Tampa FL- This past weekend Cole Narkiewicz drew a lot of attention at the Veteran’s Day lacrosse tournament in Flagler for his sensational performance at goalie. The massive event showcased some of the top talent from around the state.
Narkiewicz delivered three consecutive games where he posted an impressive save percentage of 65 percent or higher. In his team’s final game, he stopped a whopping 28 shots on goal. When the coach of the opposing team congratulated him on an impressive performance Narkiewicz gratuitously thanked him and was overheard saying “I will be playing goalie at Notre Dame.”
The Pasco Lions who hail from Wesley Chapel Florida intentionally “played up” a division and proved they could be a contender. The team, comprised primarily of fourth graders, competed hard against teams comprised mainly of sixth grade students. Their efforts were commended by opposing players, officials and spectators.
The Lions’ final game on Sunday was to be a rematch with an older team from the Orlando area. There was a buzz around the concession stands and sidelines of whether an upset was about to happen. Many people were excited to watch. If the Lions’ attack played well, the defense stayed on its game and if Narkiewicz had another stellar performance, they could likely win by two goals.
A crowd comprised of several talent scouts, coaches from other teams and a handful of high school players formed on the sidelines to see the rematch. As the Lions marched onto the field they were wondering where their opponents were. After conversations with multiple officials it was discovered that the opposing team had quietly left the tournament without notifying anyone that they were going home early. Both the Lions and the crowd were very disappointed. They had waited three hours for the game that wasn’t going to take place.
Speculations of why a team would take this path flew around the sideline. I heard several theories, but the one that made the most sense to me came from a young man from a high school team. He said something to the effect “their coach didn’t want a fourth-grade goalie making a highlight reel out of his sixth graders.”