It's been a while since the NCAA tournaments or the local high school championship and you may be in need of a lacrosse fix. That's perfect timing because watchable fall lacrosse is well under way.

Every fall E-Lacrosse compile a master national list of the fall tournaments for high school, clubs and colleges. I have pulled out the one's convenient to the Baltimore-Washington area and listed them here. If you have any events to add, just put them in the comments and give full details or e-mail the information to me at john@tonabricks.com.

Sept. 26-27

The 17th Annual NCLL Fall Brawl
University of Maryland, College Park

All teams interested in playing in the 17th Annual Fall Brawl Tournament should contact the league director at wheel69@aol.com. Games begin on Friday at 5 p.m. (with later times for further away teams) and conclude on Saturday. Games on Saturday begin at 8 a.m. and last throughout the day with a playoff format in the early evening and a championship for each division. Teams in as of Sept. 1: Maryland, TCNJ, University of Baltimore, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, Kutztown, Richmond, Princeton, Fredonia State and Washington College. www.ncllax.com

Oct. 4-5

LAXTOBERFEST 2008
Anne Arundel Community College (Annapolis, Md.)

Men’s Grandmasters, Men’s Masters, Men’s Elite, Men’s High School, Women’s Elite, Women’s Collegiate/Collegiate Club, Women’s High School divisions. Time: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Contact: Renee Ensor Pope, 410-279-9666 or heros_lax@yahoo.com

Oct. 5

Blue Jay Fall Classic
St. Paul's School, Baltimore

Fans of the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team will get their first chance to see the 2009 edition of the Blue Jays in action on Sunday, Oct. 5, when Hopkins hosts the second annual Blue Jay Fall Classic. Head coach Dave Pietramala and the Blue Jays will welcome Harvard, Navy, North Carolina, Penn State and Stony Brook for the event. There is no charge to attend.

Set 1 (Time TBA)
Harvard vs. Navy
Johns Hopkins vs. Penn State
Stony Brook vs. North Carolina

Set 2 (Time TBA)
Johns Hopkins vs. Harvard
North Carolina vs. Penn State
Stony Brook vs. Navy

Oct. 11

Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia
The 11th annual Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11 at St. Paul's Schools in suburban Baltimore. This picturesque location will feature a field of 16 collegiate teams. For the first time in its history, the tournament will also feature eight women's teams. Women's division: Towson, Johns Hopkins, Maryland Louisville, Rutgers, George Mason, Cornell, Penn State. Men's division: Towson, UMBC, Mt. St. Mary's, Washington College, Delaware, Air Force, Rutgers, St. John's

Oct. 26

Howard Community College Fall High School Tournament

Boys in grades 9-12. High school teams as well as club teams are welcome. Each team is guaranteed 3 games. The price per team is $700, but space is limited. E-mail mike@410lax.com or call 410-330-8505 for more information.

Nov. 9

National Recruiting Fall Ball Lacrosse Tournament
St. Paul's School (Brooklandville, Md.)
http://alohatournaments.com/Fall-Ball.aspx

Nov. 15

Fall Ball II
Cedar Lane Park (Bel Air, Md.)
http://www.alohatournaments.com/Fall-Ball.aspx

Nov. 15-16

Top 16 Fall Shootout
Baltimore
http://www.universitylacrosse.com/tournaments.html

November 22-23, 2008
The Fall Face Off
Location AACC
Teams from Houston TX, Ohio NY, NC, PA to challenge Baltimore Best like the Crabs Green Turtle and Baltimore Elite
www.laxclassic.com

Nov. 22-23
Megalax Cold Turkey Lacrosse Shootout '08
Crown Sports Complex (Fruitland Md.)
The Cold Turkey Lacrosse Shootout is a competitive lacrosse tournament for divisions U11, U13, U15, U16/JV and high school. There will be an A & B Division for the high school groups and one level for U11, U13 and U15 and U16/JV. Link for registration: http://www.megalax.com

Nov. 22-23

The 7th Annual Fairfax Fall Brawl
Robinson Secondary School (Fairfax, Va.)

The tournament fills quickly. All teams MUST reserve a spot in the tournament before individual registration can be opened. So act now.
http://www.fairfaxfallbrawl.com/

Nov. 23

The 2008 Madlax Capital Classic
Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Va.)

Varsity, JV high school and all-star boys teams ages 10-18 welcome from the U.S. and Canada. Full 10 vs.10 games. A guaranteed minimum of three full games. At least four teams per division make playoffs and will get more games. We now plan to have five divisions of play; High School Elite, High School, Junior Elite, Super Junior Elite, and Future Elite.

