October 16, 2009
San Francisco treat for Tiffany, Bears
by George Martins/
Lars Tiffany has gone to great lengths to improve the men’s lacrosse program in his three seasons at Brown University, so it’s no surprise he took his team the length of the country for a fall ball clash with mighty North Carolina last month.
The San Francisco Fall Lacrosse Classic brought to the Bay Area two teams that competed in last season’s NCAA Division 1 Tournament in an effort to increase awareness of the sport in the emerging Northern California market and raise money for the BAYS Foundation, which provides opportunities for low-income youth in the region to participate in organized sports programs.
A crowd of 4,789 fans, their spirits not dampened by fog, watched the Tar Heels beat the Bears, 13-5, at Kezar Stadium Oct. 10.
Brown got a taste of life without All-American goalie Jordan Burke, who last season became the first in the illustrious history of Ivy League men's lacrosse to win back-to-back Player of the Year awards. Against North Carolina, junior Matt Chriss allowed five goals on 15 shots, sophomore Noah Beatty (Lincoln, Mass./Middlesex School) gave up three goals on seven shots, and freshman Wills Curley surrendered five goals on eight shots.
“Our goalie play was strong from Matt Chriss and Noah Beatty,’’ said Tiffany. “I liked how they competed. Our play in the middle of the field was not great – we need to work on our dodging, our vision, our defense at the midfield.’’
Off the field, in addition to helping a worthy cause and promoting their sport, the Bears were “treated like rock stars,’’ according to their coach.
Highlights, Tiffany recalled, included “goodie bags when we landed, clinics and autograph sessions with youth lacrosse players, outstanding competition and opponent in UNC, dinner on a Coast Guard ship at Pier 27, sandwiches in the locker rooms, Alcatraz, [and] a four-hour dinner at Parker Brown's mother's house.’’
Parker Brown, a sophomore attackman who hails from San Francisco, didn't let a thumb injury prevent him from playing in front of his hometown fans. Wearing a cast, Brown set up a goal by sophomore Rob Schlesinger (Medfield, Mass./Noble and Greenough) in the third quarter that was the Bears’ first strike of the day.
Andrew Feinberg scored twice for the Bears, who were 12-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997.
