Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. He’s back. Virginia All-American midfielder Dox Aitken, who had planned to play college football at Villanova as a graduate transfer, is back in Charlottesville and will play lacrosse for the Cavaliers this spring.
2. Fairleigh Dickinson announced that it is adding women’s lacrosse as a NCAA Division I sport beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The Knights will play in the Northeast Conference.
3. Sean Quirk, who led the Boston Cannons to the 2020, and final, Major League Lacrosse championship, will be the head coach for the newly rebranded Cannons LC in the Premier Lacrosse League.
4. Tampa has grabbed the top spot in the Nike/US Lacrosse NCAA Division II preseason men’s lacrosse rankings.
If there is one team that has the firepower to dominate the Division II scene, it’s @TampaMLax.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) January 19, 2021
For that reason, the Spartans are No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Men's Preseason Top 20.https://t.co/ZDu9HpX8lT
5. No. 14 USC lost two key grad transfers, Kaeli Huff (Stony Brook) and Kerrigan Miller (UNC), gained one in Maddie McDaniel (JMU) and will have a talented young group to back up veteran leaders Riley Hertford, Kelsey Huff and Izzy McMahon. Previewing the 2021 Trojans’ women’s lacrosse season.
Kerrigan Miller is off to UNC, and Kaeli Huff is off to Stony Brook.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) January 19, 2021
But Huff's younger sister, Kelsey, is ready to be the leader for No. 14 @USCTrojansLax.
“It allows Kelsey to be the leader that she is and continue to grow as a great player."https://t.co/cY0t7JBvtB
6. Two-way midfielder Jeff Trainor is key to UMass’ hopes in 2021. The Minutemen check in at No. 14 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I preseason men’s lacrosse rankings.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Coaches and players discussed a shared vision for inclusion during a “X Out Racism” session at last weekend’s US Lacrosse Convention.
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Ken Hill, the owner of the Six Nations Chiefs, died on Monday at the age of 62. Under his leadership, the team won six Mann Cups (Canada’s senior box championship) — winning in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
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Sportico with a look at the rationale behind Fairleigh Dickinson adding women’s lacrosse, and the school’s earlier decision to add men’s volleyball.
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Wagner’s Emily Wesoky spent the winter break trying out for Israel’s national women’s team.
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Corrigan Sports Enterprises (CSE), in conjunction with Inside Lacrosse, named the Under Armour Senior All-America Watch List.
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Frank Brown, a former Hobart standout who has played professionally in the MLL and NLL, has been named an assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Canisius.
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The University of North Carolina will not allow fans — only two close family members per player — to spring sports events this semester.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
In 2021, no one takes for granted the ability to be on the lacrosse field. Great message from Lafayette men’s lacrosse coach Pat Myers, also an assistant coach for our 2022 U.S. U21 team.
Great message from Coach Myers on Day 1 #DMGB pic.twitter.com/FfFaDBWySD
— Lafayette Men’s Lacrosse (@LafayetteMLAX) January 19, 2021
WHAT’S ON TAP
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Our preseason Nike/US Lacrosse rankings countdown continues with our No. 13 teams — the James Madison women and Loyola men.