September 8th, 2012
The Dream
Exposition
Click! That is the sound of Vytautas signing his letter of intent to Dartmouth for lacrosse. All you could hear was the chatter of everyone around him arguing if he was going to be first team or second team all-american. As he signed his name for the last time he looked over at all the other Cardinal Mooney Cougars signing their letters. You had two baseball players, twins actually, one signed on to Florida and the other Florida State. Next to them you had a track star that was also a football player but signed on to run for Alabama. But the one Vytautas was really looking at was Caroline Smith, his girlfriend for three years now, she was a pole vaulter who had won back-to-back state championships. She was signing on to Boston College which is only a two hour drive to Dartmouth. As she ended signing they both smiled at each other.
Two and a half months later
Rising Action
As she waved goodbye he headed to his dorm. This was the first of many visits that she would make to Dartmouth. He got up stairs to restring one of his new Xcalibers that he got from STX since that was their lacrosse sponsor for everything except helmets. He entered his room.
“Hey Anthony”
“whats up VY”
“Not much”
“how’s Caroline”
“she’s ok she is just stressed with school and her conditioning starting up”
“I have to say I am glad we are in shape. Coach has been pushing us pretty hard”
“I know”
“why is Caroline so stressed?”
“Her roommate told her that it might be better if we go our own ways”
“Don’t worry about that and how are you going to string the X?”
“A deep mid pocket three straight strings and then a small U”
“Weirdest pocket besides an Iroquois top string”
“ I got to go get some string cya”
Six months later
As number three runs on to the field he hears cheers and booing. He remembers that Colgate their opponent that day offered Vytautas a full ride before Dartmouth. The worst part was they were at Colgate and he didn’t like the campus. As the whistle blew he was ready for a fast break since he was starting left side defender and their face off guy wasn’t very good. He was wrong he didn’t even see Colgate’s offense work until Dartmouth was up 5-0. But at that moment a fast break came five on four he was the first to slide and slid with his body hands together and everything was perfect. He smashed number five Colgate’s sophomore stud as he was called the best middie in the nation Darien Smith. Vytautas knew him since they were both from Florida and when Vytautas was a Junior they lost to Darien in the state finals. As he hit him Darien’s ribs completely ruptured and fell down like a 220 pound bullet hit him. Dartmouth grabbed the groundball and went on a fast break and scored. What no one noticed was Vytautas was still on the ground holding his left shoulder. His middle defenseman also his roommate Anthony came over. And waited till the trainer came and took him to the locker room for the rest of the game. After a 12-0 win the boys entered the locker and they sat down and coach told them the news. But first asked a question what was the best part of the game.
“Boys what was the best part?”
They all said in union”When Vytautas hit Darien and knocked him out for the season”
“I thought you would say that boys, but they weren’t the only ones to lose a player to a season ending injury. Vytautas broke his collarbone he is heading back to Dartmouth for surgery right now. He’s done for the season”
Vytautas came back to campus had his surgery. Caroline visited every weekend and their relationship grew closer do to the fact that Vytautas went to her track meets since he was unable to go to away games. Dartmouth ended up losing in the first round to Colgate in the NCAA championship.
One month later
Vytautas ended going home for the summer. For the first time they relaxed and had a great summer both worked and made spending money for the upcoming school year. They got to spend a lot of time together. Caroline then knew that she wasn’t going to end their relationship.
Vytautas the started to train again for the season since rehab went fast.
Nine months later
Vytautas ended up having a really good sophomore year being named to second team all-american and they ended up losing in the semifinals to UNC. Vytautas himself had 63 groundballs, 75 takeaways, 3 assists, and 1 goal.
One year later
Vytautas was named to first team all-american with an outstanding Junior year. The team lost again in the semifinals this year to Notre Dame. He had 73 ground balls and 77 takeaways, 7 assists, and 4 goals.
One year Later
Vytautas just had a marvelous game against Virginia. Dartmouth won 13-7 in a clash of Virginia’s high powered offense and Dartmouth’s brick wall defense. The next day they would play Johns Hopkins in the NCAA National Championship. JHU has won all of their games by more than five and earned the number one seed. Dartmouth also went undefeated, but had some overtime games. They earned the sixth seed due to their schedule and that it wasn’t very tough. Vytautas was up for the Tewaaraton award the MVP in the NCAA. It was now game time and they won the faceoff and scored right away Dartmouth 1 JHU-0. After the first quarter of play it was tied up at three. Second quarter was better for JHU they went into half leading 5-4. After half Dartmouth took a one goal lead with two minutes left in the third but then JHU scored to tie it up and the end of three. The fourth quarter began with Dartmouth’s players out hustling everyone and there always men around the ball so they took a two goal lead with 7 minutes remaining. JHU’s skills brought them back into it with two minutes left and it was tied at seven. But then with less than one minute
Climax
Vytautas got a groundball and remembered everything he went through for that moment. He say Jordan and his family in the stands and then looked at the field wide open! He took it across and looked at his coach. His coach understood what this meant to him and Vytautas was like coach’s son they would talk 365 days a year. So he tapped his head. It was Vytautas’ play. He began by getting a give and go going and had a short stick guarding him. He took it behind and as usual he saw the fear in his defender’s eyes he did his fake and then went to one side of the crease and then back everyone cleared out to one side and he took it up the side and bull dodge. He drove him in ten yards from the goal did a quick face dodge and it was the goalie versus Vytautas. He ran in faked up high and snuck it side shot around the goalie’s back and scored with twenty seconds remaining. Everyone went ecstatic. He knew one stop and a groundball would win the game JHU won the faceoff. They set up the play but Vytautas watched too much film or this to go down. He knew it was a back door dip and dunk. He sat on the crease like he was confused lost puppy, the slide came and they passed it back door. vytautas grabbed it midair with ten seconds left and threw it straight up and far. It must have been the longest ten seconds ever. It hit the ground with one second left and then time ran out.
Falling Action and Conclusion
Dartmouth went crazy it was their first lacrosse championship due to great senior leadership and the great play of a great defenseman. After the game Vytautas was presented the Tewaaraton trophy and then celebrated, and he held it high.