Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Robert Morris men and Wagner women advanced to the first round of their respective 2018 NCAA tournaments after winning their play-in games.
With backup goalie Chris Reynolds’ six saves and reserve attackman Justin Mayfield’s team-high three goals, the Colonials strengthened their case that they deserve to be in the tournament with a 12-6 road victory over Canisius.
“We didn’t expect to be in a play-in game with where we were from an RPI standpoint and the makeup of our resume throughout the year,” Robert Morris coach Andrew McMinn said. “Once they put us in that position, at that point we just said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to go out there and do our best to show that we can compete no matter what they tell us to do.’”
RMU now turns to face top-seeded Maryland on Sunday at noon.
Robert Morris is feeling it!#NCAALAX pic.twitter.com/1QZ3CiCVZw
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 9, 2018
Wagner defeated Mercer 13-9 to earn a matchup with No. 7 seed Towson on Friday at 3 p.m. After being tied 5-5 at halftime, the Seahawks used a 7-2 spurt, featuring three Ally Alliegro goals, to open the second period en route to their first NCAA win in program history.
“This was huge,” Wagner head coach Katie Rowan said.
Alliegro finished with a team-high seven points adding four assists in the win. Five of her points came in the second half.
SEAHAWKS WIN! Wagner earns a 13-9 victory over Mercer for the Seahawks' first-ever NCAA Tournament win! pic.twitter.com/tN9wQ9N8JH
— Wagner Seahawks (@WagnerAthletics) May 9, 2018
2. In Division III men’s tournament action, Stevens Tech finished a dramatic rally in overtime to beat Springfield 10-9 on Ryan Gebhardt’s game-winner and advance to the Sweet 16. The Ducks move on to face RIT in the third round on May 12.
Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Salisbury dominated Morrisville State 19-5 thanks to an 8-0 shutout in the first quarter. Up next, the Sea Gulls will play Christopher Newport.
Jack Braswell Holds Pride Scoreless as No. 14 MLax Stuns Springfield in OT at NCAA’s! #AllRise https://t.co/R3q8BwBX4o pic.twitter.com/Gm5zkBIyfk
— Stevens Ducks (@StevensDucks) May 10, 2018
3. Dom Starsia pens another impactful first person account, addressing the need to “grow the child” in order to grow the game.
“When I was first introduced to Harlem Lacrosse about five years ago, it was the founder, Simon Cataldo, who said to me that the primary mission of the organization was to ‘grow the child,’” Starsia writes. “Harlem Lacrosse was developing a model that used lacrosse to reach underserved young men and women in the inner city.
“While I was mystified to consider that our sport was such an effective tool in this unlikely environment, I quickly came to appreciate that a young person with some proper mentoring and coaching learns to love this game like any kid growing up in Baltimore or Long Island,” he continued. “Harlem Lacrosse’s determination of its own success was not calculated by counting heads, but rather by whether or not it was changing lives. One at a time was fine.”
4. Motive Pure, a solution that replenishes vital electrolytes and was created by Hall of Famer Jesse Hubbard in 2011, keeps college and U.S. national teams well-hydrated during practice and competition. It is not a sugar-loaded sports drink.
“Why have the electrolyte component stuck in the same bottle as sugar?” he said. “I just want water with some electrolytes. Motive Pure helps your body absorb water.”
5. Katherine Vocelka of Georgia and Sophie Smith of the University of Denver were named the Division I and II recipients, respectively, of the 2018 Amtahcha Award, which is the player of the year honor in the US Lacrosse Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates (WCLA).
Plus in opening day action for the WCLA tournament, No. 11 seed San Diego State upset No. 6 Boston College 8-7.