Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The Premier Lacrosse League shared with players its plan to implement free agency after the conclusion of the 2022 season, according to a report by Inside Lacrosse.
Coaches will be allotted $735,000 annually to compensate players, who can negotiate one- to four-year contracts with their clubs. The league minimum salary will remain $25,000
2. USA Lacrosse announced the 27 players who will compete for the U.S. women’s national team against England at the Spring Premiere on Jan. 5 in Auburndale, Fla.
This will be the final evaluation for coach Jenny Levy and her staff before making roster selections for the World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship.
3. Duke goalie Sophia LeRose took home Best of Lax honors for Best Save, entering the winners’ circle with 32 percent of votes cast on Twitter.
Voting remains open for Best in Another Sport, a category featuring multi-sport sensations Jared Bernhardt, Noelle Lambert, Davis Sampere and Pat Spencer.
4. USA Lacrosse Magazine named preseason positional players of the year for Division II men’s and women’s lacrosse
Defending NCAA champion Le Moyne claimed three of the five honorees on the men’s side. Carter Collins, Ben McCreary and Nate Arnold were named the top attackman, midfielder and defenseman, respectively
On the women’s side, meanwhile, the gravitational pull away from the East Coast continued. Regis’ Kyleigh Peoples, Indianapolis’ Peyton Romig and Lindenwood’s Alyssa Kneedler were selected for preseason attacker, midfielder and defender of the year, respectively.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Capsules on players ranked No. 11-15 in the PLL Players Top 50: No. 11 Josh Byrne, No. 12 Trevor Baptiste, No. 13 Bryan Costabile, No. 14 Myles Jones and No. 15 Jack Rowlett.
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San Diego State has signed women’s lacrosse coach Kylie White to a five-year contract extension.
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Elena Romesburg, the heart and soul of James Madison’s NCAA championship team in 2018, has reemerged as an assistant coach at Lehigh.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Some positive self-talk and a cappella crooning in the goal by North Carolina’s Collin Krieg, who was mic’d up for an early-morning practice and did not disappoint.
Mic'd Up with Collin Krieg
— UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) December 14, 2021
Stay frosty Tar Heels #FamilyAcademicsLacrosse pic.twitter.com/COvLrVdY3A
WHAT’S ON TAP
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The year-end accolades and preseason honors keep rolling with Best of Lax finalists for Best Game and Division II Preseason Player of the Year announcements.
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Nelson Rice’s feature on Syracuse women’s lacrosse player and accomplished singer songwriter Kenzie Harris.
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“Behind the Whistle,” the latest in a series of useful and inspirational posts published by the IWLCA.