Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Delaware has its man. Inside Lacrosse last night reported, and the university this morning announced an 11 a.m. press conference to confirm, that the Blue Hens will hire former Harvard assistant coach Ben DeLuca as their new head coach, replacing the recently retired Bob Shillinglaw.
Sources: Ben DeLuca is set to become @DelawareMLAX's next head coach. (via @TerenceFoy) https://t.co/KKc2MyJSok
— Inside Lacrosse (@Inside_Lacrosse) May 24, 2017
Delaware is getting a veteran of the Division I coaching ranks. Prior to spending the last two years at Harvard, DeLuca served on John Danowski’s staff at Duke for two seasons. He landed at Duke after an 18-year affiliation with Cornell as a standout player and coach ended in controversy in November 2013. Following a final-four season and with a 37-11 three-year record atop his alma mater, the school dismissed him to conclude a turbulent fall in which it earlier canceled the Big Red’s fall playing schedule due to alcohol-related hazing.
With Cornell replacing Matt Kerwick with Peter Milliman on an interim basis, Michigan remains the lone big fish in the pool looking for a replacement coach.
2. The NCAA championships are just about here, and it’s the women’s turn for an A-Z Guide. Will Gillette Stadium give Boston College a home field advantage? That and more from Jeremy Fallis.
More from the women’s side: Megan Schneider previews the Navy-BC semifinal.
3. From the men’s side in Foxborough, Matt Hamilton takes a look at the Towson-Ohio State semifinal, a rematch of a frigid regular-season matchup in Towson won by the visiting Buckeyes.
4. The USILA yesterday announced its All-Americans for Division I, II and III, and the coaches that selected the honorees got brushback on some of their choices and omissions. Judging simply by Twitter, many questioned the selection of Notre Dame’s Sergio Perkovic over Princeton’s Zach Currier as a first-team defenseman.
Currier in 2017: 58pts,130GB,56%FO
— Christian Swezey (@SwezeyLacrosse) May 24, 2017
Doug Shanahan for Hofstra in '01: 56pts,125GB,56%FO
Shanahan was 1st team all-American, won Tewaaraton
Perkovic making First Team AA over Zach Currier is one of the bigger jokes in a long time https://t.co/RAeSSCsWx0
— Jake Nazar (@ATVS_JakeNazar) May 24, 2017
Who is the First Team All American?
— Quint Kessenich (@QKessenich) May 24, 2017
(23g 9a) 0 CT 11GBs for a 9-6 team
(24g 34a) 21CT 130GBs for a 9-6 team
5. The Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association released its season-ending polls yesterday. MCLA champions Grand Canyon (Division I) and Concordia-Irvine (Division II) finished atop their respective polls.
What We're Reading
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US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen, a former national champion at North Carolina in the early 1980s, authored a blog on under-appreciated success at this time of year for Paul Rabil’s website.
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Reeths-Puffer (Mich.) is making a run in the state’s Division 2 tournament thanks in part to new career scoring leader Connor Weessies, who has put his hockey skills to obvious good work.
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The Jerusalem Post has more on the Israel Lacrosse Association’s winning bid to host the 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse Men’s World Championship. Somewhat related, the FIL has hired its first executive director.
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More from an international perspective, as the U.S. indoor men's team is getting an infusion of talent as it prepares for a fall exhibition against standard-bearer Canada and for the 2019 FIL World Indoor Championship.
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Delmarva Now takes a look at the coaches that will do battle in the NCAA Division III men's final.
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Thoughts and prayers with the family and friends of Keshon Kerns, a student and lacrosse player at Southwest DeKalb (Ga.) who was shot to death in his driveway early Sunday morning. Very sad.
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The Medway (Mass.) boys’ team honored alum Sean Peters, who passed away late last month due to complications from Type I diabetes. Peters played for UMass-Dartmouth after graduating from Medway in 2013.
What We're Watching
A tough home schedule for the Gilford (N.H.) girls’ team concluded Tuesday with pregame memorial to Ava Doris, a goalie for the school’s lacrosse and field hockey squads. Doris was killed in a car crash during a March snowstorm. WMUR-TV reported on the team’s home finale and its support of the Doris family.
What's On Tap
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Amidst the hoopla of the NCAA championships, the professional ranks continue to make news. Check back here at USLaxMagazine.com for a preview of Sunday's Major League Lacrosse draft. And the National Lacrosse League’s Georgia Swarm continue to stir up Atlanta in preparation for next week’s Champion’s Cup Series against Saskatchewan.
Frenchy is ready for Game 1 of the #ChampionsCup
— Georgia Swarm (@GeorgiaSwarmLAX) May 24, 2017
https://t.co/oUWdfpjitD@JeffFrancoeur | #WeMakinNoise pic.twitter.com/818vQXupbW
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The historic US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament hits Yale this weekend, and Brian Logue will have your full coverage.