Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The NCAA lacrosse season opens today with the long-awaited varsity debut for the new men’s lacrosse program at the University of Utah. You can read about the formation of the Utah program from our January issue of US Lacrosse Magazine.
Dialing it in at @Rice_Eccles. #goutes pic.twitter.com/DPkUHj749t
— UtahLacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 1, 2019
Utah opens the season hosting Vermont at 4 p.m. Mountain time, and the game will be carried on the Pac-12 Network. You can check out the TV listings and streaming schedule all season long on US Lacrosse Magazine.
This weekend also marks the return of the varsity men's program to St. Bonaventure as the Bonnies head to High Point on Saturday. A look inside the program.
638 days will have passed from the official announcement of the rebirth of our program until our first game this Saturday.
— Bonnies Men's Lacrosse (@BonniesMLAX) January 31, 2019
Your first look inside our program is here with part one of #Bonnies Lacrosse: From The Ground Up https://t.co/QoXcKScp49#Unfurl pic.twitter.com/rbwaCBAEjo
2. They didn’t make things easy on head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller — 17 different players on the U.S. U19 team had a point in an 18-8 win over England — but she has completed the difficult task of narrowing the training team roster from 34 players to 23.
Check out their highlights from the victory over England at last weekend's Spring Premiere in California.
3. Checking in at No. 3 in the Nike/US Lacrosse preseason rankings are a pair of teams looking to replace big stars. Maryland will turn to the offensive trio of Jared Bernhardt, Bubba Fairman and Logan Wisnauskas after the graduation of Connor Kelly.
North Carolina has to replace all-everything Marie McCool, but following breakout seasons by Katie Hoeg and Jamie Ortega, a more experienced North Carolina should be in the title hunt once again.
4. The Premier Lacrosse League has named Josh Sims, a three-time All-American at Princeton, as Head of Lacrosse. Sims will oversee the league’s competition and management of coaches, players and game operations.
WHAT WE’RE READING
-
A report by Ty Xanders of Inside Lacrosse notes that Duke All-American midfielder Brad Smith will miss Saturday’s opener against Furman and is out indefinitely with a foot injury.
-
The Salt Lake Tribune welcomes readers to Salt LAX City with the start of Utah’s men’s lacrosse program.
-
Grant Ament makes his return to the field as Penn State opens up at home against Villanova.
-
LJ Lopes, the young son of former St. Joseph’s player and current NJIT assistant coach Alex Lopes, was injured in an accident on Jan. 8. Funds are being raised to help the family in a difficult time.
-
Sisters in lacrosse aren’t uncommon, but how about the triplet connection of Antonia, Miranda and Marissa Malvaso at Canisius?
-
Former Adelphi star Lauren Lopez was inducted into the Long Island Metro Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
-
Tehoka Nanticoke has moved into a leadership role with Albany.
-
A college connection at RIT for Ryan Lee and Kyle Killen may fuel future success for the Colorado Mammoth.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
The weather has been more than a little bit frightful around the country, but Adelphi’s men’s lacrosse team was up to the challenge.
Who’s ready for the 2019 @NCAALAX season to start tomorrow? #SpringSport #PolarVortex (via @AdelphiMLax) pic.twitter.com/ZfYxCnNQNp
— Lax Sports Network (@LaxSportsNet) January 31, 2019
WHAT’S ON TAP
-
Twelve NCAA Division I men's lacrosse games mark the opening weekend of the season.
-
The NLL has six games on tap this weekend, including 2018 champion Saskatchewan visiting Eastern Division leader Toronto tonight at 7:30.
-
Subscribe today to our weekly email newsletter and stay connected to each week's top lacrosse stories. The newsletter goes out every Thursday.