The essential value of good wingmen

In the contemporary field game of lacrosse, there are certain players who will be well exposed, and there are also players who are under exposed.

This is also true in life, and so it becomes important for any team that truly aspires to achieve great things, to understand the importance of appreciating the essential value of good wingmen.

Now, for the sake of clarity, the metaphor of the "wingman" in lacrosse, is in specific reference to the wing midfielders on the draw, who line up on the wings, and work with the face off middy to help the team secure the ball, through securing a ground ball possession after the face off whistle.

However, for this article, the "wingmen" also generally refers to the less celebrated, but essential positions and roles that make a lacrosse team able to transition from just being ok, to becoming a truly great experience of family and friendship for all the players, regardless of its successes in the win/loss column.

More than anything else, "good wingmen", determine the heart of a team, and the heart of the team determines its "lasting value". Often the score follows the heart of the team.

Now a "good wingman", metaphorically speaking, is not just about the effort of the wing middies working on the face off, but is also about the attackman, chasing the ball after the shot, as well as the defensive midfielder denying the lane. It is about the offense riding the long poles on a clear, and about midfielders who run the field to securely clear the ball to the opponent's box.

It is about the team mate who takes the man, to allow his parter to pick up the ground ball, as well as the subbing middie who penetrates the hot zone, draws the slide and passes the ball to the attackman assisting with one more pass to get the goal.

In short, its about how deep the heart and blood of sacrifice, is present on the team.

Back in "the day" we used to say; "give blood, play lacrosse", a salute to the native roots of the game which viewed blood, sweat and tears as being the only acceptable sacrifices able to please the Creator of the game, whom we refer to as "God".

The name "lacrosse" was actually coined by a Jesuit priest named Jean de Brebeuf in 1636 who, to honor the native game with many names, that for the natives was like their church service, positioned the "players" of the contest in the image of Christ, carrying the cross, for the pleasure of the Father in heaven (the Creator) and the favor of the Great Spirit (Heaven) and in contention with the mischievous world, whom they called "Flint". Brebeuf was burned at the stake in 1649 because they thought he was bringing in diseases (smallpox) to the tribes, but as he was being burned alive, he was said to have such a focused concern for his fellow missionaries and native converts, aka. his team, that the Iroquois actually drank his blood, in order to gain his strength. Today, we would call him a "good wingman".

Now throughout the year there are Falcon players we have had great cause to celebrate as the team has continually improved and progressed. Stats illuminate these. But this week we had some of our great wingmen give us cause to pause and say thank you for making us who we are.

Against Conant Nathan Parker had five ground balls, a goal and an assist. While Joey Bonelli had three ground balls, and two goals and an assist, he had only one ground ball against Conant, but he had four take aways, which helped to give us the 17 possessions of the 22 faceoffs in the game. Braden Aguiar, along with many solid clears and consistently good defensive play, also scored and assisted against Batavia, as well as took the ball away twice, recording eight ground balls in the two matches.

Cory Goetz hammered both teams with four ground balls and 10 shots, assisting twice as well as scoring against Batavia. Will Vecchio recorded five ground balls as well as two take aways, to help secure the shutout, as Isaac Nolan, as well as playing sound defense, took the ball away twice as well as picked it up four times.

Hudson Moss is typically assigned to an opponent's strong attackman, and yet he still managed to record a take away and four ground balls, as did Haven Hoffenkamp. Lucas Pacer, after playing a JV game, also took the ball away in the varsity game from a Conant opponent, as well as had a ground ball, and Jack Bredy both scored a goal and had an assist.

Jeff Kim made it back from being injured and Sawyer Schaefer worked hard to get five ground balls during his time on the field. Parker Haney won his face off and managed an assist and two ground balls in the varsity game after winning against Conant's JV, and Nic Richardson was a solid outlet for the team's 25 clears of its 33 attempts, recording 3 ground balls as well in the process.