Nov. 23

Got Skillz Lacrosse Fall Recruiting Showcase

Bel Air, Md.
10 vs. 10, 30 teams, Boys, High School
Contact: Shawn Burke (443-865-4460)

For more events, check out the full national fall ball schedule at E-Lacrosse!

Events capsules contain text written or submitted by event organizers.

Posted by John Weaver at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

According to reporting by the Grand Rapids Press, the lacrosse manufacturer and retailer suing the NCAA over a rule change for 2010 has been dealt a major setback. As we discussed in the last post on this topic, manufacturers will have to go to the molding process soon to make the 2010 retail shelves. Warrior, a Michigan-based manufacturer of lacrosse equipment and Athlete's Connection, a retailer I've never heard of, also in Michigan, wanted to request an immediate hearing on the matter and ultimately a court injunction. Warrior argued that it had to block the rule and get some relief before October to avoid spending millions of dollars to retool.

U.S. District Judge Janet Neff declined to hear the request. She evidently noted the same thing some of Warrior’s competitors have said to me -- that Warrior had waited six months to file a lawsuit against the collegiate sports association. People in the industry that I spoke to said they thought that was part of the Warrior strategy – waiting to bring the action until other companies made investments in anticipation of the rule change, hoping to win the case and trump the industry in one big swing. No future court dates have been set but I’ll bet it’s not over.

I'll blog more on this when new information becomes available.

Posted by John Weaver at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Editor's note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly reported the winner of the Sept. 13 Alumni Lacrosse Tournament at Genesee Valley. Baltimoresun.com regrets the error.

I knew when I showed up at the Genesee Valley parking lot for the Alumni Lacrosse Tournament that those color-coordinated argyle shorts worn by both Towson and UMBC were going to be a problem and I am blaming my mistake on them. Not really. I really thought that Towson beat UMBC in their matchup but was wrong. No score was really kept for the fans on the hill but those in the game have informed me that UMBC was the winner of that game, which means that UMBC went undefeated, while Towson split with UMBC and the Terps. Thanks to Zach, Josh and Mike for confirmation and congratulations to the UMBC Alumni.

Here's video of the tournament:

I am not the official arbiter (no letters please) and everyone out there is just goofing off, having fun with the game. Spencer Ford was certainly the funniest guy on the field. "You are killing us, Hunter!" could be heard even after Lochte's goals. References to the Terps' old college wins over Ford's Towson teams were flowing as the Tigers romped on Saturday. It was lighthearted and lots of fun. UMBC even had a good-luck charm today as coach Don Zimmerman posted to enjoy the action from the hill. There were babies and kids everywhere, as the age group participating is, for the most part, just getting married and starting families. And again, the scenery cannot be topped, even in the most beautiful state in the union, Maryland.

While I cover mostly men's lacrosse these days, I can tell you without a doubt that the best player on the fields Saturday was Jen Adams. Every time I pointed the camera toward the women's field, Adams was changing speeds, threading the needle to a cutting scorer, faking a defender out of position or just putting the ball in the net, and I never saw her run full speed. She is, in my opinion, the best lacrosse player on the planet right now. She, of course, played for Maryland back in the glory days of consecutive Terps' championships, but she is the new head coach for the women at Loyola. Good luck, Jen!

Got Buggs in my brain

I have no idea why I have a mental blockage when it comes to the Combs family, but earlier this year I spelled father Gordy's name wrong and then recently I reported that son Andrew "Buggs" Combs played with Lochte and Ford at Towson, when he was obviously a great Terps star. In fact, one of the greatest impressions I ever had at a sporting event was at the news conference after coach Dick Edell's last college lacrosse game, when the younger Combs criticized his own school heavily for not supporting the ailing coach. The classy coach stopped him politely from continuing, but the love was big in the room that day. It's that love of the “Big Man” by his Maryland players that makes me an even bigger fan of this tournament, as it raises money for two great causes. See my preview post to lend a hand -- and you should.

In Grand Masters action (over 45), Team Toyota swept the field at the Blue Crab Tournament on the eastern shore. Congratulations to our many friends on Team Toyota!

