If you build it, will they come?

For the Maryland Lacrosse League, a new men’s masters league for players age 30 and older, the answer has been a resounding yes.

“I’ve been running a team for the last seven or eight years, and in the county leagues, the end of the season was disappointing,” founder Colin Fagan said. “At the end of the year, you might or might not even have a championship, maybe get a t-shirt. I wanted to create a championship experience that felt special for all teams.

“Creating a post-collegiate lacrosse league that represented and fostered the values I found lacking elsewhere is something I’ve wanted to do for several years. Now, things have finally all fallen into place and I was able to make this dream a reality with the debut of the Maryland Lacrosse League.”

Fagan has used his connections to create memorable experiences on the field and off the field. He’s worked to secure quality venues for the regular season and set up relationships with bars, distilleries, restaurants and breweries for the players to enjoy the social aspects related to the sport. One of the league’s restaurant sponsors, Charles Village Pub in Towson, has been a regular watering hole after games. They developed creative specials that made it a fun spot for people to get together after games.

The league has also partnered with charity organizations, including working with Parkville Adaptive Lacrosse for the recent Shootout for Soldiers event in Baltimore. Upcoming is the Red, White and Blue Summer Classic on July 13 at Troy Park in Elkridge, Md., to benefit several charities.

“We are pleased to be working with Parkville Adaptive Lacrosse, the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Greater Maryland, and MY ALL — Maryland Youth & Adult Leadership & Learning — for this tournament,” Fagan said. ”We have over 25 teams coming together and divisions include an Elite, 30-plus, 40+ and Ladies Division. Teams will be playing for one of these charities throughout the day. Every time your team wins a game, your charity gets a point. The winning charity gets 50 percent of what is raised, and the other two charities will get 25 percent each.”

The inaugural season for the Maryland Lacrosse League’s 30+ division, which featured more than 200 players on 10 teams, will come to an end this weekend with the championship tournament taking place on Tierney Field at US Lacrosse headquarters.

Six teams will compete in the Championship Bracket — Koopers, Eastciders, McFaul’s, Shamrocks, Mr. Boh and Skipjacks, while Old Line, Full Tilt, CVP and Crooked Crab will compete in the Beer Division.

The season has more than met Fagan’s expectations.

“People that haven’t played in five to six years are saying, ‘This is awesome, its great to be back out here,’” Fagan said. “Everyone is getting excited with that playoff-type vibe where you get a chance to be in that environment where it’s win or go home.”

The winning team this weekend gets a free entry in the Red, White and Blue Summer Classic.

The games start at 9 a.m. Saturday, with the semifinals set for 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., followed by the championship game at 4:30 p.m. The semifinals and championship will all be streamed live on the league’s Facebook page.

The season will be far from over after the weekend, however. The league will have a second summer session starting July 13 with its summer tournament and the 30+ league will hold an all-star game on July 20 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in conjunction with the Chesapeake-New York Major League Lacrosse game. The 40+ division just opened its season and will hold its championship on Johns Hopkins’ Homefield Field in early August.  

“It’s safe to say this is no ordinary league, and we are excited to see where this is headed,” Fagan said.