Last day of #MAH2013 in photos (mostly)

Here are the Coles notes from today because it was another long day, we were out late and I don’t want to spend my last hours in Prague in front of my computer.

• Huge win by the boys tonight! They played as a solid unit, as well as we knew they could and dominated a strong Love You To Death team. Final score 7-1. Stats here.
• Our sunny days expired yesterday and while it was slightly bright this morning, it got progressively worse. It was overcast by the time we got to the rink for the second game and for the last few games of the day it rained cats and dogs. Like Vancouver style rain.
• Pioneers Tom Johnson, Ryan Keith and Quinn Waddington finished the tournament 8th, 9th and 11th in scoring, respectively.

Upon arrival, we found this article featuring
our goalie, Kevina Hilla posted at the entry
to the tournament

Say what you want about Radotin, but you can’t say
they don’t support their local team

Goalie brotherhood

Soldiers to the field

The tourney ran on a tight schedule and rarely varied from
it – teams needed to be ready to go as soon as
the game before was finished

 Connor Wilson and Chris Fox

Kevin Redhead and Cam Taylor recruiting new fans

The downpour

Hometown champs

Fireworks to close out the 20th anniversary
Aleš Hřebeský Memorial

This tournament is world class. You want to be here. It is worth the time and effort. You won’t regret it. If you play lacrosse, start asking around because this is something you really want need to do.

Another Pie win makes it an all Canadian match-up for fifth at #MAH2013

We may have had to get up early, but
there were other who had to get up earlier

Late night festivities + early game. You’d think the guys might have looked a little rough around the edges, but the Pioneers handily beat the LCC Wolves this morning, 9-0. This means that in their final game of the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament, they’ll be playing for fifth place.

Many Pioneers went into this game with reservations about facing these opponents. As the junior team to the one that eliminated them from championship contention, they are a much younger and smaller team and the guys weren’t sure how to handle them. It didn’t take long to figure it out and it seems ironic that a game so late in the tournament would be one of their easier wins.

Game stats here.

Fraternizing with the enemy
Me & Connor Wilson – Love You To Death player,
#GrowtheGame champion and
the genius behind LaxAllStars.com

Next up is the Ontario based team, Love You To Death. These guys won the tourney two years ago and then took a year off. They’re back, looking sharp and should make for a great game when they square off vs. the Pioneers tonight. Provided the refs let them play, look for a heavy-hitting, fast-paced game played in true Canadian style. (BIG if!) Tune in at 5:50 local time tonight. (That’s 8:50am in BC, 11:50am in Ontario.) Here’s your link!

The Brothers Wadds on their way back to Prague

With a seven hour gap between games, we all decided to take off from the tourney and make the most of our last day in Prague. For most of us that means at least a few hours napping, but a group of us decided to make a run for lunch first.

Cheers to a fantastic trip, a big W this morning and the opportunity for fifth place in the tourney.

If you’re interested, the championship game of the tourney will be played at 8pm local time. The teams are yet to be determined but it’s between Boston Megamen (returning champions), LCC Custodes, Nova Scotia Privateers and the Green Gaels. You may want to tune in again for that one, too.

Striving for five plus #MAH2013 All Stars

We just got in from what turned out to be a very long day and we need to hit the road again in a few hours. This tournament life can be rough, but in the end, it’s all worth it.

Keeping cool in the only patch of
shade before the game started

The Pioneers faltered in their game today, dropping a 9-5 loss to the home team, LCC Custodes. The unbeaten streak is over and now we’re playing for fifth place at best. Simply put, the team was outworked – too many penalties, not enough scoring. There aren’t any excuses or explanations. It was a meltdown, but here are the stats anyway.

With that loss, the best finish we can pull off now would be fifth place and we’ll play or it tomorrow.

Next up: LCC Wolves. This is the junior team we came upon when we arrived in Prague exactly one week ago and we play them at 8:45 tomorrow morning. For those of you who are interested, you can watch that game online at www.net-tv.cz. It’ll be on at 11:45 tonight in BC and 2:45am in Ontario. If we win that game, we’ll play again at 5:50pm (11:50am EST/8:40PST) if we lose, at 3:10pm (9:10am EST/6:10am PST)

The loss was disappointing, but we weren’t going to let it ruin our day. It was a gorgeous sunny weather and there was plenty of lacrosse going on right in front of us. We’d watched five games before the Pie game started and then watched another three after that.

