Tilley Stops 26, But Warriors Fall at Wakefield

Box Score

Apr. 16, 2010

Tilley's 26 Saves New School Record

Christian Tilley had a career night, stopping 26 shots and in what many could argue to be the best defensive and team performance of the year for the Warriors, the Webb lacrosse team traveled to Wakefield High School and fell 15-0.  It was 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and the Wolverines only managed two goals in the second, before the Warriors succumbed to fatigue from a Tuesday Riverside tilt and were eventually outrun by a more experienced Wakefield squad.

Wakefield, a 2009 state 4A Semifinalist, was not able to get anything going against the Black and Red until the third quarter.  The defensive trio of Tyler Eller, Zach Barnes, and Holden Jones were able to shut down the Wolverines attack, while the midfield, led by freshman long stick standout Rufus Terry, were all over the Wakefield midfield, forcing the Wolverines to work even harder than Riverside had to two days ago to get their shots off.  When they managed to, Christian Tilley stepped up and was there to make the save, stopping 10 Wolverine shots (66.7%) in the first half to keep the score at 5-0 at halftime.  Only in the third quarter, when the fatigue of multiple games set in for the Warriors, were the Wolverines able to fire at will, putting in 10 in the second half for a final score of 15-0.  Tilley made 26 saves, setting his new career high and increasing his season save total to 174.

“We have continued to improve this entire season, and tonight was another great effort by our lacrosse team.  Each game we are playing better than the last,” said Coach Farabee after the game.  “I know that many people will find that hard to believe, since we are losing our games, often by large margins.  But this is extremely normal for first year lacrosse programs.  It takes time to narrow the gap and start to be competitive with the score.  I am watching how we are throwing and catching, how we are moving on defense, and how we are reading the flow of the game.  Without question we are getting better, and I am already looking forward to next year. The score was only 5-0 at halftime, a completely competitive score in lacrosse.  If we had just put together a few more solid passes and taken a few more shots, the score would have been even closer. Christian Tilley was a force in goal, making 26 saves, many right on the crease or in one-on-one situations. I thought our defense was again strong and physical.  Tyler Eller made his presence known with a couple of dynamic checks and Holden Jones, Zach Barnes, and Rufus Terry were similarly aggressive.  Matt Knott, Matt Roach, and, recently, Dylan Lawson are providing some offensive spark with strong moves and shots on goal.  Landon Williams is proving a huge force inside;  as he develops a quicker shot, he may be hard to stop.  Our players are beginning to realize that with time and technical improvement, Webb lacrosse can be competitive with the traditionally strong programs.  We have nothing to be intimidated over.”

The Warriors host Roxboro tomorrow night at 6:30 pm.  It is Webb’s final home game and senior night for three seniors: face-off specialist Cam Fuller, midfielder Michka Olhasque, and attacker Matt Heintz.  Come out and support these three Webb lacrosse pioneers in their final home game of their careers and help cheer them to victory.