Congrats to the  2008 Team Award Winners
July 27, 2008

MVP - Rene Kozarsky        Off. MVP - Tim Loveless        Def. MVP - Mike Dufour

Newcomer of the Year- Reid Singleton                 Heart Award - Tim Glass

Click Here for more Team party pics

Tony's Tavern enjoys the summer traveling Texas and beyond
July 14, 2008

Celebrating Tim Glass' birthday in style

Tony's Tavern comes up short 8-5 to Lonestar in title defense
April 27, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Tabb - 3, Mazzolini - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists:  Shearer - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 13

Check of the game:  Matt Walton

Thanks to our fans for their support all year long...time to start training for next year.

Tony's Tavern returns to finals with 12-11 win over Metro in round 2
April 26, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Tabb - 5, Shearer - 3, Hill - 1, Jee - 1, Powell - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists:  Loveless - 2, Jee - 1, Mazzolini - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 13

Check of the game:  Mike Dufour

Tony's Tavern shutouts out Beaumont 28-0 in round 1
April 26, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Jee - 5, Shearer - 4, Tabb - 4, Kozarsky - 3, Glass - 2, Ippolito - 2, Mazzolini - 2, Powell-2, Stowe - 2, Linggo - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists: Kozarsky -2, Linggo - 2, Daniels - 1, Glass - 1, Jee - 1, Mazzolni - 1, Stoker - 1, Stowe - 1, Tabb - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 2, Markeloff - 1

Check of the game:  Nate Daniels

****Kozarsky reaches 200 career pts.

Tony's Tavern gets fired up for playoffs after falling 12-9 to Lonestar
April 21, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Loveless - 3, Shearer - 2, Ippolito - 1, Jee - 1, Singleton - 1, Walton - 1
Assists:  Jee - 1, Kozarsky - 1, Loveless - 1, Singleton - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 8

Check of the game:  Rene Kozarsky

Tony's Tavern sweeps weekend with 14-2 win over Northwest
April 13, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Jee - 3, Shearer - 3, Singleton - 2, Glass- 1, Kozarsky - 1, Loveless - 1, Mazzolini - 1,  Nelms - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists: Loveless - 3, Mazzolni - 3, Jee - 2
Saves: Mike Shearer - 8

Check of the game:  Nate Daniels

Tony's Tavern comes out running with 22-1 win over Southside
April 12, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Drogaris - 3, Kozarsky - 3, Mazzolini - 3, Walton - 3, Jee - 2, Linggo -2, Singleton-2 , Ippolito - 1, Passino - 1, Stowe - 1, Shearer - 1
Assists: Loveless - 3, Jee - 2, Mazzolini - 2, Singleton - 2, Ippolito - 1, Kozarsky - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 4, Markeloff - 3

Check of the game:  Jacque Passino

Tony's Tavern stands tall and gets victory over Metro 12-8
April 6, 2008

As they headed into the final month of the spring season Tony’s drew a match-up with Metro.  It was first of the hot weather games on the home stretch of the season. 

First quarter was a back and forth battle with Tony’s getting on the board first on an unsettled situation.  Jee took a clearing pass from Mike Dufour at the midfield line and found a cutting Singleton for the first goal of the game that made it 1-0 Tony’s.  Metro came right back with a goal of their own on a fast break and tied it up 1-1.  Tony’s found the net again on a pass from Jee to Singleton on crease to make it 2-1.  As before metro rallied off the face-off and tied it up at 2 with a quick rush to the goal.  Ippolito made his season debut and came down in the 1^st with a split dodge and found the back of the net to make it 3-2 at the end of the 1^st quarter in favor of Tony’s.

2^nd quarter saw much of the same see-saw battle.  Singleton opened up the quarter with a quick face-off win and drive to the goal to make it 4-2 Tony’s.  Metro would answer back with a goal of their own after possessions by both teams to make it 4-3.  Ippolito caught a pass from Jee and put another one past the goalie to bring the score to 5-3.  Tony’s added on another tally as Mazzolini found a cutting Mitchell for a wide open shot to make it 6-3.  Metro gained the ball after possessions from both teams and found a backdoor cut for a goal making it 6-4.  Working on the transition game, Daniels came down on a break to find Linggo for a fast break goal to increase the lead to 7-4.  Metro got a late man-up goal to make it 7-5 going into the half in favor of Tony’s.

The 3^rd quarter would see Tony’s open their lead up as the defense played stellar and got the ball back on the offensive side of the field with regularity.  First goal came from a deflected pass off Kozarsky to Jee who put it in past the metro goalie to make it 8-5.  Minutes later on a man-up opportunity Matt Shearer found Singleton up top for a shot that hit bottom left corner to make it 9-5.  Metro got back on the board on the ensuing face-off to make it 9-6.  Tony’s struck back as Mazzolini found Jee for at 8 yd shot and a goal, making it 10-6. The quarter ended with Tony’s up 10-6 heading into the 4^th.

Metro got on the board first as back-up goalie Markeloff got beat on an open shot from the crease to make it 10-6.  As the period carried on Ippolito found a crease in the defense and dodged past 3 defenders to make it 11-6.  The rest of the period was marked by Tony’s being man-down for the rest of the game up until about 2 min left.  Metro took advantage of numerous conduct penalties to get back in the game getting as close as 11-8 before Tony’s pulled away for good.  The defense played solid and middies and attack helped to kill the multiple penalties.  Matt Shearer added an exclamation point with about a minute left putting in the 12^th goal of the game.  Shearer finalized the score at 12-8 for a Tony’s victory.

The middies led the way with their role in the transition game and their ability to get open and get good shots on offense.  Singleton led the way in scoring with a game high 4 goals.  Matt Ippolito came out with a bang in his Tony’s Tavern debut racking up 3 goals of his own and at times slashing through the defense at will.  Rounding out the middie scoring was Matt Shearer with 1goal, 1assist and Mitchell with 1 goal.  The middies ran all day long and fought for groundballs to help gain important possessions.  Singleton and Stowe took the bulk load of the face-offs and held their own all day gaining many possessions for Tony’s throughout the game.  Dufour, Glass, Hill, Ippolito, Mitchell, Nelms, Shearer, Singleton, Stoker, Stowe each worked hard to help Tony’s get the win.

The defense played tough in the teams most critical hour as they faced 5 min of 2-man down time in the 4^th quarter.  Cook, Daniels, Dufour, and Gittings played stellar defense with Walton serving a conduct foul.  Overall the defense pressured the ball and through timely checks to force bad passes and shots all day.  Mike Shearer quarterbacked the defense on this day and came up with some big saves during the 4^th.  Markeloff came in for some work during the 4^th quarter before the man-down stretch and gave up a few, but had some nice saves.  The defensive unit of Cook, Daniels, Dufour, Gittings, Markeloff, and Shearer worked hard to preserve the lead in the 4^th.

Tony’s Tavern attack kept the team in position to win throughout the game.  Jee led the way with 2 goals and 3 assist, followed by Mazzolini with 2 assists and rounded out by Linggo with 1 goal and Kozarsky with 1 assist.  The attack helped the offense with their feeding ability finding open middies all day with 6 assists.  Good riding by Kozarsky forced Metro into a lot of poor clearing attempts.  Key ground balls by Jee and Loveless helped kill penalties and secure the victory.  Mazzolini ate up a lot of clock throughout the game and drove the defense wild trying to chase him down on his dodges.  The unit of Jee, Kozarsky, Linggo, Loveless and Mazzolini played hard and helped Tony’s secure their 6^th victory of the season.

STATS:
Goals:   Singleton - 4, Ippolito - 3, Jee - 2, Linggo - 1, Mitchell-1, Shearer - 1
Assists: Jee - 3, Mazzolini - 2, Daniels-1,  Kozarsky-1, Shearer - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 6, Markeloff - 4

Check of the game:  Brad Cook

Click here for game photos

Tony's Tavern shuts out Southside over holiday weekend 14-0
Mar 22, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Loveless - 3,  Kozarsky - 2, Mazzolini - 2, Daniels-1, Dufour-1, Jee-1, Mitchell-1, Powell-1, Shearer - 1, Stowe - 1
Assists: Cook - 1, Daniels-1, Glass-1, Jee-1, Kozarsky-1, Loveless-1, Stowe-1
Saves: Kozarsky - 8, Markeloff - 3

Check of the game:  Tim Glass

Tony's Tavern takes care of business with 21-3 win over Northwest
Mar 3, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Tabb - 7, Loveless - 3, Jee - 2, Kozarsky - 2, Powell - 2, Shearer - 2, Spriggs - 2, Linggo-1
Assists: Jee - 4, Tabb - 3, Drogaris - 1, Loveless - 1,Spriggs - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 11

Check of the game:  Mike Dufour

Tony's Tavern comes up short against Southlake 11-8
Feb 24, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Loveless - 2, Singleton - 2, Glass - 1, Jee - 1, Powell - 1, Shearer - 1
Assists: Mazzolini - 2, Jee - 1, Shearer - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 6

Check of the game:  Colin Gittings

Tony's Tavern prevails in a tough game 10-9 over Dallas
Feb 24, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Powell - 3, Nelms - 2, Shearer - 2, Glass - 1, Jee - 1, Loveless - 1
Assists: Jee - 2, Loveless - 2, Mazzolini - 2
Saves: Kozarsky - 14

Check of the game:  Mike Dufour

Tony's Tavern picks up (1-0) forefit victory over Corpus Christi
Feb, 16, 2008

Tony's Tavern plays hard and defeats Bayou City 18-0
Feb 10, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Jee - 3, Singleton - 3, Drogaris - 2, Glass - 2, Powell - 2, Stowe - 2, Brian Dufour - 1, Mazzolini-1 , Passino - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists: Jee - 4, Drogaris - 2, Loveless - 2, Mazzolini - 1, Singleton - 1, Spriggs - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 3

Check of the game:  Matt Walton

Preview 2008 - Tony's Tavern
January 3, 2008

The 2008 Tony’s Tavern lacrosse team season begins the season as the reigning back to back GCLA Champs.  They will face fierce opposition as they look to increase their winning streak and defend their title in the 2008 season.  Veterans and first year guys will have to come together as one of the most talented teams Tony's Tavern has seen to continue the winning tradition.
 

Click here for full 2008 preview

Tony's Tavern comes up short with a 12-7 loss to open the season
January 25, 2008

STATS:
Goals:   Linggo - 2, Mazzolini - 1,  Shearer -1, Singleton - 1, Spriggs - 1 
Assists: Mazzolini - 1, Spriggs - 1
Saves: Kozarsky - 11

Check of the game:  Mike Dufour

Tony's Tavern finishes off preseason with Bayou City Scrimmage
January 14, 2008

Click here for pics

Tony's Tavern stands tall with a 16-0 win over Southside
Nov, 18, 2007

Tony's Tavern and Southside met up for a sunny afternoon game to give each team a chance to work in their new players and knock the rust off their sticks in a fall scrimmage. 

The game was sloppy in the beginning as each team worked to pick up ground balls and get control.  Tony's eventually came away with the ball and a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter both teams found their legs and the transition game moved the ball back and forth with Tony's closing the half with a 10-0 lead.

The second half saw much of the same.  Both teams continued their hard play, but after some great stops by goalie Mike Shearer to secure the shutout the defense held strong.  Tony's kept the ball moving and ended the game with at 16-0 victory.

The defense played a great game led by goalie Mike Shearer with 7 saves.  The defenseman made shots and passes tough all day for the Southside offense.  Mike Dufour, Gittings, Nowak, and Walton kept the Southside offense on their toes all day.

The midfield played hard and gained a lot of experience playing together.  New and old faces combined for a fluent middie attack that was led by Spriggs with 2 goals, 3 assists and Singleton who notched 4 goals.  Drogaris, Brian Dufour, Glass, Mitchell, Nelms, Shearer, Singleton, Spriggs, and Stowe worked hard all day and everyone contributed to the victory.  Led by Stowe, Singleton and Drogaris Tony's dominated the face-off x all game long.

The attack featured some new faces with Linggo and Loveless.  Team captain, Bobby Jee led the attack with 4 goals and 2 assists.  Linggo and Loveless worked themselves into the offense and each had big contributions on the day.  The attack moved the ball well and found the middies cutting for easy goals.

Both teams played well and thanks to Southside for making the trip.  Tony's will take the field next in Austin at the UT tourney on Dec. 8th & 9th.

STATS:
Goals:  Jee - 4, Singleton - 4, Linggo - 2, Spriggs - 2, Drogaris - 1, Mitchell - 1, Stowe -1,   Shearer-1 
Assists: Loveless - 5, Spriggs - 3,  Jee -2, Matt Shearer - 2, Linggo -1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 7

Check of the game:  Matt Walton

Click here for Game pics

Western All-stars win Make-A-Wish Charity Game 20-7
Oct, 14, 2007

The 2007 Make-A-Wish Lacrosse Classic was held Sunday October 14th and raised over $1000 to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation.  Bobby Jee, Jeff Mazzolini, Dexter Spriggs, Matt Shearer, Joel Hill, Nate Daniels, Matt Walton, Mike Shearer and Brandon Stowe represented Tony's Tavern in the game.  Also, special thanks to Tim Glass, Brian Dufour, Mike Dufour, and Colin Linggo for helping out with the event.

The Western All-stars taking players from Tony's Tavern, Lonestar, Bayou City and Northwest defeated the At-Large team 20-7 comprised of players from Metro, Southside, Corpus Christi, and New Orleans.  On this day everyone was a winner as money was raised for a great cause.

Click here for pics from the game

Congrats to All-stars Competing in the Make-A-Wish Charity Game
Oct, 5, 2007

#14-Jeff Mazzolini       #17- Bobby Jee        #24-Mike Shearer         #27-Dexter Spriggs

 #22 - Joel Hill            #34-Matt Shearer      #21-Nate Daniels          #4-Matt Walton

These players will be competing in the 2007 Make-A-Wish Lacrosse Classic to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation.  Tickets are $5 and the game will be played Sunday Oct. 14th @ Strake Jesuit.  Come out and support your favorite players and support a great cause.

Click here for more information and driving directions

Congrats to the 2006 & 2007 Team Award Winners
July 7, 2007

2006 MVP- Jeff Mazzolini         2006 Off. MVP - Bobby Jee      2006 Def. MVP - Mike Shearer

2007 MVP - Dexter Spriggs       2007 Off. MVP - Bobby Jee     2007 Def. MVP - Mike Shearer

2007 Newcomer of the year - Brad Cook

Tony's Tavern '07 summer traveling.....Where have we been...
July 8, 2006

Blake was found at Mt. Marathon Seward, Alaska.  Part of the Alaska's mountain  running competition.  On July 4th, there is a race from the middle of town up 60 to 70 slopes about  3K+ feet to the summit and back down.  I took a more leisurely pace.

