BUCKS TAKE VENICE IN 2020 SEASON OPENER
The first game of the season is always a crapshoot……you’ve lost some guys from the previous season……..you’ve added some new players……………and who knows what’s going on with the team you are playing? Well we certainly lost some talent but for the first time in a few years the Bucks definitely got younger with the addition of the Lasda brothers Eli & Riley from U of Albany, Grant Firestone from Haverford College, James Burton from Salisbury, Dann Carr from Lehigh University and Adam Lynne from Bucknell University. It’s early but some of the veterans on the team think this may be the best team that the Bucks have assembled since our first trip to the State Championships in 2011…….only time will tell.
But it certainly didn’t take long for the “new guys” to contribute as James Burton hit the back of the net less than a minute into the game going solo at the right pipe. Eli Lasda followed five minutes later and at the 10:14 mark Adam Lynne fed a Steve Brandenburg cutting off the crease and the Bucks were up 3-0. Venice answered with 6:15 left in the quarter but Beverly Hills rattled off two more goals when Adam Lynne fed Brett Tietjen on the left post and again when Brett Tietjen circled behind the cage and fired a backhand shot past the Venice keeper. Venice retaliated with just eight ticks left on the clock and the Bucks lead 5-2 after one. Going against one of the best faceoff guys in the North Division, Ernie Melero close defender Mark Bell held his own in the absence of Buck FOGO Jared Jacobs going three for eight at the “X” in the quarter. Starting keeper Morgan Weireter had seven saves and Kevin Berlandi had a takeaway which all contributed to the three goal differential.
Culver City High School coach started off the second quarter scoring at the 17:34 mark with a shot from up top. Adam Lynne, James Burton and Brock Livingston all followed with solo shots and the Buck advantage moved to 9-2 at the 7:13 mark of the second. Venice scored a minute later But Adam Lynne went solo again and Mikey Doneger closed out the half with a wraparound worm burner at the 1:02 mark giving the Beverly Hills squad an 11-3 lead going into halftime. The Buck defenders wreaked havoc on the Venice squad causing six turnovers while at the same time not allowing the Venice shooters to get their hands free to shoot. The Bucks limited their turnovers to two for the quarter one of which was canceled by a Riley Lasda takeaway.
The third quarter belonged completely to the Hills squad. Steve Brandenburg started off with a solo shot 53 seconds into the quarter and again at the 15:34 mark on a feed from Adam Lynne. Brett Tietjen followed with a shot from downtown, Eli Lasda got in close with a double face dodge, Adam Lynne scored off a clear and Eli fed Brock Livingston at the 2:38 mark to end the third quarter scoring as the Bucks’ lead ballooned to 17-3. First half netminder Morgan Weireter was replaced in goal by New Buck Dan Carr who went unscored upon with three saves in the period. Morgan moved over to the faceoff “X” and went three for seven….damn good.
Mikey Doneger fed Brock Livingston to start off the fourth quarter scoring at the 18:10 mark. Great to have Brock back on the field after his 2019 sabbatical. Venice answered with a one on one matchup with Dan Carr but Devin Maxwell went solo off a face dodge and James Burton fed Will McCance leaving the Bucks up 20-4 with nine left in the game. Venice “found their groove” netting two scores toward the end of the quarter but it was too little too late at Beverly Hills walked off with a 20-6 win on opening day.
All the favorites won in both the North & South SCLAX Divisions on opening day. Next Sunday the Bucks will host the Malibu Lacrosse Club at Culver City High School. The game will faceoff at 1:30.