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REGION XX LACROSSE.
REMATCH OF LAST YEAR'S REGION XX CHAMPIONSHIP.
HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACE-OFF IN A GAME THAT
MAY EVENTUALLY DETERMINE WHO GETS THE TOP SEED IN THE REGION.
HOWARD ENTERS RANKED THIRD IN THE NATIONAL POLL, AND AS THE HIGHEST RANKED MARYLAND SCHOOL.
COACH FOUST'S DRAGONS HAVE WON NINE CONSECUTIVE REGION XX GAMES BY AN AVERAGE MARGIN OF VICTORY
OF 17.4 GOALS PER GAME.
ANNE ARUNDEL ENTERS THE GAME RANKED FIFTH IN THE NATION.
THE RIVERHAWKS HAVE SCHEDULED TOUGH, WITH THEIR ONLY LOSSES COMING AGAINST ONONDAGA
AND NASSAU.
FIRST QUARTER…
ANNE ARUNDEL'S LOOKING TO CLEAR.
WILL SMITH WITH THE INTERCEPTION…
HIS PASS FINDS CHRIS RINEHART…GOES BACK TO SMITH ON THE CREASE.
2-NOTHING DRAGONS.
SECOND QUARTER NOW, ANNE ARUNDEL POSSESSION.
MATT LEONE DEFLECTS THE PASS, ALEX STEPHANOS SWOOPS IN AN WINS THE GROUND BALL.
IAN DECKER, SECOND IN THE NATION WITH 30 GOALS, GETS GOING HERE.
DECKER GETS THE GOAL.
THREE GOAL LEAD FOR HOWARD.
DECKER, ONE ON ONE AGAINST THE POLE.
FINISHES WITH HIS LEFT.
HE WAS A FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN LAST YEAR, NOW PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL AS A SOPHOMORE.
7-3 HOWARD AT THE HALF
THIRD QUARTER, AUSTIN NORTON, TRANSFER FROM D-3 FROSTBURG STATE . GIVES HOWARD A FIVE
GOAL LEAD.
JESSE EKSTROM DODGING AGAINST THE POLE, GETS A GREAT ANGLE, WILLIAM HARRISON WITH THE SAVE!
TIMELY STOP FOR THE RIVERHAWKS
OTHER END OF THE FIELD, ANNE ARUNDEL GENERATES MOMENTUM.
THE RIVERHAWKS, OUTSCORING HOWARD 3-1 OVER THE LAST 11 MINUTES.
AFTER A DRAGON TURNOVER, ANNE ARUNDEL'S BACK ON OFFENSE.
THE INCOMPLETE PASS BOUNCES RIGHT TO DYLAN MORTON.
AND HE CUTS THE DEFICIT TO TWO GOALS.
14 SECONDS REMAINING IN THE THIRD…13 MINUTE SCORING-DROUGHT FOR THE HOWARD OFFENSE.
EKSTROM GETS TO THE MIDDLE ONCE AGAIN, HARRISON IS THERE!
NORTON JUMPS ON THE GROUND BALL.
HIGH TO LOW!
TREMENDOUS SHOT.
FOURTH QUARTER, HOWARD TURNS IT OVER…
ANNE ARUNDEL MOVES IT IN TRANSITION…
LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE UNSETTLED SITUATION…
AND THE RIVERHAWKS ARE FIRED UP.
THE COAST TO COAST LONG POLE GOAL CUT HOWARD'S LEAD TO TWO.
ANNE ARUNDEL WON THE FACE-OFF, 41 IN WHITE, JARED THOMPSON FORCES THE TURNOVER, AND STEPHANOS
IS THERE TO SECURE IT FOR HOWARD….
STEPHANOS LEADS THE WAY IN TRANSITION, TO WILL SMITH!
LOW, LEFTY RELEASE, AND THE DRAGONS RESPOND
9 MINUTES REMAINING, DECKER, UP AGAINST THE POLE, ZACHARY PAYNE.
DECKER GETS THE BETTER OF HIM.
ANNE ARUNDEL WAS MAKING ITS MOVE, BUT WILL SMITH AND IAN DECKER, TWO OF HOWARD'S CAPTIANS,
FIRE RIGHT BACK.
