Clubhouse Refurbishment
03 Feb 2012
Saturday 21st January 2012 saw the official opening of the refurbished areas of the Spencer Clubhouse. Improvements are as follows;
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League Results Week 19
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Spencer 10 - 5 PurleyMatch report to follow... |
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Reading II 10 - 14 Spencer IIMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer III 2 - 15 EpsomMatch report to follow... |
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League Results Week 18
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Reading P - P Spencer
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League Results Week 17
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Hampstead 13 - 4 SpencerMatch report to follow... |
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Clubhouse Refurbishment
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Saturday 21st January 2012 saw the official opening of the refurbished areas of the Spencer Clubhouse. Improvements are as follows;
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Flags Results Week 16
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Spencer II 15 - 3 Walcountian Blues IIAn intriguing match-up for the cup quarter final. The league game encounter in December was won by Blues 8-4, but over the season so far Spencer 2’s have the better overall record. With no Premier Division fixtures it allowed the game to be played on the carpet that is the 1st team pitch at Spencer and the welcome sight of a league panel referee in the distinctive shape of Simon Peach. The early exchanges saw both teams create good chances. Spencer could not find the net and Blues found Rhydian, the Spencer goalie, in top form. The Blues offensive worked the ball nicely but the Spencer defensive unit were more than a match against their danger players. Spencer’s ball movement in attack was a little lethargic but good enough to score the only goal of the otherwise very even 1st quarter. The change of ends saw Blues get on the score sheet thanks to an unintentional screen as Rob Gooch tracked a Blues midfielder through the crease. This period saw Blues play their best lacrosse with shots heading for corners of the Spencer goal, only to find Rhydian, or Rhydian’s goalie stick stuck out in the nick of time to make the save. His save of the day was awesome. A shot heading to one side of the goal was deflected off a Spencer defender straight to a Blues attack man who just had to pop it into the opposite corner of the goal. Rhydian engaged his cat-like reflexes to completely change direction and reach his stick up to the top-left corner to make the save. On another day, Blues could have been 3 or 4 goals to the good by half-time. At half-time, tied at 2-2, the game was shaping up to be a low scoring edgy affair. The Spencer team talk was all about keep doing what we were doing. The goals will come if we kept creating good shooting chances. With two goalies in the Spencer 2nd team, half-time also saw Neil White step between the pipes with a tough act to follow. Following the restart the game was soon tied at 3-3. An early Spencer goal was negated by Blues scoring on one of their first attacks. Rhydian may of wished he was still on the pitch but the Blues 3rd goal was their last of the game as Neil saved everything else that came his way. This was no mean feat as the low winter sun had come out and was positioned directly in line with the Spencer goal. Up the other end, Spencer scored another 4 goals as now the near misses were finding the inside of the posts. |
So Spencer started the 4th quarter with a 4 goal cushion, which we all know can be quickly eroded. Gabe Barrie won the face-off, which swiftly led to a fast break goal finished by Bill Parker! Next face-off, again won by Gabe, sustained offensive pressure, goal! Third face-off, won by Gabe, offensive pressure, goal! Only the arrogant would of said the game was over, but Spencer has the momentum and a big lead. The goals kept coming for the home team. Confidence was at a high. Passes were slicker, movement more decisive, grounds balls exceptional and defence absolutely dominant. Bill put the finishing touch to the majority of goals but this was a team display. No-one recalled any speculative outside shots, the 15 Spencer goals were all thanks to, as Alan Hanson would say, "good passing and movement". The disappointment for Blues was summed up when their goalie made a foray up the pitch only to be flattened by Spencer defender Brendan. The turnover resulted in the 14th goal, with the 15th seconds before the final whistle. The Spencer 2’s now look forward to a tricky semi-final clash with the visit of East Division One high flyers East Grinstead on March 3rd. Man-of-the-Match: Rhydian - for some superb saves in the first half when the game could of gone either way. D-of-the-Day: Sam Johnson - who has not been available for selection since the New Year as he's still not paid his club memberships subs. Quarter Scores: 1-0 / 2-2 / 7-3 / 15-3
Spencer 2's were; |
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League Results Week 15
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Spencer 16 - 9 WelwynThis match report is dedicated to Anna who provided the team (Bill) with the inspiration to win. A Spencer squad oozing with talent assembled earlier than usual at 12:30 to plan the offensive against an in form Welwyn side. This unprecedented start time was chosen due to an effective yet incohesive display against Bristol the previous weekend. An early preparation has two main advantages. Firstly, the team has the opportunity and time to organise themselves prior to the game. Secondly, the team should have a readiness and sharpness as soon as the whistle blows. When the whistle did blow, Spencer looked neither sharp or organised and was immediately put on the back foot. Welwyn attacked and the home team were unable to parry the advances of the obviously well drilled side. The transformation of the Welwyn side deserves some credit. The young side has gained some maturity since the teams last met in the second fixture of the season. With their LDO as the outstanding player of the team, the remainder were disciplined, fit and played an effective and direct style of lacrosse. From a neutral point of view it might have been disappointing to see them only fielding eleven players to Spencer’s fifteen. Welwyn’s early domination started to bare fruit as they notched up goals against the shell shocked Spencer team. Rick 'origami dog bowl' Bone uncharacteristically let in a couple of long shots. Rick 'My stick got stuck in the net on the first one so I couldn’t make the save. I thought they would start taking more easy long shots. But the rest went in as well.' It could be that Lester’s crying on the sideline was putting him off a little. He was missing Rick so much and surely being so far from Endor, the little ewok was a little home-sick as well. As Spencer had superior numbers, the tide would eventually turn but if Welwyn carried on scoring like this, would the tide turn in time? Spencer certainly didn’t expect the shaky start and it was down to the team to counter the onslaught and stamp some authority on the game. In a moment of reprieve Sam 'I only play for the chilli sauce' Dunwoodie responded with a sweet shot to open the tally for Spencer and start the much needed tidal shift. Throughout the day the opposition keeper made a number of saves. It was almost like he was using a vacuum cleaner to suck up all low shots. Max 'where is thy iPhone?' Sandy decided to test what he was like hoovering in the air. After a sweet dodge up top Max turned and shot off the hip under heavy pressure and will give the Higgs Boson a run for its money in the advancement of physics. How a shot obviously lacking in speed maintained flight is truly beyond science and it somehow nestled into the top corner of the net. Obviously the keeper, who was old enough to be Max’s Granddad, forgot his top corner vacuum extension on the day. With Spencer and Welwyn trading goals and a great game of lacrosse underway, the first quarter finished three a piece. It was a positive sign with the home teams superior numbers and the frantic pace of the game meant that Spencer would pull ahead from this point onwards. It was up to the team to maintain the newfound composure and minimise mistakes to wrap up a much-needed victory in the league. Welwyn though showed a caged animal-esque propensity for scoring goals, so all was still to play for. In the second quarter, Spencer started to move the ball with more purpose. The ball was smoothly transitioning to behind the goal before swift cutting and feeding were creating a number of opportunities. The more structured approach was reaping rewards with Ben 'I never play with the same stick twice' Doerner slotting away good moves. Liam 'I build f**king bridges baby!' McGreavy also got on the score sheet. Rob 'twilight of my career' Holmes was also adding to the score sheet from his usual deadly shooting position. Despite another five goals from Spencer Welwyn were still hanging in and managed another three to keep the game at a tense eight to six. There was still time for Welwyn to come back but with the superior numbers and Spencer hitting their stride it was looking more unlikely. |