Posted by John Weaver at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

According to The Grand Rapids Press, Warrior, a major lacrosse manufacturer located in Michigan, has finally begun its legal battle against the NCAA for changing the stick design rules, filing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Mich. The industry knew it was coming for a while now. Over the last decade, the manufacturers, including Warrior, have designed sticks that make the ball harder to dislodge and ultimately warranting more violence to defend against, according to detractors, some of them quite esteemed. It has long been an issue with the NCAA rules committee and it finally did something to make the game safer, in the committee's opinion.

Not that there isn’t disagreement on the core issue here – safety. Many feel that the lighter defensive shafts on the market today have already played the role of equalizer on the field. Faster checks, more precision checks and even brand new checks that couldn’t be performed with heavier equipment have made the last ten years a defensive renaissance in lacrosse. The scorers of yesterday would be surprised at how difficult it is today to get through the poles en route to glory. One person I talked to who knows the game as well as anyone on the planet suggested we look at a ten-year-old NCAA game and a random NCAA game from last year, surmising we'd perhaps count the same number of ground balls. This is a stat that would indicate a longer possession time for offensive players and the effectiveness of the defense at dislodging the ball. Of course, you could not just use the paper stats. You’d have to watch the games and compare. Ground ball stats are subjective and kept differently at different schools, even on different days, so it would be a rough barometer, at best.

In any case, the NCAA rules committee, which is made up of college coaches, has determined otherwise and made consistent recommendations for years for a change. And they aren’t the only ones. US Lacrosse, the governing body of our game, located in Baltimore, has long felt that action was needed. Steve Stenersen, the president and CEO of US Lacrosse, feels that creativity in design just needs to be balanced by attention to the integrity of the game and the safety of the players.

“I am very thankful that the NCAA has started to address the issue and it’s overdue," Stenersen said. "The relatively unchecked freedom the manufacturers have enjoyed in the area of design has been really good for the sport in some ways but it’s gone too far at times”.

Stenersen and I agree that the true hallmark of the game, teamwork, embodied by the quick movement of a passing game has been overtaken by the dodging game mentality. More and more, individual stars are becoming more important than the team.

Many manufacturers have invested a lot in the more narrow designs, but Warrior is the only one bringing legal action. Warrior is obviously in that situation and has gone to court many, many times to get its way in the industry. It can be said that the stick wars (and they were wars) of the last decade were won or lost mostly in Michigan courtrooms and not on the lacrosse field.

The lacrosse business can get very nasty. There are good guys and bad guys, just like the real world. So here we go again, but this time the NCAA gets to visit a Michigan courtroom. This isn’t the first time the NCAA has locked horns with Warrior. A while back, the NCAA outlawed the Warrior goalie stick with the wings on the bottom corners (remember that one?). Warrior threatened a lawsuit and the NCAA folded. That was not, however, a safety issue. We’ll see if the NCAA’s assertion of player safety is as important as its pocketbook. My sources say that the NCAA recognizes lacrosse as a high profile sport, garnering more national attention yearly and will not cave in this case.

The NCAA is in a tight spot really, because this rule was passed for 2009 and then postponed until 2010 to give manufacturers some time to move old inventories and get ready for the big change. But in those two years, how much money has been spent throughout the industry in research & development and design preparing for the new rule? If it takes 13 months to get a stick from design to the store shelf, then most companies have already invested quite a bit in 2010 heads, especially given the new changes. We know that one manufacturer, Reebok, has already “cut metal” in the process, meaning they built a stick mold for a 2010 design, costing up to of $30,000 on average, from my understanding.

Consider any new company preparing to enter the market in 2010. They would have spent their entire investment on the new design rules and none on the 2009 specifications. Losing the lawsuit to Warrior would mean that the NCAA basically had to buy all of Warrior's old narrow heads out of every warehouse they use at something close to retail, making them the largest lacrosse stick buyer ever. But losing lawsuits to the new guys would leave the NCAA buying entire lacrosse companies with whole lines of obsolete but “safe” product.

A few parts of the Warrior argument I’ve heard make no sense. The first is Warrior's concern over the cost to consumers of replacing their heads for 2010. Most lacrosse kids buy a new stick yearly, if not more, these days. The new features and technologies presented every year in the new product are designed and marketed to make the consumer feel like they need a new stick. The manufacturers are constantly seeking that one new idea or innovative approach that will make every kid want to switch stick companies. Last time I checked, that was the lacrosse stick business.