DRAGONS JUST MADE A STOP ON DEFENSE.
ANNE ARUNDEL IS SUBBING, COLIN WALLACE CAPITALIZES AND HOWARD'S LEAD IS BACK TO FIVE GOALS.
CHRIS RINEHART, ALSO A FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN LAST YEAR, ATTACKS THE GOAL AND SCORES.
WITH 4:23 REMAINING, HOWARD'S IN CONTROL.
THE RIVERHAWKS MAN-UP OFFENSE TAKES THE FIELD.
TJ ELLIS WITH THE SAVE.
14 SAVE DAY FOR THE TRANSFER FROM D-3 STEVENSON.
BUT, HOWARD IS HIT WITH ANOTHER PENALTY.
2 MINUTES REMAINING, HOWARD, STILL A MAN DOWN, ELLIS!
SAVE AND HE CONTROLS THE REBOUND.
THE DRAGONS COME UP WITH A VALUABLE REGION XX WIN. 13-8 HOWARD IS YOUR FINAL.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, COACH.
BIG WIN FOR YOU GUYS TODAY.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE GAME?
ERIK: IT'S NICE TO GET A REGION WIN.
IT WAS NICE TO BE IN A COMPETITIVE GAME, IN A BATTLE WITH A TEAM THAT WE PLAYED LAST YEAR
IN THE REGION CHAMPIONSHIP.
YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY WITH, I'M HAPPY WITH MY TEAM'S PERFORMANCE.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, SO BEING THE TWO BEST TEAMS HERE IN MARYLAND, THERE'S A GROWING RIVALRY
BETWEEN YOU AND ANNE ARUNDEL.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THESE TEAMS ARE SORT OF GROWING TOGETHER AND WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER AT
THE SAME TIME?
ERIK: I THINK, I THINK ANNE ARUNDEL'S GOTTEN SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
YOU KNOW, I'M ACTUALLY EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE GET TO SEE THEM AGAIN.
AND, IT'S NOT A NASTY RIVALRY.
YOU KNOW, ANNE ARUNDEL'S VERY WELL COACHED, YOU KNOW, THEIR PLAYERS ARE RESPECTABLE AND
YOU KNOW, THEY HONOR THE GAME WHEN THEY'RE PLAYING SO YOU KNOW, IT'S FUN AND EXCITING
TO, FOR HEALTHY AND, AND INTENSE COMPETITION AT THE SAME TIME SO, YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED
FOR REGION XX.
ELLEN: WOULD YOU SAY THERE'S LIKE A GOOD LEVEL OF RESPECT BETWEEN PLAYERS AND COACHES
AS WELL WHEN YOU PLAY EACH OTHER?
ERIK: YEAH, YEAH, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, DESPITE THE FACT THE PLAYERS ARE ONLY WITH US FOR TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW,
COACH STANILAUS IS FAMILIAR WITH ME AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH HIM SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT
GONNA TRICK EACH OTHER AND UMM YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY IT'S HEALTHY YOU KNOW RESPECT, HEALTHY COMPETITION
UMM YOU KNOW AND IT'S JUST, AGAIN, IT'S GOOD FOR THE GROWTH OF JUNIOR COLLEGE LACROSSE.
ELLEN: SO, THE SEASON'S STARTED OFF PRETTY WELL.
HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE FOR THE TEAM
AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GET BY THE END OF THE SEASON.
ERIK: I THINK THIS GAME HERE TODAY WAS, WE PROBABLY PLAYED YOU KNOW, THREE QUARTERS OF
REAL GOOD YOU KNOW LACROSSE, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF ROOM FOR GROWTH ON BOTH ENDS
OF THE FIELD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF THIS, THE GOAL OF THE NEXT PRACTICE
IS JUST GET BETTER.
