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So there I sat, staring deep into my computer screen, working on finding the right words for my first magazine piece, when I started thinking about the greatest goal I have ever seen. Then, it crossed my mind that I’m sure other fans of the NLL could probably drum up memories of their favourite goals just as easily. Having always wanted to write a book about lacrosse and the players and fans personal experiences, I realized that gathering those memories is the first step.

The stories don’t have to be ground breaking, they don’t even have to be the greatest tales of all time, what I want is to paint a verbal picture of that moment that holds a special place in your heart; that always puts a smile on your face when you think about it.

I can only imagine how Jim Veltman would recount the day the Rock won the NLL title while his best friend, Les Bartley, lay in hospital watching ‘his boys’ win him one last title. Or what it must have been like for fans in Colorado to experience the first ever sock-trick! – I was on the floor when it happened that game and I’m still not sure if you threw one sock or both of them at the same time? What about the story Tim and Jen Knabb, two of the greatest people I have met, could tell. For those of you that don’t know, Tim proposed to Jen in a devious plan at half time during a Knighthawks’ game a few years back.  Every fan and every player has their story.

Here is just one of my many stories and though it’s not heart warming and probably won’t bring a tear to your eye, it’s a lacrosse memory so vivid that I doubt I’ll ever forget it.

The Summer of 1997 was a great one for me for many reasons; I had just finished my final year of intermediate lacrosse out here in B.C where I shared co-MVP with a great friend in Randy Daly, traveled back east to compete in the First Nations Cup – the U-19 field lacrosse championships – where I scored the game winner in overtime and was named tournament MVP. I was headed off to my first year of college at Mercyhurst in Erie, PA and finally my hometown Victoria Shamrocks were taking on the Niagara Falls Gamblers in the Mann Cup.

 To say the atmosphere in Memorial arena was electric is an insult. Six thousand fans every game, 50-50 pots over $3,000, and some of the greatest names in lacrosse playing for both teams. The eastern champs had themselves a very talented team (all three Kilgours, Randy Mearns, Mike Accursi, a young Andy Turner, a veteran Paul Day, Bob Watson, Steve Toll, and Jason Luke) but weren’t given much chance against a team that had Paul and Gary Gait, Tom Marechek, Marty O’Neil, Rodney Tapp, Darren Reisig, Neil Doddridge, and some guy named Fred Jenner. Now this series had it all, some amazing games, close scores, a couple blow outs, some spirited tilts, true sportsmanship and the greatest goal my eyes have ever witnessed.

I believe it was game four, in which the Shamrocks won 17-2, when the man they call ‘Hollywood’ took centre stage in my memory bank! With a standing room only crowd on hand and a live TV audience watching on Shaw Cable, everyone was witness to this goal, but I’m not really sure if even the avid fans know just how ‘sick’ this goal was! Tom Marechek took a pass from, I believe Rick Brown, who was on the lefty crease, and within the next say 2-3 seconds, everyone else was in slow motion and it was if the camera zoomed in on Tom. While cutting from the right hand shooter spot, Tom caught the pass in full stride.  With no defender around him, and barrelling down on Gambler’s goalie Bob Watson, he instinctively threw a quick fake to the short side and succeeded in getting Watson’s feet moving and out of position. With the goalie at his mercy, Tom could easily have slotted the ball anywhere he wanted to at that point but, there is a reason they call him ‘Hollywood’. As if the Red Sea had parted, Tom had gone untouched to the top of the crease and you could see the despair in Watson’s eyes as Marechek threw another strong fake to the far side, a lacrosse version of the ‘ankle breaker’, causing Watson to lose his balance and putting him, ultimately at Tom’s mercy. If you were to press pause at this point you could probably still see the wheels in motion as Tom decides what to do next. He could easily have ended this torturous one on one battle long ago, or he could have just circled behind the net and continued the possession. But in the sick and devious mind that resides inside the heads of great scorers like Marechek, the Gaits, John Tavares and John Grant, seeing the goalie completely helpless is their kink!  So what does Tom decide to do? Go air born!  With the fluidity and gracefulness of a swan, Tom leapt off of his left foot and, always one to make things difficult and at the same time magnificent, threw a back hand shot to the far top corner over a white flag waiving Watson.

 Bedlam! Pandemonium! Chaos! Mayhem! You couldn’t even hear the person beside you cheer! There are few moments in sports that make you freeze and stare in awe! Michael Jordan’s switch hand lay-up versus the Lakers, Ronaldinho’s twisting bike kick for Barcelona, even Marek Malik’s between the leg penalty shot for the Rangers a few years ago. This was one of those moments. After landing, Tom slide to the boards with his hands up in the air, in an act of jubilation and his own astonishment. I have tried to re-enact that goal hundreds of times but, nothing will be able to match it with its timing and placement and sheer ‘WOW’ factor.

The only thing that I would change about this goal; I would put myself in the arena! You got it, I wasn’t even there for my all time favourite goal and it kills me. I had to wait until the series was over and my parents had sent me the tapes! But imagine my reaction when watching it for the first time, jumping off the couch, grabbing the remote, calling everyone in ear shot to my room, and rewinding the goal over and over and over and over!

Sports bring people, families and countries together and on this day it brought a boy 3,000 miles back home to witness ‘one shining moment’. So I ask you Lacrosse fans, share you stories with me and with the rest of the world and help bring us all closer together.

Jenner is a two-time Mann Cup champion with six years of NLL experience. Email him at ted.jenner@nllinsider.com also follow the Coquitlam Jr. A Adanacs and the Intermediate A Adanacs live, as Teddy brings you color commentary with Brad Challoner for the Jr's and play by play with Brody Allen for the Intermediates -- http://www.junioradanacs.com/multimedia.php

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