The second ineffective argument is that it will impact most players and the major market. The truth is the while most youth leagues adapt the NCAA rules, the bulk of the lacrosse market these days is in the hotbed and future hotbed high school states, most of which belong to the NFHS or National Federation of State High School Associations, which usually takes a few years to adapt NCAA rules, if ever. This means that 18 big lacrosse states will still adhere to the old standards after the NCAA rule goes into effect. There are still plenty of places to sell the old narrow heads, and likely will be for years to come.

One of my sources spoke to a Division III coach who told him that he was afraid that the cost of sticks that meet the new specifications might increase significantly because the market for the new design would be so small relative to the levels of play. This is obviously counter to the Warrior argument and indicates how small the college stick market really is in comparison to that of high schools and high school-aged kids.

I reached Jason Goger, general manager of Baltimore-based lacrosse manufacturer STX, and he sent me this strongly worded statement on the matter:

STX disagrees with Warrior’s charges against the NCAA. First, the NCAA gave all equipment manufacturers, including Warrior and STX, fair opportunities to comment on the proposed rule change. Second, the NCAA has given the manufacturers enough time to make the changes required by the rule change. STX has been working on the required changes and will have its equipment ready by the time the new rule takes effect in 2010. Third, Warrior’s scare tactic claims in the suit about the effect of the rule change on players and retailers are wrong and unfair. Players and retailers should be told the true facts: A much smaller percentage of all lacrosse players will be affected by the rule change than Warrior asserts.

Other manufacturers I spoke to assert the same sentiments about the overuse of the courts as a scare tactic and the ample and fair time given to make the 2010 changes.

My gut says that the NCAA will fold and drop the rule change. The lawsuit in front of you is scarier than the lawsuit you may face down the road. But I think that other manufacturers will file suit against the NCAA, if they give in to Warrior. I also think that, if this occurs, a player will sue the NCAA one day because they were injured as a result of this rule being dropped or other safety rules not being passed to avoid lawsuits like this one from the same people.

The NCAA would be better off fighting the battle now and taking the high road on the side of our kids. Imagine if they fold and kill the rule change. What would happen if they faced a lawsuit by a company that enthusiastically made the changes the NCAA requested and invested heavily for the last two years in the new design? If that scenario played out, the NCAA would actually be in a position of arguing against the changes they insisted were needed, voted and fought for. It would be the ultimate embarrassment. The NCAA would lose that case badly with its own written opinions on the matter serving as their most condemning witness.

Stay tuned. We’ll have all the details as they play out. No court date is set yet.

Posted by John Weaver at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Below is the news release from the National Lacrosse League giving the rundown of the entire draft for the 2009 NLL season, which will begin at the end of December (opening night is Dec. 27). Some of the draft picks are very familiar to Baltimore fans. Paul Rabil and Kevin Huntley from Johns Hopkins were first rounders and will both be stars in this league for San Jose. Kevin Buchanan from Ohio State via Calvert Hall and Maryland's Joe Cinosky also went in the first round, both to Minnesota. Matt Danowski, who enjoyed national fame at Duke, was also a first-round pick, selected by Colorado.

The reason you don't recognize some of the other first-round names is that they played at lesser televised or reported colleges, but the NLL scouts are usually right on the money in terms of talent evaluation. Most NCAA stars wither in this league in a year's time. It's those high picks you never heard of that make up the league five years after each draft.

More Hopkins guys went in the second round as New York drafted Stephen Peyser while Kevin Huntley's dad, Dave, drafted Matt Bocklet for Philadelphia. UMBC's Cayle Ratcliff was chosen by Calgary also in the second round. Colorado picked UMBC's Terry Kiminer in the fourth round, shortly before New York selected Ben Rubeor, one of my all-time favorite players. You may not think Rubeor is suited for the indoor game, but, in my opinion, he is the most adaptable player in the game and will be fine. His toughness is not a question.

The first pick in the draft was Daryl Veltman, the nephew of Toronto Rock legend Jim Veltman. He was chosen by Tom Ryan and the new Boston Blazers. The younger Vletman has been on the NLL radar for quite a while now and anyone would have guessed, maybe five years ago, that this kid was a first pick. It was just a question of when. In any other pro sport, Veltman would have gone pro straight out of high school. He's smart enough not to have done that anyway and now has a Hobart education to fall back on. If he's anything like his uncle, we'll see him working in the community as a teacher or public servant of some kind as his side gig while he stars in the league 'til he's too old to walk. The Veltman's are all class and a tough breed.

