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Vikings
lacrosse team bounces back in 2006
by Eric Keppeler
Grand Island Dispatch, June 23, 2006
After a pair of what head coach Steve Steck calls
sub-par seasons, the Grand Island boys lacrosse team righted the
ship in 2006.
The Vikings were gunning for a seventh sectional crown
– and while they didn’t quite get that far, it was a big step forward
for a team that finished below .500 last year. Grand Island finished
12-8 overall and 6-2 in divisional play. The Vikings drew the third
seed in the Section VI Class B playoffs and beat Williamsville East
in the quarterfinals. They then bowed to eventual sectional champ
and state semifinalist Amherst in the semifinals.
Not bad for a team that finished 9-10 in 2005 and
lost to Sweet Home in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I was real happy with the season,” said Steck, who
just completed his 10th season with the program and third year as
head coach. “We had a lot of question marks – we were talented but
inexperienced. Being able to get the third seed in the playoffs
was huge. This season was definitely a step in the right direction.”
The Vikings’ success during the season was reflected
when the league all-stars were announced. In all, Grand Island wound
up with eight league all-stars.
Senior midfielder Erich Skelly, junior forward Phil
Wendt and junior goalie James Rayhill all earned first team honors.
Junior forward Ryan Samland and senior midfielders Chris Miller
and Tim Blonski made the second team, while senior midfielder Justin
Dowd and senior defender Matt Guidotti earned honorable mention.
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Junior goalie James Rayhill earned First Team All-Star honors after
placing among the league leaders with a .680 save percentage.
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Wendt and Samland provided
the Vikings with a solid 1-2 punch up front on offense. Wendt, who played
last year, led the team in points with 81 on 41 goals and 40 assists.
Samland, who was hurt last year, bounced back with a team-high 42 goals
plus 30 assists for 72 points.
Rayhill was among the league leaders in goal with a .680
save percentage, and he and the defense were big factors in the team’s
success.
“We have a great tradition of success here at Grand Island,”
Steck said. “But in each of the last two years, we were knocked out of
the playoffs in the first round. This year, we had some kids up from the
JV team, and they played with confidence. The whole team just felt we
could beat anybody. That attitude was an intangible that was invaluable.”
Steck is hoping for equally significant contributions next
season from this year’s junior varsity squad that went 13-3.
He will welcome back a solid nucleus of veterans that includes
all three starting attackmen, four midfielders and his all-star goalie.
The defense is where he will need to plus some holes as most of that unit
graduates later this month.
“We’ll be looking to continue right where we left off,”
Steck said. “We’ve got some young kids coming up, and they’re very good
athletes. They’ll bring some speed to our defense. Our defense always
had toughness – these kids will be just as tough, but with more speed.”
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