Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. One of professional lacrosse’s all-time greats formally announced his retirement on Wednesday, as Greg “The Beast” Gurenlian penned a letter on the Premier Lacrosse League’s Instagram account to call it quits.
He had previously retired from Major League Lacrosse in 2017 but came out of retirement to play for Redwoods LC in the PLL’s inaugural season. Read about his announcement here.
2. Staff writer Nelson Rice took a deep dive on the life of lacrosse led by Toru Morimatsu, a Japanese national team player who recently moved from Tokyo to Vancouver to play box lacrosse and advance his skill set. He's also sparked a friendship with U.S. senior team player Matt McMahon. It’s a must-read that you can find here.
3. The Johns Hopkins defense was so suspect last season that head coach Dave Pietramala entered this fall with zero guaranteed starters on that end of the field. Despite that, the Hopkins men check in at No. 8 in our preseason ranks. Read more here.
4. The Michigan women were unexpectedly great in 2019. Caitlin Muir, Molly Garrett and Maggie Kane have the Wolverines, ranked No. 9 in the preseason, on the cusp of establishing themselves as a perennial contender. Read why here.
WHAT WE’RE READING
-
From the January 2020 edition, US Lacrosse Magazine Editor in Chief Matt DaSilva wrote about the sport’s past as we look ahead to the sport’s future.
-
Students from Herndon High School and South Lakes High School in Northern Virginia were among the tutors for a five-week fall ball series, designed to provide skill development opportunities while utilizing the Lacrosse Athletic Development Model, a pathway provided by US Lacrosse.
-
Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com reports that Syracuse will hire Tommy Costanza to be the new assistant of the men’s team. John Desko confirmed the move.
-
The Albany women’s team returns 32 players (it didn’t have a senior last season and lost just one transfer) and adds eight freshmen to the mix, writes Mark Singelais of TimesUnion.com.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Go grab the tissues for the Greg Gurenlian farewell videos.
Taking a few moments to say thank you to the people along my journey.
A post shared by Greg Gurenlian (@gregbeast32) on
"Holy crap, it's the beast. He's here, man!"
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) January 22, 2020
Cole recounts when Greg Gurenlian gifted him the ball from his very first goal in the PLL. pic.twitter.com/7SWn4TNnNF
Stony Brook unveiled its new indoor training facility, which both its men’s and women’s teams practiced in for the first time.
Check out our video report from Day 1 of the @SBAthletics Indoor Training Center, which @StonyBrookWLAX and @StonyBrookMLAX christened on Wednesday! pic.twitter.com/8fM4Q0ZQQV
— Stony Brook Athletics (@SBAthletics) January 22, 2020
The Shenandoah women’s team started the 2020 season with a bang — erm, pop.
Started preseason off a little differently this year. Some things are worth celebrating. pic.twitter.com/g1BDQoGnpP
— Shenandoah University Women's Lacrosse (@SUHornetsWLAX) January 20, 2020
Is Tom Schreiber the G.O.A.T.? Probably not yet. But here’s Tom Schreiber and a goat.
.@TomSchreiber26 when he heard we were making a tour stop on Long Island pic.twitter.com/ssCfIwXDZy
— Archers Lacrosse Club (@PLLArchers) January 22, 2020
WHAT’S ON TAP
-
The Nike/US Lacrosse preseason previews continue with the No. 7 teams — Syracuse (men) and Virginia (women).
-
We break down five bold predictions for the 2020 men’s Division I season, compiled by US Lacrosse Magazine staff. Five predictions for the women’s season drop Friday.