Chip and Chirp: Week 3 at The Drew

Chip and Chirp: Week 3 at The Drew

Two lax dads. One first win, one tie, one kiss, and a Braveheart on the horizon.

Folks. FOLKS.

We waited two weeks for lacrosse and The Drew paid us back with interest. Wednesday night at Smith Turf Fields we got a first career win, the league's first ever tie, a goalie debut for the ages, a nine-goal eruption that a certain co-columnist predicted in print, a coach who looked at the concept of goaltending and said "no thank you," and a kiss blown mid-game that angered the ancient gods of this sport and changed a result. We are not making any of that up. Week 3 had everything.

(Chirp here. Before we go one word further: my Bold Calls hit so hard this week that I have retained a second lawyer just to handle the apologies I am owed. Full accounting at the bottom of the column. Back to you, Chip.)

Settle in, find your kid's name, and let's go team by team through the wildest night this young league has seen.

The Buffalos Stay Perfect

Wednesday night at Smith Turf Fields, the Buffalos did what unbeaten teams do: they took two more. A win over the Snipes on Field 2, then a nightcap rematch with the White Wolves on Field 1 that had a lot more teeth than the opening-night version. When the whistle blew for the last time, the record read 4-0.

(Chirp here. I picked the Buffalos-Snipes game as quietly the game of the night before puck drop, sorry, wrong sport, faceoff, whatever, you get it, and I stand by it. Back to you, Chip.)

Buffalos over Snipes. The Snipes came in with a reputation: a ground ball crew that turns every loose ball into a fistfight. The Buffalos answered by simply outscoring the fight. Tej Bhavsar found the back of the net three times, Easton Cope chipped in a pair, and Davis Hays and Oliver Chessell each got theirs too. In the cage, Rieker Toppings had one of those nights goalies dream about, six saves and counting, a wall between the pipes.

The Snipes did not go quietly. Wylie Paylor was a problem all night and put up four goals of his own, with Beck Clemmons adding a goal, an assist, and a ground ball for good measure. But the Buffalos' balanced scoring was too much, and the perfect record held.

Buffalos survive the Wolves, 7-6. This was the one we circled. Opening night, the Buffalos handled a shorthanded Wolves squad 7-2. Everybody figured round two would look similar.

It did not.

The Wolves came out swinging. Leo Gilfillan and Harris Scott each scored twice, Wade Swanson and Benjamin Brewer each got one, and suddenly a laugher from week one was a genuine, nervy, one-goal ballgame deep into the fourth quarter.

That is when Evan Marsh decided the Buffalos were not losing this one. Two goals, a hand in the ground ball battle, and the kind of relentless, caused-turnover-after-caused-turnover effort that swings a tight game. Braveheart stuff. Davis Hays matched him stride for stride with two goals and two assists, Trent Bezeredi and Tej Bhavsar each found the net once, and the Buffalos held on, 7-6.

(Chirp here. A team gets handed a signature win like that maybe once a season. Evan Marsh just got his in week three. Back to you, Chip.)

The honest part. Here is the thing about a 4-0 start: it feels great, and it should. But talking to the sideline after the final whistle, the read on the night was clear-eyed. The Buffalos played hard, but they did not chase shots consistently, and they picked up too many avoidable penalties, the kind of thing you get away with in a couple of tight wins and do not against the teams still ahead on the schedule.

Talent alone will not carry this group the rest of the way. The record says 4-0. The film will say there is work to do. Both things are true, and this team seems to know it, which is honestly the more encouraging part. That is what the good ones do.

Turtles: An Epic Win, A Mad Scientist, and a 1-1 Night

The Turtles came in as the favorites in both games and left 1-1, and somehow it was still one of the most entertaining nights any team has had all season.

Game one was an instant classic: a 7-6 win over the Golden Eagles in a matchup that put two MVP front-runners, Beckett Scoggins and Noah Parker, on the same field at the same time. The game lived all the way up to it.

The story within the story: the Turtles were missing their main goalie, and Maxton Call raised his hand and stepped into the cage for the first time in his life. All he did was make 4 huge saves and walk away with a win in his first career start between the pipes. First time. Ever. Maxton Call, take a bow.

