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~  2008 Cranx  ~
Article Archive  
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Cranx Fall to Glastonbury in PVLL Playoffs 9-3

                        Chris Roberts scores against Glastonbury  (photo courtesy of George Skovera)
 
Westfield Finishes 2008 Season at 7-7
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 24, 2008
 
     (Somers, CT)  Long has the term "It's a game of inches" invariably played a role in every sport ever invented.  Add that sentiment to the Westfield Cranx 2008 season, and it flourishes with truthfulness coupled with disappointment.  Three of the Cranx regular season losses went right down to the wire, resulting in three one-goal losses.  The average losing margin per game of the regular season was just over two goals.  Add the immeasurable and unofficial statistic that Westfield led the Pioneer Valley Lacrosse League in shots ringing off the post, and one could say that Team Cranx had a tough go of it this year. 

     The lacrosse game of inches shown Thursday night, as the visiting #7 seeded Cranx lost in the PVLL quarterfinal to #2 seeded Glastonbury by the score of 9-3.  In a game that had much in it: hitting, penalties, hard-nosed defense, great goaltending, poor opponent sportsmanship, fighting... What it didn’t have from Westfield’s side was a lot of scoring.  “We’ve struggled putting the ball in the net all season, and tonight was no different” said player/coach Chris Roberts.  Glastonbury’s pressure defense made it difficult for the Cranx to get good scoring looks all game.  And once again, several good shots that hit the pipes, or were nicely saved didn’t help the Cranx cause either.

     In the first quarter alone, Westfield shots hit the pipe three times.  Back and forth stalemate action opened the game, highlighted by a couple terrific saves by Cranx goalie Matt Hoffman.  Topping that was the beginning of the home team’s total lack of class. Adam Cherry went fighting for a loose ball against a defender and the goalie.  Cherry was intentionally slashed in the neck by the goaltender, who then piled on Cherry.  More classless shoving and taunting by other Glastonbury players continued  after the whistle blew, and when Cherry and Roberts refused to go to their separate corner, Glastonbury goaltender, Scott Whiner continued his childish rants. 
     Then from out of nowhere, a Glastonbury thug wound up and punched Roberts in the head.  After calm was (slightly) restored a few minutes later, the thug was ejected from the game, and goaltender Whiner was called for a penalty.  That didn’t stop Whiner from  trash talking and complaining (all game long).  “Why is he ejected?  What about them?" The goaltender ridiculously questioned, before mockingly adding, “So what…I don’t have to serve a penalty.”  PVLL rules state that a goaltender incurring a penalty need not serve it himself, basically giving someone like Whiner free reign when it comes to playing the game illegally.
     Unfortunately for Team Cranx, this man-up was the first of eight extra man opportunities where the Cranx failed to score.  A pipe hit by Roberts followed by a saved Adam Liptak shot was all that was attempted during this 3-minute EMO before Glastonbury killed it.  Both Cherry and John Funaro later hit the pipe on shots in the first quarter, before Roberts opened up the scoring on a wrap around shot out of X (captured above) to give Westfield the lead 1-0.  Glastonbury scored with 2:10 to go in the quarter to close out the first with a tied 1-1 contest.

     “We were right there with them” said Hoffman, who finished with 14 saves.  “Our defense was playing really well, keeping us in it.  Even at halftime we were confident we could win.”  With Cherry and Roberts being shut off and double-teamed most of the second quarter, Westfield struggled to get good looks.  Glastonbury would score twice to send the game into halftime up 3-1.

     Westfield’s offensive struggles continued though after halftime.  Glastonbury would find the back of the net three times in the third quarter while the Cranx were shut out again.  Not that chances weren’t there.  A fourth pipe shot, and four solid saves in the quarter by Whiner thwarted the visitor’s offensive attack.  And once again, Whiner played a part in perpetuating the  unsportsmanship of the home team.  After Cherry fought for possession of a loose ball and headed for a one-on-one play against the goalie, Whiner literally tackled him to the ground before Cherry was able to establish an angle for a shot.  A penalty was called, allowing Whiner to again remain in the game to face a man-down situation instead of facing the zero chance at stopping Cherry’s shot. 
     “That play says it all” said Funaro about Whiner’s tactic.  “When you compromise the integrity of the game by doing something like that, all the while trying to incite the other guy into retaliating, there’s just no excuse.”  Cherry was less diplomatic in his assessment:  “The guy’s a punk.  A total (bleep).  A jerk like him shouldn’t be allowed to play in this league.”  Again Westfield failed to capitalize on the ensuing and two more EMO opportunities.  The defensive play led by Nick Allegretti, Geoff Moore, and Todd Young did their part against a potent Glastonbury offense.  Still, Glastonbury took a 6-1 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
                                 Mike Burque defending   (photo courtesy of George Skovera)
    
     Cherry converted for a goal at the 11:25 mark of the fourth quarter to make the game 7-2.  That deficit was bumped up to 9-2 within a few minutes.  Midfielder Anthony Dimaio would score the final Cranx tally on a nice circle, dodge, & shoot goal coming from behind the net to close out the scoring, and close out the game, 9-3.
     In other quarterfinal action, #1 Simsbury Rip It beat #8 Franklin County 19-4, #3 Shocker beat #6 South Hadley 20-5, and # 5 Wilbraham edged #4 Tastee Treat 5-4.

     “All things considered, we had a pretty good season” said Roberts, who was named the 2008 PVLL General Manager of the Year.   “Considering we lost our top two scoring midfielders (Justin Bard and Zach Sondrini) and had several rookies and high school players logging lots of minutes, I think we did okay.  We’ll get better as these guys gain more experience.”  Recent high school grads Andy Liptak, Dan Bogdan, Drew Shea, Tahj Russell, Joe Martin, and high school junior TJ Hoyt made up a majority of the Cranx midfield.  Even though Team Cranx lost all-star veteran Chris Paige, the strength all season long was its defense.  As Hoffman said after the game, “I think this is the best defense we’ve had since I’ve been here.  Everybody’s improved, Geoff, Rich (Borsari), Ansel (Garvey).  Add Allegretti and we’re pretty tough at D.”

     Westfield closes out the ‘08 season with a record of 7-7.  Looking ahead to 2009, the Cranx appear to have a solid foundation to take a giant leap forward, and a giant leap in the PVLL standings.  With additional player experience and a few new recruits, expect the ’09 Cranx to be back in the thick of the PVLL race.  In the meantime, the top two PVLL leaders in shots hitting the pipes, Cherry and Roberts, will be further honing their craft of shooting.  And hopefully season 2008’s game of inches will become season 2009’s game of finishes. 
 
Westfield       1   0   0   2
Glastonbury   1   2   3   3
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:  Cherry, Roberts, Dimaio
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman  14
                 CRANX CORNER
Westfield has lost in the PVLL quarterfinals for the second straight year..... Cranx fans making the trip to Somers totaled 14, including five from Geoff Moore's fanclub..... Robo believes MLL scouts read the Cranx website closely.....The Reminder photographer George Skovera shot the game.  Pictures are scheduled to be published in the Metro West Reminder on August 6th..... Slightly less professional pics of the game shot by Krissy can be found in the Photo Albums section..... A final thank you goes out to Doug Moore, who tracked game stats all season long, making Buck Naeked's articles possible..... Stay tuned to westfieldcranx.com all year long for alumni game information, future past & present player updates, new photos, and all things Cranx. 
 
