Men’s by Captain Chris Menon
Last year’s 17-1 win will be very hard to beat, but we are still hoping to gain a great win for York. Since last year we have a completely new team, consisting mainly of freshers, who have demonstrated their abilities and shown their worth this year by coming runners up in the BUCS CUP final. We are unsure of how close the score line will be, due to the added pressure of playing away and of being one of the final match played for the Roses tournament, which is a huge honour, but we are confident of a win.
Players that have stood out this season for their goal-scoring prowess are Joe Tebbutt and Andrew Chalmers, but I expect to see a great performance from all the boys. This year I expect to see a more team-orientated style of play as everyone has started from the ground up and have put nothing but 100% into training, as shown by how well we have played all season.
I know all of the players are very excited to play in Roses as York has dominated the lacrosse scene in this tournament from the beginning. We hope the men’s scoreline depicts all the hard work from the team over this season and really showcases the diverse talent York has to offer.
Women’s by captain Izzi Mattick
York ladies 1sts have had a very unlucky year in their tough BUCS league, but have improved greatly throughout the season and have even developed a beginner’s squad. Taking the number of teams in the womens squad to a total of three. This has resulted in a fantastic tour in Dublin, where York won the entire tournament, beating teams including Birmingham, UEA and Cardiff in the final.
Last year Roses was a huge success as we won with a staggering 40 goals to Lancaster’s 0, so it will be pretty difficult to beat or even match this record. The squad has changed inevitably since last year and those that have left have been sorely missed. Nevertheless, the Roses team this year will be a team to be reckoned with and remaining on a high from the win in Dublin, a huge win in Lancaster is on the cards. As always, Anna Yeomans will be a big threat to Lancaster and a strong force in our attack. Other names to keep an eye on are: Georgie Saunders, who will no doubt help rack up some goals on the score sheet, while in our defence Lydia Labram will be keeping Lancaster at bay, with our very own Charlotte Winter in goal ensuring their score line remains minimal. Having dominated over Lancaster last year on home turf, where our match did not count for points, the pressure is now on as the tournament is away and a precious 4 points are in our grasp.
Mixed by Captain Tessa Russell
As Roses 2012 approaches, the York Mixed Lacrosse team looks to defend their unbeaten record against Lancaster. Though several key players were lost last year, the 2011/12 season has been a great one for the Mixed team. The team, comprised of players from both the men’s and women’s firsts has gone from strength to strength this year, for the first time competing in tournaments other than roses. This practice has been invaluable for the new squad, who will go to Lancaster knowing how it feels to play together as a team and win. They are determined to match and improve on last year’s victory of 21-5. The team is training hard and will be ready to fight and claim the 2 points.
President’s Word by Anna Yeomans
Following last year’s success on home ground, we are hoping for three more victories this year. It is the first time all three teams will play for points to count towards the Rose score for York and they are all training hard to live up to expectations. Club membership has doubled this year and as a result we have witnessed a huge increase in grassroots participation. This is evident particularly in the mens side of the club, where the hard work, commitment and determination from both the captains and players alike have resulted in a strong and united team, that have skills far out-reaching the fact that many squad members have been playing for less than two seasons. The women have also witnessed a large increase in numbers which has brought a more competitive yet welcome edge to the club, as the excellence exhibited by the freshers has been much admired and can only be credited to their captains. The squad is all training extremely hard in the hope to earn a respected and much desired place on the final Roses team.
The mixed team is an ever present threat to Lancaster and hopeful to deliver another victory. Overall, the squads have high hopes for Roses 2012, but it is their commitment, determination and dedication to the club that outshines their victories on the score sheets.
I would like to commend the captains – Chris Menon and Seb Swenson, Izzi Mattick and Lydia Labram, Dani Smith and Angela Musoke and Tessa Russell and Charlotte Pelter – for all their hard work and motivation to plan and take training sessions during the build up to Roses and for their dedication to the club this season.