After a rousing speech from the Captain at half time, all the players were pumed for the second half. Moose 'Italian men excite me' Morrison was having a very successful day at face, dominating his opponent in the middle of the field. Moose might have got a little ahead of himself as he attempted to face off without his stick. I can only conclude he wanted to use his face and eat the ball before spitting it into the top corner. Luckily he went back for his stick, won the face and saved his appetite for the friendly Italian chef in Richmond to satisfy. Without the team noticing, Bill’s girlfriend must have turned up at half time. There can be no other explanation for the change in fortunes for Spencer. The team were really now hitting their stride. Joe 'sicknote' Darkins produced a split dodge and fed Josh 'I’m actually older than some of Welwyn's Dodd' on the crease for a scoring opportunity. He then casually took his time in front of goal to slot home a cool finish past the bag-less cyclone suction technology of the keeper’s stick. At the other end of the field, a Welwyn attack man was displaying some fancy footwork and thought he was sneaking his way to goal when Fozzy 'phantom check' Foster, threw a jedi check to leave the poor helpless attack man’s hands with nothing to grip but the last crumbling threads of his personal dignity. Another defensive talking point involved less subtle moves with two defenders herding an attack man into the sliding lane for Rob 'wrecking ball' Arnott to clear the poor lad out. Leaving him lying on the floor writhing in pain he snatched the ground ball and ran for goal. The young Welwyn fawn bravely got up off the floor and limped around for the rest of the game. Thankfully with no long-term injury. In a rather less cohesive defensive display, Welwyns LDO managed to break free from defence to canter down the field evading checks along the way. Luckily for Spencer our own LDO was at hand to apprehend the devilish evading long-stick. In what should have been an opportunity for our player to show his text-book ability and neutralise the threat, he was out-LDOed as his Welwyn counterpart spun around and successfully dodging Chris 'Brixton-homie' Keough. He also successfully managed to ‘owned his ass’ along the way. I’m just glad Abby wasn’t there to witness this. Other than this momentary lapse the Sawf Landan LDO was tip-top in a typically solid display. Bill’s girlfriends presence was really having an effect on the team. In the third quarter Spencer hit their stride and managed to score an additional seven goals to Welwyns one. This made the current score a whopping fifteen to the home side and seven to the visitors. The weather had played its part in the day and the sun was finally starting to set. With the goals falling over previously in the wind Fozzy’s phone was safely securing it to the ground. Spencer was now entering into the final quarter with the win in sight. Although Spencer still needed to keep concentration levels high to seal the game off. Hopefully Bill’s girlfriend’s presence would pull the team through and give each player the strength to dig deep. The start of the fourth saw Moose limp off with an injury and the talisman face off bravely wanted to carry on but conceded to cheer on the team from the side. Rob Arnott also had to concede to a groin strain and finished the game on the side-line. Both men can take a well deserved rest and get fit for the next game knowing a job was well done. It was around this time that Bill 'check out my entourage' Fisher also decided to have a little fisty-cuffs with a Welwyn player. I’m a little uncertain of the reason for the confrontation but can only imagine the unsuspecting player glanced a cheeky wink in Anna’s direction. Bill sensed the danger and rose to the challenge of the rival. However, also realising he’s not the imposing player of yester-year and the clash finished with only some gentle rubs and strokes. Spencer was only able to manage a single goal in the final quarter with Welwyn notching up two. This left the final score at sixteen to Spencer and nine to Welwyn. A good all round display with more good points to take home than bad. Now was time to enjoy the night after winning the first two games of the new year. Congratulations to Sam Dunwoodie on Man of the Match and Bill Fisher for Dick of the Day. I especially liked Sam’s little pinkie extending before gently sipping his pint while Bill steadily devoured his. With the presence of Anna around, Sam was always destined to lose the boat race with Bill displaying his best masculine-peacocking ritual. There is now a fixture gap the length of Bill’s relationship for the super sparrows to enjoy themselves before playing the hardest game of the season, Hampstead away. But with Bill’s girlfriend by our side, how can we lose? |
East Grinstead 11 - 2 Spencer IIMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer III 4 - 4 Oxford UniversityYep, the squad listing below contains only 9 players. Match report for how this game panned out to follow... Quarter Scores: 3-2 / 3-2 / 3-4 / 4-4
Spencer 3's were;
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League Results Week 14
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Bristol Bombers 2 - 7 SpencerMatch report to follow... |
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Cambridge University 8 - 11 Spencer IIMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer III 8 - 6 MaidstoneAfter losing at Maidstone, 7-2, back in October, the Spencer 3's devised a defensive game-plan to counter the Maidstone offensive threat, and for large chunks of this game, this was well executed. Spencer scored first, thanks to much improved passing compared to last week at Canterbury, plus a good finish from Jason Byrne. Maidstone soon equalised and there was never more than one goal in this game until late in the 4th when Spencer got a crucial two goal cushion. There was no doubt this game was competitive with both sides looking to dominate physically. It was really pleasing to see the younger Spencer players mix it with the athletic opposition, especially in defence, never letting them get inside. As a squad, the 3's are now getting a good understanding for each other. The speed in which we rotated the bench and got our long stick midfield player onto the pitch prevented Maidstone getting any recognisable fast break chances. |
Still plenty to work on for the remaining six league games to ensure the Spencer 3's remain in East Division Two. Scoring 8 goals is good but we missed at least half a dozen golden chances throughout the game. Also in these tight competitive games we need to show a little more control and patience to retain the ball and avoid personal fouls through uncontrolled stick checks. This was a team victory. Everyone played their part. Midway through the 3rd quarter when Maidstone played some of their best lacrosse with the game tied at 5-5, we needed to dig deep, win the ball, run hard and work for each other. We did and this bodes well for the rest of the season, especially with some missing players hopefully back in action soon. Quarter Scores: 2-1 / 3-2 / 5-5 / 8-6
Spencer 3's were;
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Juniors Spring Programme
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The juniors spring programme re-starts on Sunday 8th January 2012. You can find attached to the right, the field and pop lacrosse spring programmes. |
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League Results Week 13
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Spencer II 10 - 6 Welwyn IIMatch report to follow... |