Here's the unedited release:

***

2008 ENTRY DRAFT RECAP

Daryl Veltman selected first overall by Boston

The National Lacrosse League's 2008 Entry Draft took place earlier today at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. The Boston Blazers held on to the first overall selection and drafted forward Daryl Veltman out of Hobart College. Johns Hopkins University standout Paul Rabil was drafted by San Jose with the second overall selection. A total of 76 players were selected by the league's 13 member clubs.

FIRST ROUND
1. Boston - Daryl Veltman - Hobart College
2. San Jose - Paul Rabil - Johns Hopkins University
3. San Jose - Rhys Duch - University of Stony Brook
4. Edmonton - Jamie Floris - Bellarmine University
5. San Jose - Kevin Huntley - Johns Hopkins University
6. Calgary - Curtis Manning - Simon Fraser University
7. Colorado - Matt Danowski - Duke University
8. Minnesota* - Andrew Watt - Robert Morris College
9. Philadelphia - Sean Thomson - Bellarmine University
10. Edmonton* - Ryan Campbell - Dowling College
11. Minnesota - Kevin Buchanan - Ohio State University
12. Portland - Tim Campeau - Notre Dame de Namur University
13. Minnesota - Joe Cinosky - University of Maryland

SECOND ROUND
14. Boston - Nick Cotter - Dowling College
15. Calgary - Cayle Ratcliff - UMBC
16. Chicago - Jamie Kirk - Hobart College
17. Toronto - Mike Fleming - Robert Morris College
18. Rochester - Joe McCready - Cornell University
19. Chicago - Geoff Griffiths - Bellarmine University
20. Calgary - Joe Vetere - Burnaby, BC
21. Chicago - Josh Funk - Ohio State University
22. Chicago - Steven Brooks - Syracuse University
23. New York - Stephen Peyser - Johns Hopkins University
24. Minnesota - Tom Michaelsen - St. John's University
25. Philadelphia - Matt Bocklet - Johns Hopkins University

THIRD ROUND
26. Boston - Jon Harnett - Adrian College
27. Edmonton - Kelly Kilpatrick - Coquitlam, BC
28. Toronto - Nick Rose - Orangeville, ON
29. Rochester - Kyle Guadagnolo - Syracuse University
30. Rochester - Brendan Loftus - Syracuse University
31. Colorado - Mike Ward - Duke University
32. San Jose - Alex Turner - Simon Fraser University
33. New York - Steve Ammann - University at Albany
34. Portland - Matthew Yager - Victoria, BC
35. Buffalo - Eryn Jones - Six Nations, ON
36. Philadelphia - Mike Leveille - Syracuse University

FOURTH ROUND
37. Boston - Dilan Graham - Bellarmine University
38. Minnesota - Ricky Pages - Ohio State University
39. Chicago - Steve McKinlay - Ohio State
40. Minnesota - Justin Haworth - Limestone College
41. Rochester - Jesse Guerin - Peterborough, ON
42. Calgary - Joel Henry - Victoria, BC
43. Colorado - Terry Kiminer - UMBC
44. Boston** - Reed MacPhail - Victoria, BC
45. Philadelphia - Matt Lalli - Colgate University
46. New York - Ben Rubeor - University of Virginia
47. Philadelphia - Jordan Levine - University at Albany
48. Portland - Dayne Michaud - Seton Hill University
49. Buffalo - Tory Gardner - Six Nations, ON

FIFTH ROUND
50. Calgary**** - Bryan Johnson - Bellarmine University
51. Edmonton - Myles Kenny - Victoria, BC
52. Boston^ - Chad Henry - Adelphi University
53. Toronto - Derrick Gordon - Orillia, ON
54. Rochester - Logan Kane - Onondaga Community College
55. Calgary - Eric Lamothe - Canisius College
56. Boston*** - Paul Manesis - UMass
57. San Jose - Trevor Wagar - University of Vermont
58. Philadelphia - Jerry Lambe - Georgetown University
59. New York - Mike Ammann - University at Albany
60. Philadelphia - Tony McDevitt - Duke University
61. Portland - Matt Flindell - Victoria, BC
62. Buffalo - Shane Pollock - Wallaceburg, ON

SIXTH ROUND
63. Boston - Danny Brennan - Syracuse University
64. Edmonton - Adam Foss - New Westminster, BC
65. Buffalo^^ - Dustin Dunn - Potsdam State University
66. Toronto - Tommy Hurley - Burlington, ON
67. Rochester - Mitch Nanticoke - Six Nations, ON
68. Calgary - Tyler Pridham - Calgary, AB
69. Colorado - Ryan McFadyen - Duke University
70. San Jose - Nick O'Hara - Duke University
71. Philadelphia - Steve Grossi - Drexel University
72. New York - Dan Cocoziello - Princeton University
73. Minnesota - Bruce Bickford - Drexel University
74. Portland - Sean Robinson - New Westminster, BC
75. Chicago^^ - Peter Striebel - Princeton University
76. Chicago^^ - Pat Saunders - Halton Hills, ON

*The Edmonton Rush traded the 8th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft to Minnesota in exchange for the 10th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft and Andrew Biers.

