Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Another day, another bit of disappointing news for the Ivy league. TD Ierlan, statistically the most successful faceoff man in Division I history, has entered the transfer portal.
Ierlan confirmed the news to US Lacrosse Magazine after it was first reported by Inside Lacrosse. Citing increasing uncertainty about having a spring season at all, Ierlan chose to enter the portal to keep his options open.
With some conferences and teams ready to begin play within the next 10 days, the Ivy League has remained vague about its plans for spring competition.
More on the surprising news here.
2. Lindenwood checks in at No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Top 20.
The Lions return eight starters and had all the talent to contend for a national championship in 2020. They’re followed by Queens, Le Moyne, Adelphi and Indianapolis, respectively, in the top five.
Check out the full top 20 here.
3. No Pat Spencer? No problem.
Loyola, ranked No. 13 in our preseason top 20, had no problem finding offense without the all-time Greyhound great. But Charley Toomey wouldn’t mind a few more scoring options in 2021.
More from Patrick Stevens here.
4. Nobody knows where Rachel Matey will make her biggest impact. Not even James Madison.
Matey, the redshirt-sophomore who quite literally can do it all for the Dukes, will likely play all over the field at a handful of positions in the spring. She played mostly midfield in her first season then spent 2020 on the defensive side.
More about how Matey fits in with the No. 13 Dukes here.
5. Colin Clive, a 2013 Siena College graduate, needs the lacrosse community’s help.
Both of Colin’s parents tragically died in the past week within days of each other. He is an only child with no immediate family who has also been battling brain cancer for the past two years.
According to a GoFundMe that has raised $185,000 as of Wednesday night, Clive recently started an experimental treatment that is successfully fighting the metastatic cancer.
Learn more here.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Syracuse commit Chloe Jones is committed to the “grind for greatness,” by Samantha Croston in our January edition.
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Central Michigan assistant Katrina Reeves writes about the breadth of a coach’s influence in the latest IWLCA Behind the Whistle blog.
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Penn Athletics names the Lois S. Leitner Head Coach of Women’s Lacrosse in honor of alumnus’ mother.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
I’ve never seen a bench used like that before.
WHAT’S ON TAP
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Our preseason Nike/US Lacrosse rankings countdown continues with our No. 12 teams — the Denver women and the Ohio State men.