Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Six Team USA members, who won gold at the 2018 FIL World Championship, were named finalists of major awards by Major League Lacrosse on Tuesday.
Rob Pannell (New York Lizards) and Jordan Wolf (Dallas Rattlers) are finalists for the Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player and Warrior Offensive Player of the Year, Tucker Durkin (Florida Launch) and Michael Ehrhardt (Charlotte Hounds) are finalists for the Warrior Defensive Player of the Year, John Galloway (Dallas) is a finalist for the Brine Goalie of the Year and Trevor Baptiste (Boston Cannons) is a finalist for the Cascade Rookie of the Year.
Recipients will be announced on Lax Sports Network on August 17. Here are the full lists of finalists.
2. This year’s NLL combine series marks the first time the league has held combines across North America, in both Canada and the United States. Beginning in California on Saturday, each combine will help grow a player pool to support the growth of the league.
With two expansion teams coming this season – the San Diego Seals and Philadelphia Wings – and three more on the way, NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz envisions a 20- to 30-league in the next 10 to 12 years.
“It’s no secret the game is growing,” Sakiewicz said. “We’re expecting over the next decade pretty explosive growth in the United States. There’s more and more box lacrosse being played across the country. We’re going to need to fuel that player pool to pick from and populate these teams. This is a strategy of getting out in front of it and preparing for it.”
The NLL also announced Tuesday expanded offerings with exclusive events to its combine series, including an invite-only elite training camp on Oct. 6 and 7.
3. TD Irelan shares his reasoning for transferring from Albany to defending national champion Yale, a program unaccustomed to accepting transfers. He was also considering Cornell, where his brother Chayse is an incoming freshman.
“It was probably the most difficult decision I had to make, hands down,” Irelan said. “I just knew [Albany] wasn’t the right fit for me anymore for a couple reasons. It’s nothing against the program at Albany and the fans. There’s a full stadium of 5,000 people every game. We had just reached the program’s first final four. I was just looking for more of an educational experience. That was what motivated it. Pretty much off the bat, it had been down to Cornell or Yale.”