**The Boston Blazers traded their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft to Buffalo in exchange for the 44th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft.

***The Boston Blazers traded John Gallant to Colorado in exchange for Jason Bloom and the 56th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft.

****The Calgary Roughnecks have traded their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft to the Boston Blazers in exchange for the 50th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft.

^The Chicago Shamrox traded the 52nd overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft to the Calgary Roughnecks in exchange for their fourth round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft.

^^The Chicago Shamrox traded the 65th overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft in exchange for the 75th and 76th selections in the 2008 Entry Draft.

Posted by John Weaver at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The 2008 Alumni Lacrosse Tournament will be held this Saturday, Sept. 13! It's just up the road from Baltimore at Genesee Valley in Parkton, so if you're a player or a spectator, its a quick trip and a great way to spend a perfect fall Saturday in a magnificent setting with fun people. Family and friends are, of course, invited too, but please leave the dogs at home. Its a steadfast rule on the property for insurance purposes. There is no charge for parking, but respect the normal local traffic and park in the parking lot, not on the side of the road. There will be food and beverages and for $20 all you can drink Bud and Bud Light.

The tournament is a lot of fun and provides alumni players and fans an opportunity to play and socialize, but the money raised goes to two very good causes. On this beautiful parcel, the LaMonicas have established the Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that serves the community at large throughout Maryland and other surrounding states. So part of the money raised helps to support the center, while the rest goes toward a more personal cause for founder Mike LaMonica and many of the Maryland alums. The Dick Edell Gift Trust is a fund set up to help "Big Man," the legendary and beloved Terps coach afford some of the costs associated with the illness myositis, the swelling and loss of muscle, due to largely unknown causes.

The LaMonica family have long allowed their lovely Genesse Valley property to be used for lacrosse events. Some of the best college teams have played fall tournaments under the big sky and among the rolling hills. The area is some of Maryland's finest terrain and it's just outside Baltimore. It was Mike LaMonica who thought of bringing alumni teams to the perfect setting and turning it into a tournament. Last year was the first and it was a blast. Towson Alumni was the strongest team with the Spencer Ford-Bugsy Combs-Hunter Lochte combination in effect and they come in as the team to beat this fall. Last year, everybody had a great time playing and stayed around for a while enjoying refreshments and talking to old friends and opponents.

The men's teams participating this year are Maryland, Virginia, Towson, UMBC and the NCAA All-Stars. The women's teams are Maryland, Penn State, Temple, Towson and the NCAA All-Stars. Both the men's and women's NCAA All-Star squads are open to those who want to play but couldn't get their respective alumni squads together. So you can still play no matter where you went to school.

And you can still get in, if you act fast. If you are interested in playing, please email your name/position/college/year graduated to Mike LaMonica at info@alumnilacrosse.com. You must have attended the school for at least one year to play. The play is excellent so fans should feel welcome too. Bring a blanket and sit on the hill. I'll be right there with you.

If you miss the tournament but just want to help coach Edell, I encourage donations to:

Dick Edell Gift Trust (Make checks payable to: Dick Edell Gift Trust)

Send checks to:

Dave Slafkosky
214 Rosewood Ave
Catonsville, MD 21228
or email: daveslaf@umd.edu

Posted by John Weaver at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The two international governing bodies of lacrosse, the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations and the International Federation of Lacrosse (men’s) have merged to form the Federation of International Lacrosse. The merger was completed at meetings during the European Lacrosse Championships in Lahti, Finland just last month.

Our E-Lacrosse reporter Ken Galluccio, an international lacrosse pioneer, referee and FIL insider sends the following report:

"Here it is and off we go, into the baby blue yonder... the official color of the new united organization, FIL, is to be "UN blue" (Pantone PMS 279), and by the way, a new logo is still needed. Anyone who feels up to the job can submit an entry for consideration and if your design is chosen you will get a few hundred bucks for your trouble, plus VIP treatment at the next major world lacrosse event of your choice -- either the senior women's world cup in Prague 2009, or the men's games in Manchester 2010.

