Greg Furst - Men's Lacrosse Blog
Senior Greg Furst is a member of the Mountain Hawks men's lacrosse team. He has appeared in 32 games during his first three seasons with the Brown and White, helping lead Lehigh to a pair of Patriot League Tournament appearances in that time. Furst is an active member of Lehigh’s award winning C.O.A.C.H. program, and will serve on the 2007-08 Board. Check back soon for his latest update.
Getting everyone caught up - April 2
I have to apologize. I’ve submitted about fifteen or twenty blogs over the past month but apparently I’ve been sending them to the wrong person, so I guess I’ll just have to make up for all that with this one.
So far we’ve played 12 regular season games, which ends up being the most in Division One. Most of those games came in a five week stretch of Saturday and midweek games where we were able to gain a lot of experience and confidence. This was especially important for the younger players who were seeing their first time in college games. In the beginning of the season I believe this inexperience was in part responsible for our inability to put together four quarters of good play, especially against some of the better teams we play. We put up a great fight against a strong Army team in mid-March but again came up short. We still had a few wrinkles in our game that needed to be ironed out.
Our most recent win was a big one; against our neighbor and rival Lafayette. The win makes our senior class 4-0 againstLafayette during our four years at Lehigh… not too bad. I have to give a little shout out to all the Alumni that made the trip to come watch the game…and taunt the Leopards. I’m pretty sure we had more fans there than the home team.
The game was however pretty close (9-7), and if we’re going to get the much needed wins against teams like Bucknell and Colgate down the stretch we’ll have to play a much more complete game and commit a whole lot less mistakes. Luckily we have this whole week to prepare as best we can. We were able to get out onto the grass Tuesday and practice was great. There’s a sense of urgency that’s making its way from the seniors down to the rest of the team. This game against Colgate is absolutely huge. We’re basically in a three-team playoff for the last two spots in the Patriot League tournament. A win this weekend would get us one step closer to that P.L. Championship game.
Before I check out, I wanted to announce two big events that are taking place during our last two home games. On Friday, April 11th we will be inviting out a special guest (Adam Recke- I’ve talked about Adam in previous blogs) to act as our honorary captain for the game. We’re still working on the details for this event but this should be a special night.
Also, our team will be hosting Notre Dame for our last home game on April 20th. The COACH program, Lehigh athletes, Theta Xi fraternity, and a local middle school have teamed up to produce a MS charity in honor of our former head lacrosse coach Chris Wakely who suffers from the disease. The event will be centered around our game, and we’re expecting record crowds. Plus, it’s my last home game, and you wouldn’t want to miss what may be the last ‘off-balance jump shot-fall to the ground-goal’ of my life, would you?
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
The Beginning of the End – January 24
This is it. We’re right in the middle of the last preseason of my entire life. The cold is painful, my body aches, and the running is not terribly exciting, but I don’t want it to end. Why you ask? I’ve said it before, six months from now I’ll be sitting at a desk inIndianapolis without a lacrosse field in site, wishing I was back at Lehigh with my team, sore from a team lift and exhausted from full-field suicides. I know it, because I hear it from the alumni that are in that position right now. I can just picture Jeff King ‘06 (best defender ever in Lehigh history if you’re not familiar) drawing up plans for some building and wishing he could throw just one more full wind-up slash.
However, I really can’t wait until our first game. We’ve been working our tails off since September in anticipation for this season, and we’re almost there. Practices have been great these past two weeks. The hard work by the team over winter break has really shown off in the weight room and on the field. We’ll be concentrating on a fast-paced game strategy, so we need to be in top shape. The coaches have also really been focusing on quick plays off the whistle which will hopefully yield big goals on offense, and prevent easy goals for the opponent on the other end of the field.
Our first game this year will come against our Philadelphia neighbors, St. Joe’s. In my last three years here we haven’t lost to St. Joe’s, and I’m very confident that tradition will continue. We have some great young talent in the freshman and sophomore classes that will add some much needed depth and athleticism in key roles. There have also been a number of upperclassmen who have jumped into leadership roles, and really stepped it up both on and off the field. One of the best attributes of this team is that we’re constantly looking to improve. There’s never a sense of complacency at practice, and that creates an awesome competitiveness on the field. Off the field, we’ve set up community service and class advisory committees to help carry on our successes in the community and in the classroom throughout the spring semester.
I realize at this point I haven’t really written much about myself… so here’s a quick biography. I’m a fourth-year mechanical engineering major, and will be working for Ingersoll Rand starting this summer. I have an older brother, Matt, who is 25 and works for Liberty Mutual back home in Connecticut. My little brother Danny is 12, and is one of the best soccer players in the state (I tried the lacrosse thing with him, but he won’t budge). My father and his wife Paulette have been great supports for me in all my endeavors, and have made it to almost every game since my freshman year. My mom, Pat is the toughest person I know, and an amazing role model for me.
