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This article appears in the December edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Join US Lacrosse today to start your subscription.

Retriever Fever
by Matt Hamilton, Staff Writer

I was there to hop on the Dane Train. My trip to UMBC on April 6 was part of a bigger story on Albany men’s lacrosse, which featured Tewaaraton finalist Connor Fields and freshman phenom Tehoka Nanticoke.

I visited the team at its hotel the night before the game and got on-field access to an America East matchup with the Retrievers. Undefeated Albany, even without an injured Fields, was expected to roll past UMBC (2-7) and retain the top ranking in Division I.

I stood behind the Albany bench through a tight first quarter that saw the home team lead 3-2. Early jitters for the Great Danes. 

Then UMBC scored five straight goals to lead 8-2 over the nation’s top team. Still, Albany certainly had the capability to come back and the firepower to do it quickly.

Fans at UMBC Stadium were anxious as the Retrievers took a 9-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. It had been just three weeks since the basketball team upset top-seeded Virginia in the NCAA tournament, and it looked like UMBC was headed for another colossal upset.

As the fourth quarter started, my focus started to shift toward the UMBC bench. The cellys were top notch, and a major storyline was developing. I walked over to the UMBC sideline as the final seconds ticked off, shooting video of the celebration as the final horn sounded.

That night, I hopped off the Dane Train and wound up on the UMBC Express. 

Do You Believe in Miracles?
By Matt DaSilva, Editor in Chief

OK, so maybe it’s a stretch to equate the Miracle on the Mediterranean to the Miracle on Ice. No one’s confusing Team USA for an underdog in lacrosse. But that ending, wow.

And for the first time here, I’m going to admit it: I missed Tom Schreiber’s goal. There I was, in Netanya Stadium, feverishly jotting down the sequence that preceded it, when Schreiber somehow found a seam in that Canadian defense and Rob Pannell fed him in the perfect spot for the last-second goal that gave the U.S. a gold medal.

I happened to be sitting next to S.L. Price, the senior writer for Sports Illustrated, who has seen his fair share of history-making moments in sports. As soon as Schreiber scored, he yelped, and the wide-eyed expression peering out from underneath his fedora told me everything I needed to know.

The frenetic finish in many ways perfectly capped a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lacrosse in Israel, its holy surroundings bringing the best and toughest lacrosse players in the world to their knees in awe, the unscripted convergence of East and West in the lobby of a kibbutz — this is a beautiful game. 

Foreshadowing
By Brian Logue, Director of Communications

On a February day in 2017, James Madison beat UConn 11-10 to improve to 3-1 for the young season. The only blemish was a close two-goal loss to defending national champion North Carolina. For a team coming off of a 10-10 season that included a loss to UConn, it seemed like a pretty good start.

But JMU head coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe was in no mood to celebrate. The junior-dominated Dukes squad had turned a five-goal lead with under five minutes to play into a too-close-for-comfort finish and the coach let her team have it in the locker room at US Lacrosse headquarters following the game. She knew they could be better.

Fast forward 15 months and Klaes-Bawcombe stood on the turf at JMU’s Sentara Park, her now senior-led team had just defeated Towson to win the Colonial Athletic Association championship and improve to 18-1 for the season. She was asked about that 2017 game. Clearly she was challenging her team by setting the bar higher, but did she know then that her team could be this good?

“Last year, the focus was building confidence,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “They really started to believe we had what it took and we were able to get some results that validated that feeling.”

A 2018 season-opening victory over North Carolina was the start of that validation, and with each passing win, the confidence grew. The team never stopped believing, and the season culminated with a 16-15 win over Boston College for JMU’s first national championship. 

Why We Do What We Do
By Colette Dixon, Director of Development

In my position with the US Lacrosse Foundation, I work daily to solicit contributions that provide youth the opportunity to participate in lacrosse. I want every child who has the desire to play lacrosse to have the chance to play. Youth sports offer so many benefits: teamwork; a sense of belonging that every child yearns to have; time to be active, thus combatting childhood obesity; allowing that child to excel, even when circumstances outside of their control don’t give them access to the best coaches or best equipment; to be part of something, anything that makes them feel important and needed. It is my passion to work with donors who also see the value of providing these opportunities, to make connections and make these opportunities happen.

Upon seeing our magazine team’s social media post of David, a Parkville Adaptive Lacrosse player with cerebral palsy, having a catch with an automated stick, my heart was full. This is the epitome of allowing all athletes to participate. No one should be left behind. Everyone — regardless of race, gender, economic standing or physical ability — should be able and welcomed to play lacrosse. The smile on David’s face brought tears to my eyes. You can see the joy, he was able to participate and he was loving every minute of it.

This is why we do what we do.