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Canterbury University 1 - 15 Spencer IIIA solid start to 2012 for the 3rd team over in Canterbury, who are yet to register a win this season. But with too much Christmas cheer in many of the Spencer squad we needed a full warm-up to start the game in the right manner - and what a start! Five or six quick goals rained into the Canterbury net thanks to great face-off skills from Gavin and good finishing from the attack. Canterbury were not at full strength and unable to field any substitutes so the Spencer 13-man squad rightly controlled most of the possession. The huge and heavy Canterbury pitch made this hard work on the legs but one thing Spencer has this season is good energy in midfield and with great help from the defence, most Canterbury attacks were snuffed out and within seconds the ball was up the other end, peppering the blue goalie. |
Whilst the attack scored the bulk of the Spencer goals, midfield and long-stick defence got in on the goal action too. The solo Canterbury goal was well deserved in the 4th quarter with a bull dodge run from the Canterbury #6 through the Spencer back line. Next weekend the Spencer 3's start a series of four home games, with Maidstone first to visit London. |
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League Results Week 12
No fixtures for Spencer Lacrosse. |
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League Results Week 11
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Spencer 4 - 5 HillcroftWalcountian Blues II 8 - 4 Spencer II |
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League Results Week 10
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Spencer 14 - 2 CardiffSpencer II 19 - 2 BrightonHillcroft A 9 - 5 Spencer III |
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League Results Week 9
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Hitchin 10 - 11 SpencerSpencer's dominance in the first two games of the season had been quite unparalleled, easily sweeping aside Bristol and Welwyn and storming to the top of the table, the Sparrows found themselves with an over-powering yet slightly unproven optimism for the season ahead. Indeed, the following two games saw Spencer tested against more evenly matched teams, Reading and Hampstead, and despite having the ability on the field to win, they struggled to overcome the mental battle to confidently close these games out. Disappointed with what was such a promising start, the team had to look at themselves and start taking things more seriously. Purley were a perfect team to play, below-par at the moment, the Sparrows easily dispatched them 13-0, although a new sense of maturity and confidence was now apparent. The following week against Hampstead in the flags was the crucial test to prove ourselves, and coming out 8-7 winners showed the team what they could do, and most importantly, had to do to win. This is why the game against Hitchin was just so very important. Hitchin were second in the table and full of confidence, Spencer were in the midst of an injury crisis and at in the fragile stages of what had the potential to be a good run of form to close out 2011. Anything other than a win would prematurely end Spencer's revival, and literally draw a close to any trophy-hopes in the league. The teams arrived at Hitchin with a scattering of clouds above-head punctured by low-angled rays of Autumnal sunshine. What looked like perfect conditions was tainted by a 100mph (artistic licence) wind which battered the pitch. Hearing was hard, swerve passes a plenty and everyone had an uneasy nature about them. The game began. Badly. Hitchin's whooping could be heard above the bursts of wind within minutes after one, two then three nicely worked team goals left Spencer's defence like statues. Amongst the many whoops, the Hitchin players could even be heard bragging like it was a 'training game'. Disoriented and looking a bit sheepish, a quick timeout gave the guys a moment to gather their thoughts, put it behind them, and come out with some gusto. An immediate step-change was apparent. Still quite cautious, the Sparrows began to take more control of the midfield with get involved with some gutsy groundball play - especially from Josh and Rob Arnott. The ball came forward with more purpose, and the midfield nicely linked with the Sam and Rob Holmes on the pipes to clear some shooting space from up-top. A quick-step shuffle from Liam and a crisp corner shot got the Sparrows off the board, followed by a nice cut and floating-top-corner-how-did-that-go-in shot from Rob Arnott. Both teams exchanged a couple more goals as the game became more equally balanced, although still extremely open and all-to-play-for, 5-3 at the first quarter. The second quarter continued much as the first had ended. Open, up and down play form both teams made made the game perfect for the spectator. Spencer's defence was getting stronger every minute, working more and more as a unit with Fozzy, Bill and Ant starting to really leverage the familiarity they have built over recent weeks. This gave Hitchin fewer and fewer options, and even by isolating the Spencer short sticks, great body-defence from Josh especially kept the opposition at bay. Both teams traded a goal and there wasn't much separating either from the other. Now face-offs are a funny business. A game within a game if you will. The sticks are generally meant to be placed on the ground parallel to each other, and upright. Nonetheless, there is a bit of opportunistic flex, and most face-offs see one of the players getting away with their own version of the truth - slightly tipping the front end of their stick to give them that extra few millimetres and get over the ball first, for example. Supported by similar mental and verbal trickery, such efforts don't always work, but can certainly help. Quite correctly, it had been pointed out to the referee that Hitchin's number 25 had been trying the classic 'stick-tipping' technique. It was carefully explained to him that this was not allowed, (and indeed kindly supported by physical demonstration using his own stick), however, he did not seem to like this and left the field quite upset. |
Immediately things changed. Intensity arrived and everyone knew this was a game that we needed to play for. Chris 'Quick Draw' Keough used his lightening-fast stick checks to smother the Hitchin possession. Hitchin were starting to take risks and panic. The fluidity and cockyness of the 1st quarter was fading. With increasingly fewer options, the Hitchin team were flinging the ball forward with much less conviction. BOOM! Ant 'Killah' Kirkwood pops out of the grass with a beautifully timed take out, and Spencer begin to dish out the hits. Rob Holmes and Sam Dunwoodie started to go up the gears too, grabbing a couple of goals and growing confidence to move the ball quickly and take on the poles, the Sparrows were opening up more and more space. The second quarter ended 3-3 with the score 8-6, but the momentum had most certainly changed in Spencer's favour. The face-off was becoming more and more successful with Moose 'Go Left' Morrison earning possession and scoring from close-in after a nice move from Sam. What's more, Josh's continued fluid movement and Liam's bursts of speed were starting to tire the Hitchin defence. Great hussle from Liam and... Wait! - Rob Arnott has the ball, an open goal, surely....! Not just yet, but it was coming. Now with Rob Clarke safely arrived and warmed up, it was the last thing Hitchin needed - his power runs causing havoc at the back, and grabbing a well-earned goal. Trailing by one, the game was getting tense. A spell of Hitchin pressure saw chances come and go, with Spencer holding their nerve and staying strong. Finally Bill 'Windows' Fisher cleanly scoops a ground ball and feeds a sprinting Chris Keough into a fast-break. A quick feed to Sam on the restrainer, one step and a thunder-trike into the bottom corner in-off-the-post levels the game at 10 a piece. With just over five on the clock, Hitch call a successful stick-check which sees them go man-up for a minute. Spencer's defence remain impenetrable and hold-out, however Hitchin's possession continues - they look like they want this and battle hard for the ball in midfield. All players and exhausted now and checks are flying all over the place- this sees another man-up for Hitchin, but yet again Spencer keep them at bay. Now, a break up the field for Spencer accompanied by desperate calls for a Time-out as the Sparrows surge across the half way line looking for the winner. The game pauses. Tense. Uncertain. It's all open again. Spencer resume with possession but are quickly turned over as Hitchin race forward in hope of the win. A hurried move from Hitchin, the shot is released and Rick Bone tips wide with a fine save. But the ball is loose and still in play! Rick leaves his crease and desperately flips the ball 10 feet in the air. Time slows down. The ball rising in the air, Hitchin are first to react. The