bigger, no one should be on a high school sports team to get a P.E. credit.” There is also the matter that the team does not have many players right now and in order for the program to be successful the team is in need of committed players who want to play and enjoy playing, which would hopefully lead to more victories in the future.