Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. This is a watershed year for the U.S. women’s national team. Team USA heads to England for the FIL World Cup, and then will go on an even bigger international stage with lacrosse being included in the International World Games in Poland for the first time ever. Leading the U.S. into the challenge is the game’s best goalie – Devon Wills, a three-time U.S. World Cup team member and a co-captain for this year’s team.
2. The pool of candidates for the 2018 U.S. men’s team saw some additions yesterday, primarily recent college graduates, including the last two Tewaaraton winners, Maryland’s Matt Rambo and Brown’s Dylan Molloy.
PHOTO BY JOHN STROHSACKER
3. Limestone returns five of its top six scorers, and that makes the defending national champions the clear choice to top our way early 2018 NCAA Division II men’s rankings.
4. As the UWLX continues its second season with games at Cheyney University (Pa.) and Cedar Lane Regional Park (Md.) this weekend, the recently announced Women’s Professional Lacrosse League is also making moves. The WPLL has announced that stars Taylor Cummings, Kayla Treanor, Katie Schwarzmann, Dana Dobbie, Alice Mercer and Alex Aust have entered the 2018 WPLL draft. Defending champion Long Island leads the UWLX with a 3-0 record after a 10-9 win over Boston last weekend, with former Loyola star Taryn Van Thof scoring the game-winner.
5. Greg Gurenlian has won plenty of honors and recognition in his career – including playing for the 2014 U.S. team and being named the 2015 MLL MVP – but the accolades didn’t come early and didn’t come easy.
I never made an AS team, u-19 squad or selected AA. Worked out just fine. Don't measure ur worth that way. Focus on training, improving.
— Greg Gurenlian (@GregBeast32) June 14, 2017
What We’re Reading
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The Brooklyn Lacrosse Club, a 2012 recipient of a grant through the US Lacrosse First Stick Program, is thriving and featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
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Jordan Pakzad didn’t start playing lacrosse until the 8th grade, but he’s been a quick study. The senior defensemen from Corona del Mar (Calif.) High School was named the Orange County Register Player of the Year after leading the Sea Kings to an 18-3 record. He’s headed to Rutgers next year.
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Quinn Nicolai earned the distinction of wearing the famed No. 51 for Moorestown (N.J.) High School this year. The Penn State recruit didn’t disappoint, scoring 60 goals and adding 28 assists to finish her career with 201 goals and nearly 300 points.
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The NLL has announced it will be expanding for the 2018-19 season, but any new franchise won’t come in Edmonton, a former NLL city.
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US Lacrosse is helping to expand the game through a recent Level 1 Coaches Development Program Level 1 instructional clinic for leaders and coordinators from nine Police Athletic League centers to prepare them to teach the game.
What We’re Watching
Lax Sports Network’s Top 10 plays of the week in Major League Lacrosse included a dive from New York’s Curtis Dickson and a wicked one-handed falling down shot from Chesapeake’s Josh Byrne.
Week 8 @MLL_Lacrosse Top10 Plays of the Week: #2 @LizardsLacrosse @CurtisDickson17 catch&dive #1 @TheBayhawks Josh Byrne falling one-hander pic.twitter.com/HjYKHQcR9H
— Lax Sports Network (@LaxSportsNet) June 14, 2017
What’s on Tap
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We’ll release our way-early NCAA Division II women’s rankings today.
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