Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The U.S. under-19 women’s national team opens pool play in the World Lacrosse U19 Women’s World Championship against traditional rival Australia today at 5 p.m. (Lax Sports Network). Led by co-captain and rare two-year college lacrosse veteran Ally Murphy, Team USA will look to start off strong after seeing its gold medal hopes come to a stunning end four years ago in Scotland. Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller is not hiding from that past.
2. Hong Kong scored the first big upset of the tournament, defeating Israel 11-7 in its first-ever U19 Women’s World Championship game. Other day one results:
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China and Jamaica, also first-time participants, squared off against each other, with China prevailing 18-5.
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Jacelyn Lazore, half of the Haudenosaunee’s celebrated sister act, scored six goals in a 19-1 win over Belgium.
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Japan, New Zealand, Germany and the Czech Republic also were victorious.
Today's results:@JapanLacrosse 20 - @U19ScotLax 1@NZBLAX 17 - @WalesWomenLax 3@China_Lacrosse 18* - @JamaicaLacrosse - 5@GermanyLax 16 - @KoreaLacrosse - 8
— 2019 U19 WC Lax (@2019u19wclax) August 2, 2019
Czech 15 - @mexicolacrosse 5@hnwllax 19 - @BelgiumLacrosse 1@hklacrosse 11* - @Israel_Lacrosse 7 -
*1st win at U19
3. Tom Duquette, one of the winningest coaches in high school boys’ lacrosse history, is retiring after 42 seasons. Ryan Tucker will succeed him at Norfolk Academy (Va.). Duquette coached Tucker as an assistant on the 2012 U.S. U19 men’s team staff.
4. Generations of Navy men’s lacrosse players paid tribute to the late Tommy Adams, the legendary equipment manager who served the Midshipmen for parts of five decades.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Coach Scott Teeter says “this is probably the most talented bunch of girls we've had from top to bottom” in his three tours at the helm of Canada’s U19 team, as quoted in this preview by the Peterborough Examiner.
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A coaching colleague grills John Grant Jr. in a wide-ranging Q&A for Colorado Expression.
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Jake Tymon, a rising junior defenseman at Fairfield, pulled a man from a burning vehicle, as chronicled by NBC Connecticut.
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Reddy Finney, the former Gilman (Md.) headmaster who was an All-American in both football and lacrosse at Princeton, died Wednesday. The tunnel leading from US Lacrosse headquarters onto Tierney Field is named after Finney.
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Haley Warden, the 2018 NCAA women’s lacrosse championship MVP, is returning to James Madison as an assistant coach.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
“The Vlog” is a YouTube series following Team USA throughout its journey in the World Lacrosse U19 Women’s World Championship. The U.S. opens pool play Friday against Australia at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. In episode 1, “Crossing the Border,” the team takes on some serious soakage on a group jet boat tour near Niagara Falls, then takes on a group of Buffalo-area all-stars in a final exhibition. Lastly, they arrive in Peterborough to deck out their dorm and participate in opening ceremonies.
WHAT’S ON TAP
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Watch the U.S. vs. Australia on Lax Sports Network (5 p.m. EDT).
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With the PLL on a bye week and the WPLL season over, MLL gets the pro lacrosse weekend all to itself. Saturday’s games: Boston at Denver, Dallas at Atlanta and New York at Chesapeake. The Lizards and Bayhawks are then in New York on Sunday for the back end of a home-and-home.