Mobbed by autograph seekers

All Stars

Come evening, it was time for some entertainment including the tournament’s All Star game. Kevin Hill, David Yee, Travis St. Germain and Ryan Keith were the four Pioneers named to the team and everyone stuck around to watch them support their teammates. They were given special tournament all star jerseys and introduced when they took the floor. Through sixty minutes of play, the all stars from around the world played the all stars from the Czech Republic.

Sadly the Czech Republic team won, but we stuck around for the shootout and light show after the game was over. All in all, we spent more than 12 hours at the venue! Wake up call is in 5 hours. I best be getting some rest!

Pioneers advance to quarter finals at #MAH2013!

I keep having to remind myself that this is only day two of Aleš Hřebeský Memorial because it feels like we’ve been living in Radotin for days!

Our 1pm game time today gave us a bit of a break after our early morning wake up call yesterday and while the team made their way to the tournament at 11am, Kevin and I decided to go over early to catch some of the AM games.

The skies are clear and the sun is shining here. One of the tournament organizers believes it is proof that Aleš watching over them and maybe it is. This is the twentieth anniversary of the tournament, after all.

By game time, it was pretty hot out. Many of the guys came out of the room with black out under their eyes because it was so bright and spent every last second they could in the shade. The entire floor is exposed to the sun so beyond the physical exertion of playing, they also have to deal with the heat.

Czech team, TJ Malešice wore bright yellow uniforms and took the floor with confidence, but the Pioneers dominated right from the start and never gave them an opportunity to catch up. At the half, the score was 5-0 and it wasn’t until 3:12 left to play that Malešice stole goalie Kevin Hill’s hopes for a shutout. With pairs of goals from Cam Taylor, Ryan Keith and Tom Johnson and singles from Cody L’Arrivee, Travis St. Germain and Quinn Waddington, the Pioneers left the floor with a 9-1 win.

TJ Malešice is a team with real potential. They move the ball well and have a good sense of how to play the game. The fact is, they were simply outmuscled by the Pioneers and couldn’t work against the pressure from the strong defense they were facing. They’re also a very sportsmanlike team which goes a long way in my books.

Ryan Keith currently sits in third place in tournament scoring with 16 points. On the defensive end, the Pioneers have only allowed four goals in three games.

For complete game stats, click here.

They serve the most amazing lemonade with raspberry float
in the clubhouse at the field

This afternoon’s win guarantees us a spot in the top eight. Tomorrow’s quarter final match will be against LCC Custodes. They are the men’s team that plays out of the venue where the tournament is held and have three commanding wins so far this tournament.

If you happened to see my original tweets and Facebook status update, I got the time wrong for tomorrow’s game. Originally, I said 1pm, but it’s actually 2:40 local time. That’ll give you an extra hour and forty to sleep in. For those of you on the west coast, tune in at 5:40am while the easterners have it a little easier with a 8:40am start. Here’s your link!

Odor Gladiator

You may have seen the Odor Gladiator logo on the Boston Megamen jerseys for this tournament. While they support a club that we would like to face here in the finals, the guy behind the OG brand is a great supporter of the people who cross his path and I am lucky to be one of them. Kevin and I are traveling with Odor Gladiatior on this trip and you can be, too! Visit the Odor Gladiator store and place an order before the end of the tournament using the savings code PRAGUE and you’ll get 25% off your order!

Two and oh: Pioneers keep it going at #MAH2013!

 

This is the view from the stands in Radotin – unbelievable!

Tonight, the Pioneers pulled out their second win of the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament, this time vs. the Dublin Riggers and by a score of 6-3. Their 2-0 record at the end of day one ensures that they advance as the first place team in Group A. This win means that they will face TJ Malešice tomorrow afternoon.

The Riggers were a tougher opponent for the Pioneers both in skill and toughness. While the Pie only took a couple of penalties, all technical, in their early game, this one resulted in eight, six of which were personal fouls. It was definitely a tougher brand of lacrosse, but one with which the Pioneers are familiar. Heavy hitting and grinding are what Pie Ball is all about, they’ll just need to work harder to keep it clean and stay out of the penalty box.

