Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. There was no NLL action this week, but the Rochester Knighthawks are rising.

Adam Levi writes for NLL.com about the Knighthawks, in their second season of play, are showing signs of turning the corner. A 2-10 debut season (that was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic) left little to be desired, but a 16-7 win last weekend showed the steps the franchise is taking to win.

At 2-1, maybe Rochester can even push for a playoff spot.

Read more here.

2. 2021 was the year of Charlotte North.

Raucous crowds, unreal highlights and even winning seemed to follow the Boston College superstar seemingly everywhere she went this year. There’s probably more coming in 2022.

Nelson Rice summarizes North’s monumental season and impact on the sport and celebrates the Tewaaraton Award winner’s accomplishments here.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Can Towson climb back to the top of the CAA? Lacrosse Bucket’s Tanner Demling examines the Tigers’ prospects.

• Demling also writes about the beginnings of the Gary Gait era with the Syracuse men’s team.

• Marc Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram examines the intricate lives led by NLL players, who often work second jobs and travel incredible distances to play the game they love.

• Inside Lacrosse with a snapshot of Ohio State’s men’s lacrosse schedule.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

A young Mac O’Keefe fan gets his wish.

Santa is coming in CLUTCH this year @MacOKeefe3

/lrquags pic.twitter.com/1HqxzfINkh

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) December 25, 2021

nc src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">

WHAT’S ON TAP

• We release our Division I Men’s and Women’s Preseason Top 20 rankings today.

“DIALED IN” IS POSTED DAILY MONDAY-FRIDAY AT 8 A.M. EASTERN ON USALAXMAGAZINE.COM. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR A WEEKLY DIGEST DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX.