Professional PLL
06:00 PM
Jul 19
Phi
Den
Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Albany is the last of the unbeatens in Division I men’s lacrosse after it topped previously undefeated Vermont 21-5 in their America East opener and Georgetown lost to Drexel 15-10 also on Saturday. The Great Danes are riding the wave since defeating defending NCAA champion Maryland on March 10.
MEN'S WEEKEND NOTES
Saturday Early Roundup
Saturday Late Roundup
Sunday Roundup
“We talked in the locker room about coming off a big win against Maryland, going one of two ways, being complacent or being ready to play against a good Vermont team,” Albany coach Scott Marr said. “I was proud of my team for getting themselves prepared this week and playing from start to finish.”
“They’re No. 1 in the country for a reason. I think they’re truly the best team,” Vermont coach Chris Feifs added.
Great day 'On the Banks'! Look back at the #RUMLax win over Syracuse: pic.twitter.com/LNnIpzvQOU
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) March 18, 2018
Also of note, for the first time since 2004, Rutgers downed its old Big East rival Syracuse 14-10. The 2004 season was also the last time the Scarlet Knights made the NCAA tournament.
Plus, Maryland’s Connor Kelly joined legendary Frank Urso as the only Maryland midfielders with 100 career goals after scoring three goals and adding two assist in the Terps’ 13-11 win over Villanova.
Goal for Connor Kelly!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/hy8GLKzQxT
— Maryland Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) March 18, 2018
2. The four undefeated teams in Division I women stay undefeated – No. 1 Stony Brook (7-0 with 13-8 win over Towson), No. 2 James Madison (8-0 with 14-9 win over Richmond), No. 4 Boston College (10-0 with 19-10 win over Louisville) and No. 9 Penn (7-0 with 15-11 win over Duke).
WOMEN'S WEEKEND NOTES
Friday Roundup
Saturday Roundup
Sunday Roundup
Highlights of the weekend include a wild overtime goal for Maeve McMahon to lift USC to an 8-7 win over Colorado in a battle at the top of the Pac-12, which was followed by another Trojan victory over Oregon in extra time.
.@KaeliHuff had herself a day! She scores goals in @USCTrojansLax's victory over Colorado.#Pac12Lax pic.twitter.com/2fqdtpMHby
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) March 17, 2018
There were also program record-breaking performances for Boston College’s Dempsey Arsenault (12 draw controls against the Cardinals) and North Carolina’s Ela Hazar (eight assists in 18-13 win over Northwestern), plus another standout show for Seawolves senior Kylie Ohlmiller with seven goals.
Also of note, Florida survived a scare from Vanderbilt, Cornell escaped UMass in overtime, Navy avoided the upset bug with a win over Colgate, Michigan defeated Ohio State to start Big Ten play strong and Temple slipped past Denver with a one-goal victory to open its Big East schedule.
One, two, you know what to do! #Hail #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Ky3v7xN1fm
— Michigan Women’s Lacrosse (@UMichWLAX) March 17, 2018
3. In Division III women, Geneseo, now 4-0, has an “all-in” mentality after nearly missing a third straight bid to the NCAA tournament in 2016 and having an average 9-9 season last year.
“The players made up their minds in the fall what they wanted to accomplish,” Geneseo coach Carly Ritchlin said. “We got a taste a few years ago, now we want to get back to the NCAA tournament.
Plus, there will be a new No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse rankings as No. 14 Wesleyan stunned former No. 1 TCNJ 7-6 on Wednesday.
4. The No Bounce ball is the latest breakthrough for Guardian Innovations, which makes The Pearl, the official ball of US Lacrosse.
The new ball may be preferred for indoor play. It has the same size, weight and softness as the regular Pearl, but less bounce and rebound due to its lower coefficient of restitution. It is not an option for field play as it does not meet the current NOCSAE standard.
“We rolled these out at LaxCon and they have been very well received,” said Tony Plagman, sales manager at Guardian Innovations. “They are a great option for indoor play and practice because there is so much less ricochet involved. That’s the main market.”
5. The NLL saw some exciting action over the weekend. On Friday, the Rush and Rock emerged victorious, 16-10 over Buffalo and 14-9 over New England, respectively. On Saturday, the Roughnecks escaped the Knighthawks with a one-goal win, 14-13, and Colorado dealt the Stealth a 13-10 loss. On Sunday, the Swarm flew past Buffalo 14-10.
What! @Hallsy44 with an incredible between the legs behind the back goal #NLL #BUFvsGA #sctop10 @ESPNAssignDesk @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/CG4zYTTVLY
— NLL (@NLL) March 18, 2018