Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Ireland Lacrosse drew widespread praise Thursday following the organization’s decision to withdraw from The World Games 2022 to make room for the Iroquois Nationals.
“When I got the call from World Lacrosse, I knew what they were going to ask before they even asked,” CEO Michael Kennedy said in an interview with Lax Sports Network. “I said, ‘Look guys, I’m going to make this very easy. We want the Iroquois to take up the position which is rightfully theirs.”
The Iroquois Nationals, who must still receive a formal invitation from the International World Games Association to the event in Birmingham, Ala., demonstrated their appreciation for the gesture by posting a green-and-orange version of their logo on social media. Ireland Lacrosse reciprocated, coloring its logo in Iroquois purple and yellow.
“We are storytellers,” the Iroquois Nationals said in a statement. “But today, we are without words as we contemplate the generosity of spirit shown by Ireland Lacrosse.”
Ireland Lacrosse noted that the expression on the back of its players’ helmets, “I dteannta a chéile,” means “together as one,” which has been the rallying cry of the Iroquois Nationals since they initially were told the Haudenosaunee Confederacy did not meet the Olympic eligibility criteria used by the IWGA.
It’s now that much likelier that the originators of the sport will be represented on the world stage in 2022. World Lacrosse and Ireland Lacrosse announced the decision Wednesday night.
2. Former UMass women’s lacrosse player Hannah Burnett, the first female full-time scout in New York Giants history, spoke to US Lacrosse Magazine about the milestone and how she has fulfilled her dream of working in the NFL.
3. Dan O’Connell, an overshadowed part of the Duke men’s lacrosse team’s incredible offseason haul, opened up about the atypical path that led the faceoff specialist to South Carolina, Holy Cross and ultimately Durham.
4. ESPN’s Anish Shroff opined on the five best NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse rivalries in the latest installment of our “5-and-5” series.