JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — Israel Lacrosse, an organization dedicated to the development of the sport of lacrosse in Israel, has been officially recognized by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) as an Associate Member.

“The Federation of International Lacrosse Board of Directors has voted to accept Israel as an Associate Member,” said FIL Director of Development Tom Hayes. “We are extremely happy to include Israel as a member of the international community of lacrosse playing nations.”

Israel is now eligible to participate in FIL international lacrosse competitions, including the 2014 Men’s World Championship which will be held at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado. The FIL also operates a Women’s World Cup, Men’s and Women’s U-19, and Men’s Indoor championship events.

“Our goal is to field a men’s team in 2014 and every FIL competition thereafter,” said Israel Lacrosse Director Scott Neiss. “We believe the national programs can fuel our developmental efforts to grow the sport here in Israel.”

Israel Lacrosse was formed in 2010 by Neiss, William Beroza and Howard Borkan. Israel is the 42nd country to be awarded FIL membership; with over 40 member countries, the FIL can now apply to join SportAccord, which puts lacrosse on the map with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). SportAccord requires a minimum of 40 member countries for Olympic consideration.

“If you’re not part of this group, you’re not getting into the Olympics,” said Hayes, who is targeting a 2020 or 2024 introduction of lacrosse. “We’re trying to take the steps to that now.”

Neiss, who splits his time living between New York and Tel Aviv, also serves as Deputy Commissioner of the North American Lacrosse League (NALL). He is heavily involved in the international lacrosse community, previously serving as a member of the management group of the United States men’s indoor lacrosse team, as well as a consultant for the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse program on special projects. A graduate of St. John’s University in New York, Neiss has experience on the professional outdoor lacrosse circuit, performing General Manager duties with the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) for two seasons.

Beroza, who will serve as head coach of Israel at the 2014 Men’s World Championship, is a member of both the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. An All-American from Roanoke College, Beroza was a three-time member of Team USA (1978, 1982 and 1986), winning gold as a goaltender and team captain in 1982. He also served as an assistant coach for Team USA in 1998, and coached Long Island Lacrosse Club for six seasons, winning three championships. Prior to coaching LILC, he played 10 seasons, winning six championships. He has played professionally for the New York Saints and Detroit Turbos, and currently serves as an assistant coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.

“I’m delighted to team up with Scott and Howard, two committed individuals that have the same passion I do for bringing lacrosse to Israel,” said Beroza. “We all look forward to coming to Denver in July of 2014 and standing proudly with the other 39 teams, realizing this amazing dream.”

Borkan, who will serve as the General Manager of Israel Lacrosse, has been involved in the sport in various roles for over 25 years. He helped form the NYAC Lacrosse Club in 1986, building championship-caliber teams within five years as General Manager and Vice-Chairman for both the USCLA and CALL squads. In 1988, Borkan was elected to the Board of Directors of the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation, the Long Island and New York City chapter of US Lacrosse. He has served as President, Vice-President of the LIMLF and as President (6 years), Vice President and Deputy Commissioner of the USCLA, as well as Chairman of the 1992 U-19 Championships held at Hofstra University. He was a member of the US Lacrosse Men’s International Committee for 18 years, including in a leadership role as National Teams Committee Chairman for 12 years, stepping down following the 2010 World Championships in Manchester, England. During that time, the United States won three U-19 gold medals and two Men’s World Championship gold medals. Borkan served as an assistant coach at the US Merchant Marine Academy from 1996-2001, and has coached youth lacrosse since 2008 in the Doc’s New York City program. He is a recipient of the Wittlesberger Award for outstanding contributions to club lacrosse, the Doc Schoenbaum Award for his contributions to lacrosse in the Long Island Metro area, and the Harvey Cohen Achievement Award for his devotion and service to lacrosse. Borkan has served as the color analyst on Cornell University men’s lacrosse broadcasts on radio and CornellBigRed.com since 2001.

“I am thrilled to be involved in an endeavor in which we introduce the great sport of lacrosse to the people of Israel,” said Borkan. “The idea of Israel participating in the next Men’s open championship and becoming a full member of the Federation of International Lacrosse is extremely exciting.”

In March, the FIL awarded Israel Lacrosse an equipment grant for 20 athletes, which will be used to outfit club teams in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Reebok donated equipment to the organization in summer of 2010, while players from Team USA personally donated used gear following the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Prague.

“The support from the international lacrosse community has been overwhelming,” added Neiss.

Israel Lacrosse has also partnered with Bring It In - Israel to run 20+ youth clinics this summer across the country. The program kicks off on June 20th at Elazraki Children’s Home in Netanya, and makes stops in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Bat Yam, Ashqelon, and other locations.

“Our organization looks forward to holding youth clinics that focus on teaching lacrosse fundamentals, as well as the life skills found within the game,” said David Lasday, the founder of Bring It In - Israel. Lasday, a graduate of the University of Maryland, will also serve as a Sport Development Associate for Israel Lacrosse this summer.

For a full schedule of clinic dates or more information regarding participating on the Jerusalem or Tel Aviv club teams, visit www.israellacrosse.com.

For more information, visit www.tewaaratonaward.org, or contact Audra Pettus at apettus@gwsportsalliance.com.

If you’re hoping to see somebody else besides Salisbury in the Division III Championship Game …

The best news for the Tufts University Men’s Lacrosse team on Sunday night was that Salisbury was kind enough to not score one more goal and make their Division III Championship Game win the largest margin of victory in D3 Championship Game history. Otherwise, there was not a whole lot of good for Tufts to report from Sunday night’s game. In fact, there is not a whole lot of good news coming up for anybody in Division III men’s lacrosse circles, based on what Salisbury accomplished during the month of May.

The Sea Gulls didn’t just play solid lacrosse during their run to their ninth NCAA Championship, they absolutely dominated every inch of the field. Ever since losing to Stevenson, 16-12 on April 16, Salisbury rattled off seven consecutive wins, allowing a double-digit goal total only once, and sporting an average margin of victory of more than eight goals per game during the NCAA Tournament.

During the Championship Game, Salisbury simply toyed with the defending national champions, and probably could have won by 20. While there have been a number of undefeated Salisbury teams during their nine championship runs, this one-loss Sea Gull team could have been among the best in the history of the program, at least during the post-season. Salisbury was simply fantastic after April 16.
Oh, and by the way, they return a TON of talent for the 2013 season, enough to not only make the Sea Gulls the early favorite to win it all, but a very likely candidate to go undefeated and win their 10th national championship. I don’t expect anybody to touch Salisbury with a 10-foot pole during the 2012 season as the Sea Gulls return enough offense to load up a solid Division I program, and several key pieces on defense. They have to replace an outstanding goalie in Johnny Rodriguez, and a spectacular close defenseman in Colin Tokosch, but otherwise return most of their key pieces. Combined with the fact that most of the other traditional favorites (aside from Roanoke) graduate several top players, it would seriously appear as if a repeat on the Eastern Shore is all but a certainty. I expect Salisbury to not only win it all, but to win every game convincingly.

Two things stand out when it comes to the 2011 edition of Salisbury lacrosse. First, every year it seems as if somebody out there is predicting the demise of the Sea Gull empire that has seen Salisbury advance to the NCAA Championship Game an incredible 12 times during the last 20 years, winning nine, but amazingly the program has never been stronger. This is happening despite the fact that so many traditional powerhouses in Division III Men’s Lacrosse have seen better days.

Think about it, during the early 2000’s, traditional Salisbury opponents Washington & Lee, Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Gettysburg, and Washington College (all of which appeared on the 2011 Salisbury schedule) were all perennial threats to compete for a National Championship. While all of the programs remain competitive and in some cases strong, none of them have been able to consistently compete at the level that Salisbury reaches every single season.