Beckett Scoggins did Beckett Scoggins things, and then some. In the Eagles game alone he had 4 goals and 2 assists with 4 caused turnovers and 3 ground balls, and he finished the full night with 7 goals, 4 assists, 5 caused turnovers, 5 ground balls, and 2 faceoff wins. The fast lefty now sits second in the league in points, right behind Noah Parker, and the chase is officially on. His chemistry with William McVey, who added 3 goals and a pile of ground balls and takeaways of his own, has people around the league saying the quiet part loud: Scoggins and McVey might be the best offensive duo at The Drew.

And do not sleep on William Bauer. Five goals on the night. He has been a sneaky weapon all season, and the sneaking is over. Circle him for a run at an All-Star appearance. Colt King added a goal of his own and played with a motor that did not stop all night, plus 3 caused turnovers, and Oaklen chipped in 4 ground balls and 2 takeaways of his own.

Then came game two against the Snipes, and Coach DJ Matthews reached into his lab coat.

Missing his keeper and staring down the hottest team in the league, DJ went with a zero-goalie strategy: six field players, empty cage, full chaos. What followed was an 11-9 shootout, the highest-scoring game this league has ever seen. And here is the thing. IT ALMOST WORKED. The Turtles hung 9 goals and nearly pulled off the miracle, a few pipes here and there from stealing that game outright.

(Chirp here. I have watched lacrosse for four decades and I have never seen a coach dial up six field players and nearly cash it against a team this loaded. Some people are calling it a gamble. I am calling it week three of a Coaching Staff of the Year campaign. DJ Matthews has been the most creative bench boss in this league all summer and it is not particularly close. Back to you, Chip.)

The Turtles sit at 3-1, still every bit the contender, and now with a folk-hero goalie story and a mad-scientist coach in their back pocket.

Snipes: The Team Everybody Is Talking About

The Snipes might have the most firepower of any team in the league, and after Wednesday, that is not sideline gossip anymore. That is the record talking.

The night opened with a tough 7-5 loss to the undefeated Buffalos, and here is the context that matters: the Snipes were missing superstar Sylvester Boafo, and plenty of folks around the field think he was the missing piece between a split and a perfect 2-0 night. Hold that thought for later in the season.everything after that loss was fireworks, capped by an 11-9 barnburner of a win over the Turtles in the nightcap, the highest-scoring game in Drew League history.

Let us start where Chirp has been pointing for two straight columns. Wylie Paylor went OFF. Nine goals on the night. Nine. Five in the first game, four in the second, plus 2 ground balls and 4 caused turnovers for good measure. That is a Player of the Week case, that is an MVP conversation entry, and that is a called shot from this very column. And the subplot keeps getting better: when the Wolves and Snipes finally meet, Wylie goes toe to toe with his brother Nixon Paylor, the Wolves' first overall pick. The Paylor Bowl is coming, people. Start preparing the family group chat now.

Dean Terrell just keeps making his rookie season look routine. Five more goals, 7 caused turnovers, and TEN ground balls on the night. Ten! The rookie sensation is stacking an All-Star case brick by brick. Gunnar Lyon has flat-out become a threat in the net, with 12 saves, huge stop after huge stop, and, because why not, a goal of his own. The young lefty keeper is heating up at exactly the right time, and if you are asking how far the Snipes can go, the answer starts with him.

Holden Roberts got his hands on a long pole this week, and folks, it was love at first check. The first-year player was unbelievable in the win over the Turtles, finishing the night with 5 ground balls and 4 caused turnovers. Effort, energy, attitude. However you want to word it, the long pole found its owner.

Beck Clemmons had a nice goal and 2 assists and has genuinely stood out in his first season, and here is a storyline to circle: Beck and his twin brother Briggs, who plays for the Golden Eagles, have a head-to-head showdown coming up on the schedule. Twin versus twin under the lights. This league keeps writing television.

Porter was, once again, a ground ball machine and one of the tops in the entire league. The TYLA Titans product might be the best defensive midfielder at The Drew, and we believe the floodgates are about to open for him as a scoring threat too. Strong efforts from James Gutosky and Malachi Thompson rounded out the win.

(Chirp here. Quiet shout to the bench: Coach Bryce Craig and Ern Smith have this group playing connected, hungry lacrosse. Add them to the Coaching Staff of the Year ballot next to DJ Matthews, because that race is getting spicy. Back to you, Chip.)

Golden Eagles: Close Calls, a Kiss, and Unfinished Business

The Eagles' perfect record finally took a dent, and it took a 7-6 instant classic and an act of hubris that will be discussed at The Drew for years to do it.