 
 
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Cranx beat East Longmeadow 17-9
Westfield finishes regular season at 7-6
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 17, 2008
 
   (East Longmeadow)  Now, on to the playoffs.  The Westfield Cranx visited the East Longmeadow Killer Bees Thursday night, looking to close out the regular season on a high note and an easy win.  The Killer Bees, however, were not planning on going gently into that good night.  They outplayed the Cranx for much of the game, fully utilizing what is meant by the term “home field advantage”.  Playing on a field small enough where the flatulence of Cranx goalie Ryan Dietert could be detected by teammate Adam Cherry playing at the attack position, East Longmeadow (2-10) made a game of it.  At halftime the score was tied 5-5, and again at 7-7 in the third quarter.  It wasn’t until John Funaro’s goal midway into the third that Westfield took its first lead of the game at 8-7.  From there, Team Cranx outscored the Killer Bees nine goals to two the rest of the way for the 17-9 win.

     “We knew going in that we were a heavy favorite” said player/coach Chris Roberts.  “So we mixed up the lineup.  We wanted to have some fun.”  That mixed-up lineup included starting goalie Matt Hoffman playing attack, attackman Roberts playing defense, and midfielder Anthony Dimaio playing longpole.  But it wasn’t the position changes that caused Westfield to struggle for much of the game.  It was the small size of the field.  “It was like playing on half a field,” said Roberts.  “After a clear you’d turn around to either shoot or get hit.  My backyard lawn jarts area is bigger than that field.”

     Nonetheless, the Cranx were able to persevere to get the W, and solidify their post-season spot.  As the #7 seed for the PVLL playoffs, Westfield will play #2 seed Glastonbury (11-1), which lost to Simsbury (12-0) 12-11 in a battle of the unbeatens Thursday night.  The quarterfinal game will be played on Thursday, July 24 at Pinney Field in Somers, CT.  Westfield lost to Glastonbury 12-10 in their regular season match-up.

     Cherry’s four goals and one assist, and Joe “Panther” Martin’s three goals and two assists led the Cranx in the scoring department against East Longmeadow.  Contributing with two goals apiece were Tahj Russell (two assists), Paul Fenwick, and Roberts.  Anchoring the defensive side of the ball was Dave Metcalf and Ansel "Red Beard" Garvey (pictured).  Cranx longpole midfielder Jim Crean scored his second goal in as many games for the visitors.
     Westfield closes out the regular season at a clip of  7-6, a game down from last year’s 8-5 record.  Last season, the Cranx were beaten by Shocker in the quarterfinals, who eventually lost to Glastonbury in the championship game.
 
Westfield              3   2   6   6
E. Longmeadow   3   2   3   1 
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Cherry 4, Martin 3, Russell 2, Fenwick 2, Roberts 2, Crean, Liptak, Funaro, Jefferson
Assists:  Russell 2, Martin 2, Cherry
 
Goalie Saves
Dietert 6, Hoffman 4
 
  CRANX CORNER
Dimaio won all four of his faceoffs with a longpole..... Highlights of Robo's verbal fight with the EL goalie included Robo's "meathead" response to the goalie's "old man" taunts..... Highlights of the post game party at The Still included the MLL All-Star game on the tv and Burkee milking his injuries for bartender sympathy..... Andy Liptak and JT Hoyt (Westfield), Panther (Cathedral), & Tahj Russell (Agawam) were recently named to the All-Western Mass team
 
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Simsbury Rips Cranx 11-8
Westfield drops to 6-6
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 15, 2008
  
   (Westfield)  First-place and undefeated Simsbury Rip It came to town Tuesday night, in a game that turned out to be the final home game of the 2008 season for the Westfield Cranx.  The Cranx put forth an admirable effort against the PVLL powerhouse, but ended up falling short by a score of 11-8.
     The loss drops Westfield’s record to 6-6, while Simsbury improved to 11-0.  With one regular season game remaining, Team Cranx have already secured a playoff spot, with a first round game to be played on the road next week at Pinney Field in Somers, CT.
 
     Things began well for Westfield.  Goalie Matt Hoffman--still on a high from his wedding four days earlier--made three highlight saves in the first quarter to give the upset-minded Cranx the edge to start the game.  Attackman Adam Cherry drew a double team and fed John Funaro for the team’s first goal.  Three minutes later, midfielder Tahj Russell converted a clear into an unsettled goal by Cherry to give Westfield an early 2-0 lead.  Simsbury would answer with two goals of their own to close out the first quarter with the game tied 2-2.
     Rip It extended the lead in the second, with two straight goals before Jeff Ringer tallied off an assist by Drew Shea to make the score 4-3 in favor of the visitors.  Unfortunately for Team Cranx, that one goal deficit would never be overturned, and would only increase.  Westfield became stale offensively, struggling to eliminate bad passes, poor shooting, and too many pipe shots (5).  The defense, led by Rich Borsari (pictured top) and Nick Allegretti, did a terrific job in keeping the Cranx close, but the Simsbury offense, first in the league in goals per game (16), won the battle between the two offenses.
 
 
Andy Liptak                             Nick Allegretti & Matt Hoffman

     Simsbury led at the half 5-3, and outscored Westfield four goals to one in the third quarter, with Cherry picking up a rebounded shot for the lone Cranx score.  With a 9-4 deficit going into the fourth, Westfield was still not ready to pack it in.  Chris Roberts tickled the twine off a Funaro assist on an extra-man opportunity.  Two minutes later, the attackman connected for another goal, this time when Borsari created a fastbreak, found Kevin Clark, who found Roberts, who found the back of the net, making the score 9-6.  But back-to-back Rip It goals extended their lead to 11-6 with under six minutes to play.  Cherry’s third goal of the game, followed by longpole Jim Crean’s goal closed out the scoring, and closed out the game with the 11-8 Simsbury win.

     “We put out a good game, we just always seem to hit a bad stretch of roadblock in every loss we’ve had” said Hoffman (12 saves).  “By the time we recover, it’s always too little, too late.”  Each of Westfield’s six losses have been by an average of just over two goals per game. 

     The Cranx travel to East Longmeadow (2-9) Thursday, and if they win that game, their seed for the PVLL playoffs will be #7 (out of 8).  This would make their first round opponent the #2 seed, either Simsbury or Glastonbury.   
 
Simsbury      2   3   4   2
Westfield      2   1   1   4
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:    Cherry 3, Roberts 2, Funaro, Ringer, Crean
Assists:  Cherry, Russell, Shea, Funaro, Clark
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 12
CRANX CORNER
A season high crowd of 48 attended the game..... Hometown referee Joe Nassar claims the game was the last of his career..... After this Thursday's game, the Cranx are idle until the PVLL playoffs..... The Cranx will play the loser of Thursday's Simsbury/Glastonbury game in round one of the PVLL playoffs next Thursday..... Photographer Ron Craig was shooting the game.  Pics will be posted at a later date..... Pics above are courtesy of Ron..... A special thanks to all those who operated the scoreboard this season, and to Mr. Moore who kept the stats each game.
 
