Lacrosse’s Cream of the Crop Rises to the Top

The 2011 US Lacrosse season is in the books and once again Orange County teams dominated the Southern Section Division 1 Championships, winning both boys and girls finals by identical 19-5 scores. Clearly, five-time champion Foothill and three-time champion Los Alamitos remain a cut above the field.

And while the Division 2 games were close, with St. Margaret’s girls winning their second title and Mission Viejo boys their first, the games showed that the depth and popularity of lacrosse continues to grow at an astonishing rate in the Southland.

Now it’s time to recognize those individuals who had outstanding or breakthrough seasons in leading their teams with impressive performances throughout the year. Here are the award winners based on personal observation of more than 50 games and the opinions of several county lacrosse coaches and officials.

The envelope please…

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Erik Adamson, Sr., Foothill – He was simply the most dominant player on the most dominant team again this season. Erik averaged three goals a game playing alongside all-star caliber players, with a season-high eight goals against San Clemente in the semifinals. He finished with 76 goals and 19 assists for the season and leaves never having lost a title game. Some guys have all the luck.

Adrienne Anderson, Jr., Santa Margarita – Led the county with 99 goals and four times scored eight goals in a game, including in the quarterfinal victory over top-seeded Foothill, while adding 28 assists for the season. Adrienne was consistent throughout the season and the biggest reason the Eagles advanced to their first Orange County championship game, losing by only two to three-time champ Los Alamitos.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Zack Handy, Sr. Foothill – It all starts in the middle circle for the high-scoring Knights and nobody got the draw on his opponent better than Zack. Against St. Margaret’s (17 of 26 draws won) and Mira Costa (22 of 27) in the O.C. and section title games, Zack was the biggest reason the Knights’ offense averaged 13 goals a game and the team won two championship games by scores of 15-10 and 19-5.

Allie Conrad, Sr., Los Alamitos – On the biggest days and in the biggest games, nobody came up bigger than the three-time champion and co-captain of the best team this season. Allie finished with 82 goals, 41 assists and 46 ground balls for the year, but against Beckman in the regular season, then against Redondo Union for the section titles, she scored 10 and six goals to lead the Griffins to big victories.

GOALIE OF THE YEAR

Chris Laurino, Sr., El Toro – Nobody played the position with more fearlessness and passion than the emotional leader of the Chargers. Chris was spectacular all season, averaging more than 10 saves a game, but he was never better than in the Orange County semifinals, where he faced 52 shots and made 16 saves in a double-overtime loss to St. Margaret’s. Said Chargers coach Adam Guy, “If he isn’t an All-CIF goalie this year, then I don’t know who is.”

Danica Kristiansen, Sr., El Toro -- One of the more unorthodox goalies in the county, Danica likes to move outside the cage and will take chances to move the ball out quickly for a fastbreak. She did score two goals this season. Danica finished with only 153 saves, down from 203 last season, and allowed 136 goals. But the returning first team all-league and all-county goalie did everything she was asked and played consistently all season. “She was a wall,” Chargers coach Scott Craycraft said.

DRAW CONTROL SPECIALIST (DCS) OF THE YEAR

Zack Handy, Sr., Foothill – A bull in the middle at 5-10 and a solid 220 pounds, Zack was a tough matchup for every team. St. Margaret’s tried four different players against him in the O.C. finals, but the gunslinger rarely got beat and keyed the Knights’ offensive strategy to attack the net and score goals in bunches. Zack will be remembered for how he revolutionized the position in Orange County.

Kylie Gilmour, Sr., El Toro – Watching Kylie win draw after draw and fly full-speed downfield with the ball like a gazelle being chased by a herd of lionesses, you could tell why the Chargers had a great season under first-year coach Craycraft. At times it was like watching a video game. Draw-run-score. Kylie finished with 65 goals on 96 shot attempts and averaged four goals a game. She worked hard and best of all, Kylie was always a fun person to be around.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Dunn, Huntington Beach – Oilers lacrosse nearly died two years ago, but a former lacrosse player at Corona del Mar High and Chapman College breathed new life into the program. He also wants to make lacrosse a community sport and is committed to developing a lacrosse club for younger players that will feed the Oilers' budding program. After losing to St. Margaret’s in the second round, an emotional Dunn showed how much he cares for his team. He may have lost two title games as a player, but Brian has the makings of a champion as a coach.

