Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Thursday, Aug. 17

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

1. The San Diego Royals are a college box lacrosse dynasty.

Marquez White (Princeton) leaped to block a shot with 15 seconds left, dodged five defenders out of a timeout and scored his second goal on an empty net to lift the Royals to an 8-6 victory over the Rochester Hawkeyes in the National Collegiate Box Series championship game Wednesday at the Utica Nexus Center in Utica, N.Y.

CHAMPIONSHIP. WINNING. PLAYS.

What a Soak pic.twitter.com/IGzrEQIO1n

— Austin Owens (@_AustinOwens) August 16, 2023

Miles Botkiss (Harvard) scored three goals for the Royals, who have won three straight NCBS titles. The four-day event featured six teams comprised primarily of current American college players competing in summer box leagues in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Upstate New York.

Zachary Terry (Limestone) scored five goals for the Hawkeyes, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 27 goals in five games. Both teams were unbeaten entering the final.

MARQUEZ WHITE SEALS IT! THREE-PEAT FOR THE ROYALS
@NCBS_Lacrosse 2023 Champions!!! pic.twitter.com/bXiN4eubLf

— USBOXLA (@USBOXLA) August 16, 2023

2. The Western Lacrosse Association finals got underway Wednesday at Queens Park Arena in New Westminster, British Columbia.

The Langley Thunder defeated the New Westminster Salmonbellies 11-9 to claim Game One in the best-of-seven series, the winner of which will meet the Major Series Lacrosse champion in the Mann Cup for Canada’s national box lacrosse title.

The Thunder scored six unanswered goals to take a 6-1 lead they never relinquished. Robert Church led the way with four goals and four assists. Curtis Dickson added three goals and three assists. Frank Scigliano made 42 saves.

3. Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson took in a Premier Lacrosse League game over the weekend and expanded on his lacrosse fandom during a press conference Wednesday at Broncos training camp.

"I grew up watching lacrosse a lot..."

Russell Wilson shares his takeaways from last weekend's @PremierLacrosse games in Denver

(via @Broncos) pic.twitter.com/LNgwD9xkY1

— TLN (@LacrosseNetwork) August 16, 2023

Wilson is a 2007 of the Collegiate School in Virginia, where he befriended current Christopher Newport coach and Cannons assistant Mikey Thompson.

4. Siena women’s lacrosse coach Abigail Rehfuss is leaving to become an assistant coach at Syracuse, the school announced Wednesday.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• From the PLL, a study on Charlie Bertrand’s signature salute celebration that made an appearance at the world championship with USA earlier this summer and Brendan Krebs’ journey from pro lacrosse afterthought to Whispnakes savior.

• From Pelham Today, how lacrosse propelled National Lacrosse Hall of Famer Mike French from small-town Niagara to big-city Philadelphia.

• From the Cape Gazette, a recap of the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic masters (35 and older) division championship featuring some familiar names. Dogfish Head defeated ECD Lacrosse 10-2 in the final.

• From Press Box, 10 questions with Katie Detwiler, the Athletes Unlimited rookie and former All-American defender at Loyola.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

The PLL throwback theme carried through to its weekly vlog series hosted by RJ Kaminski. This week’s recap was filmed with an old-school VHS camcorder.

Behind the scenes of Whipsnakes VS Chaos in Denver...

VHS edition pic.twitter.com/uaNtYTtl3D

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) August 16, 2023

WHAT’S ON TAP

Beth Ann Mayer checks in on Florida women’s lacrosse at the end of what’s been an eventful summer for the program.

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