Lacrosse The Thread

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 4:29 pm

I wonder if either one of those boys just wanted to dance, or something...

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 5:32 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 2:42 pm Not sure but the star lax married couples are not unique. A few come to mind.
Kellie Amonte Hiller (Northwestern Head Coach ...and yes her brothers are the NHLers) is married to a multiple time National Teamer. She is a HoFer...one their daughters is a state champ wrestler.

Another national team duo is Courtney Martinez Connor (tippy's daughter) and Casey Connor from Maryland.

Who does the lax national team play? Other than Canada, do any other countries play lax?

Post by **Shirley** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 8:41 am

The Sybian wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 5:32 pm
wlu_lax6 wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 2:42 pm Not sure but the star lax married couples are not unique. A few come to mind.
Kellie Amonte Hiller (Northwestern Head Coach ...and yes her brothers are the NHLers) is married to a multiple time National Teamer. She is a HoFer...one their daughters is a state champ wrestler.

Another national team duo is Courtney Martinez Connor (tippy's daughter) and Casey Connor from Maryland.
Who does the lax national team play? Other than Canada, do any other countries play lax?

There were 30 countries at the last world championships (including an indigenous team). But I believe that most of those teams include a lot of US and Canadian ex-pats. But yeah, it's mostly US vs Canada in the end with some Australia sprinkled in.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:48 am

Shirley wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 8:41 am
The Sybian wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 5:32 pm
wlu_lax6 wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 2:42 pm Not sure but the star lax married couples are not unique. A few come to mind.
Kellie Amonte Hiller (Northwestern Head Coach ...and yes her brothers are the NHLers) is married to a multiple time National Teamer. She is a HoFer...one their daughters is a state champ wrestler.

Another national team duo is Courtney Martinez Connor (tippy's daughter) and Casey Connor from Maryland.
Who does the lax national team play? Other than Canada, do any other countries play lax?
There were 30 countries at the last world championships (including an indigenous team). But I believe that most of those teams include a lot of US and Canadian ex-pats. But yeah, it's mostly US vs Canada in the end with some Australia sprinkled in.

Not anymore. It is changing and the dynamics of "passport internationals is slowly changing". Also the Olympic format of 6s and box championships are a bit different. But many of the teams are trying not to use Americans (example Uganda, Danes, Czechs, Sweeds, Austria Swiss, New Zealand).

This past year was the first time that teams had regional qualifications instead of everyone going to the world championships.

So yeah USA and Canada are the dominant teams
Haudenosaunee (formerly called Iroquois) beat Australia (and those players are from down under) for 3rd.
England & Japan are mostly from their nations (England may get 1 or 2 players from)
Israel had one guy from Israel and everyone else was Jewish kid from the states. Robert Kraft has put a ton of money into Israel lacrosse. Birthright programs, fields, locker rooms, etc.
Jamaica was a mix but the players from the US have parents who are from/live in Jamaica.
Italy and Ireland are basically New Yorkers
Germany, the Dutch, Sweeds, and Danes, are all mostly from those countries

In the Box format Europe is more competitive. The Czechs are flat out good at that and push the US and Israel.

I am trying to figure out if I can leverage being Jewish to officiate the Box world championships in the future. Not sure I will be in a position for next summer's games in upstate New York but 5 years out could be a potential.

Post by **Shirley** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 10:44 am

Shirley wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:17 am UVA just signed the #1 player in the 2025 class, Brendan Millon. His older brother, McCabe Millon was also the #1 player in his class and is now a first-year at UVA.

While two brothers each being #1 in the country is amazing enough, I learned that their parents are BOTH in the lacrosse hall of fame. That's a pretty fucking incredible family legacy. I can't think of anything quite like it.

https://247sports.com/college/virginia/ ... 217434907/

McCabe scored 4 goals in the first half of his first game against #8 Michigan. He finished with 5 in a comfortable win. Pretty good start.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:05 pm

Shirley wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 10:44 am
Shirley wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:17 am UVA just signed the #1 player in the 2025 class, Brendan Millon. His older brother, McCabe Millon was also the #1 player in his class and is now a first-year at UVA.

While two brothers each being #1 in the country is amazing enough, I learned that their parents are BOTH in the lacrosse hall of fame. That's a pretty fucking incredible family legacy. I can't think of anything quite like it.

https://247sports.com/college/virginia/ ... 217434907/
McCabe scored 4 goals in the first half of his first game against #8 Michigan. He finished with 5 in a comfortable win. Pretty good start.

Two of my good referee friends were on the game yesterday. They fucked up the faceoff at the end of the first quarter.