Ryan Gustafson, Capistrano Valley – From 1-14 two seasons ago to within two swings of a stick of winning the Orange County Division 2 championship qualifies Ryan for this coaching honor and, perhaps, knighthood. The Cougars finished 15-6 overall and as the top seed in Division 2. After the final game, Ryan was nothing but effusive about the game, the season and next year. “I’m excited about the direction Capo lacrosse is going," he said. "Our future is bright.”

MOST IMPROVED TEAM OF THE YEAR

Tesoro Boys – They stayed between No. 8 and 10 in the O.C. coaches' poll all season, then jumped to No. 6 in the last poll, so they had to improve to stay in the top 10 week after week. Coach Brian Eisenberg did a terrific job as coach to finish with a 12-7 record, 5-3 in the South Coast League, including key victories over Division 2 champion Mission Viejo twice and Division 1 semifinalist El Toro, 3-1. With 15 or so players returning next year, the Titans are definitely on the right track.

San Clemente Girls – They began the season with three returning players and only one senior who was playing for the first time. Their head coach was a college graduate from Buffalo State who had just completed her fourth year on the women’s lacrosse team, and there some animosity among those Tritons loyal to their former coach. But with the development of several players, the addition of coach Julia Gefell and some other experienced coaches, a huge 16-15 victory over eventual Division 2 champion St. Margaret’s, and the team’s first playoff appearance against eventual finalist Capistrano Valley gave the Tritons definite hope for the future.

BANDWAGONERS OF THE YEAR

Foothill – The sheer number and enthusiasm among the Knights Knation crowd is impressive enough. But these people know the game and enjoy the fact they win most of the time. The supporters range from one intense father using an oversized yellow cheerleader’s horn to chant “DE-FENSE!” to the young lad dressed like a real knight running back and forth with a huge yellow flag. What’s next? Suit of armor?

Santa Margarita – An equally supportive, albeit smaller group of supporters, mostly moms, who keep up the chatter throughout the match and know the game better than some coaches. They are identified by their bright blue windbreakers, and after the Eagles' final loss to Los Alamitos in the O.C. final, their standing ovation was louder than anything heard throughout the entire game. Congrats, ladies and gentlemen.

CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

Winston Robinson , So., St. Margaret’s – Champions are not only measured by what they’ve accomplished but also by how well they handle adversity.  Winston was not only a key defensive player and one of the youngest players on the Tartans' roster this season, but he was also one of the most-liked players. But a violent collision with another player during a game snapped the fibula and tibia in his left leg and he was done for the next 12 months. Yet Winston still always had a smile on his face and something good to say each time you saw him. To me, he’s a champ.

Alena Riggs, Jr., St. Margaret’s – One of the best DCS players in the county, she was the player who helped Emily Boone score all those goals this year. In the final against Cate, Alena scored twice and had two assists to contribute to the Tartans' championship run in Division 2. But she has been doing that since school began. Along with the lacrosse title, Alena won CIF titles in soccer and volleyball to become a triple sport champion for St. Margaret’s this year. Alena showed she is a gifted, competitive and intelligent student, but she better pick up a fourth sport as a senior if she hopes to surpass her performances next year.

BEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR

What every kid who ever wanted to be a star athlete dreams of:

With the score tied in overtime and the ball in their possession following a timeout, senior captain Spencer Taylor of Mission Viejo took the ball at midfield and darted toward the Dana Hills cage. As he approached, Taylor backed off and veered to his right with his back to the goalie. For a split second the defense relaxed, and that’s all he needed. Taylor spun and whipped a shot passed the Dolphins' goalie with 3:25 left in overtime for the game-winner as the Diablos won, 13-12, to capture their first title at the US Lacrosse Southern Section Orange County Division 2 Championships.

After he scored the goal, Spencer threw his stick in the air and was mobbed by every teammate who ran onto the field. He had scored the biggest goal in school history, lacrosse’s “Golden Goal,” and he jubilantly stood on the field and celebrated the best moment an athlete could have. “I couldn’t be happier to end my senior year with a game like that,” Spencer said later. Two days later, the Diablos did one better in winning the Southern Section Division 2 title with a 7-5 victory over Loyola.

What an amazing feeling that moment must have been.

Congratulations to all the players and coaches, and officials and lacrosse supporters who have made the 2011 high school season one to remember.