Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Monday, Jan. 9

Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. An unlikely story in tonight’s CFP championship game.

Former Navy lacrosse player and now TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges is about an unlikely a star as you could find in tonight’s College Football Playoff championship game. The Washington Post with a terrific look at his journey.

2. Celebration in Colorado.

Colorado raised its NLL championship banner on Saturday night and then capped off the evening with a 9-8 victory over rival Calgary. Rochester remained unbeaten (3-0) atop the East with a 17-9 win over Panther City on Friday night behind six assists from Curtis Knight while San Diego stayed perfect (4-0) out west with a 16-11 win over Vancouver on Saturday. Wes Berg had seven assists for the Seals and Austin Staats had four goals and three assists.

Hang it proudly, Loud House!

Your 2022 NLL Champions, @MammothLax. pic.twitter.com/7cuBeXfUsT

— NLL (@NLL) January 8, 2023

3. A final run for the legend.

Hall of Fame coach Bill Tierney announced late last week that he was retiring after the 2023 season at Denver. Patrick Stevens reflects on a once-in-a-lifetime career.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Tom Hall, the architect of the highly-successful Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) boys’ high school program died on Friday morning. Hall won more than 450 games in his career, was inducted into the USA Lacrosse Upstate New York Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.

• Bruce Ikeda, the co-founder of the Conestoga (Pa.) Youth Lacrosse program, died on Wednesday at the age of 63 after battling cancer. Ikeda’s three sons played NCAA Division I lacrosse after beginning their career in the Conestoga program.

• Lacrosse Bucket breaks down the schedule for reigning NCAA Division I men’s champion Maryland.

• Speaking of Maryland’s men’s lacrosse team, sophomore Dante Trader, a starting safety for the Terps football team, has started practicing with the lacrosse program after only playing football his first year in College Park.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Connor Robinson with a five-spot in Colorado’s win over Calgary on Saturday night..

And here's to you, Connor Robinson...

What a night for Robinson as the Mammoth take down the Roughnecks 9-8
5G
1A
7SOG

HIGHLIGHTS pic.twitter.com/cDyLZrLRUg

— NLL (@NLL) January 8, 2023

WHAT’S ON TAP

• We begin our season previews of the Top 20 teams in Division I lacrosse, starting with our No. 20 teams — Richmond (women) and Saint Joseph’s (men).

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