Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Sam Apuzzo was the hero for undefeated Boston College against Syracuse on Thursday night. With the game tied 12-12 time ticking down, Apuzzo got a pass from Taylor Walker and scored with 1.7 seconds left while falling away from the cage to seal the ACC regular season title and an unbeaten regular season.
What a game.
UNDEFEATED. @BCwlax escapes @CuseWLAX 13-12 on Apuzzo's heroic game-winning goal with just 1.7 seconds left. Assist from Walker. Eagles finish regular season 17-0 for best mark in program history. @Tewaaraton pic.twitter.com/a9TnNGWmyd
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 19, 2018
Apuzzo led the way for Boston College with five goals, and Tess Chandler chipped in a hat trick.
The first half was full of runs, as the Eagles started off with three goals, followed by three from Syracuse and then four-goal runs by both teams. Chandler scored late in the half to give Boston College the 8-7 lead into the break.
Walker and Emma Schurr added goals out of halftime to move the lead to 10-7. However, the Orange scored five of the next six to take the 12-11 lead with 5:19 left thanks to a three goals from Mary Rahal.
Apuzzo tied the game at 12-12 with 3:11 remaining and finished it off at the end of regulation. Boston College wins the ACC, while Syracuse remains unbeaten at 0-6.
Oh yeah ... we got this shiny new toy tonight, too! pic.twitter.com/X99Ar6mt0I
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax) April 20, 2018
In the other significant Division I women’s game on Thursday, Megan Whittle added to her now Maryland-record goal count with five tallies in a 13-8 win over Penn State at College Park. Grace Griffin added five points for the No. 2 Terps, which improve to 15-1 and 5-0 in Big Ten play.
Megan Whittle easily runs by everyone, leading @MarylandWLax to a 13-8 win over @PennStateWLAX with a team-high 5G in @bigten play. Grace Griffin added 5PTs for Terps. #NCAAWLAX pic.twitter.com/vTgV35FcQj
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 20, 2018
Griffin and Penn State’s Katie O’Donnell had two goals in the first half, a tightly contested affair that ended with a 5-3 Maryland lead when Whittle scored with 28 seconds left.
Whittle dropped three more goals early in the second half, helping the Terps push the lead to 9-3 out of the break. The lead got as high as 11-4, before O’Donnell led the Nittany Lions on a four-goal run to make the game interesting.
Up 11-8 with less than four minutes left, Whittle scored her fifth to give Maryland some breathing room before holding on for the victory. O’Donnell finished with six goals for Penn State. Terps goalie Megan Taylor had seven saves.
2. James Madison is the best women’s program in the state of Virginia. In the past, the Dukes came behind the powerhouse just an hour over the Blue Ridge mountains — the Virginia Cavaliers.
With their 15-10 win over the three-time champion Cavaliers, the Dukes have staked their claim as the top team in the state. It was a goal set forth by coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe.
“We are looking to be the best team in Virginia,” she said. “No question about it, and you have to get through UVA to do that.”
3. Penn State created a buzz after knocking off Johns Hopkins for the first time ever. But coach Jeff Tambroni emphasized the need for his team to put the victory in perspective, knowing that the road ahead is just as tough, with Rutgers in Piscataway on Sunday night.
After struggling following Grant Ament’s absence, the Nittany Lions seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.
4. Charlotte Hounds coach Jim Stagnitta, who spent much of his career coaching in the college ranks, reflects on his journey to the MLL. When Outlaws GM Tony Seaman called him years ago to talk about an opportunity coaching in Denver, he was hesitant.
That conversation helped change the perceptions he had about the commitment of MLL players. He saw firsthand players wanting to be coached and yearning for an environment like their college days.
Stagnitta shares many stories from Outlaws days, which included the sacrifices made by players like Brendan Mundorf, Anthony Kelly and Lee Zink.
Also in MLL news, Phil Shore continued with his MLL previews, featuring the Florida Launch and Chesapeake Bayhawks.
For the Bayhawks, Dave Cottle returns to coaching with a team full of talent like Myles Jones and Lyle Thompson. Can they end their playoff drought?
The Launch will be trying to continue the momentum built from the surprise playoff run last season.
5. Jon Weiner, a. k. a. “Stugotz” on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, grew up in Port Washington, N.Y., a town with lacrosse in its DNA. He played through high school and set records at Clark University while in college.
Now a co-host on one of the nation’s most popular radio shows, Stugotz still tries to find time to give back to lacrosse. He coaches his daughter’s 2022 MadSkillz club team, and will contribute on a few ESPN lacrosse broadcasts this season.
He shares stories of his lacrosse past and present with US Lacrosse Magazine.