Cranx in the News
Subscribe to our NewsletterWill Pierce of Southwest Airlines & Westfield Cranx
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A message from Jeff Baillargeon, currently serving in Afghanistan
To the Cranx: Good luck this season. Sorry I can't be with you guys again this year.
I will return home and be in Lake Placid but I will not be playing. I
should be home by July 28 or so. I wish I could play but with this big
lay-off I am afraid I would be little help. This is a pic of me with
General Petraeus. Good luck!
I will return home and be in Lake Placid but I will not be playing. I
should be home by July 28 or so. I wish I could play but with this big
lay-off I am afraid I would be little help. This is a pic of me with
General Petraeus. Good luck!
Cranxmen in Lake Placid - 2011
Kevin Clark, Chris Roberts, Mike Burque, and Will Pierce
Lake Placid Cranx - 2010
Kevin Clark, Chris Roberts, John Funaro, Will Pierce, Dave Metcalf
Five Westfield Cranxmen traveled to Lake Placid, New York recently to play in the Lake Placid Summit Lacrosse Tournament, the biggest in the nation. Cranx Alumni Kevin Clark, Dave Metcalf, and California resident Will Pierce joined current Cranxmen Chris Roberts and John Funaro for team Stixx-N-Stones in the Masters Division. S-N-S finished the tournament with two wins and two losses.
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Cranx College Freshmen
Andy Liptak Drew Shea Tajh Russell Joe Martin
(May 16, 2009) Four Westfield Cranx players recently completed their freshman lacrosse seasons at the Division III collegiate level. 2008 Cranx rookies Andy Liptak, Drew Shea, and Tajh Russell, and second-year player Joe Martin all contributed to the success stories of their respective schools.
Liptak played on a 10-5 Clarkson University team which played for the Liberty League championship game against 18th ranked St. Lawrence. Liptak was second on the team in ground balls with 39.
Shea was Castleton State College's top face-off man for the 11-7 Spartans while totaling four goals and four assists. Castleton went undefeated in the North Atlantic Conference regular season (8-0), and earned a trip to the ECAC tournament.
Russell and Martin suited up for Western New England College, which tied a school record for wins with a 17-3 record. The #9 ranked Golden Bears lost in the NCAA quarterfinal to #4 Cortland State 6-5. Martin saw action in 13 games, winning 41 of 67 faceoffs (.612) while pulling in 30 ground balls.
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California Crank
(May, 2009) Cranx Hall of Famer Will Pierce is currently playing for a San Francisco club team.
No matter how left coast the Cranx alumnus may be, this picture shows where Pierce's heart still resides.
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Lake Placid Cranxmen
Chris Roberts, Mark Lindell, John Funaro, Will Pierce, and Kevin Clark
Chris Roberts, Mark Lindell, John Funaro, Will Pierce, and Kevin Clark
(Aug 11, 2008) Six Westfield Cranx lacrosse players headed up to Lake Placid, New York last week to compete in the 19th Annual Summit Lacrosse Tournament. Playing for the CVLC/Stixx-N-Stones team were current players Chris Roberts, Kevin Clark, Jeff Baillargeon, and John Funaro, and Cranx alums Will Pierce and Mark Lindell. Among the 98 team field, the CVLC/SNS team played in the Masters Division, finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record, with all three losses coming in overtime.
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Cranxmen boost CVLC
June 16, 2008
Before Chris Roberts and John Funaro resumed their play with the Westfield Cranx this summer, they tuned up their skills in a big way this spring. The two suited up for the Connecticut Valley Lacrosse Club of the Connecticut Masters Lacrosse League. It was the seventh CVLC team in which Roberts has been a member, for Funaro, his first.
The two Cranxmen helped lead this year's CVLC to an undefeated record of 9-0. On June 1, Roberts (left) had two goals, one assist and Funaro (right) had two assists in the 7-4 championship win over Nor'easter. Both will be playing for CVLC in the August Lake Placid Tournament along with Cranx teammates Kevin Clark and Jeff Baillargeon.
