Lacrosse team ready for next hurdle

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, March 29, 2007

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Niagara-Wheatfield boys lacrosse coach Vince Schiffert knows that if he wants to be able to call his Falcons the best team in Western New York, the Falcons will have to overcome the formidable obstacle presented by the Orchard Park Quakers.

N-W came close last year, finishing with an 18-3 record before being eliminated in the sectional finals by – you guessed it – Orchard Park.

In fact, two of N-W’s three losses last year were to the Quakers.

“They’re the class of Western New York,” Schiffert said. “Last year was the 12th straight year they’ve won sectionals, and they also made it to the state semifinals. Now our goal is to beat them.”

The Falcons certainly have plenty of firepower and experience coming back.

The team’s top two scorers from a year ago both return in senior attacker James Rickard and junior Emmett Printup. Senior Kurt Williams is back at midfield, and he – along with Rickard – are this year’s team captains. Junior Elijah Printup is also back at midfield, although he could also see some time up front on the attack.

The defense also has three starters coming back. Senior Charles Jacobs started last season at midfield but now drops back to defense, while junior defenders Jon Bissell and Nick Melligan also return.

In goal, junior Mark Kovach gets the starting nod after serving as the backup last season.

“I think we have a strong team,” Schiffert said. “We should be able to put the ball in the net, and we have an experienced defense. The biggest question is in goal. This is only Mark’s second year ever of playing lacrosse, but he’s played well so far. I think we should be okay.”

The Falcons also get to reload with some new young talent.

Sophomore Gehnew Printup joins the team after his family moved back to Sanborn from the Syracuse area. He will play either midfield or attack.

The team also gets some help from a successful junior varsity program, with junior midfielders Loyld Chrysler, Chad Leadingfox, George Pineda and John Golden.

“I think our team is a little better this year,” Schiffert said. “Over the course of the year, the hardcore guys have traveled and played games all over. They’ve played a lot of lacrosse, and I can see the growth in them. Now they’re back, another year older and another year better.”

The Falcons no longer compete in a league per se, instead taking on teams in their own size classification.

This change was helpful, says Schiffert, because the Falcons too often found themselves giving up way too many power points for playing much smaller teams. Now, they just play everyone else in Class A.

“That was a big help,” said Schiffert. “It was frustrating because we used to be able to go undefeated, but we’d never be seeded any higher than third or fourth because everybody else played all big schools.”