Hitchin attacker anticipates where the ball will land and moves into the space. Rick, out of his goal, panic starts to dawn, and the Hitchin attacker sees the ball fall into his stick, looks up and feeds the oncoming Hitchin midfield who immediately shoots at the goal. Destined for the back of the net, Rick scurries back as the ball passes him and amazingly hits a crouching Fozzy on the goalline. The ball pops free and quickly, Bill scoops and moves the ball onto a bursting Rob Arnott. Hitchin swarm Rob like bees as he strides upfield and pushes the ball onto Sam on the restrainer. More Hitchin players move to Sam to smother Spencer's last-gasp attack. With nowhere to turn Sam sees Rob Holmes on his own at the back post. He nimbly ducks and dives to release a swirling cross-field pass right into Rob's stick. Fake high, fake low, fake high, fake low, GOAL! Spencer take the lead! Spencer show their new-found maturity to hold the game out for the final minute as darkness finally envelopes them. They leave the field victorious, still surrounded by the sound of the howling wind, the Sparrows return towards the clubhouse with Hitchin's earlier whoops and 'training game' cheers now distant memories. Quarter Scores: 5-3 / 8-6 / 9-9 / 10-11 Goals: Rob Holmes 5, Sam Dunwoodie 2, James Morrison, Rob Clarke, Rob Arnott & Liam McGreavy MOM: Rob 'Five Fakes' Holmes DOD: Rob 'Open Goal' Arnott |
Spencer II 11 - 6 CroydonLondon University 7 - 3 Spencer III |
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Flags Results Week 8
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Spencer 8 - 7 Hampstead (Sudden Death Overtime)Sam Dunwoodie's scorching shot as darkness descended gave Spencer a memorable Flags victory over runaway league leaders Hampstead. The teams slugged it out to a standstill in a pulsating game of lacrosse that needed sudden death overtime to find a dramatic winner. There were heroes all over the pitch in a superhuman team effort to nullify the all-round threat from the Men in Black who turned up with just the 17 players this time. Rob Holmes rifled in four goals and Rick Bone was outstanding between the pipes behind a defence that grew in stature as the game progressed. Spencer were struggling for numbers and pressed Liam McGreavy into an attacking role when he should have been resting for another week. Rob Arnott was late and it got worse when Sam was pole-axed in the first quarter and spent the next 30 minutes off the pitch. Hampstead started the brighter and Rick had to perform an agile double save in the first minute as the visitors swept forward. They scored first but Spencer settled, levelled it through Rob Holmes and created a series of chances, which were well blocked by Marc Ferrandino, who was matching Rick save for save. Hampstead went 2-1 up but Dave Crawford grabbed a valuable goal with a deft re-direction of a Josh Dodd shot. That's what he's claiming! The game see-sawed and was more muscle than magic until Liam sprinkled the stardust to dodge two defenders to feed for Holmes' second. A time-out with 15 seconds left in the half allowed Hampstead to create a well-worked move to provide a quick-stick crease finish to make it 3-4 at the half. Spencer turned up the heat in the third and capitalised when the clearing keeper got marooned at the half-way line and was stripped of possession. Holmes then bulleted in a shot that cracked into the net despite a despairing dive from the keeper. Dodd, who battled hard to disrupt Hampstead face off dominance from ex-Bryant centre Jason Gilmartin, put Spencer in the lead for the first team with an angled shot to make it 5-4 and the game and then Keeley hit Strictly Come Dancing form to waltz past two defenders to provide Rob with another. Keeley Ð the Robbie Savage of Earlsfield Ðcontinued his twinkletoed shift to samba through the cover to fashion chances. The game got scrappy put Hampstead's possession was coming up against the Great Wall of Spencer as Fozzy, Ant, Bill, Chris and Ru disrupted their rhythm, won ground balls and treated the crowd to some text book clearing. The intensity cranked up a few notches in the third quarter with harder hits as both teams scrapped for supremacy. Dave got splatted a couple of times but carried on battling. 6-5 to Spencer going into the final quarter but Pete Dunits brought the visitors level with a cute behind the back shot on the crease. The tension started disrupt both teams but Keeley's dancing feet did it again to give the home team a lead with six minutes to go. But Hampstead held their nerve and played good possession lacrosse and Kyle Witt equalised with a minute left. The defence stepped it up in overtime and forced the visitors into outside shooting. Rick's was position perfect as the shots rained in and one clanged off the post in a nail-biting finale. It was almost inky black at the bottom end of the pitch when the crucial moment came. A Hampstead attack was repelled and Bill Fisher won the ground ball, chinked past two hefty challenges and fired off a clearing pass to Will and the ball rapidly found its way to Sam, who had crawled back onto the pitch in third quarter. He dipped his shoulder stepped out to create an angle for a shot that fizzed in and the victory was sealed. Hampstead will lick their wounds and come back strong in the league but Spencer march on to play Reading the semis. Report by Danny Buckland.
Quarter Scores: 1-2 / 3-4 / 6-5 / 7-7 / 7-7 / 7-7 / 8-7
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 Liam McGreavy gets the attention of a Hampstead defender
 Hampstead take man and ball
 Hampstead attacker winds up a shot
 Getting dark in Earlsfield
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Spencer II 7 - 4 Cambridge UniversityMatch report to follow... |
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Hillcroft A 6 - 4 Spencer IIIMatch report to follow... |
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League Results Week 7
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Spencer 6 - 6 Walcountian BluesMatch report to follow... |
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Colchester 1 - 10 Spencer IIMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer III 7- 4 NorthamptonSpencer 3's beat Northampton in a now tradition closely fought and exciting game of lacrosse. Over the past few seasons, both Spencer 3's and the 2's have had epic encounters with Northampton. They might of lost a couple of their better players over the last year or so but they are still dangerous with intelligent off the ball movement and good physicality across their squad. A tight first half saw N'pton edge it 3-2. Spencer had plenty of goal chances, especially earlier on, but too often the final pass was missed, or the shot was rushed. N'pton scored early from long range and made the most of Spencer errors, converting home team midfield lost possession into two goals. Across the pitch the Spencer team appeared sluggish and tentative. Much room for improvement in the second half. Peter Compton swapped referee duties with Rob Gooch for the second half. Coach Compton not only dramatically aged the Spencer attacking trio; Gooch, Mottershead and Byrne were not exactly youngsters to being with, but he crucially brought a bit more structure to the offense. The quartet of teenagers in the 3's (WillB, Gabe, Raph and WillC) have been coached by Peter for years and they all stepped up in the second half and made key contributions. Both Gabe and WillC scored good team goals with all were four winning midfield battles against bigger and stronger opponents. |
Spencer closed out the game by first, keeping better control of the ball, and second, by knowing when to take on an opponent. The 3's have good midfield runners in Patrick, Gavin and Rodney, and the knowledge for when to drive to goal is coming for all three. Such play sucked in the N'pton defence which led to goals finished by Jason plus two individual goals from Patrick. Spencer welcomed back Stevie Schumacher for his first game this season, who needs to stop going away on weekends and get to more games. Overall another all-around improvement for the 3's. A third of the way through the league season and they sit mid-table with a 3-3 record in East Div 2, level on points with N'pton. However the division is following a similar pattern to last season with teams all taking points from each other. Next up is a flags encounter with Hillcroft A. Quarter Scores: 1-2 / 2-3 / 4-3 / 7-4
Spencer 3's were;
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England 2012 Trials
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Trials for selection for the England 2012 European Championships squad have been announced.