This second outing was pretty low-scoring compared to the Pioneers’ first appearance at the tournament and Quinn Waddington, Ryan Keith and Tom Johnson shared in tonight’s six goals. Waddington had a hat trick, Keith had a pair and Johnson a single. Keith’s contribution tonight boosted him the top of the scoring stats for the tournament.

Team scoring (cumulative)

1. Ryan Keith – 11 points
2. Tom Johnson – 10 points
3. Quinn Waddington – 9 points
4. Ross Frehlick – 3 points
5. Corey Williamson – 2 points
6. Cam Taylor – 2 points
7. Brock Whiteley – 1 goal
8. Chris Fox – 1 assist
9. David Yee – 1 assist
10. Travis St. Germain – 1 assist
11. Andrew Gee – 1 assist

Goaltending stats (cumulative)

Nathan WIlson – 10 saves on 10 shots – 100% save percentage
Kevin Hill – 7 saves on 10 shots – 70% save percentage

To view all of the stats for the game, click here.

Tomorrow’s opponent, TJ Malešice also played two games today, beating the Vienna Monarchs 8-2 in the morning, but dropping a 4-2 loss to Love You To Death in the game right before ours.

Unlike in other tournaments where teams are knocked out, here in Radotin, teams continue to play through the duration of the tourney until their placement is decided. With twenty teams here, you can imagine that the formula for determining who plays who is an intricate web. A loss at this point will remove the possibility of a high place finish for the Pioneers but their tournament would be far from over.  If the Pioneers get past TJ Malešice tomorrow, they’ll take the rest of the day off and come back at 1pm on Friday. If they lose, they’ll play in the final game of day two, but at this point their opponent is too many steps ahead to even bother calculating.

Next face off happens at 1pm local time. That means for all of you who are awake at 4am PST or 7am EST, we’ll gladly provide you some exciting entertainment! Here’s your link for the live webcast of the Pioneers vs. TJ Malešice game: www.net-tv.cz

 

Opening ceremonies

I know I sound like a broken record, but this tournament is just absolutely, 100% first class. Chatting with Kevin and Chief tonight, we couldn’t come up with a single recommendation that we would make to the organizers. It’s just that solid. Tonight, we got another glimpse of the brilliance of the organizing committee when we attended the opening ceremonies. It began with six skydivers parachuting onto the field then continued with baton twirlers, introductions to each team and a visit from the mother of Aleš Hřebeský. It was exciting and emotional and a real treat to see all the teams represented at the same time. This year’s tournament welcomed the first teams from four new countries: Israel, France, Scotland and Poland which just goes to show that our efforts to grow the game are working!

 

Time to get some sleep. Another big day tomorrow!

Good start for the Pioneers at #MAH2013

It was an early morning for the Pioneers. The 7am bell rang at every hotel room door, but it was a long night for most players and many were already feeling restless and awake before breakfast was delivered.

The Pioneers traveled to the tournament as a team united in their march toward the common goal of a good premiere showing at Aleš Hřebeský Memorial here in Radotin, Czech Republic.

They started their tournament early in the first game of the day facing first the Polish Eagles. The Eagles are also newcomers to the tournament and with lacrosse being relatively new in their country, much less experienced than the Pioneers.

The Pioneers dominated the Eagles, ending the game with a 15-0 victory. They scored early (42 seconds in) and often. After fifteen minutes, they held a 9-0 lead and scored another six in the second half. The Eagles showed strong character, great sportsmanship and good heart. This young squad will prosper once they gain more experience and skill which they seem eager to do. Several of them spent a few minutes after the game asking for pointers from their Canadian opponents.

Team scoring was as follows:

1. Tom Johnson – 3 goals, 4 assists
2. Ryan Keith – 5 goals, 1 assist
3. Quinn Waddington – 2 goals, 3 assists
4. Ross Frehlick – 1 goal, 2 assists
5. Cam Taylor – 2 goals
6. Corey Williamson – 2 goals
7. Brock Whitely – 1 goal
8. Chris Fox – 1 assist
9. Travis St. Germain – 1 assist
10. David Yee – 1 assist

Goaltending stats

Nathan Wilson – 10 saves on 10 shots – 100% save percentage

For a complete look at the game stats, click here.

