Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Major shakeups in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20.
After Maryland, Northwestern and Syracuse fell last week, teams like Florida and Stony Brook made significant jumps. The Gators moved from No. 16 to No. 2 this week, while the Seawolves jumped to No. 4.
Check out the rest of the Division I Women’s Top 20.
Here are the rest of our national rankings, for reference.
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
In addition, click here for the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the IL Media Poll.
2. In the men’s top 20, it was steady at the top. Each of the top six teams stayed put in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Top 20.
Army, fresh off dominating Rutgers, Army was a big riser to No. 7, while Duke jumped to No. 8 after beating Denver.
Check out the full Division I Men’s Top 20.
Here’s a look at the USILA Coaches Poll and the IL Media Poll.
3. Welcome back, Philadelphia Barrage.
Major League Lacrosse made another big announcement on Monday, confirming the rumors that the league would reignite the Philadelphia Barrage. The news comes a day after the MLL announced that the Atlanta Blaze were ceasing operations.
In a move aimed at the geographical proximity of each team, the MLL brought back a franchise that won three league championships in its five seasons. Spencer Ford was also announced as the general manager for the Barrage.
Guess who's back
— Philadelphia Barrage (@phillybarrage) February 17, 2020
pic.twitter.com/RfzRopphNS
4. The Overtime podcast is back.
Overtime, hosted by Paul Carcaterra, returns for Season 3 with guests Trevor Baptiste, Matt Rambo and Blaze Riorden. Check it out on your drive to work.
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5. Ryan Tierney is the US Lacrosse Player of the Week.
The Hofstra star poured in four goals and four assists to lead his team to the win over Michigan on Saturday morning. Click here for more on Tierney.
6. Shannon Kavanagh’s big day helped Florida snap an eight-year streak.
Kavanagh scored eight goals, including the game-winner with 49 seconds left, to give Florida the victory over Maryland at College Park — the first by a road team in 86 games. Her efforts resulted in US Lacrosse Player of the Week honors.
7. The top teams in Division II and Division III men’s lacrosse held serve last week, and remain at the pinnacle of the Nike/US Lacrosse rankings.
In Division II, the top 16 teams remained the same as the week prior, with Belmont Abbey and Queens (N.C.) picking up quality wins. Check out the full top 20.
In Division III, Ursinus rises from No.17 to No. 13 after taking down Stevenson in the final minute. Lynchburg and Gettysburg also jumped up in the rankings this week. Click here for more.
8. Saint Leo and Indianapolis are moving up in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Women’s Top 20. Check out the full rankings right here.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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A busy weekend in NLL action produced a major comeback from the Halifax Thunderbirds and ended with the second-year Philadelphia Wings on top of the East. Read more in Jack Goods’ notebook.
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Onondaga men’s lacrosse and Harford Community College women’s lacrosse lead the NJCAA rankings for this week.
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Students and former Westminster Christian School (Fla.) teammates are mourning the loss of 17-year-old Lucas Alvarez, who died in a boat crash on Sunday.
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Virginia men’s lacrosse benefiting from a tradition started by Lars Tiffany called “Cultural Thursdays,” where players read a book and share their thoughts each week.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Flashing back to Matt Rambo taking on Blaze Riorden. Check out that duo on Overtime today.
Not even the Defensive Player of the Year or Goalie of the Year could stop @rattmambo pic.twitter.com/Rpr8DzUPGn
— Shipsnakes Lacrosse Club (@PLLWhipsnakes) February 17, 2020
U.S. indoor star Brett Manney stops by his alma mater, Delaware, to share some wisdom.
"I never looked at what I could do for myself ... What am I doing to advance this program and be a great teammate?"
— Delaware Men’s Lacrosse (@DelawareMLAX) February 17, 2020
Amazing to have @BManney13 back on campus. #BlueHens pic.twitter.com/Jeybk5K1Iy
WHAT’S ON TAP
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Overtime is back, lacrosse fans. Hosted by ESPN's Paul Carcaterra, the Overtime podcast returns for Season 3 featuring Trevor Baptiste, Matt Rambo and Blaze Riorden. Listen now.
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Speaking on ESPN, Anish Shroff is back with his weekly column, this time focusing on the relationship between John Thompson III and Bill Tierney.
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Our Nike/US Lacrosse High School National Top 25s return.
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A fairly stacked slate of Division I men's games on tap for today, headlined by Villanova vs. Maryland at 4 p.m.