Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. On the 17th anniversary of 9/11, we remember those connected to the lacrosse community who perished in the terrorist attacks. Among them are Hall of Famer Eamon McEneaney, who helped guide 63 people to safety during the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, and Boston College’s Welles Crowther, known as the “Man in the Red Bandana” for his heroism in saving several lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Last year, US Lacrosse unveiled a new exhibit in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum to honor the memory and spirit of more than 70 people who died that day.
2. Merrimack dominated the lacrosse news cycle Monday with the Northeast Conference’s announcement that the school will become the league’s 11th member while transitioning from Division II to Division I — meaning the reigning NCAA Division II men’s lacrosse champion is moving up in the world.
The Warriors steamrolled NYIT, Seton Hill and Saint Leo en route to their first national title in the spring. They defeated Saint Leo 23-6 in the NCAA championship game May 27 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Merrimack’s teams (including women’s lacrosse as well) will compete in the NEC in 2019-2020, but will undergo a four-year reclassification period and can play as a full member of the NEC starting in 2023-24.
3. Darris Kilgour, the embattled National Lacrosse League Hall of Famer, was injured in a hit-and-run accident Sept. 2, according to a GoFundMe page created by a family member Sunday.
Kilgour, who won three NLL titles as a player with the Buffalo Bandits and coached the team for several seasons, reportedly broke both of his legs and dislocated a knee in the accident. He could be confined to a wheelchair and out of work for up to 10 months
Currently the coach of the Seneca WarChiefs, a First Nations Junior B team, Kilgour has had his share of personal problems off the floor, including arrests for a DWI in 2011 and in a domestic case in 2014.
Kilgour’s 121 career wins are the second most in NLL history. Saskatchewan Rush general manager and head coach Derek Keenan surpassed him last year.
4. Johns Hopkins’ Joey Epstein and North Carolina’s Elizabeth Hillman are the top incoming freshmen in NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse, respectively, according to the Power 100 rankings (men and women) released Monday by Inside Lacrosse.
5. The Peterborough Lakers are one win away from a Mann Cup championship repeat. The Lakers grabbed a 3-0 stranglehold in the best-of-seven series with an 11-6 victory over the Maple Ridge Burrards in front of 3,242 fans at Peterborough Memorial Centre. Cory Vitarelli scored four goals and Shawn Evans surpassed John Tavares as the Mann Cup’s all-time leader with his 112th career assist. The last Mann Cup sweep was in 2008. Game 4 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET.