On April 30 as the day was dawning, the Sharks faced off early in the morning. Well rested after vacation, they got ready to play The Long Island Express at USMA.

The Sharks arrived shortly after 8 a.m., hastening their steps to avoid being late. Coach Coleman inspected the field and it couldn't be drier- much to the relief of coordinator Dwyer.

The gear went on and the sticks were drawn. Coach Jahelka scattered some balls on the lawn. The middies, attack and defenders all lined up as Coach Coleman watched, sipping slowly from his cup.

All of the middies lined up in order, including Thornton, Clarkson, Mahon, Confort, Garcia, Tarzian, Lofrese and Porter. Johnson, Dwyer, Coleman, Kennedy and Savage formed the attack and Burnside, Kufs, Jahelka, Adams and Fischer watched their back. Missing, unfortunately, at this Tomb Field reunion was Gordon - who was attending Kelly's first Communion.

Then of course, there was Bock and Castronova. The goalies take care of any attacking rover who parks in front and tries to get the ball by them- and into the net.

The Express came out strong and the game was tight until the Sharks dug in and showed their might. Confort, Thorton, Coleman, Johnson and Mahon all had a goal and second half scores from Kennedy, Confort and Garcia all took their toll.

The Express scored five of their own in that session but never matched the Sharks' battle for possession. Coleman, Porter and Mahon all stood tall, crouching down for face-off control and the ball.

Highlights of the first half at the close had Jahelka and Tarzian jumping from their toes. They stopped fast breaks with checks of the day as if to announce the Sharks have come to play.

"I'm happy with the effort that we all gave today ... I just want to be better than we were yesterday," Coach Coleman said in his post-game review. "But the season is young and there's always more work to do."

The Sharks are preparing for a team from New Canaan that really runs, and launches their shots, as if from guns. Faceoff is Saturday at 3:30, inside the Waldorf track. Come on out and support the Shark attack.

On Sunday, the Sharks will attempt a double press in USMA games against the Maverick and LI Express. The first game starts at 9 o'clock on the nose and then the Maverick at 11 to close.

Please check out the website for a quick look at the schedule or the pictures that Patti took. And for those of you who are computer hacks, check out www.GCSharks.com for some lax.