Next up, the Pioneers play the other team in their grouping, the Dublin Riggers. The Riggers finished 12th in last year’s tournament, but have made several adjustments to their line-up. Dean Stewart, who summers as a Pioneer is listed as one to watch in Sean Gibson’s ILIndoor review of the Group A for the tournament. That game will take place at 2120 tonight. (12:20pm in BC and 3:20pm in Ontario) The top two teams in the group will advance. The Pioneers schedule tomorrow will depend on their showing tonight. Stay tuned.

Once again, the organizers of this tournament are doing such a great job with it. Please show your support by liking the tournament page on Facebook, following @ahmemorial on Twitter, visiting the site, watching the webcasts and using the #MAH2013 hashtag.

Here we go!

So, I’d expected to have posted more tales of travel by the time I wrote about the tournament, but sadly my *brand new* MacBook quit on me and that slowed me down more than I’d realized it would. I guess I’ve also been preoccupied with the whole seeing the world thing.

By now, you know that I’m here in the Czech Republic with a Vancouver lacrosse team that will be competing in this year’s Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament. The team is composed largely of current and former members of the Ladner Pioneers club and even borrowed the name for this trip (though they’ve created their own fresh look.)

Our travel plans afforded us the luxury of a few free days to see the sights and adjust our internal clocks, but the party’s over come tomorrow morning when the Pioneers get things started in the first game of the tournament. They’ll play again in the evening, in the last game of day one.

Radotin is the suburb of Prague where the tournament is held in its entirety. The venue is an outdoor box lined with turf. There is a clubhouse where players are able to change and shower and a small restaurant that sells beer, decent food and a tall glass of raspberry lemonade that is to die for. The fact that its an outdoor box with turf and stands and lights and a working scoreboard is one thing, but that it’s nestled within a grid of streets lined by picturesque European homes makes it that much more enjoyable.

Getting to Radotin from Prague is a breeze. We walk out of our hotel in Smichov and hop on a tram that takes us three stops to the nearest train station. Once there, we transfer to a double decker train that, after a twenty minute ride, delivers us about one block away from the arena. It’s easy, it’s convenient and it’s even a little relaxing. The journey in its entirety takes about 30-40 minutes if you time the transfers right.

So far, the guys have had the floor twice. They were able to hold a full practice with the two hour time slot they were given on Monday and this afternoon they had a one hour shoot around. Couple those with our quick visit on Friday night when we arrived and we’ve been to the facility three times. Every time we visit, we see progress in the preparation for the tournament and more and more people milling about. By the time we left at 8pm tonight, there was a buzz in the air and the excitement was palpable. Teams have been arriving from countries all over the world and there is a great feeling in this lacrosse community as people connect with friends old and new.

This tournament is round robin and features twenty teams from thirteen different countries. It begins Wednesday morning and ends on Saturday night with the championship game being played at 8pm. All matches are thirty minutes and divided into two fifteen minute periods. Official FIL rules are applied with shortened playing time and penalties. The Pioneers’ grouping includes the Polish Eagles and the Dublin Riggers.

To learn more about the history of the tournament, click here. To have a look at the tournament schedule, click here. If you want to know more about our team, have a look at their tournament page.

Being here, it’s clear that the organizers know their way around the tournament and I’m sure that we as Pioneers are in for a great experience. If you’d like to feel more a part of our ride, all games will be webcast at www.net-tv.cz. I understand that game replays will also be available there, but I’m not sure if that will be immediately afterwards or later.

The Pioneers will kick things off tomorrow morning at 9:50 local time. If you find yourself awake at 12:50am on the west coast or 3:50am in Ontario, be sure to check in on the team when they play the Polish Eagles. Their second game will be against the Dublin Riggers and happens at 21:20 which translates to 12:20pm in BC and 3:20pm in Ontario.

I’ll do my best to keep you updated with news and photos as the tournament progresses. In the meantime, GO PIONEERS!

Edited to add: You can also like the tournament page on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to keep up to date!