Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The NCAA Division I Council passed Proposal 2016-26, lacrosse legislation that prohibits any form of recruiting contact between college coaches and prospective student-athletes until Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school.
The landmark decision surprised some who thought the NCAA would be reticent to adopt a sport-specific solution to early recruiting, especially given its recent trend of deregulation and skepticism about the legislation’s enforceability. And despite lingering concern about how it may empower club coaches as middlemen or create a mad dash to lock up commitments from high school juniors, the decision widely was hailed as a win for the sport.
“We’re thrilled about the outcome and thankful for the NCAA Division I Council’s wisdom in approving such an important proposal,” said US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen, who recently wrote about the erosive effect early recruiting has had on the youth lacrosse landscape. “While no legislation is perfect, this decision represents a significant shift toward the best interests of young prospective student-athletes, their parents and the culture of our sport.”
Renamed by the NCAA as Proposal 2017-1, the legislation will be enacted immediately, effectively ending a practice that has resulted in eighth- and ninth-graders verbally committing to colleges.
“It’s going to help kids be kids for longer,” said Duke women’s coach Kerstin Kimel, chair of the IWLCA's NCAA Division I Legislation Committee. “They can feel like they can put sticks down for a few weeks a year and play multiple sports. Families can go on vacation and not feel like they are beholden to a club schedule. … This is going to help the culture of our sport tremendously.”
“For the family, this is a win-win,” Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said. “It takes all the pressure off the table.”
2. Maryland and Rutgers staged a triple-overtime men’s lacrosse classic Easter Sunday in Piscataway, N.J. Terps midfielder Connor Kelly ended it with 55 seconds remaining in the third overtime, lifting No. 2 Maryland to a 13-12 victory. It was the Terps’ third win in nine days, including triumphs over then-No. 1 Penn State and then-No. 7 Albany.
Sunday’s game, televised nationally on the Big Ten Network, featured six ties, the last of which was forged by Scarlet Knights midfielder Jeff George, who scored with 39 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Both goalies came up big on multiple occasions during the extra sessions. Maryland goalie Dan Morris made four of his 16 saves in overtime and denied No. 15 Rutgers opportunities to win the game on the final possessions of the fourth quarter and the first and second overtimes. Scarlet Knights goalie Max Edelmann was almost as good, finishing with 15 saves.
2. Syracuse swept a women’s and men’s lacrosse doubleheader Saturday at North Carolina.
The stunner came early, as the No. 11 Orange women snapped the No. 2 Tar Heels’ 18-game ACC winning streak. Syracuse led from start to finish, bolstered by four goals from freshman Emily Hawryschuk in a 13-11 victory.
The thriller came later, as the Orange men continued their penchant for winning one-goal games with a 12-11 overtime win. No. 1 Syracuse scored the last four goals of regulation to force overtime, and put the No. 16 Tar Heels’ postseason prospects in serious jeopardy with Sergio Salcido’s game-winning goal. The Orange improved to 7-1 in one-goal games, including all four of their ACC victories.
3. Anything can happen in conference play, especially in the Patriot League and the CAA. Navy and Boston University both clinched Patriot League tournament berths with upsets of No. 4 Army and No. 19 Loyola, respectively, on Saturday afternoon. Later in the night, unranked Drexel dealt No. 3 Hofstra its first loss of the season by scoring seven fourth-quarter goals — including three in a 46-second span in the final two minutes — in a 13-12 road victory. Goalie Jimmy Jo Granito preserved the win with a lunging last-second save.
4. It wasn’t all bad news on the Hempstead Turnpike. The Pride women got six goals from freshman Alyssa Parrella and five goals from junior Drew Shapiro to upset No. 15 Towson 17-15 on Sunday.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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It’s about to get real in the best high school lacrosse conference in the country.
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Garden City (N.Y.) topped Darien (Conn.) in an intersectional battle of two teams ranked in the top 10 of the Nike/US Lacrosse High School Girls’ National Top 25.
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Selection Sunday is less than a month away. NCAA.com provided a peek behind the curtain.
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Two high school girls playing boys’ lacrosse in Virginia will face each other Thursday.
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How the Duke lacrosse case is connected to the alt-right movement.
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Lacrosse officials are in short supply, especially in Lancaster, Pa.
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“Just because you are deaf, it doesn't mean you can't do the things you want to.”
What We're Watching
CBS Sports Network profiled inspiring 5-foot-4 Villanova midfielder John Kluh, who has withstood two ACL reconstruction surgeries and rehabilitation stints to get back on the field.
Which provides cause to revisit Kluh’s crease-clearing body check during a pivotal moment of the Wildcats’ upset of Maryland earlier this season.
John Kluh, a 5-foot-4, 140-pound midfielder, protecting the @NovaLacrosse crease as Willis makes the point-blank save. Now 12-8 inside 8 pic.twitter.com/IJyEEflqYp
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 18, 2017
North Carolina doesn’t play Stony Brook this season, but Sammy Jo Tracy is dueling Kylie Ohlmiller for the freestyle women’s lacrosse title. It was Tracy’s turn Saturday, gathering a between-the-legs attempt by Molly Hendrick and scoring on a one-handed, no-look, behind-the-head shot.
This goal cleared my skin, gave me a 4.0, & motivated me to live life to the fullest pic.twitter.com/L7WXZhJE53
— Official Lax Girl™ (@officiallaxgirl) April 16, 2017
What's On Tap
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New Nike/US Lacrosse college rankings are out today. Look for new No. 1 teams in Division III after Salisbury (men) and Trinity (women) both suffered losses this weekend.
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The Major League Lacrosse season starts Saturday. We’ll have team-by-team previews and projections this week.