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Cranxman Casagrande Weds
Defenseman unphased by wife's athletic superiority
February 28, 2008
The start of the new year began with a celebrative bang for Westfield Crank Hank Casagrande. The defenseman married Rachel LeDuc of Longmeadow on New Year's Eve.
Casagrande, a Cranx veteran, and LeDuc, a soccer All-American out of Umass and a former superstar professional for the New England Mutiny, honeymooned in a cozy Vermont hideaway following the wedding.
"What can I say, it was a great day, a great night" said a beaming Casagrande in a recent phone interview. "The wedding was perfect, and I married the perfect girl." Asked about the fact that marriage to a supremely better athlete may cause some competitive friction up the road, Casagrande responded with a laugh: "I know Rachel kicks my ass in that department, no doubt. I'm just hoping to be asked to join in the game every once in awhile. I don't wanna' feel like that last kid picked in fifth-grade dodgeball."
LeDuc, a former All-American in both soccer and lacrosse at Longmeadow High School, may have retired from professional soccer, but still plays and coaches recreationally and also competes in marathons. For Casagrande, he thinks he knows what he's up against. "I may be the one baking and doing the dishes more often than my wife, while she's out competing in an Iron Man contest or something. But that's okay, I can handle it. I've been working on this great new souffle recipe, by the way..."
Conspicuously absent from the Casagrande wedding was Rachel's friend and celebrity model/actress Bridget Moynahan. Casagrande mentioned how the beautiful brunette and former Longmeadow native had conflicting obligations in Los Angeles and was unable to attend. However, inside sources reportedly had spotted Moynahan out at a Hollywood gala New Year's Eve, with none other than Cranx veteran, John Funaro.
"I did not hear that, no" laughed Casagrande. "But if that's what's being alleged, I'm sure it was a stalker-like situation. Him stalking her. Definitely not a dating scenario." Funaro could not be reached for comment.
Funaro & Moynahan: Dating or Stalking?
The Westfield Cranx & The Cranx faithful wish Hank & Rachel a very happy & healthy life together!
Cranx Player and War Veteran Honors Dan Trant Family
(September 2007)
Jeffrey A. Baillargeon MSG, USA
(See "Dan Trant Golf Classic" in Photo Albums section)
Cranx midfielder excited to lace up the cleats
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
By RON CHIMELIS
SPRINGFIELD - Western New England College men's lacrosse coach John Klepacki remembers the e-mail Brody C. Savoie sent his teammates from Iraq last spring.
"He wished us well, and told us not to miss this opportunity," Klepacki said. "He told the guys to value their time together as teammates. It was quite an e-mail."
"He wished us well, and told us not to miss this opportunity," Klepacki said. "He told the guys to value their time together as teammates. It was quite an e-mail."
Yesterday, with a brief press conference at the Alumni Healthful Living Center, the college formally welcomed Savoie back. The junior from Wilbraham returned two weeks ago, after serving six months with the United States Marine Corps Reserves in Iraq.
"There were a couple of other guys over there who knew lacrosse, they weren't really players, but they'd seen a stick before," said Savoie, 22. "We were able to have a catch." It wasn't quite the same, though, for either Savoie or his teammates. "There's an eight-hour time difference," said Savoie, a midfielder in the sport. "But some days, I'd be thinking, game time (for WNEC) is two hours away."
"I don't think a day went by that I didn't think about what Brody might be doing," said Jared Pabis, a WNEC junior defenseman from Wilbraham, and like Savoie, a Minnechaug Regional graduate.
A management major in the college's School of Business, Savoie returned about a week after classes had begun. His tour in Iraq caused him to miss Western New England's trip to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals last spring, but he never forgot the Golden Bears, and his teammates never forgot him.
"I had a cousin who served (in Iraq), and it was the same thing. It's a completely different feeling when you know somebody over there," Pabis said. "It's such a relief that Brody is back."