First, the classic: the Turtles edged the Eagles 7-6 in the game of the night, and it was no fault of the guys in the cage and on the crease. Landon Long, The Ice Man, held a red-hot Turtles offense to 7 and has kept the Eagles in every single game this season. He is top three in the league in saves, he made a monster stop late to keep the nightcap tied when everything was on the line, and he is playing his way into both the All-Star Game and the MVP conversation. Goalies can win MVPs, folks. We have seen it done, and we are watching a campaign.

Noah Parker remains an absolute beast. Six goals and 2 assists on the day, and get this: the MVP front-runner and league points leader has recorded a hat trick in EVERY game this season. Every single one. The northern product is putting together one of the great inaugural seasons imaginable.

Which brings us to the kiss.

Nightcap versus the Bears. Eagles rolling. And Noah, feeling good, as one does when one hat-tricks every game of one's life, turned mid-game and blew a kiss to his old northern buddy Lennon Winegarner on the Bears' sideline. A beautiful gesture. A warm gesture. A gesture the ancient gods of lacrosse witnessed and invoiced IMMEDIATELY. The momentum turned, the Bears clawed all the way back, and the game ended in a 5-5 tie, the first tie in Drew League history.

(Chirp here. We have all been Noah. In 1990 I pointed to the stands before a shot and immediately fell down untouched. The lacrosse gods keep excellent books. Lesson learned, kid, and for the record, it was extremely funny. Back to you, Chip.)

The rest of the Eagles' ledger was full of the good stuff. Nathan Harrell, MVP and All-Star candidate, went for 3 goals, an assist, and SEVEN caused turnovers, and the debate is real: is he an attackman or a defender? The kid's answer is yes. He and Isaac Carter of the Buffalos are in a two-man race for best two-way player in the league. Sawyer Munsey, the tough TYLA Titans product, buried his first career Drew goal, and we would like to formally welcome him to the First Career Goal Club, where the dues are one celebration per goal, minimum. The kid is tough all over the field. Young superstar. Keep watching.

Briggs Clemmons was everywhere, a first-year player who contributes in all the ways that do not always show up on a score sheet, with that twin showdown against brother Beck looming. Nicholas Santomieri scored one of the nicest goals of the entire day, the kind you describe to people who were not there. Conrad Martin is so fast it should require a permit, hoovering up ground balls, and once the scoring clicks, look out. And Eli Thompson turned in a strong night with his best ball ahead of him late this season.

Two more notes for the faithful. One: the coaching. Harry Wellons and Coach Max teaming up with Coach Roger, with Mars still to return, is a Coaching Staff of the Year contender all its own. Two, and this is the scary one for the rest of the league: the Eagles have done ALL of this without cornerstone product Eli Hunt. When he steps on the field, this team goes from contender to a problem nobody has an answer for.

And the business with the Bears? Unfinished. See below, and bring a blanket.

Wolves: FIRST WIN, AND IT NEARLY WAS TWO

Sound the howl. The White Wolves are in the win column.

The Wolves took down the Bears 6-5 in a one-goal thriller to open the night, their first victory in franchise history, and if you think we are being dramatic calling a three-week-old team a franchise, you clearly did not hear that sideline when the final whistle blew. They heard it in the parking lot. They heard it two fields over. First wins only happen once, and this one was earned the hard way, in a game that came down to the last possession against a Bears team that never, ever goes away.

And then, somehow, the Wolves nearly made it a perfect night. The nightcap against the undefeated Buffalos, a rematch of an opening-night 7-2 loss, turned into a 7-6 heart-stopper that was anyone's game deep into the fourth. Leo Gilfillan scored twice. Harris Scott scored twice. Wade Swanson found the net. And, in the moment Wolves fans have been waiting for all season: BENJAMIN BREWER IS BACK, and he got on the scoresheet in his return. The star the Wolves were missing on opening night is a star no longer missing.

(Chirp here. Read the arc, people. Week one: shorthanded, 0-2, losing to the Buffalos by five. Week three: first win banked, Brewer back, and one goal away from knocking off the only unbeaten team in the league. That is not a rebuild. That is a rocket on the launchpad. And the Paylor Bowl, Nixon versus little brother Wylie when the Wolves meet the Snipes, is still out there waiting for us all. Back to you, Chip.)

The record says 1-3. The trend line says do not look away.

