Battle of makeshift squads goes to Torrey

By: SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Thursday, April 26, 2007 11:15 AM PDT ∞

CARLSBAD -- Carlsbad High's girls lacrosse match with Torrey Pines was played with a skeleton crew.

A total of 10 starters -- six Lancers and four Falcons -- were held out of Torrey Pines' 10-2 victory Wednesday evening on a recommendation from the CIF San Diego Section.

Those girls participated in a tryout for a regional team that will compete in the U.S. Lacrosse Girls Division National Tournament on Memorial Day weekend at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn.

Questions arose about the eligibility of those who tried out and whether the tryout was sanctioned by the CIF, causing the section office to recommend holding those players out until commissioner Dennis Ackerman could make a formal decision on the matter.

Ackerman was unavailable for comment Wednesday night.

Falcons coach Amanda Bourquin said the tryout had not been an issue in years past, but it became one Wednesday afternoon shortly before the highly anticipated North County Conference clash. Bourquin and Lancers coach Elvi Coniglione received a call from their respective athletic directors informing them of the situation.

Playing those athletes could result in forfeiture of games in the case of a negative ruling, so both coaches chose to err on the side of caution.

"We didn't want to hurt ourselves in the long run," Bourquin said. "We went back and forth on the issue, but we chose to hold them out just in case. We didn't want to hurt the team unnecessarily."

The game lost much of its original luster with so many impact players on the sideline, but both carried on with what they had.

"We found out right before warmups," Torrey Pines' Linda Rassenti said. "It was a shock at first, but Coach talked to us and we were able to refocus.

"With so many players out, I knew I had to step up and take on a larger role than I normally would."

Rassenti excelled in a difficult situation, scoring a match-high three goals against the Lancers (8-8, 3-3). Stephanie Doyle was also a major player for the Falcons (10-4, 4-2), recording two goals and an assist.

Carlsbad's Shawna Falk and Chelsea Williams bookended the scoring, but Torrey Pines' depth won out in between.

The Lancers dearly missed Lacey Bevilacqua, North County's leading scorer, on the offensive end. Carlsbad did receive excellent play from backup goalkeeper Marriah Green, who had 10 saves in the match.

"I don't think it was as big of a deal for Torrey (Pines)," Coniglione said.

"They clearly had the depth to carry on and play a great game. My girls fought hard throughout and played much better in the second half." Ý

-- Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.

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