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Cranx Beat Tolland 10-3
Westfield's rookies lead the way
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 10, 2008
 
     (Somers, CT)  The Westfield Cranx returned to the road Thursday night and had little trouble defeating first year PVLL team Tolland by the score of 10-3.  The win is the third in the last four games for the Cranx, as they upped their record past the .500 threshold to 6-5.  Westfield has two regular season games remaining next week, including a home game against undefeated and first place Simsbury Rip It.
     Against Tolland, Team Cranx was led in the scoring department by four rookies, who accounted for seven of the team’s ten goals.  Jeff Baillargeon (3 goals) Tahj Russell (2 goals), JT Hoyt (2goals), and Andy Liptak (2 assists) paved the way for Westfield, who scored early and often, and were never threatened. 
 
     Four straight goals were scored by Westfield in the first quarter, making the game 4-0 after only seven minutes of play.  Two goals by Russell and one each by Hoyt and Rich Borsari got things rolling for the visitors.  Tolland answered with a goal to make it 4-1, but that was quickly answered by goals by Baillargeon and Joe “Panther” Martin (2 assists).  After one quarter the Cranx were out in front 6-2.  Paul Fenwick’s second quarter goal brought the halftime score to 7-2.
    
     “We had things well in control” said attackman Adam Cherry, who sat out the game due to a calf injury suffered in Tuesday’s loss against Mad Dawg.  “Ryan Dietert (10 saves) was making some good saves in goal, and everybody was contributing on offense…everybody except Robo.”
     Robo (Chris Roberts) struggled to put the ball in the net, as Tolland’s high school quality defense and current Tolland and long-ago former Cranx goalie Rich Harrigan restricted the attackman to zero points on nine shots.
    
     The third quarter was played to a 1-1 stalemate, and Baillargeon’s two goals were the only tallies scored in the final period to finalize the score at 10-3 and give Westfield the win.  With his three goal output, Baillargeon may have played his final game of the 2008 season.  The Senior Army NCO Advisor (pictured) left the next morning for the Middle East to help in the training of US Army officers.  He will return the day after Westfield's first playoff game.  
    
     “Tolland’s a new, young team” said player/coach Roberts.  “As much as you want to play ‘one game at a time’, it was hard not to look beyond this game.  Next Tuesday's game (against Simsbury) is where we’re focused.  It will definitely be a huge game if we win.”  Throughout the game, the Cranx players couldn’t help sneaking looks at the Simsbury/Shocker game being played on the adjacent field.  Simsbury (10-0) beat Shocker (8-2) by a score of 13-11. 
     "In order to even have a chance" said Robo, "we're gonna' have to play an A-plus game.  And we need Hoff to play out of his mind."  Starting goalie Matt Hoffman ("Hoff") was attending his wedding rehearsal Tuesday night and did not play.  He will return for the Simsbury game.  Asked why Dietert didn't earn the starting job after his terrific play in net against Tolland, Robo responded, "He did...(Thursday) against East Longmeadow (2-8)."
 
Westfield     6     1     1     2
Tolland        2     0     1     0
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Baillargeon 3, Russell 2, Hoyt 2, Borsari, Martin, Fenwick
Assists:  Liptak 2, Martin 2
 
Goalie Saves
Dietert 10
CRANX CORNER
A season low of Cranx fans made the away trip to Somers (3)..... Tolland goalie Rich Harrigan played with the same (20+ yr old) helmet and goalie stick he played with as a Crank..... An estimated 13 dogs pervaded the Pinney Field grounds..... The number "7" on Borsari's helmet is now visible..... With Fenwick, Baillargeon, and John Funaro all on the field at the same time, the average age at attack was 44..... At the time of this writing, Hoffman is no doubt perspiring profusely as his beautiful bride-to-be Katelyn is walking down the aisle toward him.    
 
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Cranx tame Mad Dawg 12-7
Spagnoli a motivational spark
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 8, 2008
 
   (Westfield) The Westfield Cranx overcame a sluggish start against Mad Dawg of Connecticut Tuesday night, to pull away en route to a convincing 12-7 victory. 
    
     The visitors started out quickly, scoring the game's first two goals in the opening three minutes for a 2-0 lead.  Westfield responded, and responded in a big way after that, scoring eight unanswered goals over the first three periods, and coasting the rest of the way.  Adam Cherry (pictured) scored back-to-back goals to get things going for Team Cranx and tie the score at 2-2.  Later, Andy Liptak managed to rebound his own shot off the crossbar to put one in the back of the net to give Westfield the lead.
    
     Chris Roberts tallied coming from behind X to open up the second quarter scoring, and followed that with an assist to John Funaro three minutes later to increase the Cranx lead to 5-2.  After several minutes of back and forth action, longpole Ansel "Red Beard" Garvey corralled a loose ball in his defensive end and launched a fifty yard moon-pass into the offensive box.  The perfect toss carried just over a Mad Dawg defenseman's reach and into Funaro's stick, who promptly stuck it passed the goalie's stick.
     "I was watching ESPN Classic the other day" said Garvey when asked later about the assist.  "That BC-Miami game from the eighties.  I guess that Hail Mary pass by Doug Flutie got stuck in my subconcious...so I gave it a shot.  I think I'm now ready to have a cereal named after me", he said.  "Instead of Flutie Flakes, we can call it Garvey Grape Nuts!"
 
     Retired Crank and Westfield Youth Lacrosse championship coach Anthony Spagnoli was on the Cranx sideline offering expert advice to his former team throughout the game, and it appeared to inspire all the players. 
     "I always listen and appreciate the words of wisdom Spags gives me" said Cherry, a two-time All-American at Western New England College.  "You have to soak up all that knowledge...he's made me such a better player."  Though Spags unofficially scored only seven career goals in his eight seasons as a Crank, his influence on Cherry (198 career goals at WNEC) is obvious.
     "Having Spags here was great motivation for us" said defenseman Mike Burque.  "At halftime, he really fired us up.  He's to the Cranx what Vince Lombardi was to the Packers...or what Oprah is to women and flamboyant men." 
     "I do what I can" said Spagnoli.  "Even though I'm not on the team anymore, my loyalty is forever.  The Cranx will always be near and dear to my heart."  Proof of that loyalty is evident.  Spagnoli is giving up seeing his beloved Syracuse Orangemen football team take on The Penn State Nittany Lions on September 13th.  That's the date of this year's Cranx alumni game.
 
 
      Robo hurdling to the goal                                 Cherry shooting again
    
     With a score of 6-2 in favor of Westfield to start the third quarter, the Cranx put a fat cushion on an already comfortable lead, outscoring Mad Dawg five goals to one in the period.  Roberts first scored off a Tahj Russell assist, then defenseman Rich Borsari took a clearing pass into visitor territory before rocket-launching an underhand shot for a goal.  The visitors finally scored one to stop the 8-0 run, making the score 8-3.  But next, it was Paul Fenwick scoring back-to-back goals off assists by Liptak and Joe Martin, and Funaro fed Liptak for a goal of his own to make the score 11-3 after three quarters.
    
