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

1. Major League Lacrosse confirmed the rumored news that it is moving to a single-entity league. The news was first reported by the Capital Gazette.

In addition, the league stated that it will undergo a “relocation of select teams” to help better position it for the future. Chris Jastrzembski of College Crosse reported Tuesday that the Atlanta Blaze will be relocating to Philadelphia.

The league also dropped the 2020 start date. It will debut on May 30, one day after the PLL opens its season in Boston.

2. Tragic news out of Saint Leo. The Tampa Bay Times reported that freshman goalie Blake Crownover died Wednesday in a single-vehicle accident in Pasco County, Fla. He was 19.

The freshman biology major from Windsor, Colo. was a member of the U.S. Air Force ROTC. He joined Saint Leo in the fall and was one of three goalkeepers on the roster.

3. Ohio State men's lacrosse brings back a wealth of offensive talent, including attackman Tre Leclaire. The senior sits just 39 goals away from being the program’s all-time leading scorer.

The Buckeyes check in at No. 13 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20.

4. Denver women’s lacrosse used its defense to succeed in 2019, but it could be the offense’s time to shine this season. Quintin Hoch-Bullen could be a star for the Pioneers this year.

Denver sits at No. 13 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20.

5. Sports betting and lacrosse?

The NLL announced an unprecedented partnership for the sport. The league is partnering with the sports betting brand BetMGM — a deal that will include betting lines distributed across NLL platforms.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Navy club, the 2019 WCLA Division II runner-up, leads the 2020 preseason rankings. Loyola club’s Kelly O’Krepkie was named the WCLA Division II Preseason Player of the Year.

• Navy’s starting center in football, Ford Higgins, picked up lacrosse again after a chance meeting with a fellow Midshipman. Now, he’s a member of Joe Amplo’s program.

• The Pac-12 Network announced the remainder of its broadcast schedule, which includes 18 women’s lacrosse games and a Utah men’s matchup with Furman.

• Thanks to Tallahassee native Lewis Langford and two open-minded coaches, Jacksonville and Colgate will bring Division I college lacrosse to Florida’s capital city.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

The PLL came to LaxCon and RJ did his thing.

Star-Studded LaxCon Lineup

@trevorbaptiste9
@JimStagnittaPLL
@guterball14
@rattmambo
@PaulRabil
@JNEU_XV AND @MylesJones_15

...and many more. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/r0fDBkTx97

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) January 16, 2020

Ori Miron, a lacrosse player out of Tel Aviv, Israel, keeps up with his stick work while serving for the country’s defense forces.

 

 

 

 

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Tel Aviv Lacrosse player Ori Miron keeping his stick skills fresh while serving in the Israel Defense Forces. #shoutoutot

A post shared by Israel Lacrosse Association (@israellacrosse) on Jan 15, 2020 at 7:59am PST

The Philadelphia Wings and US Lacrosse visited the Chester Arthur School in Philadelphia to give new sticks to students.

Leading up to #LaxCon2020, members of the @NLLwings and @USLacrosse visited the Chester Arthur School in Philadelphia to deliver brand new sticks to young students new to the game of lacrosse.

We are proud to grow the game together with our partner, the @NLLwings. pic.twitter.com/czwusMZSKT

— US Lacrosse (@USLacrosse) January 15, 2020

WHAT’S ON TAP

• No. 13 Cornell (men) and Stony Brook (women) are up next in our college preseason countdown.

• Two Kavanagh brothers, one weekend in Texas. The story drops today.

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