(Editor's note: In case of interest e-mail Ken at goochtoo@hotmail.com and he'll pass you on from there)

The president of the new organization, Feffie Barnhill, is no stranger to international lacrosse, having coached Scotland for many years, and is of course a regular in the circles in and around US Lacrosse. Feffie is joined at the helm by Stan Cockerton, who aside from his many years of dedicated service for the ILF, also shot the game-winning goal in Canada's first World Games win over the USA in 1978.

Shelley Maher, from Down Under, will take up the role as women's director. Tom Hayes has simply renamed his already very successful joint development committee and re-upped for another round of boldly going to new lacrosse frontiers as its chairman, and the honorable Ron Balls of England, longtime ILF Competitions Chair will keep a tab on the kitty. And if any of you were wondering "Just where is Jack these days?," look no further -- the legendary Coach Emmer has agreed to head up FIL's men's lacrosse division as director.

A party was held to mark the occasion and honor IFWLA immediate past president Fiona Clark and ILF immediate past president Peter Hobbs, both of Oz and both tirelessly dedicated to their work for their respective organizations, but also more importantly in this case, united in their vision and understanding to combine them as well. The unification took years to complete, and was carefully planned out and staged by the Unification Committee. The result is a milestone and at the same time a stepping stone."

My thanks to Ken for this report.

Contributions and photos by Ken Galluccio

Posted by John Weaver at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Question: In the NCAA Lacrosse 2008 Men's Rules and Interpretations book there's a rule:

"A.R. 16. The mesh weaving of a crosse must be of one color. Any attempt to mislead
an opponent, such as painting a ball, etc., into the weaving is illegal. RULING:
Unsportsmanlike conduct, three-minute nonreleasable penalty."

Now my teammates and I were wondering if this also means that it's NOT allowed to use
colored shooting strings other than the mesh color? Thanks for your time... E-Lacrosse Rules! - Den Haag Lacrosse

Answer: For those who don't know, Den Haag is Dutch for The Hague, which is the seat of administrative government for the Netherlands, while Amsterdam is the constitutional capital. The Hague is also the home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). If you follow current events -- and you should -- you already know that war criminals from Serbia were tried there recently. The Hague is the third largest city in Holland and a lacrosse town now! Holland is just returning from the European Lacrosse Championships where they stunned the continent with a silver medal. You can see by the question that the Dutch are trying to follow NCAA rules. They are avid followers of NCAA lacrosse and I'd give them a few years, but we will see homegrown Dutch players on NCAA teams soon enough. The Dutch team was bolstered this year by North Carolina goalie Grant Zimmerman, who is a Baltimore kid (Gilman) with Dutch parents.

To answer the question, I have to be honest. This rule was put in place because of me. That's right. Well, me and a few other guys I knew who were selling mesh a few years back that was dyed red and blue with a ball-sized white dot on them, so it looked like every player had the ball all the time. We thought it was clever and figured we’d rule the world. We were congratulated by everyone we knew as they told us we could no longer play with the pockets. We got a big pat on the back and a kick in the... . I was actually close to a deal with a big retailer to sell the pockets when I got a call from the actual NCAA rules committee chairman, who was very pleasant but explained the spirit of the new rule and I understood. So I am perhaps the expert on this topic. But, just to be sure, I enlisted help from longtime referee, Mike Ventura. Mike officiated for the Canada vs. Iroquois world indoor final last year and has been a quality official for as long as I can remember. He’s not that old. I just have a fading memory.

Mike agrees with me that the rule only applies to the mesh or pocket material itself and really only in the case where deception is attempted. Many white mesh pockets become a combination of white, brown and black after some tough use and muddy games. No one is examining pockets for that type of color difference. Bleach a ball-sized white spot in the middle and see if they don’t toss that stick immediately. It’s about the intent to deceive. It does not limit stringing creativity. Many college players have colored shooters or sidewalls and this is also not illegal. But Mike also says to check the ILF (FIL, as of last week) rulebook for international play, but a colored shooter or sidewall is fine in the NCAA. Mike also said that the new stick check rule in the NCAA makes these types of deceptions impossible to get away with. He says that loose string length is the big infraction now and keeping those strings under the two-inch limit is the key to not running afoul of him in a game.

