News

2008 Legends Lacrosse on the Field in Florida Once Again

By Steve Corrigan ’74.5 and Pete Lee ’65

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The OWU Lacrosse Legends teams, Grand Masters (GM – 45+ age group) and Super Grand Masters (SGM – 50+ age group,) took to the field once more to compete in the 7th Annual Florida Lacrosse Classic wearing the “Red & Black.” 14 Bishop Alumni decided to play in both divisions for “The Legends” (silly old guys) which resulted in the Grand Masters Team having 18 players on the roster and the Super Grand Masters bulking up their numbers with a total of 28 players. Two “Legends” players took to the field at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and competed with other lacrosse geezers in the “60+ Past Masters Game”—some wild and crazy guys!

In the GM Division, after a slow, slower and really slow start we managed to win one of the GM games. We lost to Connecticut Valley Lacrosse Club (CVLC – ranked 9th) at the start of the weekend by a score of 10-1. When you consider how we played against them last year, this year’s outing was an improvement. By the way, CVLC knocked off the Long Island Jesters 8-1. The good news is that there are two OWU Alums on that team (Charlie Hartigan ’77 and Tom Gilday ’82.) Thank goodness Charlie didn’t score on us this time with that behind the back shot which went wide of the goal, and we managed to hold Thom Gilday to only one goal.

Game two had the GM Legends facing this year’s ultimate tournament winners the Slo Mos (ranked 5th), by the final score of 12-0. The good news was that they opened the tournament against CRS with a 15-0 start.  At the end of Friday’s games we were ranked 16th overall in the GM division, behind Jesters and in front of the Touch of Grey, Hounds, XLaxman, and CRS. We were ranked 10 coming into the tourney and in the toughest division of two divisions in the Grand Masters.

On Saturday, game three was our closest to date with High Peaks toppling us by a score of 10-6. It was our best game of the tournament in the GM division and showing of our ability to work together as a team. Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., after a great post-game tailgate party on Saturday, and the obligatory post game dinner fueled with liquid carbs, (we should always play early) we won our first GM game of the weekend against the Eagles 4-3 finishing the tourney 15th overall. The bottom line was that we scored 11 goals in four games and our opponents tallied 35 against our combined defensive effort at midfield and long poles. Bobby Liegner and Jon Weston did a great job for us in the cage and we wish we could have given both of them much more offensive punch during those games.

Our SGM Team was a tad different than the GM Team.  Our 6-5 overtime sudden-death win against the Paladins ended our first day on a very positive note. That last goal by Harry was sweet!  Saturday afternoon’s game added our first loss in what should have been a clean win against the US Stars 6-8. Vindication came later that afternoon with our largest margin of victory of the week, a 7-1 win against the Grey Peaks. At the end of the day we were ranked 4th and in contention to win the SGM Championship once again as we did in 2005.  Alas, it was not to be as Mr. Boh took us down by a score of 4-7, with Honorary OWU Alumnus, Steve “Fatty” Aubrey in the goal for the Mr. Boh team. They won the tourney that day and we went on to play very poorly in the consolation game, the last game of the weekend (game 9 for most of us) against the Cloud splitters by a final score of 5-6. The good news is we were up by two goals during the first quarter, down by 1 at the half, down by 3 during the fourth and came back to within one goal of tying the game when the clock ran out. All in all, it was a great effort. For the record, we score a total of 28 goals against 27 from our opposition in the SGM Division and ended in 4th place.

On a more serious note, tailgating makes the OWU Legends the “preferred team” at most events. As simple as these events are, they share a magnetic attraction for those competing in the tournament—just as lacrosse draws us toward one another. Richie Barbar, one of the organizers of the Florida event said, and we quote; “If you need to find me, I’ll be at the OWU tailgate, wherever it is.” Now we don’t attempt to say that we party better than anyone else, nor do we make any assumptions that we have “skills” beyond those of other teams. We really can’t put our finger on it, but we can take the trunk of an 86 year old woman’s 2003 Toyota Corolla (Corrigan’s Mom’s car) and convert it into a ballroom of activity as well as secondary population base for the City of Weston, then—go figure!  Maybe “The Legends” should change our motto from, “We may not be good—we’re slow” to “Hey, we got beer!”

With the end of a great week and tournament, it was difficult to fathom but “The OWU Legends” actually had rookies on the team. One such “rookie” was Jerry Lynott (Gettysburg). Seldom do you get a true “rook” like Jerry; he never played the game until he was in his late 40’s and played with “The Legends” in his first tournament this past summer in Lake Placid and scored the winning goal in the sudden-death overtime period versus Denison in the opening SGM game of the tournament.  This past summer George Conrades (Class of 1961) took the role as the 69 year old “rookie” in the Lake Placid Tournament, and he stepped up his game in the Florida. Tell us that isn’t a tad twisted but great to welcome both of them and others to “The Legends” fold.

What can we say but thank you to all of “The Legends” for contributing their sweat, time, and humor to the week’s event. As you all know, the lacrosse alumni at OWU, “The Legends,” past and present, appreciate having a team of individuals like the current roster.  It’s all of our team and we are happy to have each of you as part of this great group of people. Thanks so much for making us whole. Now go put a stick in your hands, and if your OWU lacrosse alumni soul is rekindled by this story, contact Steve Corrigan (stevecorrigan2@hotmail.com) and sign-up now for the 2008 Summit Lacrosse Tournament, Lake Placid, NY, August 6-10, 2008. Remember: Be Somebody – Be A Legend!”