McCabe's dive goal was great.

UVA scores a goal using a play that the head coach picked.up as an assistant when he coached me. As I was.watching the game yesterday I saw it setup and said here comes Naz (we stole it from Nazareth College) and they ran it beautifully. We scored a ton of goals on that play. The defender on the backside always gets caught ball watching. What is interesting is Michigan's top assistant also was an assistant at W&L for the same coach I played for (and ran that play while he was there).

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:14 pm

I was actually at the game yesterday. My best buddy (whose wife is my wife's bestie)... their kid is a trainer for MLax.. It was supposed to by 65 degrees so we all decided to go down and see Kylie after the game (she calls my wife her second mom).

Anyways, the weather didn't cooperate, but got to see some amazing goals and some pretty great hits. I don't have some big take away other than: UVA's offense is REALLY difficult to defend. I thought M did a poor job of figuring out the pretty obvious picks and about half a dozen goals game off of pick plays.

M has a decent extra man (score their first 2 goals that way) and they can generate a decent amount of offense straight up. And, even accounting for UVA being a top 3 team... M just needs to be more disciplined on D.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:17 pm

Im brushes with fame and lacrosse...
Mariano Rivera's kid is a faceoff man for Manhattan
And Maryland has George Stamos (who I have officiated) who is apparently nephew to John

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 3:40 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:17 pm Im brushes with fame and lacrosse...
Mariano Rivera's kid is a faceoff man for Manhattan
And Maryland has George Stamos (who I have officiated) who is apparently nephew to John

He was up here for the game on Friday.

Post by **Shirley** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 3:59 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:14 pm Anyways, the weather didn't cooperate, but got to see some amazing goals and some pretty great hits. I don't have some big take away other than: UVA's offense is REALLY difficult to defend. I thought M did a poor job of figuring out the pretty obvious picks and about half a dozen goals game off of pick plays.

I didn't watch, but I read an article or two and checked the box score. UVA's Connor Shellenberger, who's arguably the best player in the country, only had 2 goals and 0 assists. So they can get a lot better still.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 4:15 pm

Shirley wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 3:59 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:14 pm Anyways, the weather didn't cooperate, but got to see some amazing goals and some pretty great hits. I don't have some big take away other than: UVA's offense is REALLY difficult to defend. I thought M did a poor job of figuring out the pretty obvious picks and about half a dozen goals game off of pick plays.
I didn't watch, but I read an article or two and checked the box score. UVA's Connor Shellenberger, who's arguably the best player in the country, only had 2 goals and 0 assists. So they can get a lot better still.

MI very obviously had a gameplan of trying to keep him away from goal. Other guys used that attention to get open and light things up.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:36 pm

Shirley wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 3:59 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:14 pm Anyways, the weather didn't cooperate, but got to see some amazing goals and some pretty great hits. I don't have some big take away other than: UVA's offense is REALLY difficult to defend. I thought M did a poor job of figuring out the pretty obvious picks and about half a dozen goals game off of pick plays.
I didn't watch, but I read an article or two and checked the box score. UVA's Connor Shellenberger, who's arguably the best player in the country, only had 2 goals and 0 assists. So they can get a lot better still.

Brendan O'Neill is better. Duke Senior who was.world games most outstanding player (and only non-pro on the team). Million will be better too. I would also take Spallina at Syracuse above Schellenberger.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sat Feb 17, 2024 2:42 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:36 pm
Shirley wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 3:59 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:14 pm Anyways, the weather didn't cooperate, but got to see some amazing goals and some pretty great hits. I don't have some big take away other than: UVA's offense is REALLY difficult to defend. I thought M did a poor job of figuring out the pretty obvious picks and about half a dozen goals game off of pick plays.
I didn't watch, but I read an article or two and checked the box score. UVA's Connor Shellenberger, who's arguably the best player in the country, only had 2 goals and 0 assists. So they can get a lot better still.
Brendan O'Neill is better. Duke Senior who was.world games most outstanding player (and only non-pro on the team). Million will be better too. I would also take Spallina at Syracuse above Schellenberger.

O'Neill

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:52 am

Watched a bunch of the Pro league 6s that ESPN family was broadcasting. This will be the Olympic version of the sport for L.A. The game feels more like basketball than field lacrosse, but getting more enjoyable to watch. I think as the big brain coaches in the sport get their heads around the game it will feel less like a pick up hoops game and more like a pro sport. This is year 2 and saw teams run some interesting offenses and a few different defensive concepts (one team ran a 3-2 zone as they got a bit tired). What is really interesting is this version of the sport highly values the short stick defensive midfielder. You need at least 4 really good ones on your 12 man roster. Especially with some of the big body offensive players (Ricky Miezan Stanford Linebacker/captain who did a 5th year playing lacrosse for UVA was having a good tournament until he pulled a hammy. Similar from some of the other D1 football sized lacrosse players). Normally in field you run 2 or 3 of them and the long stick would play the big matchup. Also a hot goalie will make all the difference in the world.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:05 pm

Well, Hopkins is pretty good this year, so I'm following things a bit closer.

