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Each year, we at US Lacrosse Magazine pore over the top coaches, players, games, performances, breakthroughs and moments for the annual “Best of Lacrosse” edition. Naturally, this retrospective tome drops in December. 

But now is the time to be heard.

Over the last two weeks, we polled fans on Twitter (@USLacrosseMag) to vote on four finalists in 10 categories: Best Men’s Coach, Best Women’s Coach, Best Men’s Player, Best Women’s Player, Best Game, Best Men’s Performance, Best Women’s Performance, Best Men’s Breakthrough, Best Women’s Breakthrough and Best Moment.

Today, we present our four finalists for Best Moment: Patriots’ AFC championship hero Chris Hogan putting lacrosse in spotlight, the Terps ending their 42-year NCAA title drought, the landmark recruiting legislation passing and pediatric cancer survivor Brady Wein taking the field for first time.

Narrowing down the field meant leaving out some viral or momentous occasions.

On the field, who could forget Johns Hopkins’ midfielder Joel Tinney’s hidden ball trick and the fake-flip goal that stunned Navy goalie Ryan Kern fooled back in February? Fast-forward to this fall, and Albany freshman Tehoka Nanticoke is already making SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays with an impressive between-the-legs goal during a scrimmage against the Blue Jays.

There were also plenty of goalie goals this season, most memorably Denver Outlaws’ Jack Kelly’s full-field buzzer beater that befuddled Atlanta Blaze goalie Adam Ghitelman.

With goals comes celebrations, and the Under Armour All-American boys’ lacrosse game, which aired on ESPN, had its fair share, including Navy commit Nate Buller riding a bicycle and an “RKO out of nowhere” by Maryland-bound Bubba Fairman.

In May, both the NCAA men’s and women’s Division I lacrosse tournaments featured final four breakthroughs, including Ohio State and Towson men, plus Navy and Boston College women. More highlights from the collegiate ranks include Utah going D-I and Bates rising to No. 1 in Division III for the first time in program history.

In the pro ranks, a world record was broken Jan. 7 when the Georgia Swarm and Saskatchewan Rush of the NLL faced off in their season openers, as it was the first time ever in a professional lacrosse game when four siblings all competed in the same game – Lyle, Miles and Jerome Thompson for the Swarm and Jeremy Thompson for the Rush.

Internationally, the Haudenosaunee women arrived in the U.K. using their native passports, a significant achievement after the U.K. forced the Iroquois Nationals men and Haudenosaunee under-19 women to withdraw from world championships in 2010 and 2015, respectively.

Then in Poland, the World Games marked a historic moment for the sport, as it was the first time lacrosse competed in a multi-sport event, which served as a showcase for Olympic Committee members. While Team USA shutout the host nation 20-0, Poland received a standing ovation following their international women’s lacrosse debut.

Other moments in 2017 tugged at the heartstrings.

In April, Virginia’s Zed Williams received a warm welcome when he returned to the field after a traditional Native American mourning period for the death of his father. Also in April, VMI’s Michael Hutwelker donated his stem cells to a leukemia patient through the HEADstrong Foundation.

Two months ago, the Denver Outlaws signed Zeke Brown, an 11-year-old cancer survivor, to a one-day contract because it was his wish to become a professional lacrosse player.

Amputee Noelle Lambert passed the UMass-Lowell run tests this fall with her lacrosse team after a moped accident in July of 2016.

Cases could be made any and all of these moments.

More on this year’s finalists for Best Moment:

Patriots’ Chris Hogan Puts Lacrosse in Spotlight

The National Football League and the lacrosse world converged in a viral social media moment thanks to New England Patriots’ AFC championship hero Chris Hogan, the wide receiver who scored 57 goals in three years for the Penn State men’s lacrosse team. On Jan. 22, Lacrosse Twitter blew up as Hogan, who referenced Penn State lacrosse on “Sunday Night Football” on Nov. 13, 2016, set a Patriots postseason record with 180 receiving yards to go along with nine catches and two touchdowns en route to a 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. As the Patriots headed to the Super Bowl, Hogan’s lacrosse back story reached mainstream media.

Maryland’s NCAA Title Drought Ends

With a 9-5 victory over third-seeded Ohio State in the NCAA championship, Maryland ended its 42-year national title drought. Terps midfielder Tim Rotanz scored three goals and goalie Dan Morris made 11 saves for Maryland, which dominated possession over the final three quarters as it finished off its first championship run since 1975. “This team had a mission all year,” defensive midfielder Nick Manis said. “We just had that mindset that we wanted to get it done.  There was no other option. There was no option to lose. That wasn’t even in our mind. If we played our game, we were very confident and it worked out.”

Landmark Recruiting Legislation Passes

On April 14, the NCAA Division I Council passed Proposal 2016-26, which significantly alters the landscape of college recruiting. The proposal — initiated by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, supported by the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association and endorsed by US Lacrosse — prohibits college lacrosse coaches from communicating with prospective student-athletes until Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school. The adoption by the Division I Council represents the most significant hurdle passed in a longstanding campaign by multiple lacrosse organizations to end “early recruiting.” Said US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen: “This decision represents a significant shift toward the best interests of young prospective student-athletes, their parents and the culture of our sport.”

Pediatric Cancer Survivor Brady Wein Returns to Field

Since he was seven weeks old, when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, cancer of the blood and bone marrow, Brady Wein became accustomed to visits to the hospital, where he learned how to pick up ground balls on the hospital floor. Then on May 27, he traded medical supplies for a lacrosse stick and pads. Now 9, he was headed to the Texas Lax Festival in Lockhart, Texas, to play in a lacrosse game for the first time. “Momma, I've been waiting my whole life for today,” Wein, a full member of Brady’s Bunch U9 team, told his mother, Rachel.