2007 Season stat leaders
May 29, 2006

Saves:  98 - Mike Shearer

Save%: 77% - Mike Shearer

Most Checks of the game:  4 - Nathan Daniels

Congrats to Dexter on his marriage to Sharon
June 6, 2007

Tony's Tavern repeats as GCLA champ with 8-4 win over Lonestar
April 29, 2007

STATS:
Goals:  Spriggs - 2, Glass - 1, Joel HIll - 1, Justin Hill - 1, Jee - 1, Mazzolini - 1, Matt Shearer - 1 
Assists: Stowe - 2, Joel Hill - 1, Kozarsky - 1, Mazzolini - 1, Nelms - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 13

Check of the game:  Cole Nowak

Tony's Tavern keeps rolling with 9-0 win over Northwest in round 2
April 28, 2007

STATS:
Goals:  Justin Hill - 2, Jee - 2, Kozarsky - 2, Mazzolini - 1, Matt Shearer - 1, Spriggs - 1 
Assists: Cook -1, Daniels - 1, Joel Hill - 1, Jee - 1, Stowe - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 7

Check of the game:  Brad Cook

Tony's Tavern kicksoff playoffs with 17-5 win over Southside
April 28, 2007

STATS:
Goals:  Jee - 6, Joel Hill - 3, Justin Hill - 3, Kozarsky - 1, Mitchell - 1, Spriggs - 1, Stowe - 1, Walton- 1 
Assists: Mazzolini - 6, Jee - 3, Kozarsky - 2, Gittings - 1, Joel Hill - 1, Mike Shearer - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 6, Markeloff - 1

Check of the game:  Nate Daniels

Congrats to Jimmy on his Marriage to Kristen
April 21,  2007

Tony's Tavern ends regular season with 16-0 win over Southside
April 15, 2007

STATS:
Goals:  Joel Hill - 3, Jee - 2, Kozarsky - 2, Spriggs - 2, Walton - 2, Gittings - 1, Glass - 1, Justin Hill-1, Mazzolini - 1, Mitchell - 1 
Assists: Mazzolini - 8, Justin Hill - 2, Jee - 2, Kozarsky - 2
Saves: Mike Shearer - 3, Markeloff - 3, Daniels - 2

Check of the game:  Matt Walton

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern postpones Sam Houston game due to Weather
March 31, 2007

Game to be played at later date.  Stay tuned for updates.

Tony's Tavern keeps rolling with a 6-3 win over Metro
March 25,  2007

On the 2^nd game of the double header weekend Tony’s Tavern faced longtime rival Metro.  The game looked to be a sloppy one from the beginning due to all the rain the week before the field was muddy and scattered showers were in the forecast.   

The 1^st quarter started off an offensive stalemate where both teams struggled to find any kind of offensive rhythm.  Halfway through the quarter Tony’s took the lead when Spriggs went on a power sweep to the right and found the back of the goal to give Tony’s the 1-0 lead.  More back and forth play ensued as the Tony’s defense held strong led by Mike Shearer.  With a minute left in the quarter Tony’s would add another goal as Jee picked up the groundball and flipped it to Matt Shearer who took a few steps and fired the ball top shelf past the goalie to make it 2-0.  

The 2^nd quarter saw defensive stands by both sides and lots of groundball battles.  Neither team was able to get open looks.  Metro drew first blood in the 2^nd quarter on a man-up situation to make it 2-1.  Spriggs helped stretch the lead back to 2 when he split dodged and fired another shot to the back of the net to make it 3-1.  Tony’s Tavern took the 3-1 lead into the half. 

Both teams came out in the 3^rd trying to improve on the sloppy play and to overcome sloppy field conditions.  Both teams settled in for a game low scoring game that would be a test of wills and hustle.  Metro got in the scoring column first on as a metro middie dodged and put a bounce shot in past Shearer to make it 3-2.  Tony’s answered as Spriggs found Stowe up top for the wide open shot.  Stowe put it away and gave Tony’s the 4-2 lead as the quarter ended.  

Metro came out in the 4^th quarter and put up another goal to make it 4-3.  Tony’s called a timeout to settle down and come up with a game plan.  On the next possession Matt Shearer found time and room and ripped net top right to make it 5-3.  After some back and forth play Spriggs got his 2^nd assist on the day when he found Jee on a backdoor cut to make it 6-3.  That his how the game would end with Tony’s fighting through to take away the close win.  

The defense played outstanding all day in poor conditions and came up with stop after stop.  Goalie Mike Shearer led the charge making 12 saves.  He was assisted by the talented defensive unit of Cook, Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, Walton, Wilkie; who forced bad shots and passes all day.  The defense stepped up at all the critical times to help ensure the victory.

The midfield unit had another stellar day while being short players.  Dexter Spriggs led the team offense with 2 goals and 2 assists.  Matt Shearer added 2 more goals and Stowe added 1 more to give the middies 5 of Tony’s 6 goals on the day.  The midfield unit of Joel Hill, Glass, Mitchell, Nelms, Matt Shearer, Stoker, and Stowe stayed strong all day fighting relentlessly for ground balls and playing hardnosed defense.  The key to the victory was the possessions that the midfield secured for Tony’s.  Hill and Stowe took the face-offs on the day and won key possessions in crunch time to help secure the victory.

STATS:
Goals:  Matt Shearer - 2, Spriggs - 2, Jee - 1, Stowe - 1
Assists: Spriggs - 2
Saves: Mike Shearer - 12

Check of the game:  Brad Cook

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern moves to 7-0 with a 14-3 win over Northwest
March 24, 2007

In the first game of their 2^nd straight doubleheader weekend Tony’s Tavern squared off against Northwest.  Though Tony’s Tavern went into the game without key players at all positions, they pulled together as a team and played good lacrosse.

Matt Shearer was a man on a mission as the game started as he picked up the ground ball off a face-off win by Stowe and weaved his way through 3 defenders for the first goal of the game.  On the next possession Matt found the back of the goal again on a shot over the left shoulder of the goalie to make it 2-0.  Dufour got into the scoring column on the next possession off a pass from Kozarsky to make it 3-0.  After some back and forth play Jee got a pass from Kozarsky and iced it to make it 4-0.  The scoring in the first quarter ended with a pass from Jee to Glass on a cut to make it 5-0 in favor of Tony’s.

The 2^nd quarter saw much of the same, but with longer possessions for both teams.  Kozarsky opened the scoring for Tony’s in the quarter as he dodged hard to the cage and found net past the goalie to make it 6-0.  Northwest fired back with a goal of their own to make it 6-1.  Jee notched his 2^nd goal on the day off a split dodge and shot that went 5 hole on the northwest goalie.  This made the game 7-1 in favor of Tony’s at the half.

The 3^rd quarter saw Tony’s working the ball around on offense for long possessions and ball control.  Kozarsky notched his 2^nd of the game off a good pass from Dufour to make it 8-1 Tony’s.  The next tally for Northwest came after Tony’s missed a shot and Northwest cleared the ball to the midfield.  One of the Northwest middies tried to feed the crease but, wound up deflecting it off his man’s shoulder and into the cage past Mike Shearer for the 2^nd Northwest goal of the afternoon.  Matt Shearer fired back on the next possession and roll dodged his man to get free and fired another shot in to make it 9-2 and notch his 3^rd goal of the game.  The 3^rd ended with Tony’s leading 9-2.

Tony’s extended their lead in the 4^th quarter first off a dodge from Jee who found Matt Shearer backside crease for goal #4 on the day and the 10-2 lead.  Northwest took possession on the next face and scored on goalie Eric Markeloff in his first action on the day.  Markeloff would regain focus and shutdown the northwest offense for the rest of the day.  Tony’s notched another tally off a killed penalty situation where Jee found a cutting Matt Shearer for his 3^rd assist and Shearer’s 5^th goal on the day.  Mtichell kept his scoring streak alive when Nelms started a fast break and got the ball down to Mitchell for a left handed shot past the goalie to make it 12-3.  Stoker with a miracle dodge through 3 guys found the net top left corner to make it 13-3.  Tony’s scored the final goal of the game off a feed from behind by Glass to Jee on the crease for the easy goal to finish the scoring at 14-3.  The game ended with a minute left after a late illegal hit to the head by a northwest defenseman on Constable.  After a long exchange of words the refs ended the game with Tony’s coming out on top.

