His fingers were so frozen by the biting-cold, Johnny van de Veerdonk had trouble gripping his stick at times.
In the end it wouldn't matter.
With the relentless rain, the drenched field at Putnam Valley High, and the slip-and-slide conditions, van de Veerdonk still managed to register his presence as a freakish freshman.
The promising young gun and little brother of Oneonta State freshman midfielder Jimmy van de Veerdonk (who played a prominent role on last year's Section I/Class C championship team), Johnny V. deposited four goals to spearhead the Tigers' sound offense during a 13-5 win over Brewster on May 18.
With Memorial Day festivities soon on the menu, the freshman is playing with the nerveless poise and brave-hearted swag of a veteran.
The Tigers labored through a sloppy affair last week. Sticks were flying out of players' grasp, the cold conditions were slowing down the tempo, and the Valley's turf field suddenly morphed into a giant, super-soaked sponge.
The field seemed more suitable for a steeple chase competition, as it was littered with water pits.
The Valley didn't fall into that first half water pit this time, though. They avoided the first half freefall which slashed and burned them like Eliot Spitzer's resume against Mahopac.
Establishing a thin margin in the first half is the new game graph to follow.
Too often, the Tigers have headed into a second half having to slice away at a lead and dig themselves out of a hole they created in the first half.
Behind the scoring antics of the aforementioned freakish freshman and transition game stalwart Ryan Fitzgerald (three goals), a senior who's headed to St. John's, the Tigers gained a 5-3 edge at the half and broke the game open in the Tigers’ sizzling second half against Brewster.
Fitzgerald, a threat to score goals by the gallons and facilitate scoring spurts with his fast break exploits, scored three straight goals as Putnam Valley's lead swelled to 9-4.
Keeping Brewster away from the cage and forcing them to get rid of the rock, the Tigers' harassing defense instigated a torrent of turnovers.
The Tigers capitalized on the Class A Bears' ball handling gaffes and errant passes, scoring seven of the first eight goals of the second half.
Beyond van de Veerdonk and Fitzgerald, Kevin Christopher and Stephen York
popped two goals apiece.
Brendan McCrudden collected 12 saves between-the-pipes and the Tigers blanketed Brewster's dodgers.
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