2013 Terra Linda Trojans Lacrosse -  9-8 record and NCS playoff bound!

Following its first journey into MCAL post-season play since 2005, TL Lacrosse takes its next step as the Trojans move on to the North Coast Section Division II play-offs. This marks the first time in memory that Trojans Lacrosse has been invited to NCS. TL was granted the #9 seed and will face its first opponent, 8th seeded Bishop O'Dowd, in a night game at the opponent's field on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00pm.

This NCS playoff games gives the Trojans another chance to seek revenge for an early season defeat. It should be a hard-fought game; come on out and support the team. It's time for payback. 

GO TROJANS!

NOTE: NCS charges for admission to postseason games. Admission fee for Monday's game is $7 per adult and $5 for a student without a student i.d.

Monday, May 6 vs. Drake, MCALs

Terra Linda Lacrosse took another step forward on Monday. With its 8-6 victory over Drake the Trojans recorded its first post-season victory in school memory...and gained a measure of revenge for an early season upset at the hands of the Pirates.

The Trojans were clicking on all cylinders in the first half, dominating face-offs, ground balls and peppering the Drake defense with shots throughout the half. At the same time, Terra Linda's hard checking defense held Drake's offense down to 2 goals, as TL took a 6-2 halftime lead. That proved to be enough as TL managed the second half wisely and locked up the win. 

Next up - a tough MCAL tournament match-up with perennial power Marin Catholic on Tuesday. Go Trojans!

Thursday, May 2 vs. Branson

Terra Linda took the field at Dominican U vs. league rival Branson needing a win to secure entry in the MCAL post-season tournament. After a slow start that saw the Trojans down by 3 goals early in the game, the defense stiffened and the offense started to click. With defenders playing lock down D that held Branson to one goal in the second half, the middies took control of loose balls and paired up with attack to catch and pass the Bulls. In the end, it was a much needed and well-deserved victory as the Trojans walked off the field on the high end of an 11-8 score. 

Not only did this win qualify TL for the post-season, it also propelled Trojans Lacrosse to its first winning season since 2005. Congrats to the seniors who persevered through some lean years to help send the program in the right direction, as well as the rest of the team and staff for a great season.

But, it ain't over yet. This coming Monday, the Trojans will travel to San Anselmo to take on Drake in an MCAL play-in game. Winner moves on to the semi-finals to tackle tough foe Marin Catholic. Drake visited TL in midseason and left our field with with an upset 4-2 victory. This time, post-season progress is on the line. 

GO TROJANS!

Jake Kailahi rumbles past Branson defenders

Jasper Lyons clears v. Branson

Davis Cooke eyes the goal vs. Branson

Brandon Bay on the move

Riley Cox with the swim move to blow by his defender

Tal Cohen stick checks his Branson opponent

Jason Pallavicini scoops up the loose ball v. Branson

Garland Bellicini dodges past Branson

Jeremy Retornaz leaves his defender in the dust

Tues., April 2 vs. Marin Catholic

Varsity
Facing the #1 ranked team in the North Coast Section, Marin Catholic, TL mounted a valiant effort. The Trojans came out strong, holding a powerful MC squad to a scoreless tie for most of the first quarter and trailing by just 2-0 heading into the second quarter. But, the Wildcats depth and overall quality eventually wore down the Trojans, who fell by a final score of 15-2. Despite the end result, there were some strong individual and team performances to build on heading into spring break.

Following the break, the Trojans travel north to Santa Rosa on Tuesday, April 16 to face a Cardinal Newman squad that currently sits in 4th place in the MCAL one position ahead of TL. These two teams battled in a double overtime playoff game last spring, so this promises to be a spirited rematch for league playoff position. The varsity teams will face-off at 7:30 pm. Go Trojans!

JV
Despite being down 4 players due to injury and illness, the JV squad hit the field to take on a very seasoned, experienced Marin Catholic JV team. The final score, a 10-1 loss against a top caliber foe, does not reflect the quality of play as the relatively inexperienced Trojans battled from opening whistle to the final horn in what may have been one of the team's more impressive showings of the season.

Like the varsity team, our JV Trojans will be traveling to Cardinal Newman on Tuesday, April 16 to take on Cardinal Newman. JV game time begins at 5:30pm.

#1 Brett Pollack battles for face-off control vs. MC

#4 Joe Leonard harasses an MC attackman

#2 Goalie Adam Simon denies MC on a point blank shot on goal

#23 Gustav Bergman works hard vs. an MC defender

#22 Jasper Lyons winds up vs. MC

#24 Tal Cohen eludes the MC defense to pop in a goal

#2 Adam Simon flies high to make the save

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Lyons

Thurs., March 28 vs. Tamalpais

Varsity
Shaking off a slow start, Terra Linda Varsity Lacrosse returned to the win column with a come-from-behind 13-11 win over MCAL rival Tamalpais on the TLHS turf.  

