Three sanctioned tournament partners of US Lacrosse hosted over the weekend qualifying events for the US Lacrosse Nationals as the fall playing season continued in the Southeast. The 10th annual US Lacrosse Nationals is set for Aug. 2-5, 2018, at DE Turf Sports Complex in Frederica, Del.
A summary of each event:
Belle of the Brawl (NXTsports)
In Columbia, S.C., Belle of the Brawl featured qualifying divisions for girls’ teams in the 14U and 13U divisions with a total of 14 teams competing for qualifying points.
In the 14U Division, both Top Left Fins Yellow (S.C.) and Carolina Cats (N.C.) topped their groups, each going a perfect 3-0 in the event’s playday format to earn 30 qualifying points. The 13U Division saw Carolina Fever 2013 (N.C.) as the sole undefeated team earning max points.
Raleigh LaxFest (South Wake Sports)
Nearly 100 teams from Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia descended on Raleigh, N.C., for the third annual Raleigh LaxFest. The event included 216 games across 16 divisions with more than 1,500 student-athletes participating. Thirty-two teams competed for points towards berths in the US Lacrosse Nationals.
In the 12U boys’ division, Carolina Xtreme (N.C.) finished a hard-fought weekend on top with a 5-0 record. Raleigh-based Bucktown 2023 (N.C.) captured the 13U crown, squeaking out an 8-7 victory in the finals over Cape Fear Shamrocks 2023 (N.C.). Charlotte’s Team 24/7 (N.C.) won the 14U qualifier, defeating Project Missouri, 11-6.
On the girls’ side, the 12U Division saw Carolina Flight Futures (N.C.) edge out a scrappy Cavalier team from Ashburn, Va., while at 14U, Carolina Flight 2022/23 (N.C.) held off SOVA 2022 (Va.) to capture championship points.
Palmetto Lax Classic I (Bitter Lacrosse)
The sixth annual Palmetto Lax Classic welcomed more than 1,000 male and female players from seven states to this US Lacrosse Nationals qualifier event located just outside of Charleston, S.C. The event takes place in November and June each year and includes youth through high school divisions for boys and girls.
The Carolina Lite Red, Carolina Lite Blue, and the Carolina Miners, each based in Charlotte, N.C., went undefeated throughout the weekend to capture titles at the 14U, 13U, and 12U divisions, respectively.
The Road to Delaware takes a break for a few weeks before heading west for the first weekend in December. 3d Lacrosse will host the Oceanside Hustle for boys and girls in Oceanside, Calif., and Adrenaline Lacrosse will welcome boys’ teams to Henderson, Nev., for the Blackjack Classic.
The qualifications standings for the US Lacrosse Nationals are automated through Tourney Machine by SI Play, and updated as scores from qualifying events are entered into the Tourney Machine platform. Clubs wanting to start earning points towards their bid for the US Lacrosse Nationals should register for a Tourney Team account.