The best deceptive stringing tactic is perfectly legal and is well-known. Goalies will tell you it makes a difference. The trick is shooting a white ball out of an all-white mesh with white stringing. It's just bit harder to see who has the ball when the whole team carries a white pocket and it's harder to read the shot out of a white pocket than it is from a pocket with brown leathers or a red mesh. If you are playing with a red mesh, you are not a deceptive shooter.

Posted by John Weaver at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Question: I am just starting lacrosse. I just bought a pre-strung stick and there is a tail of extra mesh. Should I just leave it, or cut it off? E-Lacrosse rocks!! - Dominic

Answer: Dominic -- Thanks for the kind words. You can cut some off. Just make sure that the pocket is broken in and throws just the way you like it before you cut. When you cut, leave at least a couple of good rows of diamonds in tact between the row used for the bottom string and the row you cut. It is important to note that to preserve the diamond you need to cut below the bottom point, not on it. As the pocket gets stretched, you may one day want to tighten it, which could mean going up a row of diamonds on the bottom stringing but rarely, if ever, would you need to move those strings down a diamond. Just be sure it’s where you like it before you cut anything.

Posted by John Weaver at 1:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Question: I was just wondering if I went to a college that had a lacrosse team, is it still possible to join? Even though I wasn't offered a scholarship or something? If it's a stupid question, sorry! - T.J.

Answer: T.J., That’s not a stupid question at all. Many schools that have varsity programs have some “walk-ons” try out for the team. Now, not too many make the Hopkins or Syracuse squads. But I would say that many teams have a walk-on player or two. I spoke to Binghamton head coach Ed Stephenson and he gave me many more details on walk-on opportunities at Division I schools. Binghamton is familiar to those in Baltimore as they are in the America East conference along with UMBC. Ed may be familiar to many in Baltimore because he was a star defenseman at Dulaney High School and then Towson before coaching at Towson, UMBC, Hobart and then Binghamton.

Some schools have a roster cap and that means that walk-ons are only needed if attrition leaves the team heading into the fall or spring season knowing they won’t reach the cap with the recruited players they have on campus. Some kids drop out, transfer, need to hit the books or whatever, but a spot isn’t filled and tryouts for those spots are held. Ed said that it sounds like a rarity, but most years something happens and there’s an opening.

Many schools have no cap and they may hold tryouts every year for walk-ons. The key is to walk on, but not be a stranger. Call the coach before the season and ask them if there are walk-ons. He may not know yet, but they will all be honest with you about the chances of tryouts occurring or making the team generally. Remember, he doesn’t know you’re all that, so he will be skeptical about your chances and rightfully so.

Making the team is a different story. It’s much harder to be noticed because they did not recruit you, but it is not totally impossible. Be prepared. Show up in great shape and hustle your butt off. Be the ground ball guy on top of everything else you do well. That is something they cannot ignore. It will be every little thing adding up that makes you the guy. And quite often, they only need one guy.

This year at Binghamton, Stephenson had one open spot. Eight players showed interest. All were in previous contact with the team. It’s not like you just walk on, by the way. After the proper NCAA forms and clearances were completed and physicals were given, Binghamton was down to five trying out for one spot. By today, after only a few one-hour sessions, there are two young men fighting for that spot. The three cut were, in the Stephenson's words, “fine players." One was an all-county player from a great lacrosse hotbed.

But Stephenson also says to “be yourself.” A walk-on player doesn’t have to be a support guy or just a hustle guy. Two years ago, Stephenson had a walk-on score eight or nine goals for the team. He also said that a walk-on player, once he makes the team, is just a player. He is still just as responsible to make grades, curfews, meals and adhere to whatever requirements the rest of the team follows.

I asked if there was any stigma attached to being a walk-on once you make the team and Stephenson said there was not. They may respect the effort more, but otherwise the walk-on player is welcomed by the team and treated like any other player. Stephenson said that once you’ve made the team, you are equal, but before that, you are not. If there is no opening, there are no tryouts at most roster-capped schools and a walk-on wouldn’t likely bump a recruited player, even at a school with no roster cap. But they can keep both if they want.

It is important to call ahead to the coach before planning a walk-on in any case and at any school. If you are heading off to an NCAA DI, DII or DIII institution or a school with a college club program in the MCLA or NCLL, it is best to communicate before just showing up to even an advertised tryout. If you communicate early enough, you can really get a good impression of the scenario before it’s too late to sign up for the school’s club team, intramural league or even a local club team. You can play some kind of lacrosse at almost any college in America these days!

Posted by John Weaver at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)