The Trojans were in low gear at the game's outset, falling behind in the early going and trailing the visiting Red-tailed Hawks 5-3 at the end of the first quarter. The team quickly rallied in the second stanza to knot the game at 5-all, but fell victim to some late first half goals to enter halftime facing an 8-5 deficit. 

Staring at a 3-goal gap, the Trojans rebounded and roared to life in the third quarter with four goals while limiting Tam to 1 goal to tie the game at 9-9 entering the fourth and final quarter. The offense continued to pepper the net while the defense tightened up on the opponents middies and attack, as TL pulled away for it's final two-goal margin of victory. The win puts the Trojans record at 6-4 overall, 3-2 in MCAL play.

Next up: perennial lacrosse power Marin Catholic, ranked #1 in the NCS, comes to TLHS's turf next Tuesday for a 4:30 pm varsity tilt. The Wildcats will prove to be a tough match for the Trojans, so come on out to the field to cheer on your team. Go Trojans!

JV
In a hard-fought, competitive game, TL came out on the short end of a 5-4 contest. More details were not available at the time of this post...stay tuned for more information.

Tues., March 26 vs. Novato

Terra Linda took the road again to face traditional MCAL and NCS power Novato.  Despite facing a team that is currently ranked #6 in NCS and #10 in the state of California in the LaxPower Power Ratings poll, the Trojans held the high-powered offense of Novato in check through most of the game before finally falling by a score of 9-4.

The game started out fast for the Trojans, as the offense clicked and netted the first goal of the game. A fierce defensive quarter ensued, ending with Novato holding a slim 2-1 lead. Novato started to pull away in the 2nd quarter, but TL hung tough and came back with 2 goals late in the quarter to trail only 5-3 at half-time. Despite some outstanding defensive play featuring hard checking and tight man-on-man "D," the Hornets were able to break through for four goals in the second half while holding TL to a solo tally to come away with a 9-4 victory.

While a loss on the ledger, the Trojans played one of its best games in recent memory against a team that has scored 24 goals in two of its last three games. This kind of intensity and fire will serve the team well when they welcome Tamalpais to the TL home turf on Thursday, March 28 in another key MCAL match-up as the Trojans jockey for tournament playoff position. Go Trojans!

Jasper Lyons fires off a shot vs. Novato

Jeremy Retornaz rounds the corner vs. a Novato defender

Goalie Adam Simon with a kick save

Riley Cox dogs his opponent

Battle in front of the net...the hit...

...the follow through...

...the plant...

...the scramble...

...the save?...or not?...we'll never know for sure...

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Lyons

Fri., March 15 vs. Justin-Siena

Terra Linda traveled north to Napa last night to take on fellow up-and-coming lacrosse program Justin-Siena.

Varsity
In a hotly competitive game, the Trojans emerged with a hard-fought 7-5 victory over the Braves. The game was high intensity from the opening face-off, with neither team taking more than a 2-goal lead at any point in this match-up of budding rival programs.

The home team Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first quarter before the Trojans answered with a goal of their own to close the gap to 2-1 after one quarter. A back and forth battle ensued over the next two quarters as the teams traded goals. Half-time saw the score tied at 3-3, and game was knotted up at 5 goals apiece headed into the decisive, winner-take-all fourth quarter.

The Trojans defense, strong throughout the game, kicked it up a notch to play lock-down defense in the fourth quarter and throwing up a stone wall in goal to hold the quick J-S offense scoreless in the final stanza. Meanwhile, strong midfield checking, hustling for ground balls and slick teamwork enabled TL to net two goals of its own in the fourth quarter to come away with a well-deserved victory. 

TL Lacrosse now owns an overall record of 5-1, with a 2-0 record in MCAL league play. Next up: the Trojans travel to Sonoma Academy on Tuesday, March 19 for a rematch with the Dragons before returning to the friendly confines of TLHS Turf Field on Thursday, March 21 for a home tilt vs. Drake in an important league battle. We hope to see our fans out in force as the Trojans continue their push for playoff seeding.

Go Trojans!

Junior Varsity
TL JV Lacrosse battled its counterparts from Justin-Siena in their second game of the season, dropping a hard-fought game by the final score of 9-6. The Trojans came close to knotting up the score several times in the game, but couldn't quite get over the hump vs. its more experienced opponent.

The JV squad has added a half-dozen new players in the past two weeks, so the team is growing, and learning, fast. The new squad is coming together under Coaches Gatti and Valazquez and starting to gel. Despite last night's close loss the future holds a lot of promise for the team as players settle into roles, gain experience and grow their lacrosse IQ. Look for exciting things to come as the season progresses!

Tues., March 12 vs. San Marin

The Trojans were firing on all cylinders as they traveled to San Marin, shutting out the Mustangs 17-0. It was a wide open affair, with TL dominating possession and distributing the offense as eight different players found the back of the net for goals. The defense was in lock down mode, smothering the Mustangs attack and limiting the opponents to two shots on goal.

