Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Never forget.
On the 19th anniversary of 9/11, we remember those connected to the lacrosse community who perished in the terrorist attacks.
Here are some lacrosse-related links:
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Lacrosse Remembers: A Facebook page maintained by US Lacrosse with tributes, images and remembrances.
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Saved on 9/11, by the Man in the Red Bandana: A New York Times article on Welles Crowther, the former Boston College lacrosse player credited with helping as many as 18 people escape the South Tower of the World Trade Center before he died.
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The Man in the Red Bandana: The ESPN “Outside the Lines” video originally released on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, a powerful account from the survivors who say Crowther saved them.
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Remembering Eamon McEneaney, Cornell’s ‘Wild Irish Rose’: US Lacrosse Magazine’s original feature on the National Lacrosse Hall of Famer, who was a vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald, an accomplished writer and poet and also a hero in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
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Never Forget Lacrosse: The story of 9/11 responder John Fee, an FDNY firefighter who started a tournament for teams of first responders and military personnel to honor the fallen and support charities. Fee found inspiration in the 9/11 Memorial Game hosted by US Lacrosse in 2016 and the presentation of a piece of World Trade Center steel in New York.
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US Lacrosse Remembers: A post about the 9/11 exhibit in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum and a video about the inspiration behind the 9/11 Memorial Garden at US Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md.
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From Tunnel to Tower: The Inside Lacrosse story and video on the life of Michael Horrocks, a member of the crew of United Flight 175 whose son, Mick, played lacrosse at High Point and led the Panthers in honoring the memories of those lost on 9/11. Today at 11 a.m. Eastern, ESPN+ will air a High Point-produced video featuring current player Sean Coughlin, whose father, Tim, perished in the attacks.
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A Painful Honor: A Riverdale Press article about former Manhattan women’s lacrosse player Kaitlyn Cunningham, whose uncle worked at ill-fated Cantor Fitzgerald and who was chosen to read aloud 21 names (including his) during the annual memorial at Ground Zero.
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Teammate Lost: Justin Donaton memorialized his former North Carolina men’s lacrosse teammate Ryan Kohart, sharing how he has dealt with the loss of his friend and the life lessons he learned from him in a 2019 tribute for the UNC General Alumni Association. Here’s the original New York Times capsule about Kohart as published in its “Portraits of Grief” piece just two months after the attacks.
2. Nineteen Princeton women’s lacrosse players have taken a leave of absence from the university and opted out of playing in 2021.
US Lacrosse Magazine’s report Thursday led to rumblings about the Princeton men’s lacrosse team, as well, with Inside Lacrosse then confirming that just as many men’s players are exercising the same option due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. US Lacrosse Magazine released the first article in a series developed in partnership with Blaxers Blog — a coming-of-age story about New York Lizards midfielder Mark Ellis.
Contributing writer Brian Simpkins chronicled Ellis’ journey from growing up in working-class Hempstead, N.Y., to playing high school lacrosse in neighboring Garden City and finding his voice now as one of the “MLL Four.”
4. Ryder Garnsey unveiled his five favorite highlight tapes in the latest installment of our “5-and-5” series.
Garnsey, the former Notre Dame star and current attackman for the Premier Lacrosse League’s Redwoods, identified montages of Mikey Powell, Matt Kavanagh, Case Matheis, the Thompson trio and the Bratton brothers as the most inspirational.
5. US Lacrosse will host a free virtual series for women in sports later this month.
“She Competes,” presented by the U.S. women’s national team and Nike, will run from Sept. 28-30 and include panel discussions on confidence, leadership and the benefits of sports participation for girls and women.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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About Nat St. Laurent and the power of growing relationships.
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A “Where Are They Now” piece on former Syracuse and current Boston Cannons goalie Dom Madonna.
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How a lacrosse goal with a built-in backstop could be the ultimate lax-at-home accessory, with product development funded by the latest lax-based Kickstarter campaign.
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Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy on the disproportionate number of faceoff specialists among the earliest class of 2022 commits.
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The New York Riptide unveiled a special-edition “Healthcare Heroes” jersey.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Redwoods and Ohio Northern men’s lacrosse coach Nat St. Laurent joined the U.S. Army Reserves after 9/11. This morning, he and his ONU players and staff ran the equivalent of 107 flights of stairs in honor of those that paid the ultimate price that day.
Proud of our players and coaches. This morning we ran the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs in honor of all the First Responders and brave men and women that paid the ultimate price to try and save others. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/KbOtSYFoen
— Nat St. Laurent (@NatStLaurentPLL) September 11, 2020
WHAT’S ON TAP
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Matt Hamilton and Nelson Rice are back on the board with must-read features on the UMBC men’s lacrosse team’s commitment to diversity and social justice and the interrupted but undeterred ascent of the Army women’s lacrosse team, respectively.
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9/11 remembrances on social media.