AND, SO, WE JUST WANT TO GET BETTER EVERY DAY AND UMM YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT GAME IS SATURDAY
AGAINST DELAWARE TECH AND THEY'VE UHH, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED COMPARED TO LAST
YEAR AND SO, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT HONESTLY EVERY DAY WE JUST GET
BETTER AND THAT'S THE GOAL.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
ELLEN: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS YOU THINK THAT, IS GONNA BE THE HARDEST FOR THEM TO
GET BETTER, WHAT ARE THE WAYS THEY NEED, THE THINGS THEY NEED TO WORK ON TO GET TO WHERE
YOU WANT THEM TO BE?
ERIK: THEY GOTTA PUSH EACH OTHER IN PRACTICE.
AND, UHH, UP UNTIL NOW THAT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE . YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE CLOSEST GAME
WE'VE HAD SINCE UHH, FEBRUARY 20…
I THINK IT WAS 28TH, 27TH WHEN WE PLAYED NASSAU AND THAT WAS A ONE GOAL GAME.
AND, EVERY GAME SINCE THEN WAS, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE WITH US WINNING WAS BY AT LEAST
TEN, SO, TODAY, WINNING 13-8 WAS GOOD.
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE EIGHT GOALS THAT WE GAVE UP OR JUST THE 13 GOALS THAT WE SCORED,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOTTA KEEP, KEEP GETTING BETTER.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOWHERE ON THIS FIELD, NOWHERE ON THIS GAME THAT WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, HOLD
OUR HEADS UP HIGH AND SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO IMPROVE ON ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT GOES FOR THE COACHING STAFF AS WELL
ELLEN: AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, WE HAD SOME SORT OF SOPHOMORE BITTERNESS TOWARDS,
UHH, THE PAST SEASON.
DO YOU THINK THAT THEY STILL HAVE THAT DRIVE, THAT HUNGER FOR THAT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
THIS YEAR?
AND, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S EFFECTING HOW THEY'RE PLAYING?
ERIK: ABSOLUTELY, I THINK UHH.
WELL, FIRST THINGS FIRST, WE HAVE TO WIN REGION XX. AND, WE HAVE TO FINISH, YOU KNOW, IN THE
TOP FOUR OR FIVE, SIX TO GET BACK TO THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT, UMM, BUT, YOU KNOW THE GOAL GOING
INTO THIS YEAR WAS, YOU KNOW, WIN THE REGION, AND THEN, GET BACK TO THE FINAL FOUR.
AND, SO, YOU KNOW, IT, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AS A STEP, YOU KNOW, AND.
NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JUST YET, WE GOTTA WIN THE REGION.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, THE GOAL, THE OVERALL GOAL IS TO WIN, WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT WE HAVE
TO, YOU KNOW, HIT THE OBJECTIVES FIRST, AND ONE OF THOSE FIRST OBJECTIVES IS WINNING THE
REGION, SO.
ELLEN: SO, YOU HAVE A RELATIVELY YOUNG TEAM THIS YEAR.
A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE ON THE ROSTER, UMM, HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH THAT TO SORT OF WORK
THEM INTO THE, THE TOGETHERNESS OF THE TEAM?
ERIK: WELL, THAT SHOWED UP TODAY.
UMM, YOU KNOW, LOTTA FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE TRANSFERS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TODAY
ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD, OUR GOALIE TJ ELLIS IS A TRANSFER.
UMM, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE, EVERY DAY IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET BETTER, AND, JUST, EVERY DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, TEAM
CHARACTER AND TEAM MORALE, AND, JUST, TEAM UNITY TO GET STRONGER, SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE,
IF WE FOLLOW THAT GOAL AND UTILIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO GET BETTER I THINK, YOU KNOW, GOOD
THINGS WILL HAPPEN.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, IAN.
SO YOU HAD A PRETTY BIG GAME AGAINST THIS ANNE ARUNDEL TEAM, LAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP.
HAD NINE GOALS AGAINST THEM LAST, LAST GAME AND YOU HAD A PRETTY BIG GAME TODAY.
HOW'D IT FEEL TO PLAY ANNE ARUNDEL AGAIN?
IAN: IT WAS NICE COMING BACK AND GETTING ANOTHER WIN.
I FEEL LIKE THE GUYS, WE PLAYED AS WELL AS WE NEEDED TO AND THEY'RE A MUCH IMPROVED
TEAM, SO, RESPECT TO THE RIVERHAWKS.