This win brings our team's season record to 4-1, its best start in memory. Trojans Lacrosse hits the road again this coming Friday, March 15, traveling to face Justin-Siena (in Napa) for JV and Varsity evening matches. JV start time is at 5:30, with Varsity to follow at 7:30 pm under the lights. Come cheer on your team as we go for win number five!

     #33 Fred Bergman jukes his opponent    

 #9 Jeremy Retornaz eludes 2 defenders    

 
#7 Stuart Jennings flies downfield

 
         #20 Stephan Kesishian winds up...                            

 
                 ... he shoots....    

         ...he SCORES!

 Adam Simon & Jasper Lyons hunting down a Mustang

#23 Gustav Bergman scoops his opponent

#22 Jasper Lyons fights for a ground ball

Fri., March 8 vs. Bishop O'Dowd

TL Lacrosse hit the road to play traditional power Bishop O'Dowd under the lights last night, but came out on the short end of a 9-3 game in a varsity match-up. Playing perhaps some of its best lacrosse of the season in the first quarter, the Trojans placed heavy pressure on O'Dowd in staking a 2-1 lead after one quarter. Some tough penalties led to a number of man-down situations in the second quarter as O'Dowd roared back in front of its home crowd to take a 6-2 lead into the half, a lead in never relinquished.

TL JV's saw their first official action of the season, coming up on the low end of a hard-fought 4-2 game. With a number of Trojans playing in their first lacrosse game ever, the squad kept the game close throughout and played tough, tenacious defense. With the squad growing and adding players over the past two weeks, the squad looks to grow and build on a solid base for the coming season.

Next games coming up:
- Tues., March 12 @. San Marin 5:30pm (Varsity only)
- Fri., March 15 @ Jusin-Siena (JV 5:30pm, Varisty 7:30pm)

GO TROJANS!

Wed. March 6 vs. Sonoma Academy

Congratulations to the TL Lacrosse team for running their regular season record to 3-0 with a 10-8 victory of visiting Sonoma Academy. After spotting SA an early goal, TL roared back with 4 straight goals to take command of the game. After finishing the half with an 8-5 lead, the Trojans stretched their lead to 10-5 in the 4th quarter, then held off an SA rally to bring home the win. Selected pictures from the game are below.

This is the best start in memory for Trojans Lacrosse, and the team looks to maintain the positive momentum when it travels across the bay to play long-time East Bay rival Bishop O'Dowd this coming Friday, March 8 under the lights. Our JV squad will see their first regular season action with a game at 5:30pm, followed by the Varsity tilt at 7:30pm.  

Go Trojans!

#36 Jake Kalaihi outduels 2 SA opponents for a ground ball

Goalie Adam Simon gives up his body to make the save.

Tonga rumbles downfield on a break

Davis Cooke dodges 4 Sonoma Academy defenders

Tal Cohen separates his opponent from the ball.

Fri., March 1 vs. Lick-Wilmerding

With light dwindling as dusk settled in, the Trojans held on in a tight defensive struggle to secure a 6-5 victory over visiting Lick-Wilmerding. TL jumped out to an early lead and possessed a 3-2 lead after one quarter. The name of the rest of the game was DEFENSE, as both squads prevented the opposing offense from building any momentum. An enthusiastic group of TL fans poured onto the field at the closing horn to share in their team's victory!

With this win the Trojans are off to a 2-0 start in their pre-MCAL portion of their schedule. Next up for the Trojans: Sonoma Academy invades TL's turf on Wednesday, March 6 with first face-off at 4:30pm. TL split two games with SA last season, so expect another tight game as the team seeks to defend its home field. Then the Trojans head to the East Bay to take on long-standing power Bishop O'Dowd under the lights (JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 7pm).

Go Trojans!

Wed., Feb. 27 vs. Urban High School

Trojans Lacrosse opened the season with an exciting come-from-behind victory of Urban last night. The team showed a “never-say-die” attitude in scoring the final three goals late in the 4^th qtr to seal a 7-5 win in our home opener. 

In a see-saw battle, our Trojans jumped out to a quick 3 goal lead in the first quarter. Urban stormed back to grab a 4-3 led at the half.  The second half was a tense defensive struggle, with both defenses and goalies coming up with big saves. Trailing by one goal with 7 minutes to play, TL  dug deep.  With the squad playing smart lacrosse, they seized momentum, jumped on three scoring opportunities then played stellar defense in the final minute to seal the home victory.  

Next up for the squad: Lick-Wilmerding on the TLHS turf field this Friday, March 1. Go Trojans!

Trojans Lacrosse would like to thank the local merchants, companies and people who have generously donated to help support our growing program. A complete list can be found on our Sponsors Page. Thank you one and all!

TL Lacrosse is off and running! The Trojans are seeking to build and  improve upon its 8-8 record from 2012. Behind new coaches Matty Wagner, Ben Schooler, Jason Gatti and Jose Velazquez, the team is off to a strong start,.  The current Varsity record stands at 5-1; the JV squad record is 0-2, having dropped two close matches.

Follow this space to stay up-to-date on game schedule and scores, team news, information and more throughout the season. 

GO TROJANS!