The midfielders ruled the day led by Matt Shearer and his 5 goals.  Glass, Mitchell, and Stoker all got goals in the victory.  Glass and Nelms added 1 assist each to round out the middie scoring on the day.  The aggressiveness and gritty play by the midfield unit helped gain possession and maintain ball control.  The unit of:  Constable, Glass, Mitchell, Nelms, Shearer, Stoker, and Stowe played tough all day long.  The relentless fighting for ground balls and tough defense were a vital part of Tony’s coming away with the victory.  Brandon Stowe showed he could shoulder the load and dominated at the face-off X all day long winning around 85% of the face-offs on the day.

The attack led by team captain Bobby Jee with 3 goals and 3 assists came together to hold the ball to give Tony’s long possessions and rest for the defense and middies.  Veteran attackman Rene Kozarsky added 2 goals and 2 assists to help him creep up in his career goal of 200 points.  A new face to the attack unit was Brian Dufour who filled in for injuries and players out of town.  Dufour played big by scoring a goal and getting a timely assist.  In all, the attack unit combined for 6 goals and 6 assists.

The defense maintained their elite status in the league by allowing only 2 goals and one goal off a deflected pass.  The tough play by Cook, Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, Wilkie and Brennan helped limit the good shots on goalie Mike Shearer.  Shearer played great again stopping shot after shot and clearing the ball well all game long.  Back-up goalie Markeloff got some time and after giving up a goal, played stellar the rest of the game.  Cook, Daniels, Gittings, and Wilkie played shutdown close defense on northwest and forced them into bad shots and bad passes.  Brennan and Nowak took longstick middie duties on the day and gained possession on a lot of face-offs.

After the win the record for the season stands at 7-0.  Tony’s Tavern will suit up against long-time rival Metro in the Sunday game of their double header weekend.

STATS:
Goals:  Matt Shearer - 5, Jee - 3, Kozarsky - 2, Dufour - 1, Glass -1, Mitchell - 1, Stoker - 1
Assists: Jee - 3, Kozarsky - 2, Dufour - 1, Glass - 1, Nelms - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 10, Markeloff - 1

Check of the game:  Nathan Daniels

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern comes up big with a 11-2 win over Lonestar
March 18,  2007

Tony’s Tavern finished up their doubleheader weekend with a match up against conference opponent Lonestar.  If the first match-up of the year was any indicator of how this game would go then we would be in store for a nail-biter.  On an odd day where we would see rain, sunshine, and wind both teams prepared for a good clean lacrosse game. 

The game started off with both teams coming out strong and ready to play.  After a great defensive stand by Tony’s Tavern the quick clearing of Mike Shearer got the team on a break where Kozarsky got the ball to Matt Shearer at point to quickly redirected the ball to Jee who got hit by the goalie, but was able to ice the goal to make the score 1-0.  Minutes later Tony’s would add to their lead with a rebound off a shot by Mitchell that Dufour raked in past the goalie for his first goal of the year and a 2-0 lead.  As the first quarter came to close the lead would remain 2-0.

The 2^nd quarter started off with a fast break by Daniels who found Kozarsky on a back door cut for a quick dump to Jee curling around the crease for the goal and the 3-0 lead.  After some great defense by both the long poles and the middies; the team got on the board again after a quick face dodge by Jee past the Lonestar defender for his 3^rd goal of the day and the 4-0 lead for Tony’s.  Lonestar fired back with a goal on the next possession to make it 4-1 as the half ended.

The 2^nd half would see more scoring for Tony’s as they would pull away and put the game out of reach.  The first score of the 3^rd quarter came off a dodge by Jee past the Lonestar defender and quick pass to Kozarsky for a catch and shoot for the goal and 5-1 lead.  Tony’s used great face-offs by Stowe to have long possessions in the 2^nd half as they started working the ball around for 3 minutes at a time to get the shots they wanted.  Matt Shearer would get a tally for Tony’s off a pass from Spriggs to make the score 6-1.  Tony’s took a 6-1 lead into the 4^th quarter where they would add on a few more to put the game away.

Justin Hill got on the board quickly in the 4^th quarter off a pass from Kozarsky to make the score 7-1.  After another great face-off by Stowe, Spriggs worked his man to get free to find a cutting Mitchell for a goal to push the lead to 8-1.  Lonestar regrouped and scored on their next possession to make it an 8-2 game.  After a few back and forth sessions, Spriggs would make his distributing presence known again as he found Hill for another goal and a 9-2 lead.  Spriggs would get his 4^th assist on the day as he found Kozarsky in front of the cage to make it 10-2 and put the game out of reach.

Tony’s Tavern came together on offense and defense to play a great game on both sides of the field.  Mike Shearer had a great game in cage making stop after stop to frustrate shooters all day.  The attack and middies worked together to give Tony’s Tavern long possessions that let the air out of the ball and allowed them to maintain possession and control of the game. 

The midfield unit was led on the day by Spriggs (4 assists), Matt Shearer (1goal, 1 assist), Dufour (1 goal), and Mitchell (1 goal).  The middies played great on defense and offense as they fought hard to gain possession all day long and put maximum effort into breaking out on clears to give Mike Shearer targets all day long.  The unit made up of Constable, Dufour, Glass, Mitchell, Matt Shearer, Spriggs, Stoker, and Stowe.  Brandon Stowe was a man on a mission as he took 95% of the face-offs on the day and gave Tony’s possession after possession.

The attack comprised of Hill, Jee, and Kozarsky helped tally 7 goals and 3 assists.  The attack got great opportunities all day from the great middie and long pole transition game.  They helped settle the ball and maintain long possessions to keep the defense fresh.  Jee led the attack with (3 goals, 1 assist), Kozarsky added (2 goals, 2 assists), and Hill stepped into Mazzolini’s spot and put up 2 goals of his own. 

The defense played a great fundamental game behind Mike Shearer who was on fire making save after save.  The poles Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, Walton, and Wilkie force bad shots and pressured the ball all day while playing good body position defense against a talented lonestar team.  Shearer finished the day with 11 saves and made some key one-on-one stops to secure the victory.

Tony’s Tavern moves to 6-0 on the season and will look forward to another double header weekend with Northwest and Metro.

STATS:
Goals:  Jee - 3, Justin Hill - 3, Kozarsky - 2, Dufour - 1, Mitchell - 1, Matt Shearer - 1
Assists: Spriggs - 4, Kozarsky - 2, Jee - 1, Matt Shearer - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 11

Check of the game:  Nathan Daniels

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern moves to 5-0 with a 7-3 win over Bayou City
March 17, 2007

Tony’s Tavern faced-off with Bayou City for the 2^nd time this season on a sunny St. Patrick’s day.  Tony’s Tavern helped relocate the game to its’ back-up field when Bayou City’s field was flooded due to stormy conditions all week long. 

Bayou City was ready and willing to put up a good fight and make Tony’s Tavern earn their 5^th win of the season.  The first goal of the game was put in by Jee off a great look away pass by Stowe from up top.  The quick goal made it 1-0 in favor of Tony’s and gave Stowe his first assist of the year.  Matt Shearer got on the board after a face-off win by Justin Hill and increased the lead to 2-0.  Jee would put Tony’s ahead 3-0 when Mitchell found Jee on a backdoor for a goal, which is how the 1^st quarter ended at 3-0.

