C-M dealing with losing home field
A sense of optimism and excitement surrounded Canon-McMillan’s lacrosse team in mid-March. Last spring, the Big Macs reached the playoffs for the first time since the WPIAL adopted the sport in 2008 and advanced to the semifinals.
They returned 19 seniors this season and were among the preseason favorites in Division II. Canon-McMillan’s first two weeks of practice and a preseason scrimmage went according to plan. Head coach Craig Schleifstein saw a team capable of putting up video game-like numbers on offense and competing for a WPIAL title.
The optimism gave way to discouragement when Schleifstein was informed that Canonsburg Memorial Stadium – the Big Macs’ home field – was deemed unsafe for use. They would be forced to play all home games less than four miles away at Chartiers-Houston.
“My reaction was more disappointment because I knew what kind of team we had and our goal is to win the championship,” Schleifstein said. “Having home field is huge. That’s why they call it home field advantage. When you don’t have that, you really need to find another motivation.”
The turf at the school’s home stadium developed dips and bumps. In an effort to level the surface, a 10-ton roller was used to smooth the artificial turf, but the process was ineffective.
The tripping hazards were a result of 10 inches of sand under the turf. Though the Canon-McMillan School Board approved a plan to install turf and resurface the track at a cost of about $1.2 million at last week’s meeting, it is not expected to be completed until late August.
So the site for matches had to be relocated. Upon hearing the news, Schleifstein gathered his players and challenged them to make the most of the situation. Use it as motivation to capture the program’s first WPIAL championship not as an excuse for failing to meet expectations.
“This is the hand we were dealt,” Schleifstein recalls telling his players. “We just have to make the best of it. We are going to play at Char-Houston and that’s our new home. We have to accept that and succeed despite not having (our normal) home field. I told them to use it to our advantage.”
The players did not take long to adjust. They won their first home game over Trinity, 16-0, and have not slowed down, going 7-1 with the lone loss coming against Peters Township, a Division I opponent.
“At first, it was upsetting, especially going into our senior year,” senior Nick Carr, a team captain, said. “We knew it would be tougher to play, even when it was at home. Even at Char-Houston, we wouldn’t really have a home advantage, but we’ve worked through it.”
The result has been a 14-1 overall record, a Section 3, Division II championship and the top seed in the WPIAL Division II playoffs. The Big Macs will host eighth-seeded Aquinas Academy (9-6) Wednesday at Chartiers-Houston’s Buccaneer Stadium. Opening face-off is 7 p.m.
The process began with making Chartiers-Houston feel like home. Instead of taking a bus, everyone drove to the stadium. A locker room is not always available so players arrive in their uniforms.
Despite the situation, Canon-McMillan has thrived in 2015. Its offense, led by senior Ben Ward’s 77 goals, is averaging 17.3 goals per game. Carr, the Big Macs’ facilitator on the attack, has added more than 30 goals and 30 assists. Senior Alex Paulina, a Pitt football recruit as an offensive lineman, anchors C-M’s defense.
“I’m proud of these kids because it’s hard for them,” Schleifstein said. “They are used to playing at Canon-Mac Stadium for the past three years. Those are our locker rooms. That normalcy you had with playing at home, you lose that.”
The shock and disappointment of losing their home field is nothing compared to what the Big Macs felt last spring when they were defeated, 16-7, by Quaker Valley in the WPIAL Division II semifinals at North Allegheny.
C-M looked toward the 2015 season with a goal to advance past the semifinals and into the championship game at Highmark Stadium May 22. They even got redemption against the Quakers last month with a 12-10 victory at Chartiers-Houston.
Home field advantage or not, Canon-McMillan is attempting to accomplish the improbable and are two wins away from reaching the title game.
“The guys have been pretty focused to get back to the playoffs,” Schleifstein said. “When they shut the field down on us, the team wasn’t happy about that. I think they play with a chip on their shoulder because of it. We have progressed exactly the way I hoped, especially under the circumstances.”