Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. It’s a 2020 rematch for this year’s Premier Lacrosse League title.
For the second year in a row, the Whipsnakes will meet the Chaos in a bout for the PLL championship belt — a matchup scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 19, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
The Whips, winners of the first two championships in league history, benefitted from a balanced attack to best the top-seeded Waterdogs on Sunday. The Chaos played up to their nickname against the Atlas, causing havoc in the midfield and transition.
For more on Sunday’s semifinals, check out the recap here.
2. Noelle Lambert has made history.
Running in the T63 category in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Lambert — the former UMass Lowell women’s lacrosse player — finished in sixth place with a time of 15.97 seconds. That time set a U.S. women’s record in the 100-meter T63, which is a classification based on the athletes’ level of impairment that featured above-knee amputees.
3. Molly Hendrick is joining Penn State as a volunteer assistant.
Hendrick, the former North Carolina star and a member of the U.S. women’s national team, joins Nikki Grote and Katrina Geiger as new additions to Missy Doherty’s staff.
4. Davis Sampere went from one intensity position to another.
The former High Point faceoff specialist now finds himself in the pit crew, working as a rookie tire carrier for Stewart-Haas Racing. Sampere grew up in NASCAR country in North Carolina, but he never attended a race until this summer.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Amy Appelt Slade was torching fields long before Charlotte North. Paul Ohanian tells her story ahead of her induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
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Jake Spallina has committed to Syracuse, where he’ll join his brother, Joey Spallina, the top recruit in last year’s class. Jake Spallina’s twin brother, Brett, has yet to announce his commitment.
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More on Jared Bernhardt’s incredible NCAA football debut last Thursday.
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Marist had about as tumultuous of a 2021 season as was possible, but Lacrosse Bucket’s Tanner Demling writes that the Red Foxes look ready to contend in the MAAC.
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Also from Demling: Expect Manhattan to take another leap forward this spring.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Michael Sowers scored a clutch fourth-quarter goal for the Waterdogs in his first game since Week 1. Even though the Waterdogs ultimately fell, it was a big moment for the rookie in his return to the field.
MICHAEL SOWERS STRIKES FOR THE WATERDOGS! pic.twitter.com/ianbcG6Ej9
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) September 5, 2021
Also from that game: Zed Williams is just so good.
That was very 2020 PLL Championship bubble of you, Zed. pic.twitter.com/B26JQOACfW
— TLN (@LacrosseNetwork) September 5, 2021
WHAT’S ON TAP
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To recognize the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we have several stories that capture the lives and legacies of the people, families and communities impacted most.