Hopkins went down to Charlottesville and beat the Hoos on Saturday. Then Maryland out to South Bend and got worked by the Irish. Overall, the ACC is losing a ton of games they usually don't (Duke and Cuse also lost recently.)

Still a long way to go, but seems like the guys that everyone was saying would walk away with things (UVa, Duke and MD) aren't exactly locks. Denver is currently #1 (having beaten Hopkins and Cornell).

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:31 pm

JHU looked very good against UVA. Did the work at the faceoff x and played good D. Smith is the best d-man I have seen this year (better than #1 at UMD). The Jays are stacked on office. They are like nintendo ice hockey. They can play big power guys on offense or fast little guys. They have not blown anyone good out. So the Cuse game (neutral site) will be interesting.

Still early but the way to look at this season is groupings. Yeah the 5 ACC schools all lost over the week,but none were big upsets. Army is very good (OT win over Cuse), Princeton is very good, Penn is good. UNC is not bad but not in the top tier. Cuse are still figuring themselves out. But take Spallina out is key. He has crushed the weak teams but disappeared against Army. I am guessing exciting April and May games between the powerhouses.

Hopkins replacing Petro is turning out well. Petro has been below average at Cuse and UNC (but one of his kid is a very good attackman).

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:29 pm

And to be completely fair to UVa, not having their top faceoff guy played a major factor on Saturday. They just couldn't get anything going momentum-wise, and when they did start to get hot the Jays' keeper shut them down. He was incredible in the 2nd half.

Post by **Shirley** » Mon Mar 04, 2024 6:09 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:29 pm And to be completely fair to UVa, not having their top faceoff guy played a major factor on Saturday. They just couldn't get anything going momentum-wise, and when they did start to get hot the Jays' keeper shut them down. He was incredible in the 2nd half.

I didn't see the game, but that's what I got from UVA lax Twitter. Really missed the FO dude. That's such a huge deal in college lacrosse. UVA has a very potent offense, so you have to deny them the ball to win and it sounds like that's what the Blue Jays did.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon Mar 04, 2024 6:13 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:29 pm And to be completely fair to UVa, not having their top faceoff guy played a major factor on Saturday. They just couldn't get anything going momentum-wise, and when they did start to get hot the Jays' keeper shut them down. He was incredible in the 2nd half.

Chase's brother TD is one of the game's best face off men.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:03 am

I think Quint said the Navy transfer was over 65 percent at the X... That's pretty crazy.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:44 pm

Besides the aforementioned JHU-Cuse game, Denver hosts #12 Yale.

Cornell vs. Penn State is another good game.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Mar 08, 2024 5:34 pm

So a few nights ago I officiated a game between a very good private school team and Vandermont from "Texas". And I put Texas in quotes because the team was actually a home school team with 2 kids from Texas, 14 or so from Ontario, 2 from Maryland, 5 from New York, and such. A number of them were post grad kids. This team comes together, for a period of time, practice and plays and then go home for a few weeks and get back together. They were on a 15-day trip beating up on Shirley's high school before hitting DC. Very good team..but man the idea of high school teams like this seems really weird. Stranger than the basketball hoop factories we have seen.

Of course the team is coached by
John Grant Jr.- Delaware star, PLL, NLL, All World, Leading professional goal scorer (I think Rabil may have passed him his last year), coached for a year at JHU (coached at Air Force)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Grant_Jr.
Jeremy Thompson - Syracuse, PLL, NLL, All World, Nike endorsed, lacrosse star (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Th ... (lacrosse)) May not be Lyle Thompson but pretty phenomenal.
Steve Beville- 17 year head coach of D3 Cortland (a few national championships)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Mar 15, 2024 6:35 pm

Navy v. Hopkins starts late tonight because as Navy was leaving the academy to go to Homewood, a car hit the bus. Then as the replacement bus was driving them to Baltimore it went car-bbq style and started smoking.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 3:42 pm

Well, they still managed to win that game in OT.