     With Spagnoli-protege Adam Cherry sitting out the fourth quarter nursing a stubbed toe and drinking prematurely, Mad Dawg (3-6) would outscore the Cranx in the fourth quarter four goals to one.  Russell tallied the final Cranx goal, while back-up goalie Ryan Dietert filled in for Matt Hoffman for most of the period, making three saves.
    
     Entering the game, Westfield's record was 3-5; afterward it jumped to 5-5.  Along with Tuesday's 12-7 win, the Cranx picked up a forfeit win of a future game courtesy of Agawam, which has disbanded from the PVLL.  The Cranx travel to Pinney Field in Somers, CT. to face Tolland on Thursday.
 
Mad Dawg      2   0   1   4
Westfield        3   3   5   1
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Cherry 2, Liptak 2, Roberts 2, Funaro 2, Fenwick 2, Borsari, Russell
Assists:  Roberts, Garvey, Russell, Liptak, Martin, Funaro
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 8, Dietert 3

CRANX CORNER
Crean, Borsari, and Dietert showed up for the game just before halftime.  They drove to Somers,CT believing the game was away..... Tahj's girlfriend phoned him several times pregame--while she was on the other side of the field. (Tahj answered all three times)..... A crowd of 34 enjoyed the game..... Krissy was classless Tuesday, allowing her to attend the game..... Hoffman will miss Thursday's game due to a previous "commitment".  All Cranx Nation extend their very best to Matt & Katelyn who are getting married Friday..... The 2008 Cranx/Bomber alumni game will be held September 13th.  Further details will be forthcoming.....Game photos are courtesy of Ron Craig.  More game photos will be posted at a later time.  Thank you, Ron!  
     
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Glastonbury tops Cranx 12-10
Westfield falls just short of upset
By Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 3, 2008
 
   (Somers, CT)  Good, just not good enough.  The Westfield Cranx traveled to Pinney Field Thursday night in an attempt to knock off undefeated PVLL powerhouse Glastonbury.  Already the heavy underdog going into the game, Team Cranx had even more of an uphill battle to contend with without a full roster.  Absent from the game were three mainstays to the Cranx defensive unit.  Ansel Garvey, Nick Allegretti, and Todd Young were all missing from the night’s roster, causing a lot of position shuffling within the lineup. 
     Even with the depleted squad, Westfield made the most of the situation.  Attackman Chris Roberts and Dave Metcalf both played stints at longpole, and back-up goalie Ryan Dietert saw action at attack.  The result was a hard fought and unexpected, close-but-no-cigar-loss, 12-10.
     “With the missing players, it appeared we wouldn’t have a chance” said Roberts.  “But we ended up playing our best game of the season, and had a few bounces gone our way, we could’ve gotten the W.”  Unfortunately though for Westfield, moral victories are about as relevant as European soccer.  But if the Cranx (3-5) can build upon the positives of this competitive loss, maybe that will help them the rest of the way.

     With all the holes in Thursday’s lineup, a welcomed former Cranx superstar was able to make the trip and suit up for the first time in three years.  Midfielder Chris Strycharz rode up  from Danbury to help the Cranx compete in the game.  “Hopefully I can make another game or two” said Stryke.  “I miss playing with these guys; it’s such a blast getting back in there and playing with the Cranx again.”

     Early on, it looked as though Glastonbury (8-0) was headed for an easy night.  The home team started off with three straight goals in the opening six minutes to go up 3-0.  Enter Stryke to stop the bleeding.  He took a John Funaro pass and rifled in a thirty footer to put the Cranx on the board.  Another Glastonbury goal made it 4-1, before Adam Cherry (pictured) scored at the 1:40 mark to close out the first quarter scoring with Westfield down 4-2.

     The second quarter would be played to a 2-2 stalemate, with Cherry scoring again top shelf with two defenders draped all over him.  Funaro scored the other Cranx goal off Cherry’s assist.  Down 6-4 at halftime, and without their full complement of players, Westfield seemed poised for a potential upset.
     “We were playing good D, Panther (Joe Martin) was winning his face-offs, (Matt) Hoffman was making some good saves.  We felt we had a good chance" said Roberts.

     The third quarter, however, proved fateful for the Cranx.  Funaro blew his third easy one-on-one opportunity, Cherry and Roberts combined to hit four pipes, and a thirty yard pass by Glastonbury was deflected and ended up in the Westfield net.  Roberts did score on a nice isolation dodge, but Glastonbury connected four times, and the third quarter closed with Team Cranx down 10-5.

     However unlucky the third turned out, Westfield was not going to go down without a fight.  Martin took the opening fourth quarter face, and after a short time of possession, Cherry beat two defenders for a quick score.  Another face-off, another Martin win, another quick possession, and another Westfield goal.  Cherry scored his fourth goal of the game off a Roberts feed to make it 10-7.  Three minutes later, Roberts would barrel in a tight bounce shot for a tally while drawing a penalty.  The Cranx capitalized on the ensuing man-up opportunity when Roberts connected for his third goal of the game off a Funaro feed to pull within one, 10-9.  Just like that, the Cranx were down just one with five minutes to play.  And just like that, they would tie it up.  Tahj Russell would score the fifth unanswered goal of the quarter for upset-minded Westfield on a pretty shot coming out of X to knot the score 10-10.
     Westfield’s defense continued to stonewall Glastonbury, and with 3:10 remaining, Cherry would ping another rocket shot off the pipe (the team’s ninth of the game), for what would turn out to be Westfield’s final scoring chance.  Glastonbury went on to score the go-ahead goal with 2:30 remaining, and add an insurance goal to close out the game with the 12-10 win.
    
     “We played them real tough, and we had our chances” said defenseman Geoff Moore.  “It was Funaro who lost it for us.  He had three easy shots to finish, and he blew each one.”  Funaro concurred: “I was awful.  I sucked.  I should just quit.  I’m just gonna' take up horseshoes instead.”
      “With Johnny’s screw-ups, my five pipes, Robo’s three, that thirty yard goal, we were so unlucky tonight” said Cherry.  “Hopefully, though, this will propel us the rest of the way, knowing we can compete with anybody on any given night.” 
 
     But the principled Cranx motto remains: There are no such thing as moral victories.  And close doesn’t count.  Except when Funaro begins his career in the Greater Springfield Horseshoe League.
 
Westfield        2   2   1   5
Glastonbury    4   2   4   2
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Cherry 4, Roberts 3, Strycharz, Funaro, Russell
Assists:  Funaro 2, Cherry, Roberts
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 12
CRANX CORNER
Superfan parents Moore & Cherry weathered the stormy weather to once again cheer on the team..... Funaro was up until 5:00 a.m. hugging and talking to his Brett Favre doll..... After three straight road games, the Cranx are home on Tuesday..... Former Cranxman and seven goal career scorer Anthony Spagnoli is expected to attend the game.  
 
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Cranx End Losing Streak, Win 10-5
Westfield beats Somers plus "Timmy" referee
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
July 1, 2008
 
   (Somers, CT.)  The Westfield Cranx ended a three game losing streak by beating Somers Tuesday night, 10-5.  Team Cranx was able to jump out to a commanding first half lead and coast the rest of the way to up their record to 3-4.
    
