Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Peter Milliman is still saying his goodbyes in Ithaca, but he’s already making some serious noise in Baltimore.
Milliman, the new Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse coach, ascended from humble roots to one of the highest-profile positions in the sport based on his strengths as a recruiter. The former Cornell coach has wasted no time making his mark, hiring Hopkins alum Jamison Koesterer as the Blue Jays’ defensive coordinator, securing a starting long-stick midfielder in Syracuse transfer Jared Fernandez and convincing top scorer Cole Williams to withdraw from the NCAA transfer portal.
Koesterer spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator at UMBC, coaching the nation’s No. 1-ranked unit in 2018 (7.77 goals allowed per game). He played on Johns Hopkins’ NCAA championship teams in 2005 and 2007.
Fernandez, a junior from Tampa, was ranked No. 1 among underclassmen in the transfer portal, according to Inside Lacrosse. He has two years of eligibility remaining and is particularly strong on the faceoff wing.
Williams, a 6-foot-5 attackman, was an All-American in 2018 and led the Blue Jays with 17 points in six games during the abbreviated 2020 season.
Inside Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders first reported the latter two developments. US Lacrosse Magazine confirmed this morning that Williams has withdrawn from the portal. In other transfer news:
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Holy Cross faceoff specialist Dan O’Connell, who ranked in the top 10 in Division I in winning percentage the last two seasons, is headed to Duke, according to ESPN’s Chris Jastrzembski.
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Notre Dame’s Charlie Leonard, another highly touted faceoff specialist, has withdrawn from the portal and will return to South Bend, according to Xanders.
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Gettysburg’s Mitch Wykoff, one of the best defensemen in Division III, announced he’s using his fifth year at Syracuse, according to Xanders.
2. The Women’s Professional Lacrosse League inked a multi-year partnership with Nike, a reassuring development after the league was forced to cancel its third season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. US Lacrosse has formed an advisory group to develop recommendations on safe return to play. The group issued its first brief Friday.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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About Eric Martin, 10 years after appearing on the cover of US Lacrosse Magazine.
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About “Impact Athletes” Ellie Bayless, Julia Miller and Ryan Groleau.
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A preview of the PLL’s Atlas LC: who’s gone, who’s back and a burning question.
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How US Lacrosse’s finances (and ability to produce grants) have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Utah’s Colin Burke fulfilled a lifelong dream in being drafted by MLL’s New York Lizards.
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Seth Tierney’s memories of Josh Byrne at Hofstra.
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Hampton coach Rashad Devoe on how Aris Brown handles being Jim Brown’s son.
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How lacrosse became a coping mechanism for the Breschi family.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Add Melissa Rivers to the Premier Lacrosse League’s long list of celebrity influencers. Rivers made a special Mother’s Day appearance on PLL social media with a skit, “10 Things Lacrosse Moms Never Want to Say Again.”
What could be a good gift for every lacrosse mom on Mother's Day?
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) May 10, 2020
Here's the Top 10 Things That No Lacrosse Mom Ever Wants to Hear or Say Again from @MelRivers pic.twitter.com/RYYv90fCcY