Hopkins with the hidden ball trick against Rutgers.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:18 pm

Hey you don't speak the language, welcome to this new school, how about this crazy sport that will make no sense...love it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -brothers/

Post by **Shirley** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 2:59 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:18 pm Hey you don't speak the language, welcome to this new school, how about this crazy sport that will make no sense...love it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -brothers/

That's a great story. And kudos to those kids. That takes a lot of guts. All of that, actually.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 10:26 am

(Cool story, but... kind of weird they didn't gravitate to the soccer team.)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 1:31 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2024 10:26 am (Cool story, but... kind of weird they didn't gravitate to the soccer team.)

Was thinking that and then realized that maybe the soccer team was too good. My college roommate is a teacher in Rockland Co. Huge baseball guy. No interest in soccer when we were roommates. Huge immigrant community at his school, but most of his students were not strong enough to make JV or Varsity and the club programs are perceived as too $$$$$. So he started a big after school league. Super passionate about it.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 1:35 pm

Also just looked up the school's record. I just went in assuming very weak, but while not good they are not terrible. 3-6 and against some very good teams, the team had respectable losses.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sat May 04, 2024 6:54 pm

Sad news. Pro lacrosse player, Stevenson grad, Aussie National Teamer. He, his brother, and buddy were on a surf trip in Mexico and murdered.
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/ ... -robinson/

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon May 06, 2024 9:06 am

Huh. Saw the story on CBS Saturday Morning... Quick take was "why are dudes surfing in cartel controlled territory?"... but that was kind of the spin the news story put on it, I imagine they probably felt like they were remote enough not to be in danger. I guess?

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon May 06, 2024 10:17 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 9:06 am Huh. Saw the story on CBS Saturday Morning... Quick take was "why are dudes surfing in cartel controlled territory?"... but that was kind of the spin the news story put on it, I imagine they probably felt like they were remote enough not to be in danger. I guess?

This is like 75 miles sound of California. Everything I have read said it still had considerable tourists from the states coming. Apparently, they don't think this was cartel at all, but just thieves going after their truck. Also, the reason they caught the criminals is they turned on one of the victim's phone. Pinged the cell tower.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon May 06, 2024 2:31 pm

That MI v. Denver first round game is sneaky good. Michigan has figured something out on D, holding a team to 4 goals in a championship game is impressive. After allowing Hop to up 6-1 in the first Q, the Wolverines clamped down and only allowed 1 more goal(!) the rest of the way in the semis.

Post by **Shirley** » Mon May 06, 2024 2:49 pm

I'm hoping UVA figures out what's broken. They've lost 4 in a row for the first time in a long time. Now, 2 of those 4 losses were to #1 ND and another to #3 Duke (the fourth was to #7 Syracuse - brutal schedule!), but still. This is a team that should be national championship good.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Mon May 06, 2024 2:58 pm

Admittedly I don't follow lacrosse, but being ranked #5 and two of those losses against top teams were fairly close...that seems like national championship caliber. Honest question, is it really that top heavy?

Post by **Shirley** » Mon May 06, 2024 3:07 pm

A_B wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 2:58 pm Admittedly I don't follow lacrosse, but being ranked #5 and two of those losses against top teams were fairly close...that seems like national championship caliber. Honest question, is it really that top heavy?

Fair enough. The ACC has always been loaded in lacrosse. Four of the top 5 right now. And UVA plays Hopkins - the other top 5 team - every season.

There are something like 76 D1 lacrosse teams and of those, about 15-20 are your year in-year out competitors. It's rare for a new team to step into that, but not unheard of (Denver, Penn State in recentish years)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon May 06, 2024 3:30 pm

So Notre Dame is a class above everyone.
Lehigh, Utah, and Towson would be the only true surprises to make the final four

But UVA can't look past St. Joe. Heavy canadian team. I don't like JHU getting UVA in the 2nd round (but see below).

MD-Princeton will be a great game in the first round too.

Most years there is a upset/team that makes a strange run. St. Joe is my team to do that this year.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Mon May 06, 2024 3:31 pm

I figured it was a little less diluted than some sports. But I guess the same teams win all the "big" sports, too.

Post by **Shirley** » Mon May 06, 2024 5:00 pm

A_B wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 3:31 pm I figured it was a little less diluted than some sports. But I guess the same teams win all the "big" sports, too.

One interesting thing with lacrosse is that it's spread all across the country at the high school level, but it's fairly stagnant at the college level because of Title 9 issues. It's hard to add large men's sports. So what you have is likely much better talent overall at the D1 level as there are many more athletes to choose from. It ain't just private school pretty boys and Long Island/Upstate NY like it was for so long.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon May 06, 2024 5:56 pm

While it may be available nationally at the high school level, I think it’s a niche sport most middle-class places outside the east coast.