Bears: The Cardiac Bears

New nickname, earned in full. The Cardiac Bears played two games Wednesday decided by a total of one goal, and neither one of them is fully finished being talked about. Or, in one case, fully finished being PLAYED.

Game one was heartbreak, a 6-5 loss to a good Wolves team in the kind of coin-flip game these Bears keep finding themselves in. Game two, against the Golden Eagles, ended 5-5, the first tie in league history, and here is where it gets delicious: that game is not over. The two teams will settle it next week with a 6:30 PM sudden-death faceoff. They are calling it the Braveheart. More on that below, because it deserves its own section and possibly its own movie.

Now, about this roster. The Bears might be the best passing team in the league, and there is a beautiful reason why: THREE sets of brothers. The Bogackis, the Kemps, the Abos. The chemistry is out of this world, the kind you cannot coach, because it was built at dinner tables and driveways over entire lifetimes. Wednesday it was on full display: Louie Kemp and Sloane Kemp linked up for a brother-to-brother goal, Aedan and Cullen Bogacki were both dishing assists that turned into goals, and the Abo brothers, Austin and Cole, keep building toward something under the watchful eye of their dad Charlie. Watch this space, because a certain co-columnist has a prediction coming.

And then there is the new guy. Nolan Roach, the Southeast product added to the Bears this week, stepped into the cage and STOOD ON HIS HEAD. Twenty-one saves across two games. Twenty-one! He kept the Bears in every minute of both games, and, because apparently that was not enough, he scored a goal too. Some people around the league are already asking if the Bears just added the best goalie at The Drew, and whether that addition is the thing that pushes this team over the edge. Player of the Week ballots are being filled out as we speak.

Lennon Winegarner kept his All-Star-level play rolling with more goals and one of the plays of the night: a gorgeous set pick that sprang Cullen Bogacki free for a goal. That is veteran-brain lacrosse. Mack Rowberry, or Mack G as the Bears sideline calls him, stayed one of the most dangerous scorers in the league when given a look, burying 3 on the day. Connor Benjamin added a nice goal of his own. Sloane Kemp had a huge, huge day. And keep saying it with us: Cullen Bogacki, the fierce lefty TYLA Titans product, is one of the best players in this league, brother Aedan is one clicked-in hot streak away from the MVP race and possibly the scoring title, and Louie Kemp has the look of a young star who could contend for MVPs, plural, before his Drew days are done.

(Chirp here. Mark my words and notarize them: the Bears will be in the finals. An 0-3-1 team, in the finals. I have never been more certain of a call in my life, and I once correctly predicted rain. Back to you, Chip.)

The first win is still out there, and the Bears get their shot at it in the most dramatic format imaginable. Speaking of which.

THE BRAVEHEART

Next week. 6:30 PM. Before the regular slate even begins.

Bears. Eagles. The 5-5 tie must be settled, and it will be settled the old way: a sudden-death Braveheart faceoff. One draw. Next goal wins. Everything on the line, under the early evening sky, with both full teams and every parent at The Drew ringing the field.

(Chirp here. For the uninitiated: the Braveheart is the single most dramatic mechanism in all of lacrosse. It is a duel. It is high noon with gloves on. I have seen exactly four in my life and I remember every second of all of them. Get there EARLY. 6:30. If you show up at 6:45 and it is already over and it was legendary, that is between you and your choices. Back to you, Chip.)

Noah Parker has a kiss to atone for. Nolan Roach has a net to guard. The Bears are hunting their first win, the Eagles are protecting their season, and the whole league gets a front-row seat. We have already loaded the chairs in the truck.

Chip's Corner

One moment. Every week. Straight from the heart.

Matty Carter, this one is for you.

Here is what happened at the Bears games Wednesday, in between all the one-goal drama. Nolan Roach was having the night of his life in the cage, 21 saves across two games, carrying an enormous load. And a young Bear named Matty Carter, of the Carter brothers, watched all that work and did the most team-first thing a player can do.

He volunteered to go in goal. Not because it is glamorous. Not because anyone asked. Because he saw a teammate carrying something heavy and wanted to carry some of it himself.

The only thing that stopped him Wednesday was equipment. There simply was not goalie gear in his size at the field. So here is the plan, and we love this plan: Matty is set to jump in the net next week and learn the position from the older Roach himself. A veteran and an apprentice. That is how goalies have been made for a hundred years.