     "We badly needed to win this game" said player/coach Chris Roberts afterward.  "If we want a playoff berth, which is always our goal, we can't afford any more give-away losses." 
     With six games remaining in the regular season, and mighty Glastonbury on deck, there is very little room for error.  "We control our own playoff destiny" said Roberts.  "If we win four or five of our last six, which we are capable of doing, we should get in the playoffs."
 
     Against Somers (2-5), attackman Jeff Baillargeon opened up the scoring for Westfield two minutes into the game with an isolation dodge and goal.  Adam Cherry assisted back-to-back goals by John Funaro to close out the first quarter with the Cranx on top 3-0.
     A stifling defensive and clearing game led by longpole Rich Borsari allowed Westfield to score four more unanswered goals in the second quarter.  Cherry tallied back-to-back, followed by one each by Joe Martin and Roberts, extending the shut-out to 7-0.  The first blemish against the Cranx defense and goalie Matt Hoffman came at the 1:05 mark of the second quarter, and at the half, Westfield was in command 7-1.
 
     A slight lapse saw the Cranx outscored 3-1 in the third quarter, with Baillargeon notching his second goal of the game.  Somers narrowed the lead to 8-5 in the fourth, before Cherry decided he had seen enough, and deposited two more goals off assists by Adam Liptak and Baillargeon to close out the scoring for Westfield's 10-5 win.
    
      "It's nice to get back in the W column after three straight losses" said Cherry.  "Especially having to go against not only Somers, but that awful referee all night.  Man, he was just ridiculously bad.  It felt like having Timmy from South Park reffing the game."
     Cherry was referring to one particular hometown official, who not only made a plethora of bad calls and no-calls, but his constant diatribes with the Cranx players were nothing short of unprofessional and at times, absurd (See: Referee's Rants below).
 
     With the first half of the season in the books, and with the remaining schedule including four opponents in the bottom half of the standings, the Cranx expect to have a strong second half.  But first, 7-0 powerhouse Glastonbury is next up on Thursday.  A common opponent, Shocker (6-1), lost to Glastonbury earlier this season 12-6 and beat Westfield by the same score.
 
 REFEREE'S RANTS
"One more word out of you and you're gone"
(Spoken to Robo after he asked, "Mr. Official, could you give us a minute to sub first?")
"We play by international rules here"
(Explaining his reasoning for not allowing time to sub after a penalty)
"It's not on you so don't worry about it"
(His response to Robo's question "Who's the penalty on?")
"Flag down!"
(While calling out a penalty...without throwing his flag)
"It was clean, that's why you ended up on your ass"
(After Cherry was body checked, and there was no complaint or questioning of the call)
"Don't be an idiot"
(Spoken to Cherry when Cherry questioned a bad back-up call)
"Don't worry, you're not my type anyway"
(Spoken to Cherry after Cherry commented that he was a fat-ass)
 
Westfield      3   4   1   2
Somers         0   1   3   1
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:    Cherry 4, Baillargeon 2, Funaro 2, Martin, Roberts
Assists:   Cherry 2, Roberts, Liptak, Baillargeon
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 6
 
 CRANX CORNER
Game weather included pre-game downpours and a lightning storm causing a 2nd quarter delay..... Despite the conditions and the away game, the Cranx faithful totaled eight..... No madcows or half dog/half sheep were witnessed at Pinney Field this game..... Thursday's game at Pinney Field will be followed by a barbecue for all the teams & fans.  A rock band (Nirvana was rumored) will provide entertainment.  Each player should bring a few bucks and a few girls as your donation. 
 
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Cranx Downfall Continues
South Hadley tops Westfield 9-8
By Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 26, 2008

   (South Hadley)  Another one-goal game, another one-goal loss for the Westfield Cranx.  Westfield traveled to South Hadley Thursday night in hopes of ending a two game skid.  Instead, the Cranx lost their third straight, 9-8.  The third one-goal loss of the season drops Westfield’s record to 2-4, while South Hadley climbed to 4-2.
     “It’s very frustrating” said Cranx player/coach Chris Roberts.  “We’re right there neck-and-neck…we just can’t seem to put a win together in these close games.”  Once again, the ball never seemed to bounce in the right direction for Westfield, from missed ground balls, to blown referee calls, to unforced errors.  Nor could Westfield take advantage of a South Hadley defenseman-turned-goalie, hitting the pipes a total of five times.
 
     After South Hadley scored quickly to open up the game, Adam Cherry scored followed by a man-up goal by Roberts off a John Funaro assist to give Westfield the lead 2-1 after one quarter.
     The home team scored twice in the second quarter to take the lead back at 3-2.  An unassisted goal by JT Hoyt knotted the score momentarily, but a late South Hadley goal took the game into halftime with the Cranx down 4-3.

     Westfield would take a 5-4 lead in the third quarter, with Cherry and Andy Liptak finding the net off draw-and-dump feeds by Roberts and Funaro, respectively.  That lead was short lived, however, as South Hadley came back with three unanswered goals to catapult back into command 7-5, leaving goalie Matt Hoffman more than a little peeved.  The usually mild-mannered captain came to the sideline with some harsh words for the defensive play in front of him.  “We are just a poor defensive team fundamentally” said Hoff after the game.  “It’s supposed to get better each game, but it just seems to be getting worse.  Something’s gotta’ change, otherwise we won’t win many more games.”

     South Hadley would score first in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 8-5.  A secondary break found Cherry behind the cage finding John Silhavy in the crease for a goal to bring the Cranx deficit back to two.  Following two Westfield pipe shots on consecutive possessions, Another South Hadley goal brought the lead to 9-6 with 7:20 to play.  Longpole Rich Borsari parlayed a clear into an assist for Cherry's third goal at the 6:10 mark. 
     After a few scoreless back-and-forth minutes, Liptak scored off an assist by Dan Bogdan to make it a 9-8 game with 2:55 remaining.  South Hadley played keep away for most of that time, and following a last second 30-foot shot attempt by Borsari that went wide, the game ended with Westfield once again losing a game they had every chance of winning. 
 
     At 2-4, the Cranx are in desperate need of a win going into the midway point of the season next week, and it doesn’t get any easier.  Westfield is on the road at Pinney Field in Somers for both games, including a match against undefeated and first place Glastonbury. 
 
Westfield         2   1   2   3
South Hadley   1   3   3   2
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Cherry 3, Liptak 2, Roberts, Hoyt, Silhavy
Assists:  Funaro 2, Roberts, Cherry, Bogdan
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 9
CRANX CORNER
 

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Shocker Jolts Cranx 12-6
Westfield drops to 2-3
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 24, 2008

    (Westfield) So far this season, the Westfield Cranx have had too much in common with the Los Angeles Lakers and too little in common with the Boston Celtics.  In game 4 of the NBA Championship Finals, the Lakers suffered a crushing loss to our mighty Celtics after squandering a second half lead that reached 22 points.  In the Cranx two losses, a lead late in each turned into two late game losses.  In game 6 of the NBA Finals, the fat lady had not only sung, but went home early and was in bed by halftime as the Celts cruised to a 39-point shellacking of the Lakers.  In Tuesday night’s game against Team Shocker of Connecticut, the Cranx played the part of these Game 6 Lakers, taking it on the chin in a 12-6 loss.

