The History

The St. Charles Boys Lacrosse Team capped off a perfect 7-0 Rocks on the Fox tournament with a double-overtime victory in the junior varsity championship game against Neuqua Valley (Naperville) JV. The game was the jv's fifth win of the weekend, with the varsity team winning two of its own in the first round of the tourney before bowing out due to game number limitations in their season schedule.

The first annual Rocks on the Fox Lacrosse Tournament, hosted by St Charles on April 17 and 18 on the St Charles East High School campus and featuring 13 varsity and junior varsity squads from Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, is the largest lacrosse tournament in the state. The "rocks" of the event's title is a nod to Native Americans, who invented the game, and who used actual rocks. St Charles has had a men's lacrosse team for ten years, combining boys from East High School and North High School. Last year, the varsity advanced to the state quarterfinals.

St Charles' jv, which has posted a 13-2 record so far in this year's non-conference and conference play, shut out three of its five opponents in the tournament and never surrendered more than four goals in any one game.

“Our defense and our goalie, Peter Steele, were incredible,” said St. Charles JV Coach Andy Thompson. “We’re so fortunate as a team to have a defense that is so tough and physical. We’ve only given up an average of two goals per game this season.”

In the title game against Neuqua Valley, St Charles carried a 4-1 lead into the fourth quarter. In the last four minutes of the quarter, however, Neuqua Valley scored three straight goals to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into overtime. A scoreless first overtime gave way to a second overtime, when midfielder Freddy Goret picked off a Neuqua pass in his own territory, then raced the length of the field toward the goal. He drew the Neuqua defense toward him then passed to a cutting Dylan Ward, who rifled a shot into the goal for the game and the title.

“Freddy and Dylan executed just like in practice,” said Thompson. “But on that play, they really had to concentrate. It was both teams’ fifth game in two days, and you could see that everyone was fighting fatigue.”

The St Charles varsity defeated Champaign Centennial 15-2 and Middleton, Wis., 4-3 in a thrilling triple-overtime victory in the first game of the tournament. Sophomore Attackman Vince Franz led St. Charles in scoring for the weekend with eight goals and two assists while senior Attackman Chris Froisland put in five goals and four assists, including the overtime game winner.

"The weekend was the pinnacle of team effort,” said St. Charles Varsity Head Coach Dave Libby. “From the efforts of the parents to support and host such an excellent event; to the exciting JV final overtime championship game; to the varsity being able to have the opportunity to support the JV and be the fans for such an exciting conclusion; to the event promoting and developing lacrosse in the whole area, including being the catalyst to start at least one new team that participated. “

“This event defined team effort like no other event has in the history of lacrosse at St. Charles,” Libby added. “It was the kind of weekend that every lacrosse player and enthusiast would love to be a part of and made fans out of many people who were introduced to lacrosse for the first time through the tournament."

The Neuqua Valley Wildcats captured the Rocks on the Fox varsity title, beating Middleton, Wis. The Wildcats’ jv team, in addition to securing second place in the jv bracket, were also awarded the first Jimmy Rozlilek Award for Sportsmanship, named in honor of the well-loved lacrosse referee who tragically passed away last fall at the young age of 38. Tournament organizers also raised funds for the Rozlilek family through a raffle featuring a digital camera donated by Ricoh Corp.

"We saw a high level of play this weekend," said Jack Elliott, President of the St Charles Men's Lacrosse Boosters. "It's always a great time when the lacrosse community has the opportunity to come together for an event like this."

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