Professional PLL
06:00 PM
Jul 19
Phi
Den
Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. UConn athletic director David Benedict said “it makes a lot of sense” for the flagship university of a lacrosse-rich state to add the sport at the Division I men’s level, but financial and gender equity concerns currently preclude it from doing so, the Hartford Courant reported Tuesday.
The school’s biggest donor, Peter Werth, suggested during a recent press conference that “somebody ought to go down to Fairfield County and get some of these very rich people and have them come up with about $10 or $15 million to get a men’s lacrosse program in here. … Because I guarantee you if you get that going, within three years you’ll have a national championship.”
Benedict did not disagree, nor did he rule out the possibility. UConn, which has a club team that competes in the MCLA and a women’s team that has become more relevant in recent years, likely would need a major benefactor to back the program. JetBlue founder David Neeleman, who lives in New Canaan, Conn., is largely responsible for the $15.6 million endowment that allowed Utah to add men’s lacrosse to its varsity lineup beginning in 2019. Benedict said UConn also would have to add a women’s sport to maintain a 50-50 split in opportunities for male and female athletes, reflecting the student population.
“Most things can be taken care of with time and money,” Benedict said. “If we have the time and the money, we could probably find our way to a place where we were competing in Division I lacrosse.”
The NCAA men’s lacrosse championship weekend will be played at Rentschler Field, UConn’s football stadium, in 2021 and 2022. It will also be the site of the 2019 NCAA quarterfinals. UConn previously had a varsity men’s lacrosse program from 1966-1982.
2. Josh and Zach Currier have continued a tradition of Peterborough brother acts going pro. Neil Stevens delivered a feature on the Currier brothers, who faced off as foes for the first time when Rochester hosted Calgary during opening weekend of the National Lacrosse League season. Josh Currier (Virginia Wesleyan) is a second-year forward for the Knighthawks. Zach Currier (Princeton) was the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s NLL draft and plays defense/transition for the Roughnecks.
3. The Rochester Knighthawks are the NLL’s most improved team, Stevens writes in his weekly NLL notebook, thanks to what veteran forward Dan Dawson described as “a new vibe, a new culture, in our dressing room.” Rochester, which has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, is 2-0 and averaging 19 goals per game.