I’ve been a defensive midfielder the past three years, and will continue in that position this year. I hope that my experience on defense will really shine through, and pray that my deteriorating body makes it one more season. I’m not quite sure exactly who is reading these blogs, but I hope you enjoy them. There will be plenty more to come once the season is underway. If you do however have any complaints, please give me a break. I’m new to blogging, and certainly not as talented at it as our former captain and expert blogger, Blake Best ‘07.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Fall Season Nears End - September 28
We’re fifteen practices into the fall, and we have only five more until our fall ball scrimmage at Stony Brook University. The team has really come together in the past few days and I’m seeing a unity that I’ve never seen before. We’ve met our share of obstacles along the way, but we’ve pushed through as a team and come out better for it.
The new system that the coaches have implemented is simple but very effective. Our defensive strategy revolves around a very vocal defense and goalie, and requires a total team effort to work. So far we have only a few main offensive sets. As we learn to better execute the rotations and motions we’re really beginning to see how lethal we can actually be. The fact is we don’t have a lot of time in the fall to learn a completely new way to play the game, so the coaches are starting simple, and working on perfecting the basics. As we transition into the spring, more intricate systems will be installed.
On the non-lacrosse front this team is doing an amazing job with community service. We’ve cleaned up near-by streets, local parks, and organized thousands of books to be sent to children in the Philippines. About twenty of us had the pleasure of helping the town demolish the interior of a building on the north side of Bethlehem that will be used as the site of the new tourism office. Although I almost took off the head of one of my roommates while taking down a wall, we had a great time and helped out the town too.
This coming Sunday our team has entered three foursomes into a local charity golf tournament. We’re helping to raise money for a child who suffers from Niemann Pick Type-C disease. This disease is extremely rare and unfortunately fatal. For some more information about the child (Adam Recke) and the disease check out RaceforAdam.org.
Last night we also held a community night where we invited a big group of local kids to come out and participate in a lacrosse clinic. The fastest shot competition was a hit with the high school kids, while others got a chance to perfect their face-off game with face-off guru Michael Tabb. After the game the youngsters were invited over to the turf to watch some Division I Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse action with our second Brown & White scrimmage.
All in all this fall has been an awesome time to be a Lehigh lacrosse player. I’m learning a lot about what it means to be a senior on this team, and realize that it’s not an easy job if you want to do it right. I know that I need to really appreciate my last year here with these guys, because I’ll be itching for just one more chance to play at this level when I’m sitting in my cubicle monotonously gazing over engineering drawings and downing my fourth cup of coffee. It honestly is an amazing opportunity to be a part of this team right now, and I know we’re going to accomplish great things this year.
Remember, check out RaceforAdam.org , and if you’re in the state of Long Island Saturday the 6th make sure you stop byStony Brook University and watch us beat up on some “strong island” people.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
August 27 – Day One
Its funny how as freshmen we don’t think much of the phrase, “It goes by so fast,” that so often echoes from the mouths of the seniors. Here we are though, and it really did go by fast. We have had three very memorable years with Coach Wakely, and we are lucky enough to have him still be a part of the program. That value that Coach Wakely brought to our program was immeasurable. He took a faltering program out of the basement and brought it back to a perennial competitive power in one of the top conferences in the country. Personally, he gave me an opportunity that many division one coaches weren’t willing to give. I had a bunch of injuries in high school and was not a highly sought after recruit, but Coach Wakely still brought me in and gave me a chance, something I will never forget.
As we move on to a new era of Lehigh Lacrosse we welcome an entire new coaching staff, headed by coach Kevin Cassese. The excitement is truly contagious among the team and coaches, as well as within the Lehigh Athletics community. Coach Cassese, a two-time captain at Duke and member of the Major League Lacrosse’s championship team is joined by three highly qualified assistants. This staff includes coach Cassese’s former Duke co-captain, a recent Stony Brook goalie and captain who played under Cassese, and a coach’s own father- a highly regarded Long Island football coach.
I believe I share my thoughts with the team when I say that I’m extremely excited for this year to begin. Fitness testing begins this Thursday, which is always a highlight of the fall. As practice begins we’ll face some changes in the usual schedule. I myself am really looking forward to the Wednesdays, where we will have Yoga sessions in the morning, and community service (as a team) in the afternoon during normal practice time. The yoga will be awesome for my back (which is equivalent to the spine of a 90-year-old), and our team has always taken a big initiative with community service.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