Every play starts with the ball on the ground, and so a team's advantage in its ground ball play, in lacrosse, is usually a good indication of a team with "good wingmen". In the games with Batavia and Conant, the Falcons far outmatched their opponents, with 49 and 50 team ground balls, demonstrating that the Falcon's team of good and essential wingmen, can control and contain a ground attack from being a threat, which they did in both match ups, and which resulted in the 14-0 and 14-6 conclusion that the Falcons have discovered what the essential value of a team with good wingmen can accomplish.

WN

Goalies

22 - Sr Nathan Ritscherle - 2 saves on 5 shots vs. Batavia, 8 saves on 17 shots vs. Conant

29 - Sr Skyler Weil - 8 saved on 12 shots vs. Batavia.

Batavia - 9 saves on 39 shots

Conant - 15 saves on 52 shots

Face off

WN

15 - Fr. Kaiden Libby - 15 won on 17 taken vs. Batavia. 16 won on 21 taken vs. Conant.

4 - Jr. Braden Aguiar - 1 won on 1 taken vs. Batavia

10/11 - Jr. Parker Haney - 1 won on 1 taken vs. Conant

Batavia - 2 won on 17 taken

Conant - 5 won on 22 taken

WN Player Stats vs Batavia & Conant

1 - Sr. Isaac Nolan - Defense - 1 gb, 1 TA vs. Batavia, 3 gb vs. Conant

2 - Jr Matt Gemkow - Attack - 7 gb, 6 shots, 2g,3a 2 TO vs. Batavia, 9 gb, 8 shots, 6g,1a, 1 TO vs Conant

3 - Sr Alex Blum - Midfield - 2 gb, 2 shots, 1g, 1TO vs. Batavia. 4gb, 8 shots, 2g, 1a vs. Conant

4 - Jr Braden Aguiar - Midfield - 3 gb, 2 shots, 1g,1a - 1TA vs. Batavia. 5gb - 1TO vs. Conant

6/10 - Sr Joey Bonelli - Defense - 3 gb, 4 shots, 2g,1a vs. Batavia. 1 gb, 1shot, - 4TA vs. Conant

8/9 - Jr Nic Richardson - Attack - 1 gb, 2 shots, 1 TO vs. Batavia. 3 gb, 3 shots, 3 TO vs. Conant

10/11 - Parker Haney - Midfield - 1 gb, 1 TO vs. Batavia. 2 gb, 1 shot, 1a vs. Conant

13 - Sr Will Vecchio - Defense - 4 gb, 2 TA vs. Batavia. 1 gb vs. Conant

15 - Fr Kaiden Libby - Midfield - 15 gb, 1 shot vs. Batavia. 11 gb, 2 shot, 2 TA vs. Conant

16 - Jr Sawyer Schaefer - Midfield - 5 gb vs. Conant

17 - Sr Ben Farraday - Attack - 5 gb, 5 shots, 4g,1a vs. Batavia. 2 gb, 3 shots, 1g, 3a vs. Conant

18 - So Hudson Moss - Defense - 2 gb vs. Batavia. 2 gb - 1 TA vs. Conant

19 - Jr Jack Bredy - Midfield - 1 shot, 1g,1a vs. Batavia.

20 - Sr Cory Goetz - Midfield - 1 gb, 4 shots, 1g,2a vs. Batavia. 3 gb, 6 shots vs. Conant

22 - Sr Nathan Ritscherle - Goalie - 1 gb vs Conant

24 - Sr Nathan Parker - Defense - 1 gb vs Batavia. 5 gb, 1 shot, 1g,1a vs. Conant

26 - Fr Lucas Pacer - Defense - 1 gb, 1 TA vs. Conant

28 - Sr. Will Clemens - Attack - 2 gb, 11 shots, 2g - 1 TA, 2 TO vs. Batavia. 3 gb, 14 shots, 4 g -

2 TA, 1 TO vs. Conant

30 - Sr. Haven Hoffenkamp - 1 gb, 1 shot vs. Batavia. 3 gb, - 1 TA vs. Conant

WN - 49 gb, 39 shots, 11 clears of 15 attempts vs Batavia

Batavia - 15 gb, 18 shots, 9 clears on 15 attempts

WN - 50 gb, 52 shots, 14 clears on 18 attempts vs. Conant

Conant - 23 gb, 16 shots, 9 clears of 16 attempts