The 2^nd quarter saw Bayou City fight back as they scored a goal of their own to start off the quarter to make it 3-1.  Mitchell tallied the only goal in the 2^nd for Tony’s off of a Kozarsky pass to make it 4-1 at halftime.

The 3^rd quarter saw a back and forth battle where bad passes and dropped passes stalled out the offenses for both teams.  Tony’s managed 2 goals with the first coming on a great break started by Mike Shearer’s clearing pass to Kozarsky who hit Matt Shearer with a quick pass, which he redirected to Jee for a touch’em all fast break and a 5-1 lead.  Bayou City put a bounce shot past Shearer a few minutes later to make it 5-2.  The Scoring on the quarter ended with a quick pass from Mitchell to Kozarsky for a behind the back rip to the top left corner and a 6-2 lead.  The quarter ended with the 6-2 score.

The last quarter saw only 2 scores one for each team.  Issacson secured the face-off and got the ball down to Mazzolini who found Jee across crease for a quick shot and score to make it 7-2.  Bayou fired back as they scored on a high bounce shot past keeper Markeloff.  The scoring and game ended on that tally which made it 7-3.  Both teams played sloppy on the day, but Tony’s midfield and defensive unit stepped up in a low scoring affair and put for forth the necessary effort to come out with the victory.

The middies played big on both ends of the field to help the team secure the 5^th victory of the season.  Great defense and possession time was secured by Constable, Dufour, Glass, Justin Hill, Issacson, Mitchell, Nelms, Matt Shearer, Stoker, and Stowe.  Matt Shearer added 1 goal and 1 assist, Stowe added 1 assist, while Mitchell had a career day with 1 goal and 2 assists to lead the middie scoring.  Issacson, Hill and Stowe carried the face-off duties on the day and helped Tony’s dominate the face-off circle all afternoon.

The attack unit spent the day riding hard and keeping the possessions long to give the defense time to rest.  The scoring from the attack unit was led by Jee with 3 goals, followed by Kozarsky with 2 goals and 1 assist, and Mazzolini adding 1 assist on the day.

The defensive unit played strong again as the unit led by keeper Mike Shearer showcased the great defensive skills of Cook, Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, and Walton.  The defense played hard all day and kept the Bayou City players in check throughout the game.  The defense showed great skill in a low scoring game and showed why they are among the best units in the league.  Back-up keeper Markeloff stepped in during the 4^th quarter and ended the day with 3 saves and 1 goal allowed.

Tony’s Tavern moves to 5-0 and prepares for Lonestar on Sunday.

STATS:
Goals:  Jee - 3, Kozarsky - 2, Mitchell - 1, Matt Shearer - 1
Assists: Mitchell - 2, Kozarsky - 1, Mazzolini - 1, Matt Shearer - 1, Stowe - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 7, Markeloff - 3

Check of the game:  Nathan Daniels

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern moves to 4-0 with an 8-5 win over Northwest
March 4, 2007

Tony’s Tavern looked to extend their record to 4-0 as they faced off with Northwest on Sunday.  The game started off with a goal for Tony’s, but was just the beginning of a see-saw battle that wouldn’t be determined until late in the 4^th quarter.  At the end of the first quarter the score was 2-1 Tony’s. The 2^nd quarter saw much of the same sloppy passes by both teams and endless ground ball wars for both sides.  At the half the tally was 4-3 in favor of the Tavern. 

As both teams grinded out the third quarter Tony’s increased its’ lead to 6-3 as the quarter came to a close.  Northwest fought back in the 4^th quarter as they scored 2 more goals, but not before Joel Hill and Mazzolini added scores to put the game out of reach for good.  Tony’s Tavern moved to a ball movement offense that ate up valuable time off the clock on their way to the 8-5 victory.  With the win Tony’s Tavern moved to 4-0 on the season.

Tony’s played much of the 2^nd half in man-down situations due to a variety of penalties.  The talented defensive unit held true to its’ form by killing 9/10 of the penalties they faced on the day to give them a 90% kill mark.  Goalie Mike Shearer led the talented group of long poles composed of:  Cook, Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, Walton, and Wilkie.  They had their hands full most of the day with penalty after penalty.

Middies played a big part in the fight for the loose balls all day as they played tough defense and helped Tony’s get possession time to help secure the lead.  The middie unit of:  Dufour, Glass, Joel Hill, Justin Hill, Mitchell, Nelms, Matt Shearer, Spriggs, and Stowe played big all day long.  Big face-offs by Joel Hill, Justin Hill and Stowe helped gain valuable possessions for the team all day.

The attack unit had an off day, but did just enough to put up 3 goals and 3 assists to help Tony’s secure the victory.  Mazzolini led the way with 1 goal and 2 assists, Jee tallied 2 goals and Kozarsky added 1 assist to round out the attack contribution.

Tony’s Tavern moves to 4-0 and looks forward to a double header weekend in 2 weeks where they will face Bayou City and Lonestar.

STATS:
Goals:  Joel Hill - 2, Jee - 2, Mazzolini - 1, Mitchell - 1, Matt Shearer - 1, Spriggs - 1
Assists: Mazzolini - 2, Glass - 1, Jee - 1, Kozarsky - 1, Spriggs - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 7

Check of the game:  Matt Walton   

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern comes up big with a 23-1 win over Sam Houston
February 18,  2007

Tony’s Tavern continued their winning ways with a victory over 1^st year team, Sam Houston State on Saturday.  Tony’s Tavern scored early and often and received an offensive explosion from veteran attackman Rene Kozarsky in the first half.  The game was clean and was played well by both sides.

Tony’s started the scoring barrage with a face-off win by Joel Hill and then a split dodge for the first goal of the game to make it 1-0.  Tony’s would lead the rest of the game and never look back.  The rest of the quarter belonged to Kozarsky as he rattled off 5 goals in the opening period.  Jee added another goal on a fastbreak assist from Nathan Daniels to finish the quarter with Tony’s leading 7-0.

The second quarter saw much of the same transition offense and good ball movement from Tony’s Tavern.  Kozarsky added 2 more goals to give him 7 for the half.  Additional goals were added by Joel Hill, Jee, and Mazzolini.  The half ended with Tony’s up 12-0.

The 2^nd half saw much of the same good ball movement and continued scoring output by Tony’s tavern.  Justin Hill added 5 goals in the 2^nd half to cap off a 6 point day.  The high lights of the 2^nd half were goals by Constable and Stoker.  The rest of the scoring on the day came from Joel Hill, Jee, Mazzolini, and Mitchell.  Sam did get on the board with a man-up goal in the 4^th quarter to make the final score 23-1. 

The defense played almost to perfection as Mike Shearer led the talented unit made up of Cook, Daniels, Gittings, and Walton.  Nowak and Wilkie came in and played well at LSM and on man down. 

The ground ball battle was won by the hardnosed midfield unit.  Tough play both ways by Constable, Dufour, Glass, Joel Hill, Justin Hill, Mitchell, Matt Shearer, Spriggs, Stoker, and Stowe allowed Tony’s to maintain ball control at all times.  The middies put in 11 goals and 9 assists on the day.  Joel and Stowe won the majority of the face-offs on the day.

The attack unit pulled together to combine for 12 goals and 4 assists led by Kozarsky’s 7 goals in the first half.  Jee, Kozarsky and Mazzolini played hard and moved the ball around well all day.

Tony’s moves to 3-0 on the season and will look to prepare for a March 4^th match-up with Northwest.

