Long Island Spring Break Update

The Balto Statue
Times Square
The St. Patrick's Day Parade

I'm sorry it has taken me a couple days to give an update on our trip. The past few days have been pretty busy to say the least. Last time I wrote, I was getting ready for our game against Seaton Hill on Monday. We suffered a tough loss by one goal, which wasn't the way we wanted to start off the season. I ended up getting some playing time in the fourth quarter when one of the starters got hurt. I scored two goals and was pretty happy with that, but it didn't make up the fact that we had lost. We played with heart so there wasn't much we could be upset about.

On Tuesday we had practice in the morning until around noon. We then went to a local mall to get lunch and walk around a bit. That was a nice break from all the practicing we had been doing. For dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant and had a massive meal of chicken parmesan, pasta, bread, and salad. It was all in preparation for the next day's game against Molloy.

Our game wasn't until six at night on Wednesday, so we had a lot of time to relax and mentally prepare. I caught up on some sleep, ate, and watched college basketball until it was finally time to leave around four. I could tell we were going to have a good game because everyone was so focused and on point during warm ups. The shots and passes were crisp, and everyone was feeling pumped up at the thought of getting another chance to win. We played awesome! From start to finish, we hustled and played so well together. It was an awesome game to watch, and we ended up winning 11-8. After the game, coach congratulated us on the win and decided to give us a little reward. He surprised us by telling us that we would be going into New York City for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

I was really excited to go into the city because I had never been before in my life. I know, crazy. It was awesome to finally get that experience though. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the crazy amounts of people there. There were times when I couldn't even walk on the side walk because there were so many people. Not to mention it was the hottest day in a long time. We watched the parade for a about an hour, and then made our way to Times Square. I never knew billboards so large ever existed. I can understand why people say it is like daytime during the night hours there considering how many lights and signs there are. We finished the day with a walk through Central Park. That was my most favorite part of the day. The park itself is designed really well, and is perfect for walking, running, biking, or simply relaxing on the grass or rocks. We exited the park and hopped on the bus for a ride back to the hotel which I spent sleeping. That night, we had dinner prepared for us by one of the player's parents from the team. Being St. Patty's day, we had corned beef and cabbage and it was delicious!

Today, we had an early wake up call and had a quick breakfast before heading to the field for practice again. Practice was focused on how we will attempt to beat the number one team in Division II lacrosse; C.W. Post. We are definitely the under-dogs in this upcoming game, and therefore we have nothing to lose. We practiced hard and I believe we have some things that will give them a run for their money. After practice, some of the boys went to the beach for a couple hours, but I stayed at the hotel to get some homework done and watch the basketball games. I am really excited about this game tomorrow because I think we have a chance to do something that has never been done before.

As for now, I say goodnight. I have to get rest for the game tomorrow. Wish us luck. Go Purp!

-Nate