ELLEN: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER THE WIN?
IAN: I THOUGHT OUR OFFENSE PLAYED WELL.
THEY MADE A LOT OF SAVES AND ASIDE FROM THAT WE WERE RUNNING PRETTY GOOD AND OUR DEFENSE
PLAYED WELL.
NOT TOO MANY MISTAKES SO I WAS HAPPY.
ELLEN: HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR TEAM'S DOING WITH ACHIEVING TEAM GOALS AND GETTING TO WHERE
THEY WANT TO BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEASON?
IAN: WELL, I THINK THESE LAST COUPLE WEEKS WE'VE DONE A BETTER JOB COMING TOGETHER
AS AN OFFENSE.
AND, DEFINITELY OUR DEFENSE, BUT, WE JUST NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT AND IMPROVE
KIND OF IN-BETWEEN THE LINES.
WE HAD A BETTER CLEAR AND RIDE SO, AND STAY OUT OF THE BOX, BUT, ASIDE FROM THAT, I THINK
WE'RE GOOD, ATTITUDE'S GOOD, TEAM'S GELLING.
SO.
ELLEN: SO, THE TEAM SUFFERED A BUNCH OF PENALTIES TODAY.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR TEAM CAN IMPROVE DISCIPLINE-WISE FOR THE UPCOMING GAMES?
IAN: WELL, I THINK THE GUYS ARE WORKING HARD, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUMPING ON THE BALL,
GETTING EXCITED, BUT I THINK THE DEFENSE IS PLAYING HARD, AND THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY
NEED TO DO.
WE JUST NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE DISCIPLINED.
AGAIN, ON THE RIDES WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PENALTIES BUT UHH AS FAR AS DISCIPLINE,
I DON'T KNOW, I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, SO YOUR NEXT GAME IS AGAINST DELAWARE TECH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TEAM'S MOST IMPORTANT THING THEY NEED TO WORK ON IS?
IAN: WELL, IT'S GONNA BE A SHORT TURNAROUND.
WE GOT THE GAME SATURDAY AND WE GOT OFF TOMORROW, BUT WE JUST GOTTA BE HEALTHY, COME OUT STRONG
AND PLAY HARD, CAUSE WE GOTTA PLAY EVERY GAME LIKE IT'S A BIG, LIKE IT'S A PLAYOFF GAME.
ELLEN: ANNE ARUNDEL IS A PRETTY GOOD TEAM FROM LAST YEAR, THEY, PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE
THE SECOND-BEST TEAM IN MARYLAND, SO HOW DOES IT FEEL, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BEAT THEM?
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET A BUNCH OF GOALS AGAINST THEM AGAIN THIS YEAR?
IAN: WE WEREN'T SURE REALLY WHAT WE WERE GETTING INTO, WE KNEW THEY WERE A GOOD TEAM,
AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT BETTER THAN LAST YEAR, SO IT WAS, DEFINITELY BOOSTED THE CONFIDENCE
GETTING THAT WIN, BUT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE, SO.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, TJ, SEEMS LIKE YOU SAW SOME PRETTY AMAZING SHOTS THERE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.
WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND IN THE FOURTH QUARTER?
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
TJ: UMM, WELL, I MEAN, WE GOT A DECENT AMOUNT OF SHOTS CAUSE WE WERE A MAN DOWN PRETTY MUCH
THE, I WOULD SAY, THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF THE GAME, BUT OUR DEFENSE HELD TIGHT AND GAVE
ME THE SHOTS THAT I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAVE.
SO, IT'S REALLY ALL CREDIT TO THEM.
ELLEN: HOW DOES THE CAMARADERIE PLAY INTO YOUR CAMARADERIE ON THE DEFENSE, PLAY INTO
YOU AS A GOALIE AND YOU WORKING WITH YOUR DEFENSE TO STOP THE, STOP THOSE TOUGH BALLS?
TJ: WELL, OUR DEFENSE HAS BEEN PLAYING WELL ALL YEAR.
