Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Chrome LC and Archers LC both improved to 2-0 in the PLL Championship Series.
The Matt Gaudet sideshow continued Tuesday, as the Chrome’s rookie attackman reportedly requested not to wear a microphone after drawing both praise and ire on social media for his audible chirping in the team’s opener. As expected, the Redwoods went after him, including an ugly episode in which defenseman Garrett Epple crosschecked him twice in the head.
Chrome took advantage of the extra-man opportunities, jumped out to an 11-4 lead and then held off a late Redwoods surge to win 12-11.
In the other game Tuesday, the Archers suffocated Waterdogs LC in the second half, limiting the expansion team to just one goal in the last 24 minutes en route to a 9-7 victory.
The subliminal connection between rookie attackman Grant Ament and veteran midfielder Tom Schreiber was on display when Ament spun a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Schreiber cutting down the right alley in the third quarter. Schreiber also scored the go-ahead goal, as Archer overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit.
The PLL also announced that Atlas-Waterdogs thriller Sunday, which aired on NBC, had a total audience delivery of 341,000, making it the second-most watched outdoor pro lacrosse game in history and the third-most watched pro lacrosse game in 15 years.
2. New Hampton lacrosse coach Chazz Woodson felt compelled to come home. Woodson, who grew up in nearby Norfolk, Va., has the lacrosse community buzzing about the potential of the only Division I program from a historically black college or university to recruit top black players and become a force in a sport which has undergone its own racial reckoning in light of social unrest around the country.
3. WPLL Command defender Julia Braig presented her five-star footwork drill and mechanics as part of our interactive and expanded “How To” series that ran in the July/August digital-only edition of US Lacrosse Magazine.