Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The two Major League Lacrosse frontrunners put on a show Wednesday night, perhaps a precursor to another encounter in the playoffs.
Max Adler won 22 of 25 faceoffs, Ryan Lee scored five goals and Brian Kormondy capped a late rally with the game-winning goal in overtime as the Denver Outlaws defeated the Chesapeake Bayhawks 13-12 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Even in the loss, reigning MLL MVP Lyle Thompson made a pair of sizzling plays in the fourth quarter.
MLL PLAY OF THE DAY
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) July 23, 2020
Who else but @lyle4thompson? He was in MVP form Wednesday as @TheBayhawks fell short in a 13-12 OT thriller with Denver.
RECAP https://t.co/5OQ5RFtjY7 pic.twitter.com/KEoKFBWy4E
Denver (4-0) moved into first place in the standings. Chesapeake (3-1) is in second, followed by Boston (2-1), Connecticut (1-2) and Philadelphia (1-3).
New York (0-4) is on the brink of elimination after falling to the Hammerheads on Wednesday. The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.
2. World Lacrosse issued a statement regarding the Iroquois Nationals’ exclusion from the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala., an event operated under International World Games Association eligibility guidelines.
A statement from World Lacrosse: pic.twitter.com/dAraJftRdQ
— World Lacrosse (@worldlaxsport) July 23, 2020
The statement came after a petition emerged to support the inclusion of the Iroquois, who finished in third place in the 2018 world championship. Inside Lacrosse recently recirculated an article from its March edition about the difficulty the sport’s originators would face if lacrosse returns to the Olympics in 2028.
Although the Haudenosaunee Nation is recognized as a sovereign entity by World Lacrosse, it is not regarded as such by the International Olympic Committee or IWGA.
3. The motorcycle grip is a goner. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved Wednesday the men’s lacrosse committee’s recommendation to outlaw the popular double-overhand approach to faceoffs as well as the practice of taking the draw on one knee. Standing neutral grip will be the only accepted technique.
The Faceoff Academy, founded by two-time U.S. team standout Greg Gurenlian, issued a statement identifying five myths about the new rules while also saying it lobbied the NCAA to adopt the Premier Lacrosse League rules instead.
4. The National Lacrosse League announced Wednesday that it is adding a 14th franchise with an expansion team in Fort Worth, Texas. Bill Cameron, who has ownership stakes in the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder and the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, will be the team’s owner.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Premier Lacrosse League features on why new Chrome coach Tim Soudan has what it takes to take the team from worst to first, how the Whipsnakes’ defense stands out by not standing out and the lengths to which Atlas attackman Rob Pannell prepared his body for this grueling PLL Championship Series.
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A “Behind the Whistle” post by Cincinnati women’s lacrosse coach Gina Oliver Thomas about being black in lacrosse and having uncomfortable conversations.
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How to perfect one-handed snags and draw placement with Team USA’s Taylor Cummings.
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About the enduring friendship between Dan Ladouceur and Jim Veltman, the new coach and general manager, respectively, for the NLL’s New York Riptide.
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About two brothers and Ransom Everglades (Fla.) lacrosse players who biked more than 2,000 miles across the country — from California to Florida — to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Highlights from day two of training camp on PLL Island. The games start Saturday.
Highlights from Day 2 of Training Camp pic.twitter.com/iGXewRtowV
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) July 23, 2020
WHAT’S ON TAP
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MLL’s week-long season enters the home stretch with two more games today on ESPN+. The New York Lizards and Philadelphia Barrage square off at 4 p.m. EDT, followed by the Denver Outlaws and Boston Cannons at 7 p.m. EDT.
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Kenny DeJohn’s feature on Ben Rubeor, the first-year coach of the PLL’s Atlas LC and the youngest coach in the league.
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More on Chazz Woodson’s vision for Hampton lacrosse after being named the head coach of the only NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse team from a historically black college or university.