Plateau laxers clean up at Battle of Bothell
June 25, 2008
By Kendra Abernathy
The Battle of Bothell began on Friday with 65 teams, but by the end, three teams comprised of local players reigned victorious.
Local lacrosse players dominated the 2008 Battle of Bothell, a lacrosse tournament which features teams from across the Northwest. Four teams from the plateau area were competing for the championships in the 5/6, 7/8 and high school divisions.
For each division, Issaquah Youth Lacrosse, which includes Sammamish players, fielded an “A” and a “B” team. Issaquah High School was also represented by two teams, Issaquah Purple comprised of their varsity players, and Issaquah Gold.
All teams played three pool-play games to determine whether they would participate in Sunday’s bracket play. Issaquah Gold and Issaquah Youth Lacrosse’s 7/8 “B” team’s records didn’t permit them to move on to bracket play.
Issaquah Purple began their pool play with a win against Maple Valley, but lost their second game to Lake Oswego, Ore. They finished the day strong with a win over Snohomish, which gave them a place in Sunday’s bracket.
Issaquah Purple defeated Mercer Island-Bellevue “B” and Southridge, Ore., to secure a spot in the finals versus Mercer Island-Bellevue “A.” Issaquah Purple won 5-4.
Head coach Brandon Fortier credits his team’s success to their ability to work together. Issaquah Purple’s midfield players also stood out in terms of their leadership.
“Jake Director overall led the midfield,” Fortier said. “He was our leading scorer, leader overall in voice and on the field action.”
Jake Director is not the only lacrosse player in his family. His younger brother, Ben Director, who also plays midfield, helped Pacific Cascade Lacrosse Club, Issaquah Youth Lacrosse’s 7/8 “A” team, clinch the championship title for the 7/8 division.
Pacific Cascade, coached by Scott Kelly and Steve Oneill, returned to the Battle of Bothell for their second year with one goal in mind: win the championship.
Last year, Pacific Cascade attended Battle of Bothell for the first time and took second place. Pacific Cascade lost by one goal in the final game to Lake Oswego, Ore.
Pacific Cascade started off strong winning all three pool-play games versus Snohomish, University Place Warriors and Maple Valley. Their winning streak continued Sunday as they beat three more Oregon teams.
Pacific Cascade defeated Lake Oswego, Ore., 12-3 to win the 7/8 division.
The 5/6 division championship was also secured by an Issaquah Youth Lacrosse team. The Issaquah Cougars, Issaquah Youth Lacrosse’s “A” team, went undefeated for the tournament. The Cougars secured the championship by defeating Lake Tapps 8-3.
Issaquah Youth Lacrosse’s “B” team, the Issaquah Bombers, battled their way to bracket play but lost a close game in the quarter final round to Maple Valley.
The concept that became the Battle of Bothell was born from life-long lacrosse enthusiast Stan Kosick.
Kosick wanted to create a way to unite local players, after he returned from refereeing at the U.S. Lacrosse Youth Festival in New York.
“Unlike other sports, lacrosse has a special spirituality about it that brings the lacrosse community together,” Kosick explained. “The battle provides the opportunity to come together.”
The first Battle of Bothell was hosted in July 2004, with only five teams attending. The 2008 Battle of Bothell has grown to 65 teams spread throughout three different divisions, with teams traveling from all over the Northwest for a chance to play.
“The battle, I think, appeals to the teams who want to have fun but also compete,” Kosick said. “That is my only requirement; the players have fun.”
As the Battle of Bothell’s participation has grown exponentially, so has the number of lacrosse players in Sammamish and Issaquah.
According to Matthew Balkman, co-president of Issaquah Youth Lacrosse, the number of youth lacrosse players in the area could be counted on one hand just a few years ago. Now, there are more than 600 youth lacrosse players in Issaquah Youth Lacrosse. There are also at least 100 teens playing for the Skyline and Issaquah High School programs.
“Sammamish and Issaquah is the hot bed of lacrosse in the Northwest,” Balkman said. “We have the greatest number of participants and we are highly competitive.”
Kosick plans to allow the Battle of Bothell to continue to expand and is excited to see how far the tournament’s popularity will reach.
Locally, Issaquah Youth Lacrosse and Pacific Cascade are also looking to expand and are evaluating the potential of organizing an Issaquah Invitation Tournament. Issaquah Youth Lacrosse is also in the midst of preliminary discussions about inviting head coaches from prominent east coast schools, like Dom Starsia from the University of Virginia, to visit and host a community event.
“A terrific indication of community commitment has come from the city of Sammamish, which has been instrumental in support,” said Pacific Cascade director, Scott Kelly.
Intern Kendra Abernathy can be reached at samrev@isspress.com.
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