STATS:
Goals:  Kozarsky - 7, Justin Hill - 5, Joel Hill - 3, Jee - 3, Mazzolini - 2, Constable - 1, Mitchell - 1, Stoker - 1
Assists: Jee - 3, Matt Shearer - 3, Joel Hill - 2, Spriggs - 2, Cook - 1, Daniels - 1, Dufour - 1, Justin Hill - 1, Mazzolini-1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 10

Check of the game:  Brad Cook    

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern defeats Bayou City 12-4
February 11, 2007

For immediate release:

Tony’s headed into the second game of the young GCLA season looking to find a groove that they could start to build on for the season.  Bayou City came out fired up and looked to hand Tony’s their first loss.  Bayou got on the board first on a bounce shot that skipped past Mike shearer and led 1-0.  Tony’s fired back as Bobby Jee fought for a loose ball and got it to a wide open Rene Kozarsky for a 10 yd shot that found net inside the far pipe to tie the game up 1-1.  After some sloppy play by both teams Bayou City once again regained the lead by scoring to make it 2-1 and that’s how the first quarter ended with Bayou leading 2-1.

The second quarter opened up with bayou putting in another quick goal to make the score 3-1 and putting Tony’s in unfamiliar territory.  Tony’s regrouped and came out firing with a quick goal from Dexter Spriggs off a pass from Jee and quick pass from Jeff Mazzolini to Matt Shearer on a backdoor cut for a quick stick goal to tie it up at 3-3.  Rene Kozarsky helped to add to the barrage as he scored a man-up goal off a pass from Justin Hill to make it 4-3 as the half ended.

Tony’s kept their motors running as the 2nd half began with a goal from Matt Shearer to make the score 5-3.  Jeff Mazzolini would add a goal minutes later on man-up to give Tony’s the 6-3 lead.  After some good defense from both sides Tony’s added another notch when Blake stoker dumped the ball off to Jee for a goal on a backdoor cut to make the score 7-3.  John Mitchell got his first goal as part of Tony’s off a shot rebound to make it 8-3.  Mazzolini added one more on a quick split dodge around his defender and put the ball in the cage to give Tony’s the 9-3 lead as the quarter ended.

The 4th quarter showed the fatigue of both teams as both teams focused on the ground ball wars.  Tony’s did find some offense in some new faces though as Blake Stoker picked up his first goal of the year on a rebound in front of the cage and good pick from Kozarsky.  Bayou got one last tally off back-up goalie Eric Markeloff.  Also, face-off man Brandon Stowe picked up a goal on a shot that deflected off at least 3 people and then into the goal.  With 2 seconds left on man-up Spriggs picked up his 2nd goal on the day on a pass from Mazzolini.  When all the goals were counted Tony’s came away with a 12-4 victory.

The attack of Jee, Kozarsky, and Mazzolini accounted for 5 goals and 4 assists.  They were led by Mazzolini’s 2 goals and 3 assists.  The attack rode the clears well and helped Tony’s have long possessions on offense. 

The midfield played a big role as always winning the ground ball war and coming up with a lot of offense on the day.  The middies accounted for 7 goals on the day led by Shearer and Spriggs with 2 each.  Mitchell, Stoker, and Stowe all added tally’s to round out the goal scoring.  The unit received great contributions on offense and defense from: Constable, Dufour, Glass, Hill, Mitchell, Nelms, Matt Shearer, Spriggs, Stoke, and Stowe.  Hill and Stowe controlled the face-off X most of the day.

The defense led by Mike Shearer held the Bayou City offense to 3 first half goals and held a 2nd half shutout until 5 min left in the game.  Mike Shearer made good saves on the day helped out by the great defense of Cook, Daniels, and Walton.  These three made it tough on the Bayou City attack with great checks and good fundamental defense all afternoon.  Longstick middies Gittings and Nowak forced the Bayou City middies into bad shots and poor passes all day.

Tony’s Tavern looks to build on lessons learned from this victory and will take the field again Sunday vs. Sam Houston State @ 1:30PM.

STATS:
Goals:  Kozarsky - 2, Mazzolini - 2, Matt Shearer - 2, Spriggs - 2, Jee - 1, Mitchell - 1, Stoker - 1, Stowe - 1
Assists: Mazzolini - 3, Jee - 1, Kozarsky - 1, Stoker - 1
Saves: Mike Shearer - 7, Markeloff - 1

Check of the game:  Nathan Daniels    

Click here for Game pics

Tony's Tavern opens GCLA season with a 6-5 win over Lonestar
January 27, 2007

For immediate release:

Tony’s Tavern took the field Saturday in their first GCLA game since winning the Championship in 2006.  Weather looked foreboding in the hours leading up to game time with heavy showers all morning long.  From the first face-off it was apparent that no one playing in the game would leave without getting their fair share of mud. 

Lonestar came out and drew first blood about 3 minutes into the game and led the game 1-0.  On the next possession Tony’s Tavern drew a penalty flag and the man-up unit got its’ first opportunity of 2007.  The unit was very good in 2006 and that experience carried over in the first game as they scored 30 seconds into the penalty to make it 1-1.  Joel Hill one the next face-off and got the ball down to the attack.  Jeff Mazzolini and Bobby Jee worked a 2 man game and Mazzolini found Jee for a quick shot to make it 2-1 in favor of Tony’s Tavern.  Near the end of the quarter Dexter Spriggs ran a quick sweep and scored on a shot off-stick side to make the tally 3-1 Tony’s.  That’s how the 1^st quarter ended with Tony’s leading 3-1.

The 2^nd quarter saw much of the same as both sides battled through the mud for lose balls and possession.  Tony’s Tavern added another tally when newcomer John Mitchell found Mazzolini in front of the cage for a quick stick to make it 4-1 in favor of Tony’s.    Lonestar answered back with a goal a few minutes later to make it 4-2.  With 4 minutes left in the half, Bobby Jee drew a slashing penalty on a Lonestar to give the Man-up unit their second opportunity of the day.  After good ball movement, Mazzolini found Spriggs for a rocket that hit top right corner.  That goal made the score 5-2 going into the half. 

The 3^rd quarter saw both teams slow down as the field conditions got worse.  There was much less emphasis on dodging and more focus was put on ball movement.  Lonestar drew first blood in the 3^rd qtr. to come within 2 goals.  Mazzolini answered back on the next possession after he drove past his man and put the ball bottom left corner to make it 6-3.  Lonestar fired back getting another goal from their midfield leaving the score 6-4 going into the 4^th. 

On the first possession of the 4^th qtr. Lonestar worked the ball down the field and put a shot past back-up goalie Markeloff.  Starter Mike Shearer returned to the game after a break and shutdown Lonestar the rest of the way, making some incredible one-on-one saves.  The offenses for both teams struggled in the 4^th as the field conditions got worse and most of the time both sides fought to gain possession of the ball in the mud.  When the final whistle blew, Tony’s secured a 6-5 victory over a tough Lonestar team.  

The attack of Jee, Kozarsky, and Mazzolini came up with 3 goals and 2 assists on the day.  Their ability to hold the ball down the stretch helped secure the victory. 

The midfield was led in scoring by Spriggs with 2 goals and Matt Shearer with 1 goal.  John Mitchell added an assist in his first game with Tony’s to round out the team scoring.  Tough defense and pursuit of the balls by Dufour, Glass, Joel Hill, Justin Hill, Mitchell, Matt Shearer, Spriggs, Stoker, and Stowe.  Joel Hill and Brandon Stowe did an excellent job controlling the face-offs all day.

The defense was led by Mike Shearer as he stopped tough shots all day.  Shearer along with defensemen:  Cook, Daniels, Gittings, and Walton; forced the Lonestar offense into tough shots all day.  The defense will be tough all season long.

