Talented Trio Leads Spartan Lacrosse Into Action
Last season, the Broad Run boys lacrosse team completed their season 16-2, going undefeated through the Dulles District regular season before winning the district and Group AA Region II championships.
The Spartans, the lone Group AA school to earn a berth in the state tournament, saw their dream of a state title end in the quarterfinals.
The team graduated many star players last season, a handful of who are now playing in college. But with the likes of Mark Guillen, Connor Forman, and Erik Madigan, three returning starters and tri-captains, back this spring, Broad Run again figures to be one of the top teams in the region.
Guillen, a first-team all-region goalie as a junior last spring, first picked up a lacrosse stick as a freshman. Last season, he recorded 210 saves and had an 80 percent save percentage. His play is the main reason opponents had such low scoring games against the Spartans last year, and are again the district's favorite this spring. Guillen has committed to play at Division III Guilford University in North Carolina next year.
Forman, who plays middie, was the state's leader in ground balls. and he had 19 goals and 16 assists last season. Madigan, a starting attack for the Spartans, was third in the Dulles District in points with 36 goals, and 23 assists en route to second-team all-district honors. Both Forman and Madigan are being looked a by several college programs.
All three of the players agree they wouldn't have had the success from last year with out the mentoring of Broad Run coach Phil Truitt. "Coach is a very determined guy who wants the best for his players," Guillen said. "He sacrifices a lot of his time and effort in order to keep our program successful."
Said Truitt, the district coach of the year in 2006 in his sixth year leading the program, on this year's team: "We are a young squad, but the athletic potential on the team is tremendous."
This year, the school has added a junior varsity team, which indicates the program is continuing to grow as the sport becomes more popular in Loudoun County. Many of the players, such as Madigan, feel its just part of a growing family at the Ashburn school. "We bond a lot, like going out to eat or going bowling," Madigan said. "We're like a big family, which definitely helps on the field."
Many believe that the team won't have the same success as last year, but the players think differently. "Were a young team, with a lot of athletic talent," Forman said. "With hard work and dedication we can achieve our goals of becoming successful this year."
That success will likely begin and end with the play of the Spartans' Big Three, which will have a target on their backs after their breakthrough season a year ago.
