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Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. The Iroquois Nationals attempted to fly to Israel for the FIL World Championship, but have been delayed as a result of passport issues in Canada. The news broke early Tuesday morning and the FIL confirmed that it has stepped in to help the Nationals reach Israel.

The team could not board a flight bound for Tel Aviv yesterday, meaning the earliest it could reach Israel is Thursday morning — the same day it is set to face the U.S. national team in the first game for each.

“The Federation of International Lacrosse is working to assist the Iroquois Nationals and the Israel Organizing Committee to resolve this issue,” said FIL President Sue Redfern. “FIL would very much like to assure the presence of the Iroquois Nationals at the 2018 FIL Men’s World Championship.”

This is not the first time the Nationals have had procedural trouble with passports. Back in 2010, the team was not allowed to travel to Manchester to compete in the FIL World Championship.

We will provides updates on this ongoing situation as they come.

2. The U.S. national team arrived in Israel on Monday and toured the holy city of Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon. The trip — which included stops at Yad Vashem, Kraft Stadium, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall — was one that struck many of the members of Team USA.

“We’re in the holy city. This is sacred ground that a lot of people travel from all over the world to get to,” said Marcus Holman, an attackman and two-time Team USA member. “I feel very lucky to be a part of it.”

The team toured Yad Vashem, the memorial for the victims of the Holocaust. At Kraft Stadium, players took part in a clinic with Team Hong Kong. 

Also in our report from Jerusalem, a few important injury updates on Joe Fletcher and Jesse Bernhardt.

Players and coaches seem to be settling in nicely.

3. Bitter Lacrosse started with two-day camp in Stowe, Vt. and has since expanded to host events all over the country. It was something the Bitter family, with all six of MC Bitter’s children recruited to play lacrosse in college, could not have foreseen.

Now, Bitter Lacrosse has turned into a family company. EW left his job in private equity to head Bitter Lacrosse. Billy balances his full-time marketing job with responsibilities at Bitter Lacrosse.

“It’s been great,” EW said. “All of us bring a lot of humility, a lot of self-deprecating humor which is helpful. None of us thinks we’re better than the other person. We don’t bring a lot of hubris to the operation in our roles. It hasn’t been an issue, and I don’t see it being an issue with the character of people involved.”

4. ICYMI: Duquesne announced the hiring of Corinne Desrosiers as its next head coach. Derosiers comes to the Dukes after spending four seasons at Florida Tech, where she was the first coach in program history.

Also in coaching news, Kate Leavell, a US Lacrosse Coach Development Trainer, was hired as the next coach of Adams State women’s lacrosse.

WHAT WE’RE READING

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Howard Borkin, co-founder of the 2018 FIL World Championship, talks his background with Israel Lacrosse and his feelings now that the event is here.

WHAT’S ON TAP

  • As mentioned above, the FIL World Championship gets underway on Wednesday, with Hong Kong and Luxembourg facing off at 12:30 ET.

  • Stay tuned for a story on Puerto Rico lacrosse, making its first appearance in the world championship.

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