Tony’s Tavern will look to add to their win total as they face Bayou City on Feb. 12^th.

STATS:
 Goals:   Mazzolini - 2, Spriggs - 2, Jee - 1, Shearer - 1
 Assists: Mazzolini - 2, Mitchell - 1
 Saves: Mike Shearer - 8, Markeloff - 1

Check of the game:  Brad Cook    

Check back later for full game summary

Click here for Game pics

 

Tony's Tavern games for Jan 20-21 cancelled due to weather
January 17,  2006

For immediate release:

The 2007 Tony’s Tavern lacrosse kickoff weekend was cancelled due to inclement weather in Dallas for the week and an uninviting forecast for travel.  The teams will try to reschedule the games in the future.

2006 Season stat leaders
June 4, 2006

Saves:  55 - Mike Shearer

Save%: 85% - Mike Shearer

Most Checks of the game:  3 - DD Davis

Preview 2007:  Tony's Tavern back to defend the title
December 26,  2006

For immediate release:

The 2007 Tony’s Tavern lacrosse team season begins like none of the 7 that preceded it: For the first time, Tony’s Tavern will enter the season as the defending GCLA Champs.

Tony’s opens the 2007 season on the road against Coppell Saturday (1/20) in the first of 13 regular-season games.  Tony’s Tavern is branching out more this year adding 3 SWLA teams to the schedule.  The opener will be followed by a January 21 game against Southlake in the 2nd game of the opening weekend.  The team kicks off its GCLA schedule on 1/27 against Lonestar.  Tony’s will only have one showdown with longtime rival, Metro this year on March 25th.  Other non-area match-ups include an April 14 game with New Orleans as well as a contest against Alamolax. Tony’s Tavern looks to have a great season as the team builds on their experience from last year and the support from their fans.

Tony’s Tavern 2007 men's lacrosse, position by position ...

ATTACK

Starters returning – Bobby Jee (26-20-46), Jeff Mazzolini (19-23-42), Rene Kozarsky (22-10-32). Lost – Tim Leyden. Other returning attack – Justin Hill (10-1-11) Newcomers - none

Outlook – The attack comes back for another year.  In 2006 they were very well balanced as a unit with Bobby Jee leading the way in scoring with 26 goals, Jeff Mazzolini tallying 23 assists, and Rene Kozarsky with 22 goals.  Jee will look to come back with another strong offensive year as he led Tony’s Tavern in goals and total points last season.  2006 was highlighted for Jee by a 6-goal effort vs. Bayou City. Jeff Mazzolini joined the team in 2006 and moved into the top feeder role as he had 2 games with 4 assists each. Kozarsky will look to bring balance to the attack as a scorer and feeder.  Kozarsky put in an astounding 7 goals while injured vs. UTSA last season.  The 2007 season looks to be one where the chemistry built in 2006 should carry over and make the attack unit stronger.

MIDFIELD

Middies Returning – Mikey Issacson (20-18-38), Matt Shearer (19-7-26), Joel Hill (11-1-12), Jimmy Constable (2-6-8), Tim Glass (4-1-5), Dexter Spriggs (1-0-1), Blake Stoker (0-1-1), Chris Haefele (0-1-1).  Middies lost – Morgan Humphrey, David Kirton, Tom Laing, Joe Wilt.  Injured Reserve – Brian Cesarski, Jon Graf, and Cory Perrin.  Newcomers – Brian Dufour, John Mitchell, Kyle Nelms, Brandon Stowe. 

Outlook - With the main core of the midfield unit returning and highly talented new comers to add extra depth, Tony’s Tavern could have its best midfield unit ever. It starts with face-offs where Joel Hill and Mikey Issacson will look to get Tony’s off and running every face-off this year and add to their point totals from last year.  Matt Shearer will look to continue his leadership on the field as well as his big game scoring as he put in 3 goals vs. Metro in the 2006 championship game.  Dexter Spriggs will join the team for a full season this year and should be another deadly weapon on offense with his great vision and scoring ability.  Jimmy Constable will look to continue his great wing play and feeding from the midfield.  Tim Glass, should be back and healthy in 2007 to bring his great speed to the transition game.  Blake Stoker and Chris Haefele will continue their team play and help on offense and defense.  Brian Dufour will return to the team after year off and should contribute on offense and defense.  John Mitchell joins Tony’s Tavern to help bring another skilled middie to the squad.  A&M standouts Kyle Nelms and Brandon Stowe join the team in 2007.  Nelms known mostly as a defensive middie will bring his tough defense to Tony’s and show he is an offensive player as well.  Stowe will help solidify the face-offs and add onto a highly talented middie group.  Tony’s Tavern has a great midfield unit with lots of talent and depth which they will need to take full advantage of as they face a 13 game schedule in 2007.

 
LONGSTICK MIDFIELD

Returning – Colin Gittings.  Lost – none.  Newcomers – Ben Brennan

Outlook – Colin Gittings and Ben Brennan should continue to split time at the long stick midfield position.  Both have the ability to create transition along with the ability to neutralize a team’s top scoring midfielder.  Brennan and Gittings speed will help Tony’s on the wings during face-offs.

FACE-OFF

Returning – Joel Hill, Mikey Issacson.  Lost – none.  Newcomers – Brandon Stowe

Outlook – The combination of Hill and Issacson last year helped Tony’s Tavern dominate the GCLA.  They will both return to bring a combination of power and technique.  Face-offs will be key this year as Tony’s Tavern takes on 4 non-league opponents.  Stowe will help solidify the face-offs and keep all of them fresh.

DEFENSE

Returning – Nathan Daniels, DD Davis, Cole Nowak, Matt Walton.  Lost – John Rose and Chris Jeans.  Injured – Chris Wilkie.  Newcomers – Brad Cook.

Outlook – Tony’s Tavern returns the bulk of their defense led by Nathan Daniels and Matt Walton. Joining Daniels and Walton on defense is DD Davis and Cole Nowak.  Daniels and Walton will lead the way with great position defense, checks and the ability to clear the ball with their legs.  Davis and Nowak will continue to throw precise checks, get loose balls and keep the crease clear in front of Mike Shearer.  Joining this highly talented defensive unit is Brad Cook.  Brad is a standout defender who comes to Tony’s Tavern after his career at Georgetown.  He throws great checks and plays great position.  Cook also, has the ability to clear the ball on the ground or with his great passing.  Cook, Daniels, and Walton are expected to start and make a major impact for the defensive unit this spring. Davis will also, see time starting with his hard checks and ability to clear the crease at any time..

GOALIE

Returning – Mike Shearer (63 saves, 12 GAA, .85 save %).  Lost – Roy Nichols Newcomers - Eric Markeloff

Outlook – Mike Shearer will move from splitting time in 2006 to the starting role for 2007.  His quickness and great clearing ability will help Tony’s Tavern continue to dominate between the pipes along with a great transition game.  He will look to anchor the defense that posted 2 shutouts in 2006 and killed 80% of the man-down opportunities.  Newcomer - Eric Markeloff will look to get some time in goal as Shearer’s back-up.  Markeloff will bring his experience from A&M to Tony’s and looks to continue his role as the team’s indoor goalie.

Tony's Tavern wraps up the fall with a 15-3 win over Bayou City
December 4,  2006

For immediate release:

Tony's Tavern wrapped up the fall with a 15-3 victory over Bayou City on a chilly day in December.  Both teams were out there working in some new players for the upcoming spring season.  Tony's got on the board first with a goal from Matt Shearer.  The next possession, Dexter Spriggs put in his first goal for the day.  Tony's would never relinquish the lead and at half time the score was Tony's Tavern 9-0.  Mike Shearer played great in the first half and shutout the Bayou City Offense with help from defensemen Cook, Daniels, Nowak, and Walton.