Sunday 4th December
Sunday 11th December Those wishing to attend either (or both) sessions must register for the trials at ELA website. The cost is £20 if you register before the end of November, rising to £30 in December and £40 for on-the-day registrations. |
Following the two open trials, roughly 40 players will be chosen to go forward into residential training camps through the winter and spring of 2012. The final squad will be narrowed to 23 players (plus 3-4 reserves) in April. The European championships are being held in Amsterdam between 20th June and 1st July. Queries can be directed to Matt Nugent, the England Men's Lacrosse Team Manager, via 07717327558 or 'm.nugent@me.com'. The England Head Coach is Matt Bagley from Walcountian Blues. |
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League Results Week 6
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Purley 0 - 13 SpencerMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer II 6 - 5 Reading IICould Spencer 2's and Reading 2's start and actually finish a game of lacrosse? I don't know about you readers, but that was literally one of the thoughts in my head as I boarded the train to Earlsfield. This now traditional grudge match was not one that was going to be taken lightly by the men of Spencer, due respect would be paid to the days opposition. Indeed as both sides warmed up the general consensus amongst the Spencer players was that Reading looked 'numerous'. The game started with a line-up where the days referee Pete Compton gave his final instructions to the teams about playing fair and having respect for the referee blah blah blah. I'm unsure if either team was listening. The first quarter began unsuprisingly enough with a face-off. Luke "real men have their gumshields attached to their helmets" Zaparaniuk has had a storming year thus far as FOSO (face off stay on) but had his work cut against a Reading guy who seemed 'handy'. Both teams started in cagey fashion but Reading probably had the best of it forcing some good saves from Rhydian "look that's not your real first name it's Benedict, ok Benedict?" Robinson in the Spencer goal, however at the end of the first quarter Reading had scored twice. At the other end of the field Spencers attack looked like a more cohesive unit this week with Sam "shall we just give you Dick of the Day now or do you want us to go through the formality of voting you for it" Johnson consistently getting the better of his man. The second quarter began with a flurry of goals from the Spencer boys who looked to be growing in confidence. Excellent workrate up front by Doug "sure Sam I don't mind jumping 6 feet of the ground to catch your crap passes" Leapman meant that Reading couldn't relax at any point on the field and a number of goals were created from turnovers. We've been poor on groundballs all season but Saturday was much better and we hope to keep this level of intensity up for the rest of the campaign. Special mention must go the David "run Forest, run" Crawford for his outstanding 40 yard sprint and stick check to stop Reading captain Ash from getting a shot in the dying seconds. |
Half time score: Spencer 5 - Reading 3 The third quarter was frankly a bit boring, it followed this basic pattern - Reading have the ball, Reading try to work a dodge, Reading fail to work a dodge, Reading have the ball, Reading try to work a dodge etc. etc. that being said they did score twice in the quarter with their fourth goal arguably the best one scored by either side all day. I won't go into the details but it did result in the defense receiving a much needed pep talk from Fred "let's be honest, with a name like this you should be in Harry Potter". End of quarter at Spencer were 6-5 up, squeaky bum time? During the break between in quarters it was highlighted that Ash was the main threat and under no circumstances should he be left free to shoot. As you would expect as soon as the game resumed we forgot this and were lucky that he shoot straight at goalie Neil "I'm amazing at clearing the ball, right up until I actually have to pass it that is" White. However the Spencer defense held and we began to dominate position. With a few minutes to go the last Reading attack was broken up by Brendan "contractually signed to Spencer 2's forever" Callan and the ball swiftly transitioned to our attack. Our attack then held the ball for the rest of the game. To be honest the main entertainment for the last 10 minutes of the game was provided by Pete and Ash arguing over the rules and the boundless energy displayed on the clear by John "Tanzmanian Devil" Patten. Final: Spencer 6 - Reading 5 Job done.
Spencer 2's were: Report by Neil White |
Epsom 10 - 5 Spencer IIISpencer 3's let this game slip in the second quarter, shipping 5 goals, which gave Epsom a lead that they could control through most of the second half. The 3's need a few more games together to understand each other's play and keep an offensive shape that can both retain possession and create goalscoring chances. Too often in the first half, and especially in the second quarter, stray passes or low percentage feeds into a crowded crease resulted in turn-overs. However when we passed and moved, the 3's pulled Epsom out of position and if not for a tidy performance from the Epsom goalie, plus at least four golden chances to score, missed, we could of pegged back a couple more of the goals. |
Spencer's 3 second half goals were all well created through good passing and movement, plus accurate finishing from youngster Gabe Barrie. But room for improvement for everyone with decisions for when to pass or, more importantly, when to keep the ball and look for a safer option. Quarter Scores: 2-1 / 7-2 / 8-4 / 10-5
Spencer 3's were;
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League Results Week 5
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Spencer 10 - 11 ReadingMatch report to follow... |
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Buckhurst Hill 3 - 4 Spencer IIVery tense game today which the Spencer 2's won it in last minute over in TOWIE land. |
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East Grinstead II 9 - 6 Spencer IIIMatch report to follow... |
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Flags Results Week 4
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No flags competition preliminary round games involving Spencer teams this week. |
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League Results Week 3
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Spencer 6 - 9 HampsteadMatch report to follow... |
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Spencer II 7 - 15 East GrinsteadMatch report to follow... |
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Oxford University 5 - 9 Spencer IIIMatch report to follow... |
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League Results Week 2
