Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Thursday, May 11
Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. The NCAA tournament is officially under way.
All three men’s tournaments kicked off Wednesday night, with Delaware uncorking 25 goals in the Division I play-in game to throttle Marist. The 25 goals are the second-most in a tournament game in history, trailing only Syracuse’s 28 goals against Michigan State in 1991.
Patrick Stevens with more on the game.
In Division II, every lower seed won in the first round. The underdogs had their day, and now neither team from last year’s national championship game is alive any longer.
Adelphi, Saint Anselm, Lenoir-Rhyne and UIndy are all moving on to the quarterfinals. More here.
In Division III, six first-round games brought little drama. The winners advance to Saturday’s action to play a collection of the tournament’s top seeds. More here.
2. Le Moyne, the top seed in the D-II men’s tournament, is on the move.
The college announced Wednesday that it will move to Division I for the 2023-24 school year, becoming the latest lacrosse power to make the jump. The school will participate in the Northeast Conference, meaning the men’s team will have to find a different conference after the NEC was disbanded after last year.
3. Keeping with Division II, we announced All-Americans yesterday.
Le Moyne, Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne, Rollins and Tampa all placed five men’s players on the All-American list, but it was Mercy that led the pack with six selections. Men’s All-Americans are here.
Our women’s All-Americans were dominated by West Chester and Tampa — both programs received two first-team nods and five overall selections. Women’s All-Americans are here.
4. USA Lacrosse named the staff for the U.S. U20 women’s team.
It’s a star-studded staff under head coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller. Angela McMahon, the former UMass coach, will be the team’s manager. Tim McCormack (Johns Hopkins), Michelle Tumolo (Army) and Ann Elliott Whidden (Colorado) will serve as assistants.
5. The USA Lacrosse WCLA National Tournament is heating up.
Three of the four semifinal spots have been secured in Division II, where Denver Club overcame a sluggish start on Wednesday to beat Providence.
In Division I, the top four seeds are moving into the semifinals — but none of them coasted to easy victories Wednesday.
WHAT WE’RE READING
-
We named the USA Lacrosse High School Boys’ and Girls’ Players of the Week.
-
Zack Capozzi of Lacrosse Reference is back with Beyond the Basics, this time examining the early results of his Bracket Challenge and dissecting who the fan favorites are in each Division I tournament.
-
Marist was ousted Wednesday, but a bumpy past few years left veteran players on the roster savoring every second. By Patrick Stevens.
-
In our final Tewaaraton Stock Watch stories of the spring, Patrick Stevens and Charlotte Varnes dive into their finalist predictions. The Tewaaraton Foundation is expected to announce its finalists later today.
-
West Chester is playing to keep the memory and spirit of teammate Julia Rossi, who died suddenly in November, alive. By Joe Santoliquito for Inside Lacrosse.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
When JP Ward dodges, he leaves defensemen in his wake.
JP Ward dropping defenders and tying a school record for points in an @NCAALAX tournament game.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) May 11, 2023
DELAWARE CRUISING.
Blue Hens lead 22-7 in the play-in game. pic.twitter.com/ekV36wtJxg
WHAT’S ON TAP
-
“Taylor’s 10” and more content to gear you up for the weekend.
“DIALED IN” IS POSTED DAILY MONDAY-FRIDAY AT 8 A.M. EASTERN ON USALAXMAGAZINE.COM. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR A WEEKLY DIGEST DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX.
Kenny DeJohn
Kenny DeJohn has been the Digital Content Editor at USA Lacrosse since 2019. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.