Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. An outbreak of mumps on the Syracuse campus, to include one member of the men's lacrosse team, has prompted the Orange to cancel its appearance in the Deyhontsigwa'ehs The Creator's Game Lacrosse Weekend at the Carrier Dome. Albany will fill in and play Team Israel and the Iroquois Nationals.
What is, or are, the mumps? Aside from being something for which most kids in the U.S. receive vaccinations without remembering, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports:
“Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. You can protect yourself and your family against mumps with vaccination.”
When did tiredness become a word? Fatigue. Regardless, most people with mumps recover completely in a few weeks, per the CDC. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to those afflicted.
Before word of the mumps outbreak, the biggest news out of Syracuse may have been that it will begin the fall season without a player wearing the famed No. 22 jersey. Perhaps someone will earn it for the regular season.
2. Indoor lacrosse at 6:30 a.m.? If you're Johns Hopkins and your winning percentage over the last two seasons has dropped to slightly above .500, sure. The Blue Jays have shaken things up during fall ball, gathering at an arena a few miles southeast of Homewood Field to play box lacrosse instead of the field game for two hours a week.
“It doesn't feel like practice, yet we are developing certain skills that are really important to what we do offensively and defensively,” Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said.
Handling the ball in tight spaces and executing and defending pick plays rank among skills players learn on the indoor turf.
3. The faceoff position has evolved, and some of the men responsible for that will be on display Oct. 7-8 in the Team USA Fall Classic.
Retired pro star Greg Gurenlian, one of several faceoff midfielders to help popularize the role from its sometimes-checkered past, will join University of Denver standout Trevor Baptiste and 47 other U.S. training team players in exhibitions against defending NCAA champion Maryland and semifinalist Towson during the annual event at Tierney Field in Sparks, Md. Tickets are just $10 per day and are on sale now, with proceeds benefitting the US Lacrosse National Teams Program.
“Technically, athletically [Greg has] really put faceoffs on a new platform,” Baptiste said.
Team USA continues its preparations for the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship, set for July in Israel. You can support the team here, if you're so inclined.
4. Electronic communication vehicles offer some benefits. Building relationships and fueling action arguably are not among them. That's at least partially the idea behind town hall meetings hosted by several US Lacrosse chapters in recent weeks. They represent terrific means for chapter volunteers to understand lacrosse-related needs in local communities and how best to meet those needs.