Viking lacrosse: 'A different sport'

Viking goalie Pixie DeLeon (left) holds the ball

in anticipation of starting the offense

at Cathedral Catholic Mon., April 15.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

A few weeks into the spring sports season, I had the opportunity to attend a Viking girls lacrosse game, then a few days later a Viking boys lacrosse game.

Wow.

While the girls' game emphasizes athleticism and finesse--you can't put your stick near an opponent's face--the boys' game was a smasher/crasher that collided with my kinesthetic sensibilities.

I was struck (though not literally, though I've been hit multiple times by a ball in play or a player as I cover high school games right next to the sideline) by the pure joy of the guys wanting to generate contact.

Many of us males, testosterone-driven, love to experience the thud of hard, sharp contact. I loved it back in my day in high school sports, though my brother and I were banned from football by our mother's edicts when we were young because of her brother's injuries in ice hockey.

The sharp contrast between the boys and girls games really came home as I watched. I've covered both sports for multiple years, I've taken a lot of photos, I've written a few stories on my blog. But it really delivered this time: fine movements, sprinting action, calling out plays as the "striker" has the ball or passes to a teammate before receiving it back. I'm talking about the girls' game.

Senior Logan MacLean (29) of La Jolla tries

to score against Skyline (WA) April 12.

Way on the other side of the chasm, I viewed Seigo Lavinsky and gang in the boys' game a few nights later, the hard pounding as a defender shadows an opponent with his stick, the rough-and-tumble contact when offense/defense vie for the same position--even taking out the opponent if the referee interprets it as "going for the ball".

The approach of coaches outline the difference in the two games. The women call out encouragement, plays, formation patterns. They're not wimpy, but it doesn't lead to physicality.

Meanwhile, Coach Adam Morawski (hired a short time before last season's opening game) in the guys' game (both teams play super-late in the evening!) presided over huddles that reinforced a need to hold the line, use their bodies as much as necessary to apply pressure on defense and try to alter play patterns to stop or delay scoring.

One parent, on the sidelines to take photos of his son when an out-of-state team came to Edwards Stadium, reacted when I mentioned this difference: "It's a different game."

I totally agree.