I THINK WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO COME TOGETHER AS A UNIT RIGHT NOW.
CAUSE WE'RE ALL PRETTY NEW TO THE PROGRAM, SO I THINK THAT UMM AS THE SEASON GOES ON
WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP IMPROVING AS THE BEST DEFENSE IN THE COUNTRY.
ELLEN: SO, THIS WAS A BIG WIN FOR YOU GUYS TODAY.
AGAINST AN ANNE ARUNDEL TEAM.
WHAT DOES IT DO FOR THE TEAM'S CONFIDENCE FOR THE UPCOMING GAMES AND THE REST OF THE
SEASON?
TJ: UMM, I THINK IT GIVES US A LOT OF CONFIDENCE.
WE GOT A GOOD WIN AGAINST A GOOD TEAM.
WE'VE BEEN PLAYING SOME TEAMS THAT AREN'T AS WELL, AREN'T AS GOOD AS UMM THE COMPETITION
WE SAW TODAY SO IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO GET A WIN AGAINST A GOOD TEAM AND BEAT 'EM PRETTY
HANDILY.
ELLEN: SO, YOU'VE HAD TWO PRETTY BIG GAMES THIS SEASON, THIS ONE BEING ONE OF 'EM.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO PLAY HERE AT HOWARD AND BE A PART OF THOSE BIG GAMES?
TJ: UMM, IT'S AWESOME.
I, UHH, I WASN'T IN LACROSSE IN THE FALL, SO, ME COMING OUT AND PLAYING THIS SPRING,
IT'S AMAZING.
I MISSED LACROSSE SO MUCH, AND, UMM, IT'S JUST AWESOME TO COME OUT HERE AND PLAY THESE
COMPETITIVE GAMES.
I THINK IT'S THE MOST FUN THING IN THE WORLD.
ELLEN: ALRIGHT, SO TAKE ME INSIDE THE FEEL OF THE TEAM.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH?
WHAT HAVE YOU WORKED ON?
WHERE ARE YOU TRYING TO GO FROM HERE?
TJ: I THINK THAT OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, SINCE WE LOST IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LAST
YEAR, IS DEFINITELY TO GET BACK AND ACTUALLY WIN IT THIS YEAR.
SO, THAT'S OUR MAIN GOAL.
BUT, OTHER THAN THAT, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO REALLY MESH AND GEL AS A TEAM.
BECAUSE, WE'RE ALL, IT'S A FAIRLY NEW ROSTER.
SO, WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST MESH AND GEL AND GET THE CHEMISTRY UP SO WE CAN START WINNING
MORE GAMES.
ELLEN: SO, YOU TALK ABOUT THE TEAM GELLING AND GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER.
WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, IN ORDER FOR THAT TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN FOR YOU GUYS?
TJ: THAT'S DEFINITELY JUST PRACTICE SO, I MEAN, EVERY DAY IN PRACTICE WE'RE WORKING
HARD.
WORKING HARD TO MESH TOGETHER AND GEL TOGETHER LIKE, AS A TEAM.
LIKE YOU JUST SAID AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
JUST PRACTICE AND WORKING HARD IS WHAT'S GONNA GET US TO THE PLACE WHERE WE WANNA GO.
ELLEN: SO, FOR YOU, WHERE DOES THIS GAME RANK ON YOUR PERSONAL-BEST, PERSONAL-BEST GAME.
YOU HAD A BUNCH OF AMAZING SAVES TODAY.
SO, HOW DOES IT RANK FOR YOU?
TJ: IT'S UP THERE, IT'S DEFINITELY UP THERE.
IT'S, I PLAYED AT STEVENSON FOR A YEAR AND I DIDN'T GET ANY STARTS, SO IT'S AWESOME
FOR ME TO COME HERE AND BE ABLE TO START, AND, I MEAN, PERSONALLY, PERSONAL-WISE, I
THINK THAT, IT'S UP THERE, I GUESS, BUT, UMM THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE'RE JUST STARTING
TO HAVE A LOT OF TEAM CHEMISTRY AND WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO COME TOGETHER AS A TEAM
TO GET TO THE GOALS WE WANT TO GET TO.
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