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Welwyn 4 - 15 SpencerDespite the drop in temperature from the previous week, Spencer were hoping to reproduce another red-hot display against Hertfordshire based Welwyn. The Spencer team travelled by a mixture of car and train to arrive at Welwyn who are based at Monks Walk School. As the team warmed up for the game, there were two notable omissions from the starting line-up. First Roo Cheatham was carrying a rugby injury, which was from playing the game, or, kicking the coffee table after the world cup defeat earlier that very morning. Secondly Rick the goalie overslept and missed his lift, which required him to 'borrow' a car to try and get to the game. Liam was provided with regular updates as to his ETA and the rest of the team waited apprehensively and with hope that Rick would make the game on time. As the teams were just about to lock horns in battle a dishevelled Rick strode triumphantly across the field to take his place in goal while also adding, "That car almost didn't make it up the hill, I don't think it'll make it back home". Upon asking where he managed to source a car at such short notice Rick casually replied "I swapped it for my dog". The players were taken aback by the reply, however, now was not the time to pry as the teams lined up for an action packed game. With roughly the same team as last week the confidence was high that a result was well within Spencer's grasp. The game started at a frantic pace with both teams showing their quality and why they are premiership regulars. Welwyn were benefitting from the leadership of their new long-stick LDO and a youthful team, some of whom most likely studied at the school we were playing at. Spencer quickly got on the score sheet and carried on from where they left off last week. The team were passing the ball confidently and clears were swift and controlled. The defence immediately looked at home and Welwyn were finding it hard to break down the experienced South-London side. After an initial shock of conceding a few goals Welwyn knew they needed to quell the Spencer storm. They managed to rouse the troops and put together a swift passing move before scoring the first goal Spencer have conceded this season. Never daunted by a challenge, Spencer continued their pressure but soon realised they had a sterner test than the previous week's opponents Bristol. With unforced errors starting to cause Spencer trouble up front it was arguably the first real test of the season. It was important for the team to retain its composure and stamp some authority on the game. Rick "where is my dog?" Bone was still dwelling on his prospects of getting home and the fate of his dog when he let in a rasping shot from a sixteen year old into the top corner. Despite the momentary lapse he remained solid throughout the day making a number of important saves for the team. Max "I don't use a sun-bed honest" Sandy was causing the opposition real trouble as their midfield struggled to contain his pace or charming good looks, not sure which. He was casually finishing with both hands and running his trademark Sand-storm attack causing mayhem clinically and effectively. At half time the score was an uncomfortable seven to Spencer and three to Welwyn. This was a clear watershed moment for the team and a rousing speech from Liam "too easy" McGreavy and Chris "I rode here on my fix-a-bike" Keough aimed to lift the team to a more commanding position in the game. |
Spencer started the second half with more authority despite still producing unforced errors in the attacking half despite Chris' suggestion at half time that the team stops being so "douche-bag-wanker-cocky". Spencer were often creating moments of genius and other times, well, not. Sam "is one dicketh of the day?" Dunwoodie produced a lovely move from behind the goal to sneak a shot, forcing a good save from the keeper. The resultant rebound was snatched up by Sam as he threw a round the back shot at the goalie which forced another save. The resultant rebound was snatched up by Sam as he threw a round the back shot at the goalie which forced another save. I can assure the reader that the previous paragraph contained no cut-and-paste error and you could be forgiven for feeling a certain element of deja-vu. Sam epitomised the 'at first you don't succeed try, try again' philosophy and cemented his name in Spencer folk-lore with double round the back shots. If he would have scored; hero-status would have prevailed. Instead he managed something monumentally more impressive, snatching the dick-of-the-day title from the hands of Rick "honestly, where the F*** is my dog?" Bone. In the middle of the park Moose "FOSO (face-off-stay-on)" Morrison was having his own personal battle. Welwyn's number 88 was being dominated at face-off and trying every trick in the book to find a way to overcome Moose. He even appropriately tried to 'mount the moose' at one point climbing all over his back. For the second week in a row however Spencer's star face-man won possession endlessly and managed to concede three simultaneous fouls from his face-off ach nemesis. Chris "has anyone seen the lenses for my glasses?" Keough was locked in battle, but not with anyone in particular. The Welwyn team managed to unlock the beast and Chris ran riot with ground-balls, checks and a great all round defensive display. Fozzy "child abuse" Foster was having a solid game in defence carving up a player half his size. He had a number of forays into the opposition's half skilfully deceiving the opposition with fakes and taking players on. Surprisingly though he ended the game without a shot on goal (that I can remember). Alan "Croydon massive" Keeley knew something was wrong last week so made sure he took an obligatory few penalty minutes along with Rob "I didn't touch him" Arnott. The team moved into third gear in the second half and started to take control of the game. Welwyn only managed to score a single goal while Spencer managed to notch up eight. Liam correctly pointed out that the team was more than capable of moving into a fourth gear and could have scored more throughout the game. Overall the commanding victory was testament to Spencer's desire for silverware this season. Credit goes to the whole team with attack, midfield, defence and the goalie all performing well. After the game it was time to head back to the clubhouse for some beers and tasty sausages and focus on next weeks mouth watering top-of-the-table clash with Hampsted. The scorers: James Morrison (1), Max Sandy (4), Rob Holmes (4), Will Walker (3), Sam Dunwoodie (2), Liam McGreavy (1) |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Historically this is where the match report ends. However there was a bigger story here and I'll try and add some clarity to the unanswered questions you've all been wondering: Q: Did Rick's car make it home? A: Nope, after it took about 15 minutes to reach 55mph it broke down on the A1(m) at the junction with a Tesco. It looked like something exploded out of the bottom. Q: Did Rick have a phone to call for assistance? A: Yes but it ran out of battery. Lucky Rob Holmes was watching out for him and gave him a lift back; otherwise he might still be there. Q: Did Rick get his dog back? A: Guess we'll find out next week unless he's swapped it for a new TV. Report by Joe Darkins |
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Spencer 2's 20 - 0 Cambridge UniversityMatch report to follow... |
Spencer 2's were; |
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Maidstone 7 - 2 Spencer 3'sSpencer 3's could not repeat their good performance from last week against Canterbury, losing 7-2 at Maidstone. There was no shortage of effort from both teams in a sometimes physical encounter but with Spencer missing two first choice attack players they were just a little light offensively. Maidstone scored first, a long range shot, in fact all their goals were from range, using the hard pitch to best effect with bounce shots. Spencer's old hand Peter Compton pulled one back in the first quarter but throughout the middle period of the game, Maidstone slowly increased their lead. Chris Jones scored Spencer's second goal midway through the 4th quarter as the visiters finished the game well, but could not create high percentage scoring chances. Plus the Maidstone keeper was having a good day. |
Just like last weekend, Spencer's quartet of young players in their first season with the seniors stood out. Given a few more games to find a rythmn and understanding between our new players and the established regulars, the 3's will improve as the season unfolds. Hit of the day was from Patrick Gorman who ran on from the bench, made an appointment with a Maidstone midfielder running the ball through transition, and delivered, sending the Maidstone player crashing to the ground. For a split second onlookers feared the Maidstone player may be injured but he got up and carried on.