Much of Savoie's military work, including precise locations, remains classified. He did say his job mostly involved the transporting of supplies. He said he will not be redeployable for some time, though at some point, he could be called back to Iraq.
"I've had some good down time since I've returned, with friends and family," Savoie said. "Without everyone's support, and the college's, it would have been a much more difficult transition."
"I've had some good down time since I've returned, with friends and family," Savoie said. "Without everyone's support, and the college's, it would have been a much more difficult transition."
As Americans debate the conflict, he said those in uniform are keeping their minds on their task. "We do what we're told, we focus on our mission, and we pretty much leave it at that," he said. There is no question, though, that Savoie is a very proud Marine. His uncle served in Vietnam, and since his days in middle school, Brody envisioned himself serving as well.
"When I found out I could go to college as well as join the Marines, that made my decision for me," he said. While in Iraq, he was able to keep the emotion of fear well in check, he said. "After the first couple of weeks, you tend to forget about that," he said.
"When I found out I could go to college as well as join the Marines, that made my decision for me," he said. While in Iraq, he was able to keep the emotion of fear well in check, he said. "After the first couple of weeks, you tend to forget about that," he said.
Western New England College president Anthony S. Caprio said Savoie's stellar academic record leaves no question he'll catch up seamlessly. His friends say he's getting back into the routine.
"He's a little more into cleanliness, more well-maintained, but otherwise, he's the same old Brody," said Pabis, who gave his own NCAA tournament medallion to Savoie yesterday. Reid Savoie remembered when his son received word he was being called to duty.
"He didn't flinch," the father said. "We were concerned for his safety, of course, but he had no problem with it. And we knew he was doing what he wanted."
"He didn't flinch," the father said. "We were concerned for his safety, of course, but he had no problem with it. And we knew he was doing what he wanted."
"We were told not to read or watch the news (about Iraq)," said the student-athlete's mother, Carol. "The Marine Corps was very supportive, and we'd hear from them, periodically, while he was over there."
Ryan Kravontka, vice-chairman of the WNEC student athlete advisory committee, said the group has been sending supplies and personal items to Savoie's unit, and will continue to do so this year. That was appreciated by Savoie, who said his duty inspired friendships that will last a lifetime. The team and some opponents have also supported the Fallen Heroes Fund.
Last year, Savoie's teammates found inspiration by bringing his uniform to every game. "We never forgot him," Klepacki said. "It will certainly be good to see number 15 back on the field."
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Letter to the Editor - Sunday, September 30, 2007
Let's hope more follow local Marine back home
Welcome home Brody C. Savoie. ("Marine back in the game," The Republican, Sept. 26).
I am not a fan of the war in Iraq, but congratulations to this lacrosse-player soldier for doing his job and coming home safely. I hope we all realize how difficult it is to interrupt a successful college career in the classroom and on the field. I will never forget other lacrosse players from the U.S. Naval Academy who after playing in the NCAA tournament had six weeks to go over to Iraq instead of basking in the glory of their NCAA tournament run.
Congratulations to Western New England College, his coach and teammates, for not forgetting him, and for a great season this year. Hoping and praying this war will end soon, and all our lacrosse players and young men and women can come home safely to enjoy their youth.
EDWARD BARBEAU
Longmeadow
Longmeadow
Adam Cherry Leads WNEC To Record Season
May 5, 2007
May 5, 2007
The No. 3 Western New England College men’s lacrosse team completed the first perfect regular season in the program’s 26-year history, set the school record for wins, and clinched its second consecutive Pilgrim League regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark.
WNEC (17-1) then easily took care of Lasell College in the PL semifinal by a 20-5 thrashing, setting up a a league championship rematch against Springfield College, with the Golden Bears victorious by a score of 8-6. WNEC continued its undefeated march with a dominating 13-5 win over Keene State in a second round NCAA Division III on Saturday, before falling in a quarterfinal matchup against Cortland State Wednesday, 12-10.
