Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The Boston Cannons yesterday announced the hire of National Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach Dom Starsia as associate head coach.
Why pull snippets of a press release, when the man himself shoots a video to announce the move?
Actually some portions of the release bear repeating, particularly regarding Starsia's legendary career. He won 375 games during tenures at alma mater Brown and Virginia, the latter including four NCAA championships and ending in 2016 with him as the all-time leader in victories among Division I coaches. The Hall of Fame enshrined him in the class of 2008.
A two-sport athlete at Brown and member of the 1978 U.S. men's national team, he's received numerous honors from the lacrosse community in New England. He coached 117 All-Americans during his career and guided Virginia to six Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
He's been doing a fair amount of writing and speaking since then. Starsia work with Boston head coach Sean Quirk, who will speak at the US Lacrosse Convention (LaxCon) at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 20 in Baltimore, and the rest of the Cannons coaching staff on all facets of on-field performance next season.
“The entire Cannons organization from the coaches and players to the front office are beyond ecstatic about bringing such a legendary coach into our locker room,” Cannons President Ian Frenette said in the release. “Dom's coaching history coupled with his New England roots made for a perfect fit.”
Starsia may have been able to run his own ship, according to Joe Keegan of College Crosse.
Huge hire for Boston. Heard Starsia was offered an #MLL head coaching job, but decided to join Cannons staff instead. https://t.co/mkRg96ey79
— Joe Keegan (@joekeegs) November 14, 2017
2. Stony Brook's Courtney Murphy wants to write the ending to her college career, and not to have it dictated to her by a March 5 ACL injury.
A senior with a job on Wall Street lined up, she chronicled decision to come back for a redshirt fifth season in an inspiring blog. The February 2017 cover girl, alongside teammate Kylie Ohlmiller, remarkably returned to the field during fall ball.
“I just realized I don’t want it to end like this,” Murphy said. “[My family] realized where my heart really was.”
She'll have the Seawolves poised for another run this spring.
3. The National Lacrosse League has released its Twitter Game of the Week schedule for the 2017-18 season.
As part of the NLL's agreement with the social media platform, the latter will distribute a free live broadcast of one regular-season game per week, the playoffs, the Champion's Cup and highlight packages. Games also will be available on NLLTV.com.
The first live stream will feature Buffalo hosting Toronto at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, Dec. 8.
4. From our popular Gym Rats series in the November print edition, Team USA's Taylor Cummings took a more evolutionary approach to “Rat status.”
The three-time Tewaaraton Award winner and two-time national champion at Maryland had benefited from working with trainers since her youth, but most of that focused on basic principles of running, injury prevention, and proper form without obsession over the amound of weight being used.
But her relentlessness has helped her fit right win with the intense workouts under U.S. national teams strength and conditioning coach Jay Dyer.
5. Lacrosse has the power to positively influence young lives, as evidenced by Highland Springs (Va.) senior MJ Fleming.
Fleming got a chance to learn and play the sport thanks to US Lacrosse having awarded a First Stick Grant to Highland Springs, which used the grant to start the school's first boys' lacrosse team. Fleming spent some of his life having to contribute to family income and provide care for an uncle that ultimately passed away in August.
But his exposure to the sport and new relationships to those involved have helped him establish and pursue future goals, including continuing his new playing career in college.
6. Prior to an interaction with our Matt Hamilton yesterday afternoon, two chains in my world were what I used to connect my Aliner camper to my Subaru Outback. Then I learned of the legend.
IT'S A VIBE #Atlanta legend @2chainz will perform during Halftime at our Home Opener on Dec. 30 when we unveil our World Championship Banner!
— Georgia Swarm (@GeorgiaSwarmLAX) November 14, 2017
Tickets https://t.co/j0v1bw2OGo
Story https://t.co/D9tWOJznTu pic.twitter.com/3Ttnby2IlV