Spencer 3's were;
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League Results Week 1
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Spencer 22 - 0 Bristol BombersAs a tiny sparrow fluttered overhead the Spencer 1st lacrosse team arrived in record breaking sunshine for the first game of the 2011/12 season against Bristol. Following on from the good result at Bath tournament and preseason training, there was only victory in mind against the newly promoted premiership contenders. Spencer this season is looking strong. Fresh from a face-lift over the summer with a sprinkle of new signings to add to the experience and talent already available. Sam Dunwoody, Max Sandy, Rick Bone, Rob Holmes and the LDO Chris Keough all were making Spencer competitive debuts. With a strong line-up the expectation was high and only a victory would sooth the trepidation among the Spencer fans lining the pitch. Spencer started, what could arguably be the hottest game of the year (in both literal and figurative sense) quickly and showing early intent. Bristol responded by displaying why they so easily won promotion to the premiership with solid team play with little in the way of errors. There was not much between the two teams initially as both teams worked out their six months of accumulated rust from the lacrosse wasteland of summer. After the initial period it was quickly evident there was a disparity between the teams in terms of penetration in attack. Spencer started to look decidedly more threatening with a multitude of openings and only the goalkeeper saving Bristol from conceding. The possibility of Spencer scoring started to feel more like a 'when' rather than 'if' at this point. Spencer began hitting their stride and was looking decidedly more robust when they took the lead. The formidable trio of Rob "I think I'm ambidextrous" Holmes, Sam "2x2ft" Dunwoodie and Will "midfield is for losers" Walker were particularly dominating in attack with swift passing and intelligent movement. Spencer continued to score in the first quarter and took a 3 - 0 lead into the second. The quarter time break comprised of the team cramming into the shade behind a cricket sight screen while consuming as much liquid as possible. As the second quarter started, Moose "jockless" Morrison was getting use to the folds in his underwear and started really controlling the face-off. Supported by the endless running of the midfield, Spencer dominated the ground balls and clears were swift and comfortable. Captain Liam "raw chafe" McGreavy led by example throughout the game notching up two goals on the day and causing endless trouble for Bristol. Approaching half time it was only the Bristol keeper maintaining a less imposing score line. The players walked Laurence of Arabia-esque from the pitch at half time to huddle around the sight screen taking a 7 - 0 lead while Josh's dad kindly filled the water bottles for the team. During this break Alan "my kid thinks I'm rubbish at lax" Keeley decided it was a great time to prove his sibling dominance by play fighting. Will emphatically won and Alan cried a little while tapping out on the floor. Or was it the other way round? Also during the half time break, arguably the best player for the opposition, the goal keeper, was warming up an apparent replacement. This was the biggest turning point in the tempo of the game. |
The third quarter started with a quick goal and followed by another nine before the fourth. Fozzy "I only play lacrosse for the beer-pong" Foster strolled across the halfway line with a clinical finish to be one of three long poles on the score sheet for the day. Chris "I don't work for money" Keough and Alan Keeley also got on the score sheet, both scoring on open goals. The defence was showing their solidity by still not conceding a single goal. Rick "are we still playing?" Bone was rarely tested and Bill "where has most of Bill gone?" Fisher and Roo "has he eaten part of Bill?" Cheatham both showing their star qualities in defence and long stick midfield respectively. The midfield were playing a solid game with Max "I'm a little shy" Sandy causing havoc, Joe "not man enough for beer" Darkins, Rob "check out my groupie" Arnott and Josh "tornado shot" Dodd all having solid performances. The change in keeper and a gradual decline in moral in the opposition were evident. By the end of the quarter the score reached and astounding 17 - 0 in favour of the mighty Spencer. In order to quell the onslaught by Spencer the original goalie began uneasily putting his kit back on for the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter began with Moose dominating the face almost single-handed. Spencer, with energy to spare, maintained the pressure on Bristol and wanted to show their intent by not conceding a single goal. Bristol rarely looked like scoring and the game finished with a shut-out defensively. The attack continued their emphatic goal scoring feat by notching another five goals to close the game 22 - 0. The score line surely matched the record braking temperatures and begged the question, is the team solar powered? Josh Dodd scored a goal in the final quarter but without photographic evidence we'll never truly know... As the final whistle sounded by the referee, Bristol looked deflated at their first taste of Premiership lacrosse. Rob Arnott took this moment to skip like a spring fawn over to this girlfriend (fiancŽe?) to show his love with a kiss. Bristol looked on enviously hoping that other teams might show them such unbridled compassion in this demanding league. Overall it was a resounding victory and one that will be forever scribed in SEMLA history. Lets just hope Moose forgets his jock strap every week! Spencer scorers: Sam Dunwoodie (5), Rob Holmes (4), Will Walker (4), Max Sandy (2), Liam McGreavy (2), Alan Keeley (1), Chris Keough (1), Robin Foster (1), Josh Dodd (1), Joe Darkins (1) |
Welwyn 2's 3 - 10 Spencer 2'sThe opening game of the season for Spencers strong second string was a tough looking away trip against a newly promoted Welwyn 2nd team. Pre-game the Spencer squad looked strong on paper however as face-off approached things weren't exactly going to plan. Only 7 brave warriors proudly sporting the maroon jerseys of honour were ready to take the field against the seemingly endless hoards of black and red clad Welwyn. In the seering heat, the first quarter was expected to be an uphill struggle with anything less than 5 conceded to be accepted as 'a decent fist of things'. However a valiant display of endless running from the Spencer short sticks exemplified by Josh Puddle and David Crawford meant that at the end of Q1 the score was 0-0. Could Spencer pull off an unlikely backs to the wall victory? Against seemingly overwhelming odds, the likes of which has not be seen since the Battle of Rourkes Drift, could Spencer do it? The start of the second quarter found Spencer fending off wave after wave of Welwyn attacks. Neil White made a number of one on one saves and long poles Ant Kirkwood, Jasper Jansen and Fred Snowball repeatedly intercepted passes or laid out would be dodgers however with 5 minutes left in the quarter Spencer were 2 goals down. Heads didn't go down though and spirits were raised further by the timely arrival of reinforcements in the form of Bill Parker and Rob Clarke. Soon after the Bill scored 2 in quick succession and it was 2-2 at halftime. In the same way that the French waivered at Waterloo when the Prussians arrived, Welwyns moral was crushed. They had failed to overcome a Spencer rearguard and were now faced with a highly motivated team who knew that they couldn't be beaten on a level playing field. |
The third quarter was all Spencer, goals from Hugh MacTruong, Rob Clarke and Bill Parker opened up a healthy lead. Welwyn weren't finished though and only a fine impersonation of a Welwyn attacker by Ant Kirkwood prevented a fast break from scoring. In the heat of the afternoon, fitness was becoming a telling factor and whilst Welwyn were hassled into giving the ball away on the clear, Spencer had no such problems (although Neil did find himself within shooting distance of a couple of occassions...he found this very strange). At three quarter time Spencer led 6-2. Spencer didn't let up in the 4th, Steve had finally rocked up at this point after a hellish two and a half hour drive (see the Israelites exodus from Egypt for historical similarities) which gave Spencer the luxury of a substitute. Although Welwyn did manage to score a further consolation goal, Spencer never looked like losing and further goals from David Crawford, Hugh and the pick of the bunch from long pole Jasper Jansen on debut allowed Spencer to wrap up and claim a convincing 10-3 victory. With further players still to come in, Spencer 2's look strong, however we must literally remember to turn up!