Why the semi-sudden dominance of the Golden Bears? Well, a major reason for that other DIII team from Springfield and its success is in no small part because of Westfield's Adam Cherry. The former Bomber and current Cranx attackman has become WNEC's all-time leading scorer, amassing 190 goals and 77 assists for 267 points. Against Lasell, the 6'4" attackman scored four goals and handed out an assist in limited action. He then pumped in a hat trick against rival Springfield, and followed with a two goal-two assist effort against Keene State. He led WNEC with three goals in their only loss of the season against Cortland.
A four year starter, Cherry's impressive resume includes the Pilgrim League Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, conference Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American as a junior, Pre-Season All-American, and several school, league, and national Player of The Week honors. Recently the golden-haired Golden Bear was named conference Player of the Year for the second straight season and New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Division III Player-of-the-Year in this, his senior campaign.
Before the start of the Div III post season playoffs, the Cranx superstar sat down with the Westfield Cranx Times for an exclusive interview:
You're undefeated, ranked third in the country, did you ever expect you'd have this kind of success before the season? Not at all. We lossed two starting defensemen, and we seemed young all of a sudden. But we got a really good transfer, and Jared Pabis and the others have stepped up big.
What do you attribute the success of the season to? Our strong defense and our transition game. Defensively, we take pride in shutting teams down. We have eight or nine different defenses, so we're always thinking defense first--what we can throw at you to take away your strength. Offensively, we have the personel where we can score fast and in transition. We do that pretty well. About fifty or sixty percent of our practice time on offense is working on our transition game.
You had a big win against #5 Tufts, and a close win against Springfield, but you've been dominating against other teams. No, actually we had to go overtime to beat Hartwick, and Nazareth (#4 nationally at the time) was huge, we beat them 9-7, so we've had some close games.
You're the school's all-time leading scorer. Out of about one million points, how many of those one million have you gotten left-handed? About three.
What type of player are you? I guess I'd consider myself a power forward type. Not too much finesse here. I like to play more a smash-mouth type game.
You wear jersey #9. Is there any reason for choosing that number? Well, my all-time hero is a guy named John Funaro, so I just try my best to emulate him. His number has always been 9, so...
How would you describe your coach, John Klepacki? He's tough. He's incredibly focused. The expectations he has for us and for himself are beyond anything. He's one of the most dedicated guys I know.
What would you say is his best quality as a coach? His ability to read the other team's strengths and weaknesses. He's incredible at breaking down film, but also he can see things during a game and make any adjustment necessary.
Does he give you the green light to go to the cage whenever you want? Not just me, but anybody--as long as it's a good decision to go.
Being the BMOC (Big Man On Campus), do you have to fight off the ladies? Nah...I, um...I can't talk about that. Not on the record...I have a girlfriend.
I see, okay, pleading the 5th is your right. Onto the next question: Your parents are big Cranx fans. Do they go to all your college games too? Yeah, both home and away. My mom goes to all of them, and my dad has probably only missed six games my entire career.
Talk about your teammate and your Cranx recruit, Zack Sondrini. Zack's real athletic. And he makes great decisions on the field...off the field, not so much (laughs). No, on the field I like him, but off, he's an arrogant, self-centered jerk.
Is he still dating that sexy dame he brought to the Cranx games last year? You mean Jen? Yeah, he is. He's whipped. She's got a dog collar and chain around his neck. It just gets tighter and tighter. It's pretty pathetic.
Speaking of Cranx members, let's talk about Brody Savoie, who's also your college teammate. He's serving in Iraq now, right? Have you heard from him? Yeah, Brody's been in Iraq since February. After he took first semester finals, he went to California for training, then off to Iraq a few months later. He's scheduled to be there until September, I think. It's not easy to stay in touch with him. It's not easy for us to send or receive letters or emails because of security reasons, but we do our best. He's able to follow how we're doing though. We got an email from him before our Springfield College game, and his message was "You guys better kick some ass...", something like that, which was pretty cool. He's always on our minds.
Do you guys stay in touch with his parents? Yeah we do. His parents come to the games. They have actually hosted us for dinner a bunch of times, so that's been great, knowing they're every bit a part of our team still.