Matty, from two old lax dads who have watched this game their whole lives: raising your hand is the whole thing. It is the bravest act in sports. The saves will come, the gear will fit, and the crease will feel like home before you know it. But the part that cannot be taught, you already have. The Bears are lucky to have you, and this column is officially the founding chapter of the Matty Carter fan club. Dues are free. Meetings are every Wednesday at the fence.

(Chirp here. He teared up twice writing that. I counted. And for once I have nothing to add except: welcome to the pipes, young man. Back to you, Chip.)

Chirp's Calls

The awards, the receipts, and the gloating. So much gloating.

First, the Bold Call Scorecard, because I keep books:

1. "Wolves versus Bears is decided by one goal, somebody's first win comes with a celebration you can hear from the parking lot." Final: Wolves 6-5. First win. Parking lot confirmed. HIT.
2. "The Snipes ground ball machine rolls on." Dean Terrell had TEN ground balls BY HIMSELF. HIT.
3. "Turtles versus Snipes is a one-goal game again." Final: 11-9 Snipes. I predicted a one-goal game and it was a two-goal game, which means I was off by exactly one goal on a one-goal prediction. My lawyers are calling this a hit. The league office is not. We proceed to arbitration.
4. "Noah Parker gets tested by the Turtles, and how he answers tells us the Eagles' ceiling." Six goals on the day in a 7-6 classic. Tested, answered, ceiling: high. HIT.
5. "A player not yet named in this column forces his way into next week's recap." Nolan Roach, 21 saves. Maxton Call, first career start, first career win. Evan Marsh, signature performance. Harris Scott, two goals. Nicholas Sananteri, goal of the day candidate. This was less a prediction than a prophecy. HIT, five times over.

And the big one, called in this column not once but TWICE: "Wylie Paylor is due for a breakout." NINE GOALS. I rest my case, I thank the academy, and I remind the rain that it delayed justice but could not deny it.

Player of the Week: It is a two-horse photo finish. Wylie Paylor, 9 goals, versus Nolan Roach, 21 saves plus a goal in his Bears debut. Chip votes Roach. I vote Wylie. The league fans can settle it.

The MVP Race, Week 3 Edition: Noah Parker leads the league in points with a hat trick in every game. Beckett Scoggins, the fast lefty, is right behind him and closing. Wylie Paylor just kicked the door in. Aedan Bogacki remains the coiled spring. And somewhere, Eli Hunt has not even played yet. This race is a five-lane highway.

All-Star Watch, August 15 is coming: Dean Terrell is building a case brick by brick. Gunnar Lyon, 12 saves and a goal, is making his from the crease. William Bauer, 5 goals, the secret is out. Sawyer Munsey, first career goal and tough as a two-dollar steak. Lennon Winegarner keeps stacking All-Star nights. Landon Long is top three in saves. Nathan Harrell does everything. Get your ballots ready.

Coaching Staff of the Year, an actual race now: DJ Matthews dialed up SIX FIELD PLAYERS AND NO GOALIE and nearly beat the hottest team in the league. Bryce Craig and Ern Smith have the Snipes humming. And the Eagles' brain trust of Harry Wellons, Coach Max, and Coach Roger, with Mars still to return, has a 2-1-1 team that has not played a bad game yet. May the best clipboard win.

Reinforcements Watch: Sylvester Boafo returns to a Snipes team that just proved it barely needs him, which is terrifying. Benjamin Brewer is already back and scoring for the Wolves. Ashton Carter returns to a Bears attack that misses him. Mars rejoins the Eagles sideline. And Eli Hunt looms over everything. The second half of this season is going to be ridiculous.

And my one Bold Call for next week, because I am saving the rest for the Braveheart: the Braveheart at 6:30 produces the loudest single moment in Drew League history, and at least one member of this column cries at a sudden-death faceoff between grade schoolers. You know which one.

(Chip here. It's me. I'm the one who cries. See you Wednesday at Smith Turf Fields, 6:30 sharp for the Braveheart, regular games to follow. Bring water, bring your loudest positive cheering, and hug your kid after the game no matter what the scoreboard says. That is the Drew way. Back to you, nobody. That is the end of the article.)

Chip and Chirp are two former New England lax rats who followed the sun south and never left. Their opinions are their own, their memories of their playing days are heavily exaggerated, and their love for the kids of The Drew League is one hundred percent verified. See you at the fields.