Spencer 2's were; |
Spencer 3's 11 - 2 Canterbury UniversityA great start for the 3rd team with a clutch of new faces for the 2011/12 season.
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Juniors Autumn Programme
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Our juniors programme re-starts at 9.30am on Sunday 11th September. You can find attached a Programme of our events for the coming Autumn, including Pop Lacrosse, with an outline of the Spring 2012 events as well. There ’s a lot going on, especially with our trip to the USA for the u13/u14 group getting closer - and we may still be asked to squeeze in a couple of additional events. |
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Match Report: Spencer 14 - 4 LaxAllStars
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With a Spencer + Guests (from here known as 'London') squad pretty much as listed in the preview posting last month we welcomed the LaxAllStars to London to show them how we roll in the UK and the joys of our summer climate. The youthful LaxAllStars team and their two player coaches looked the business and dominated the first 5 minutes of play with fast paced lacrosse, which seemed to take the older and more experienced London squad a little by surprise. All that was missing was finding the back of the net.
Read an interview with LaxAllStars coaches, Mike and Peter, that gives the background to this event. London got into their game with two rapid fire goals from Spencer's William Walker that started the ball rolling followed by one from Blues and England star Matt Bagley. A superb team goal finished by Spencer Smith pulled one back for the LaxAllStars. Then the heavens opened with short bursts of heavy rain, followed by wind, the odd moment of sunshine, then rain again - i.e. typical UK summertime weather. The more experienced London team started to play to their strengths, using more physical power and presence to win the midfield battle and game know-how to pull the well drilled Americans out of shape to set-up good percentage inside shooting chances. The London lead grew during the 2nd and 3rd quarter but the LaxAllStars never tired and if not for excellent goalkeeping by Eamon Poller in the 1st half and Conrad Olson in the 2nd, they could of doubled, or more, their goal tally. At the other end the LaxAllStars goalie was also playing extremely well - as were their entire team. London's 3rd quarter 5-0 return effectively sealed the game. LaxAllStars' Jake Noble scored their 4th goal late in the game to make the final score 14-4 to the host team. Two quick mentions to Spencer players who are not with us for coming season. Conrad Olson is moving to Vancouver while Bill Fisher (exam results permitting) is heading up to Manchester University to play lacrosse and study for a geography degree. Both players will be missed by the 1st team. |
Quarter Scores: 3-1 / 6-3 / 11-3 / 14-4 London Scorers: #3 Steve McDermott (4 goals), #9 William Walker (2), #37 Dave Cluney (2), #17 Matt Birkett (2), #11 Dave Howie (1), #20 Rob Clarke (1), Matt Bagley (1) & #8 Pete Ross (1) LaxAllStars Scorers: #88 Spencer Smith (3 goals) & #21 Jake Noble (1) Game PhotosGame photos to follow... The London Squad
From Spencer Lacrosse (left to right):
Rob Arnott,
William Walker,
Conrad Olson,
Joe Darkins,
Rob Clarke,
Liam McGreavy,
Bill Fisher,
Roo Cheatham &
Alan Keeley (not pictured)
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Preview: Spencer vs American 'AllStars'
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Sunday 7th August, 1:30pm
The opposition for the 'AllStars' will be an invited team comprising of Spencer 1st team players plus friends and guests from other southern Premier Division clubs. The on-pitch standard should be high so the invitation goes out to all Spencer members, friends and family to come down and watch the game. The schedule face-off is 1:30pm on the Spencer astro pitch, followed by food and drinks in the Spencer bar after the game. |
Provisional Spencer + Guests Squad
G. Conrad Olson (Spencer) |
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Talbot come to Town
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Our Junior Lacrosse exchange programme exploded into life again on Saturday 2nd July with the arrival of Talbot Lacrosse U13s from Easton, Maryland USA - after a much delayed flight into Heathrow from Philadelphia and then a lost equipment bag (flown to Atlanta, then later Canada then lost altogether!). The twenty five strong group of players, coaches and chaperones were led by old friends Connie Alderfer and Irv Phillips. From a lacrosse point of view, our guests were pretty successful - winning a tournament at Reading, where they just beat a Stockport team in the Championship Game. Talbot then went on to record wins against Portsmouth Pythons, Walcountian Blues teams and finally, our own u13 group. |
Hosting-wise, we put them through a pretty relentless schedule of events and sightseeing. After a warm welcome hosted by the excellent Lorna and Bruce (who can forget Agnes's potato salad and the home grown sticky toffee pudding), the trip began with a 'Duck's Eye' view of London with the City's history explained by a long nosed tour guide. Places visited during Talbot's stay included Portsmouth D-Day Museum, Bodiam Castle, The Seven Sisters (in fact only one and a half because the tide was 'in'), The Tower of London, The London Dungeon, Greenwich for the Prime Meridian, the Maritime Museum and the Water Bus to Westminster, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Changing the Guard and programme closed with a ride on The London Eye. |
 
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In between all this, and with help from Sarah N, the tour party went to see 'Shrek the Musical' ...... and those with any energy left joined Steve J on a trip down to Winchester, Salisbury and Stonehenge on the last Saturday - with Steve leaving Irv, Tracy and Colin trotting purposefully after the bus (they caught up in Winchester with the help of South West Trains). Katherine and Ian hosted our farewell evening - and then Talbot were on their way home - wooosh - and where did that time go? Connie has advised safe arrival back in Easton. |
From a hosting perspective - it was excellent. I know that all the hosts really enjoyed the experience and made a lot of new friends - tribute to our excellent guests and it never ceases to amaze me how two groups of kids can become instant, old friends - it certainly happened again. From what I can tell, Talbot had a great time - I hope they did. Our return visit to Easton is scheduled for Easter 2012. Our team looking forward to it already......
Peter Compton |
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Spencer welcomes Talbot Lacrosse
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Spencer again welcomes Talbot Lacrosse from the USA to play a series of junior games with Spencer and other southern-based clubs. Spencer U13's vs Talbot, Friday 8th July, 6:30pm on the Spencer astro. Spencer Mixed vs Talbot Mixed, Sunday 11th July, 4pm on the Spencer astro. |
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For all previous news articles, see the club News Archive page.
Many thanks to Jon Harrop who travelled to London to referee the game, plus the Spencer volunteers of Rob Gooch (assistant referee), Luke Zaparaniuk (CBO) and Peter Compton (pitch preparation). Behind every enjoyable lacrosse game are volunteers without whom these events won't happen.