Now, obviously, playing for WNEC and for the Cranx is totally different. What's the best and worst thing about playing for each team? The best part about WNEC is just the drive you have to get better, and how everybody pushes each other to get better. The worst, I guess, is the amount of time you have to put into it. Not a lot of free time for socializing or homework. It's not easy. What's best about the Cranx is just being able to have fun with the guys, hang out, have some beers, just have fun. The worst thing about the Cranx though, is you have to play with guys who can't catch a hard pass (laughs).
Are you gonna' name names? No, I think you know who I'm talking about!
Now, there's been rumors you've been offered money and/or special benefits to play for other teams in the PVLL. Any truth to that? Would you ever leave the Cranx? (Laughter) Well, I'm not gonna comment specifically, let's just say there have been offers. But no way would I go somewhere else. It's Cranx for life, baby!
So, has the MLL been in touch? Are you planning on being drafted once your college days are done? No, once I'm done, I'm done. I plan on putting on about 30 pounds, drink beer, and just playing for fun.
How long will we see you in a Cranx uniform? As long as I can. As long as I can without having to hobble around wearing braces on my knees.
Looking back now on your college career, any highlights that stand out? Probably the wins against Tufts and Nazareth this year. And also beating Amherst last year-the first time we beat a NESCAC team.
What about individual highlights? What about when you became the WNEC's all time scoring leader? Yeah, that was pretty good. It happened against Eastern Connecticut. I didn't realize it at the time. They made an announcement during halftime, so I got a nice ovation.
No ceremony, no plaque? Nah, a few pats on the back. It wasn't a big deal.
Okay, quick, short answers now. Ready? Stick you use? Warrior Finalizer
Cleats? Nike
Signature move? Bull dodge
Favorite teammate? Brian Cofrin
Brunettes or blondes? Blondes
Girlfriend? Yes
Favorite TV show? Family Guy
Favorite pasttime? Motorcycling
Superhero you most identify with? Colossus
Trade places for a day with? Steven Tyler
STX or Brine? Warrior
Turf or grass? Turf
Republican or Democrat? Republican
T or A? T
Rock or Country? Rock, but Country's a close second
Plans after graduation? Question Mark
Okay, thanks Mr. Cherry. Or should I call you "Mr. All-American"? No, "Adam" will be fine, thank you.
Good luck in the playoffs, don't mess up. Make Cranx Nation proud. I'll do my best. I'll even try to score left-handed for you, how's that?
Well, we're not expecting miracles. (Laughter...)
Old friends meet as rivals on the lacrosse field
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
They grew up two houses apart on
Johnny Funaro is six months younger than Mark "Cav" Cavallon. He should have been in the class behind him. But Johnny insisted he get to go to kindergarten with his friend. The two bonded over sports: Baseball, basketball and football. By high school, lacrosse was part of Johnny and Cav's athletic cavalcade.
Why? Simple. Jeff Beach and Brian Woods from the neighborhood, both a year older, were playing for Westfield High. "Then you discover that it is a sport that combines so many others," Cav says. "It's like basketball, hockey and soccer. It's the best of all the sports."
Cav was great from the start. A midfielder, he could run. And run. And run. He also had the knack for scoring goals. Johnny was a work in progress. An attacker, he could carry the ball. He was a feeder, a passer. He set up a lot of goals. Both played on some pretty good Westfield High lacrosse teams. In the early 1980s, the Bombers were the only team in
Both played college lacrosse. Cav at the
Johnny is a mental health counselor at
People still mistake them for twins. They don't see that. But both are about 5-foot-10 with light-colored hair. Both have an Italian/French heritage.
Johnny thinks Springsteen is a god. Cav's musical tastes run more toward the bluegrass of Allison Krauss.
Johnny likes documentaries and the kind of films played at the Pleasant Street Theater in
Cav married last summer. Johnny is still single. Both coach high school lacrosse.
Johnny is a first-year coach at
In
Tom Shea can be reached at tshea@comcast.net