The second half saw much of the same from Tony's Tavern as the offense kept scoring and the defense remained solid.  Bayou scored off the opening possession when an dropped ball gave Bayou City a point blank shot.  Tony's answered back and won the 2nd half 6-3.  Goalie Eric Markeloff led the defense in the 2nd half and played solid in cage.  The top goal scorers on the day were Matt Shearer and Dexter Spriggs with 4 each.  The attack of Jee, Kozarsky, and Mazzolini added another  6 goals and 6 assists.  Justin Hill and Brandon Stowe took the majority of the face-off duties on the day.  The middies did a good job clearing the ball with contributions from Hill, Perrin, Shearer, Spriggs, Stoker, and Stowe.  Tony's looks to build on the lessons from the victory as they prepare for the spring.

STATS:
Goals:   Shearer - 4, Spriggs - 4, Kozarsky - 3, Jee - 2, Hill - 1, Mazzolini - 1
Assists: Mazzolini - 4, Kozarsky - 2, Perrin - 2, Spriggs - 1                    

For immediate release:

Tony's Tavern looked to play hard against Texas A&M as the Showcase game of the Cy-Fair HS Tournament.  The game was sloppy for the most part all night as both teams went back and forth with scoreless possessions.  A&M got on the board with a goal in the 1st and wend into the half leading 4-0.  Tony's Tavern got on the board in the 3rd quarter with 2 quick goals and made the score 4-2.  A&M regrouped and dominated the faceoffs the rest of the game putting up 8 unanswered goals on Tony's and finished the game with a 12-2 vctory.  Tony's Tavern will look to get back on the winning track in a game vs. Bayou City in December.

Tony's Tavern starts strong, but has a disappointing A&M Tourney
October 29, 2006

Tony's Tavern looked to bring home the championship at the Texas A&M Fall Classic in College Station, TX.  The team came out strong and defeated the Southlake cobras 8-3 in the first game getting 2 goals a piece from Hill, Jee, Spriggs.  Daniels and Shearer rounded out the scoring in the victory.  The 2nd game saw a combined Alamolax & Southlake team vs. Tony's.  Tony's offense was unable to produce the same firepower as earlier in the day and only scored 3 goals on the way to losing 5-3 and getting knocked out of the championship game.

Sunday morning brought on the varsity team from Texas A&M.  It was a sloppy game on both sides, but the Shearer brothers kept Tony's in the game as Matt tallied the only 2 goals for Tony's and Mike played unbelievable stuffing point blank one on one opportunities all game.  In the end Tony's lost on a overtime goal by A&M.

The Texas A&M Alumni team - Team Viva won the tournament with a 10-5 victory over Alamo/Southlake team sunday, with many of the Tony's A&M alum chipping in.

Click here for the results from the Tournament

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Perfect 12-0 record in 2006

Championship Sunday saw a rematch of old rivals as Tony’s Tavern prepared to face-off against Metro.  Metro had won the last 2 GCLA championships and was looking for their 3^rd straight.  Tony’s Tavern came into the season playing every game as one step closer to the championship game.  The conditions were hot as the game time temp hit the mid 90’s.  The 2006 GCLA Championship was ready to be settled on the field as the clock hit 2.  Both teams showed up in force as they awaited the opening face off.

Tony’s Tavern came out strong and drew first blood as middie Matt Shearer ripped a shot to the top left corner past the Metro goalie to make it 1-0.  Metro answered back in quarter filled with tough D from both teams to make it 1-1.  That’s how the 1^st quarter of play ended in a 1-1 tie.

Tony’s Tavern came out strong in the second getting the first goal from middie Matt Shearer on a quick feed from Jeff Mazzolini to make it 2-1.  Tony’s controlled the ball in the 2^nd working it around to get goals from Mazzolini and Joel Hill.  Metro answered back on a fast break and brought the score to 4-2.  Defensemen Matt Walton gave Tony’s the momentum going into the half with a goal of his own helping close the half with a 5-2 lead for Tony’s Tavern.

The 3^rd quarter saw much of the same in the way of the Tony’s Tavern ball control offense.  Key goals from Shearer and Rene Kozarsky extended the lead to 7-2.  Metro wasn’t going quietly as they answered with a goal of their own to make the tally 7-3.  Mikey Issacson added a goal at the end of the quarter to make it 8-3.

Tony’s Tavern continued the ball control in the 4^th quarter and got a man-up goal from Joel Hill on a perfect skip pass from Jimmy Constable for a hard low shot past the metro goalie.  With under 4 minutes left Justin Hill face dodged his way to the goal and extended the lead to 10-3.  Metro got back on the board with a transition goal to make it 10-4 with 3 minutes left in the game.  Kozarsky drew another penalty from the metro defense that led to another man-up opportunity for Tony’s Tavern.  Team captain Bobby Jee capitalized on a quick pass from Constable and rifled a shot past the metro goalie to leave the score at 11-4.

Tony’s Tavern wins its first GCLA championship and ended the season with a perfect record of 12-0.  Tony’s tavern also, brought home the Western Conference title.

Goalies Mike Shearer and Roy Nichols led the longpoles comprised of Daniels, Gittings, Nowak, Rose, Walton, and Wilkie.  The defense played great and gave up only a few on unsettled situations. 

The middies grinded out win after win in the groundball wars and the transition game all day.  The victory can be linked to the hardnosed play of Constable, Glass, Joel Hill, Justin Hill, Issacson, Laing, Shearer, Spriggs, Stoker, and Wilt.

The attack controlled the ball and helped eat up clock all day long.  The attack of Jee, Kozarsky, and Mazzolini kept up their hard rides and forced turnovers that lead to goals all day long.  The offense was the most balanced it has been all year as 8 different players scored goals.

Tony’s Tavern 2006 GCLA & Western conference Champions!!!!!!

Goals: Matt Shearer - 3, Joel Hill - 2, Justin Hill - 1, Issacson - 1, Jee - 1, Kozarsky - 1, Mazzolini - 1,  Walton - 1

Assists:  Constable - 2, Mazzolini - 2, Joel Hill - 1, Issacson - 1

Check of the game: Nate Daniels

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Tony’s Tavern matched up in the semi-finals against a combined Lonestar and Corpus Christi team.  It was typical spring lacrosse conditions in Texas as the temperature hit the mid 80’s along with clear blue skies.  Tony’s Tavern after a long layoff between the end of the regular season and the playoffs was unsure how it would affect their play. 

Tony’s Tavern came out fast and after a face-off win by Mikey Issacson he settled the ball and found middie Matt Shearer for a shot 6 yds out to make it 1-0 Tony’s Tavern.  That lead would prove enough as the offense and defense played superb.  Tony’s Tavern struck again as attackman Jeff Mazzolini took his short stick defender to the cage for another goal to make it 2-0.  Fellow attackman Rene Kozarsky received a pass from Mazzolini on a backdoor cut to increase the lead to 3-0.  The first quarter ended with Tony’s Tavern leading 3-0.

The 2^nd quarter saw Tony’s Tavern keep working the matchups and excellent ball movement to eat up clock.  Joel Hill opened the quarter with a nice dodge and rip past the Lonestar goalie to make it 4-0.  After a face-off win by Joel Hill, Kozarsky took a quick pass and finished for his 2^nd goal of the day.  The last goal of the half was tallied by Team captain Bobby Jee as he extended his defender then split dodged inside to finish off a one on one with the goalie.  Tony’s took a 6-0 lead into the half.

The 3^rd quarter saw a lot of ball control and good defense by Tony’