     “They are a very, very good team” said player/coach Chris Roberts.  “But we didn’t put up a good fight at all.  This was the worst performance I think we have had, not only this season, but in several seasons.”
     Defenseman Rich Borsari concurred:  “We couldn’t do anything right.  We couldn’t pass, catch, shoot, defend.  We couldn't have beaten a high school team tonight.”
 
     With Shocker (4-1) dominating time of possession and shots on goal, and Westfield’s poor clearing and turnover problems, Shocker shut-out the Cranx in the first quarter, 5-0.  An early second quarter goal extended that lead to 6-0.  Finally Roberts put a band-aid on the hemorrhaging Cranx with his patented bull-dodging goal from X to make it 6-1.  That was quickly answered with another Shocker goal, but Roberts (three goals) would strike again just before the end of the period, stuffing home his second score to make the halftime score 7-2 in favor of the visitors.
 
     Though a five goal halftime deficit in lacrosse is far from insurmountable, on this night, overcoming such a poor first half performance would require a total 180-degree turnaround for Team Cranx.  It wouldn’t come.  The more experienced and better skilled Shocker team continued to give Westfield problems from end to end, and after three periods, the lead extended to 12-3.
 
     Back-up Cranx goaltender Ryan Dietert entered the game in the fourth quarter, and became the bright spot of the night.  He finished with four saves without allowing a goal.  Adam Cherry tallied two fourth quarter goals and rookie Dan Bogdan added one to complete the scoring for Westfield.
 
     “We did get a taste of how the Lakers must’ve felt in that game 6” said Borsari.  “Nothing went their way right out of the gate; same thing with us.  But we’ve got a lot of season left, and there’s no way we’ll play this badly again.”
     With a record of 2-3, Team Cranx can’t afford any more performances similar to Tuesday night’s.  Nor can they afford any more losses like their first two.  Otherwise, a post-season birth could be in jeopardy. 
    
     Westfield travels to South Hadley (3-2) on Thursday.  “I won’t guarantee a win” said Borsari.  “But we will win…guaranteed.”  
 
Team Shocker      5   2   5   0
Westfield              0   2   1   3
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:  Roberts 3, Cherry 2, Bogdan
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 9,  Dietert 4
CRANX CORNER
Adam Cherry has been separated from his second job in as many months, allowing him to rejoin the team..... A Westfield officiating duo of Jim Warner and Josh Walts worked the game (a trio if you include hop-along socialite, Joe Nassar)..... A season-high crowd of 48 attended the game, including hometown coaches Dustin Cupak, Paul Jones, and Mark Cavallon..... Current youth and future Bomber lax stars were plentiful on the sidelines, including Cupak's two sons and Jones' two.
 
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Cranx Get Served by Tastee Treat
8-7 Loss "tough to swallow"
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 19, 2008

   (Westfield)  Springfield Tastee Treat broke a 7-7 tie with a late fourth quarter goal to beat the Westfield Cranx Thursday night 8-7 at Westfield High School.  The loss evens the Cranx record at 2-2, while Tastee Treat remained undefeated at 4-0. 

     Tastee Treat entered the game as one of the early favorites to win this year’s PVLL championship, having averaged 15 goals per game in their first three contests.  The Cranx took a stand against allowing the same type of output this game, as the defense excelled once again at limiting an offensive onslaught by their opponent.  Defensemen Nick Allegretti and Rich Borsari took on the Springfield attack headfirst, with multiple individual stops and strips between them.  Geoff Moore chipped in with a brutal hit on a Tastee Treat attackman in the third quarter to send the message this game wouldn’t be an easy one for the favored visitors.
    
     Andy Liptak opened the scoring in the first quarter off an assist by Chris Roberts.  After two Springfield goals, Roberts drove and dove from X for a backhanded goal of his own just before the end of the quarter to knot the score 2-2.
     Springfield would go up 4-2 before John Funaro took a John Hartford feed for a man-up goal in the second.  One more goal by Springfield sent the game to halftime with the visitors up 5-3.
    
     “At that point we were pretty confident” said Roberts.  “We hadn’t played very well, we missed some scoring opportunities, but still we were only down by two.  We felt we were in good shape.”
     Goaltender Matt Hoffman echoed those sentiments.  “I think I should have saved two, maybe three of those five goals.  The thing was, we were still well in the game, and had plenty of time left.”  And certainly the Cranx were, and they did.
 
     Both teams played much of the third quarter in a fast-paced stalemate, with each team having multiple scoring opportunities without capitalizing.  Hoffman settled in, and made five stellar saves.  A Jeff Baillargeon feed to Roberts for a goal equaled the one goal tacked on to the Springfield lead, and the third quarter score ended up 6-4 in favor of Tastee Treat.
 
     Finally in the fourth quarter, that Cranx confidence played out in the scoring column, as Westfield scored three unanswered goals to take the lead 7-6.  Liptak took a Roberts pass and managed to evade two latched-on defenders to finalize a top corner shot.  Next it was Jake Hart scoring unassisted, followed by a sweeping goal by Tahj Russell with 4:10 remaining to take the lead.  Unfortunately for Westfield, the time left on the clock was enough for Springfield to answer.
     Springfield tied the score at 7-7 on a man-up tally a minute later.  A costly Westfield turnover gave the possession back to Tastee Treat, and they made Team Cranx pay, with a go-ahead goal with 1:50 remaining on the clock.  Westfield was able to gain one last possession, but was unable to get a shot off as the final horn sounded.
 
     “We had our chances”, said Roberts.  “We played good, just not good enough.  This is a tough loss to swallow.”

     The Cranx, at 2-2, with both their losses by one goal, have no time to rest, mope, or backslide.  They play two-time defending PVLL champion Shocker (3-1) next on Tuesday.

Springfield     3     2     1     2
Westfield        2     1     1     3

Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Liptak 2, Roberts 2, Funaro, Hart, Russell
Assists:  Roberts 2, Baillargeon, Hartford
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman:  12    
CRANX CORNER
An estimated crowd of 32 attended the game..... Attackman Adam Cherry made his 2008 debut, entering the game in the 4th quarter.  He was scoreless on four shots.....  Robo's kids were seen tooling around the cages after the game using their left hand as well as their right..... Funaro has a torn gastrocnemius muscle and is on restricted status for 4-6 weeks..... Cranx Hall of Famer Will Pierce phoned into the team prior to the game to offer his scouting report and a pep talk.  Obviously it didn't help..... Former WHS and Cranx player Josh Walts officiated the game.  Westfield referee Joe Nassar is still recuperating from a knee injury suffered playing bingo.
 
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Cranx Top Northampton 10-5
Russell, Defense Shine
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 17, 2008

     (Northampton) The Westfield Cranx won their second straight game Tuesday night with a solid road victory against Northampton, 10-5.  The win ups the Cranx early season record to 2-1, while previously unbeaten Hamp dropped to 2-1.

