Create your own site

2012 Game Articles

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Cranx start season 6-2
 
 
 
                                                                                                                        
 
Left to right:  Ben McCarthy, Matt Hoffman, Tajh Russell, Nick Hedge
 
Joe Martin, Jim Crean
(photos courtesy of Joe Nassar.  More in the Photo Albums section)
 
 
*                        *                        *                        *                        *
Cranx Record Now at 6-2
Team members weigh in on the season
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 8, 2012
 
       The Westfield Cranx have compiled a record of 6-2 thus far into the season, and despite their recent loss to Wilbraham last week, Team Cranx is once again where it seems to always be this time of year--right in the mix as a formidable playoff team.
 
     Westfield's losses have come against second place Herb's (7-1) and last year's PVLL champion Wilbraham (5-2) by scores of 6-5 and 10-8 respectively.  With three of Westfield's four remaining regular season games to be played at home, the Cranx are optimistic of their chances come playoff time.  But it will hardly be an easy road.  Upcoming opponents include an always tough Shocker team and first place and undefeated Simsbury Rip It (7-0).  
 
     "It's gonna be a tough row to hoe" said Cranx defenseman Rich Borsari recently from the atmospheric Collin's Tavern following the Cranx 21-1 domination of Franklin County last week.  "But we're in good shape.  I think we have a decent shot at the championship."
     Across the table from Borsari, a perplexed Joe Martin added, "I don't know anything about hoes, but I think when we click on all cylinders, we're a real good team.  Our defense is awesome, probably the best in the league.  And we have a lot of different guys who can score, not just a couple."
    
     One of those guys is attackman and fourth year player Matt Perry (pictured left, with Borsari).  Between record setting consumption of 16 ounce beers expanding his belly size by the minute, the master storyteller spoke about the team's championship chances.
     "It comes down to this...Are you going to come out fighting with anger, heart, and toughness like a honey badger who just doesn't care about getting bitten or stung once in awhile?  Or are you gonna step onto the field with pink nail polish on and matching panties under your game shorts?  For me, I've always preferred boxer briefs with a hornet's nest stuffed in my rocket pocket.  That's all I have to say about that."
 
     The Cranx once again pose arguably the best defense in the league.  With veteran Matt Hoffman once again excelling between the pipes, longpole artists Mike Piccin, Nick Allegretti, and Borsari are bolstered with depth coming from Ethan Nassar and AJ Lolonde.  Per usual, Westfield's defense once again leads the PVLL in goals against average (4.2).
 
     The on-again, off-again offense for Team Cranx has been a dilemma thus far.  Westfield leads the league in scoring with 14 goals per game average.  However in their two losses they scored only 13 total.  Andy Liptak and JT Hoyt along with face-off specialist Martin again lead the way at midfield for the Cranx, with Matt Lacroix and Ben McCarthy lapping up ground balls, pummeling opponents, and doing the dirty work on the fly.
     Joining Perry at attack are second year Cranxman Eddie Burke and Justin Bard.  High school All-American Bard is back after a three year hiatus from the team while training and serving our country.
 
     Back at Collin's Tavern, the boys talked about the team and ended up dismantling the definition of metaphor.
     "Our team is a lot like this pitcher of beer" says Anthony Dimaio while topping off his teammates glasses.  "Sometimes we're full and there's lots of rejoicing.  But then sometimes the pitcher gets empty and that's a bad thing.  'Cause then we need more beer.  And we need more goals sometimes too."
     "Nah, the Cranx team is like a box of chocolates" says Borsari.  "You never know what time the train's coming in"
     "You two both are way off base" said Perry.  'We're just like this cozy little bar that sells guns during the day and serves beer at night.  We shoot 'em up during the season and pound 'em down when the season's over.  And sometimes we pound 'em down before the season....and sometimes during the season too.  Definitely during the season.  Hell, yahhh...giddy-up!"  
    
*                                             *                                             *                                             *
 
 
 
CRANX DOMINATION
Westfield's week:  Cranx beat East Longmeadow 20-6 and Shocker 20-4 to raise record to 8-2
 
 
AJ Lalonde           Dan Balboni
Joe Martin
John Funaro           Jim Crean
 
 
*                         *                        *                        *