Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The NCAA men’s lacrosse rules committee will convene Aug. 7-9, and college coaches are anticipating the group will forge forward with an automatic shot clock as soon as the 2019 season. “I’d be very shocked if we do not have a shot clock,” Loyola coach Charley Toomey told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday.
Last summer, the committee urged teams to experiment with different versions of a shot clock — 30 seconds to clear then 60 seconds to shoot; 60 seconds total, including 30 seconds to clear; and 90 seconds total with no clearing count are among options — and received positive feedback from college coaches and officials. The IMLCA surveyed the college coaches separately, and they supported overwhelmingly the implementation of a shot clock. Eighty percent said yes.
At this point, it appears to be a matter of when and how, not if, the shot clock will be adopted, likely ending a decades-long debate in the sport.
2. Jack Kelly played all of 14 minutes, 52 seconds during the U.S. national team’s run to the FIL World Championship gold medal in Netanya, Israel. That didn’t stop midfielder Tom Schreiber, whose last-second goal was the difference in Team USA’s 9-8 win over Canada in the championship game Saturday, from extolling the backup goalie for being “as valuable as anyone on the field” in a tweet Tuesday.
Something on my mind since returning home — @JLKelly94’s contributions post injury. His energy, focus, & mental toughness were contagious down the stretch. Made himself as valuable as anyone on the field. Truly the epitome of a great teammate. pic.twitter.com/Qy7g08K6Gj
— Tom Schreiber (@TomSchreiber26) July 24, 2018
Kelly, who injured his left knee early in the second half of a 19-1 victory over Australia on July 14 and missed the remainder of the tournament, carried out the American flag for pregame ceremonies Saturday. During U.S. practices, he worked with the team’s athletic trainers and medical staff to strengthen the knee and improve his mobility. He even took a few reps during a shoot-around — just in case he was for some reason pressed into action on one good leg.
That need never materialized, as Team USA rode co-captain John Galloway the entire way, but Kelly’s effort did not go unnoticed.
Kelly, who plays for the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse, thanked his supporters in an Instagram post shortly after the gold-medal victory. “This is not how I planned it,” he wrote, “but it’s an experience I will never forget and will cherish forever.”
2. Joey Cupido, a defenseman for the Colorado Mammoth, was named National Lacrosse League’s Transition Player of the Year on Tuesday. The NLL’s awards rollout for the 2018 season continues on NLLTV.com today with the announcement of the Goaltender of the Year at 12 p.m. Eastern.
3. Dom Starsia authored his latest article for US Lacrosse Magazine, offering advice for young college lacrosse prospects on the summer circuit.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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The National Lacrosse League has launched a global marketing initiative that commissioner Nick Sakiewicz has likened to what Major League Soccer has done with Soccer United Marketing.
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A Long Island teen is using resources offered by US Lacrosse to restart youth clinics in her hometown of East Meadow, N.Y.
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U.S. long-stick midfielder Kyle Hartzell now has the one title that previously eluded him.
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On the flip side, Canada midfielder Zach Currier continues to lament the controversial ending to Saturday’s world championship final. “No, I don’t think I’ll ever get over the way it ended,” Currier told the Calgary Herald.
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Between Owen, Hailey and Kaitlyn Mead, the New Jersey family will have three Division I lacrosse players in the Big Ten Conference next season.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
With many players and coaches now stateside, Team USA is taking a victory lap, including assistant coach Seth Tierney, who was interviewed by News 12 Long Island.
WHAT’S ON TAP
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The NLL’s awards rollout for the 2018 season continues on NLLTV.com today with the announcement of the Goaltender of the Year at 12 p.m. Eastern.
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We’ll have more from the July/August issue of US Lacrosse Magazine.