     What has stood out for the Westfield laxmen so far is the consistent outstanding play of its defense.  Anchored by the performance of goaltender Matt Hoffman, in three games the Cranx so far have allowed just over four goals per, the 2nd best goals-against average in the PVLL.  Longpoles Rich Borsari, Todd Young, Mike Burque, and Geoff Moore bolster a smothering defense, with Ansel Garvey acting as LSM-extraordinaire.  Add rookie take-away specialist Nick Allegretti, and a weak link is hard to find. 
     “It’s still too early to tell, but I think our D gives us a good chance to win a lot of games” said Moore.  “The biggest question mark we have is who’s gonna’ put the ball in the net.”
 
     That question was answered, at least for one game, by midfielder Tahj Russell.  The Cranx rookie scorched the nets for four goals and added an assist to lead the offensive charge against Northampton.  All of the WNEC-bound speedster’s goals were unassisted, using a plethora of nifty moves before uncorking his highly accurate shot.
     “Tahj is a good player and he definitely should help us put points on the board all season” said player/coach Chris Roberts.  “He’s got a lot of potential.”
     Captain John Funaro was less flattering in his assessment:  “Potential?  I think Parcells said it best – having potential only means you haven’t done s*** yet.  He (Russell) makes too many mistakes.  He makes bad decisions.  He takes bad shots.  Unless he learns how to improve his mental game, he’ll never be more than just an average player.”
 
     After a halftime score of 4-2 in favor of Westfield, Hamp managed to tie the game briefly at 4-4 early in the third quarter.  But the Cranx would answer with four unanswered goals to make it 8-4, and Hoffman (13 saves) and the defense did the rest.
     Roberts had a break-out game of his own, chalking up his first three goals of the season.  Jeff Baillargeon tacked on two scores while John Silhavy added a singleton.  Joe “Panther” Martin aided the offensive cause, winning 13 of 19 face-offs. 
 
     “It was a good win for us” said Roberts, “but our next game (vs. Springfield Tastee Treat) will be a much tougher test.  We’ll need to play a great game to beat them.”  Tastee Treat has blown out their three opponents by a combined score of 46-13. 
     The Cranx host Tastee Treat (3-0) Thursday, June 19 at Westfield High School.
 
Westfield         2   2   3   3
Northampton   0   2   2   1
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:   Russell 4, Roberts 3, Baillargeon 2, Silhavy
Assists:  Funaro 2, Russell
 
Goalie Saves
Hoffman 13
 
CRANX CORNER
Despite the last minute change in venue, a shortage of players, and a shortage of visitor's fans (3), the Cranx dug deep for the W..... Kevin Clark was sidelined with a groin injury.  His status is day-to-day..... Hoffman unofficially intercepted seven Hamp passes..... Westfield has beaten Hamp the last six meetings..... Borsari's car horn sounds like a chew-toy.  
 
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Cranx Beat Franklin County 7-3
Funaro's 4 goals leads the way
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 12, 2008
 
     (Westfield) The Westfield Cranx entered the win column Thursday night, with a 7-3 victory over Franklin County in the team's home opener. The win evens the Cranx record at 1-1, while Franklin dropped to 1-1.
     Captain John Funaro led the way on the offensive end with four goals and an assist, while goalkeeper Matt Hoffman and the defensive unit of Todd Young, Mike Burque, and Geoff Moore turned in another solid performance.
 
     Franklin opened up the scoring early in the first quarter to take a 1-0 lead.  After a lot of back-and-forth action without any scoring, Funaro picked up a loose ball in the crease for a score, but Franklin answered with a late quarter goal of their own, taking a 2-1 lead into the second quarter. 
     "They're a good team" said player/coach Chris Roberts.  "They've improved a lot over the years, and they always have a group of good, young players."  Such was the case on this night given the close game throughout, as the two Franklin goalies did everything to aid their cause, combining for 23 saves.  "We struggled to put the ball in the net again tonight" Roberts said.  "It's a good thing Hoff (14 saves) always has a good game."
 
     Westfield would score the only two goals of the second quarter as Funaro and Justin Bard (pictured top left) would each assist the other, making the halftime score 3-2 in favor of the Cranx.  Bard, playing in just his second and final game of the 2008 season, will be traveling back to his military base in Arizona this weekend.  Last season's top scorer at midfield, the 2005 highschool All-American says he will miss playing as much as the team will miss him.
     "Playing Cranx lax is definitely the highlight of the summer.  No question I'll be missing it bigtime.  Next year, though, I think I'll be able to make most of the season.  This year, the team should do pretty good.  I wish them luck."  
 
 
Justin Bard & Cousin Brie - The torch Justin passed on
 
     Even though Bard will be gone, maybe he has left a little bit of his magic behind.  Before the game, Bard gave Funaro his backup shaft, a Brine SC21 Air, which was promptly attached to Funaro's crosse.  Not known for scoring a lot of goals, Funaro and his new shaft scooped up a loose ball twenty feet outside the crease and fired a blind shot over his shoulder, passing the Franklin goaltender's shoulder and into the net to start the third quarter scoring.  
     Three minutes later, JT Hoyt fired home a scorching bounce shot to up the Westfield lead to 5-2.  After a Franklin goal made it 5-3, Joe "Panther" Martin drew a double team and made a sweet one-handed pass to Andy Liptak for a score, and at the conclusion of three quarters, it was the Cranx on top, 6-3.  A Funaro goal off a Jeff Baillargeon assist in the fourth quarter completed the scoring and ended the game for the 7-3 Westfield victory.
 
     "After two games, it looks as though our defense will be our strength."  said Roberts.  "Hopefully we can start putting more points on the board.  We need to."  Asked about Funaro's potential scoring output for the rest of the season, Roberts just laughed.  "I don't expect many more games like this from Johnny.  I think it was a fluke.  I think he scored more today than he did all last season."  Bard was more optimistic: "Hey, using a stick that once belonged to me will bring him more than luck.  It'll give him power."  That prediction remains to be seen. 
    
     The Cranx hope their power of winning continues as they travel to Northampton (2-0) on Tuesday. 
 
Franklin County   2   0   1   0
Westfield             1   2   3   1
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:  Funaro 4, Bard, Hoyt, Liptak
Assist:  Bard, Roberts, Funaro, Martin

Goalie Saves
Hoffman 14  
 
CRANX CORNER
With the perfect weather, a freshly cut and lined field that would make Matty Richards proud, a crowd of approximately 32 watched the home opener..... Former WHS and current collegiate lacrosse standout Jordan Baillargeon was there watching her dad play..... Hometown referee Joe Nassar was scheduled to officiate the game, however he re-injured his knee going from the couch to the refridgerator..... Midfielder Craig Carpenter travelled from Cape Cod to play in the game..... Kudos go out to Bard's cousin, Brie, for hanging with the sophomoric ilk that is the Cranx player at The Westwood..... For the second straight time, the two devoted Cherry's, Dave & Susie, were at the game.   
    
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Cranx lose opener 5-4
Hoffman's excellence not enough
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 10, 2008
 
     (Wilbraham) The only thing hotter than the weather Tuesday night was the sensational play of Westfield Cranx goaltender, Matt Hoffman.  Unfortunately, the Cranx offense was as cold as a mother-in-law's stare. 
     Wilbraham edged Westfield 5-4 last night, to open up the 2008 Pioneer Valley Lacrosse League season.  With game temperatures hovering around the 100-degree mark, the heat was a defining factor in the game, as both teams mostly played a slowed down, half-field game.  The low score was indicative of that, but for Wilbraham, not as much as the 19-save performance put out by Hoffman.
     "Hoff was the reason we were able to stay so close with them" said player/coach Chris Roberts.  "The game could have been a blowout, but Hoff kept making great save after great save."  And with the Cranx offense all but absent, this first game was a good indicator of the strengths and weaknesses of this year's team.  "We need to find ourselves offensively" said Roberts.  "We obviously lack some firepower at this point.  Our defense and obviously Hoff, played very well tonight."
 
     Wilbraham got on the scoreboard first to go up quickly 1-0.  Late in the first quarter, it was a highschool connection that opened up the scoring for the Cranx season.  Agawam Brownie Tahj Russell found Westfield Bomber Andy Liptak in the crease to knot the score at 1-1.  Only one Wilbraham goal was scored in the second quarter, bringing the score to 2-1 at the half.  Poor passing and several missed opportunities continued to plague the Cranx offense as they were held scoreless in the third quarter as well, and after three it was Wilbraham on top 3-1. 
 
     Westfield finally found the the net again, stringing together three unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to jump into the lead 4-3.  Defenseman Todd Young continued his clear past midfield to find Russell cutting to the goal and delivering an upper corner shot for a score.  Next it was part two of the highschool connection again.  Liptak put home a John Funaro feed off an extra-man situation at the 6:40 mark to tie the game.  After two brilliant saves by Hoffman, an outlet pass to defenseman Rich Borsari took the longpole into a fastbreak, where he deposited a hard and high bounce shot into the back of the net, giving the Cranx their first lead of the night. That lead, however, was to be short lived.  Wilbraham answered with a goal a minute later to tie the game 4-4, then scored again with 3:10 remaining in the quarter.  The home team played keep-away the rest of the game, and the game ended with a 5-4 Westfield loss.
 
     "For a first game, and for a lot of guys playing together for the first time, I think we looked okay" said player/assistant coach Dave Metcalf.  "There were a lot of positive things out there tonight.  And we're only gonna' get better." 
    
     The Cranx will attempt to win their first game of the season in their home opener Thursday against Franklin County.
 
Westfield       1   0   0   3
Wilbraham    1   1   1   2
 
Westfield Scoring
Goals:  Liptak 2, Russell, Borsari
Assists:  Russell, Young, Funaro

Goalie Saves
Hoffman  19
CRANX CORNER
The game time temperature began at 99 degrees. It dropped to 95 by its conclusion..... Wilbraham's team consists of at least eleven current & former WNEC players..... Justin Bard suited up for his first of two games this season before returning to his military base in Arizona..... Cranx fans at the away game totaled 14..... Superfans Dave & Susie Cherry attended the game despite their son Adam's desertion of the team. 
 
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Questionmarks Abound 2008 Season
Cherry disappoints Cranx Faithful
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 9, 2008
 
     What is definitive is that the new 2008 Westfield Cranx lacrosse season begins Tuesday in Wilbraham.  What is not certain is what this year's team will bring to the field of play.  With a number of new players, the loss of several, and a team lacking a true scoring identity, this appears not to be your typical Cranx team.  "It's hard to say how competitive we'll be this season" said player/coach Chris Roberts.  "We'll be able to have a better idea after our first game." 
    
     Besides the loss of seven key players from last season, it appears that number has increased by two, and that two represents a much bigger number than it reads.  Two of the top three scorers from last season's team will not be available for most, if not all of the season.  Midfielder sensation Justin Bard (above right) is currently home on a short military leave and is slated to play in this week's upcoming games.  Those will be the only two games in which he'll be available, as he is returning to his base next weekend.  "I guess the bright side there is, at least he'll be around to help us try to win two games"  said Roberts.  "His commitment to the Cranx is unquestioned, and we understand and appreciate his service to a greater cause.  I'm not sure that applies to everybody."
    
     Seemingly, that "everybody" that Roberts is referring to is high-scoring veteran, Adam Cherry (above left).  After an All-American career at WNEC, Cherry spoke of being a "Cranx for life".  That life, however, has apparently ended rather prematurely.  The rocket-shot attackman has just accepted a job in Westfield which has him working into the night, not allowing him play.  To say this has caused some unsettling reverberations amongst his teammates would be an understatement. 
     "It's not like we think he should not work" said captain Mike Burque.  "Just fix his schedule to fit the team's schedule.  I mean, he's Adam Cherry...doesn't that mean anything to these local employers?"  
    
     So now, the question is whether the offense of Team Cranx will be able to put many balls in the net without the usual three or four goals per game each by Bard and Cherry.  Replacing that kind of scoring will be no easy task, and their season opener against the high-powered Wilbraham offense will be a prime indicator.  The league runner-up beat Westfield last season 13-12.  Expect more goals out of the opponent this time around.  Hopefully, the Cranx can find their own scoring avenue to keep up.
 
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2008 Cranx Devastated by Defections
Westfield's "Big Three" leaves big void
by Buck Naeked
WC Times
June 3, 2008
 
     When the 2008 Cranx season gets underway next week, a lot of unfamiliar names will make their debut, and more importantly, a lot of familiar and popular names will not.  Seven players, most of whom have logged several years with the franchise, are now gone, leaving many unanswered questions about the effect these departures will have on the team.
     Gone are defensemen Justin Bost, Hank Casagrande, and Chris Paige, midfielders Zack Sondrini, Anthony Spagnoli, and Matty Richards (pictured above), and attackman Jay Vantassel.  With a combined 40 seasons of play between the seven players, the Cranx not only lose a bevy of talent, but an experience component that is irreplaceable.
    
     "When you lose someone like Sondrini, obviously you're losing a player who was a potent and consistent offensive threat", said player/coach Chris Roberts.  "But losing Spagnoli and Richards hurts us as well.  What they brought to the field and brought to the team for nine or ten years was equally as valuable."
     Spags and Matty, who have entered the executive ranks of business many miles away from Westfield, were never known to put many points on the scoreboard.  However their leadership and dedication to the sport and to the team was undeniable.  "They were usually always the first to the field, the first to sacrifice their own personal glory for the good of the team, the first to belly up to the bar" said Roberts.  "You can't replace that kind of teammate."
 
  
The Legends: Richards, Spagnoli, and Paige
     
     To mention Spagnoli and Richards in the same breath without Chris Paige would be like mentioning Bird and McHale without Parish.  Well...maybe the analogy of Carr, Kite, and Wedman is more apropos, but you get the idea.  The nine year veteran was the defensive backbone for the Cranx, as reliable a take-away specialist as he was an offensive threat.  Like his comrades, Paige has moved far away, and has hung up his cleats to focus on less important things like a career and a woman. 
    
     With injuries catching up with Vantassel, family life fallen upon Casagrande, Bost interning in Washington D.C., Spagnoli and Sondrini in Boston, Paige in New York, Richards....somewhere, the face of Team Cranx will no doubt take on a new look.  Only time will tell whether that new look will be more Rick Robey or more Kevin Garnett.  
 
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