The longevity of Salisbury’s dominance is simply incredible … and one of my earliest predictions for the 2011 season is that we have only just begun to see how good this group can be. The 2012 edition is going to be a heck of a lot better.

Secondly, while Head Coach Jim Berkman has received more than his fair share of accolades during a Hall of Fame career – except a spot on the coaching staff of the US National Team which has somehow eluded Berkman (the topic of another column one day) – there was one moment this season that in many ways secured Salisbury’s place as the nation’s top team.

On Saturday, April 23, the Sea Gulls rallied to defeat Stevenson in the CAC Championship Game. During that game, with just over seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, Berkman replaced Johnny Rodriguez with back-up goalie Tim Swinburn. Swinburn was phenomenal the rest of the way, and led the Sea Gulls to a conference championship.

A goalie controversy at Salisbury?

Berkman would have none of it. During an interview with Lacrosse Magazine three days later, when asked if he would consider replacing Rodriguez with Swinburn on a permanent basis, Berkman immediately dismissed the question and made it clear that he was sticking with Rodriguez no matter what. No controversy, no drama, no distraction. Rodriguez remained the team’s starter, and the team set its sight on a national championship, a goal that the Sea Gulls reached almost flawlessly.
While Jim Berkman’s knowledge and ability to teach the x’s and o’s and all necessary skills to develop a championship team is undeniably among the best in the history of the sport, Berkman’s true greatness could be his unfailing ability to maintain his team’s focus. Tim Swinburn’s outstanding play during the CAC Championship Game could have opened the door to a distraction at Salisbury. Instead, Berkman used the momentum gained by defeating Stevenson to focus his troops even further, and their run during the post-season was one of the most dominant in Division III history. It’s amazing what one small decision in the midst of a long season can accomplish, and like almost everything else he has done during his coaching career, Berkman handled this one almost perfectly.

Year of the Gear?

In a word, yuck. That is how I would describe some of the updated gear we saw during the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament. Whether it was Johns Hopkins shifting to helmets which appeared to have turkeys growing out of the sides, or Syracuse’s bizarre decision to incorporate ‘Volt’ into their orange and blue color scheme, it would appear as if efforts to enhance and improve lacrosse equipment and apparel have taken steroids during the last calendar year. The problem is that these gear ‘enhancements’ have improved nothing, and really look silly.

I love Johns Hopkins lacrosse. There is something about a Division III school fielding one of the best Division I athletic programs in the country that has such a nice ring to it, which is why programs like Johns Hopkins lacrosse and Colorado College ice hockey (among others) are always ones I root for. But, if a layman were to view Johns Hopkins’s NCAA Tournament helmets, they would deduce that Hopkins were anything but the Blue Jays. My question is, what was wrong with the good, old fashioned Blue Jay on the side of the helmet? It is a great logo … why not stick with what works? I love the idea of breaking out new helmets for the NCAA Tournament, and the shape, style, and color scheme looked great. It is the huge wing decals on the side that bothered me … and I don’t think they provided a great showcase on national television.

And then there was Syracuse. I have been accused of being anti-Syracuse in this column over the years, and I have always rejected that assertion. The truth is that when I watch lacrosse, I root for the underdog, and then I root for a great game. With that said, the only thing to be written about Syracuse’s use of ‘Volt’ cleats, helmet panels, socks, etc. during the NCAA Tournament was that it was revolting (pun intended). I get it. Nike has trademarked the use of Volt, and the University of Oregon has found a way to replace the yellow/gold in their color scheme with Volt – I assume in the event of a power outage or if the folks at the University of Oregon develop the desire to attract bees. But at least Volt is part of the Oregon plan. At Syracuse – where the team’s nickname is the ‘Orange’ – exactly where does the Volt fit? Oh yeah, it doesn’t … and it certainly didn’t on television for the NCAA Tournament. Quite frankly, Syracuse’s use of Volt was ugly. It made the Orange stand out, but in the wrong way.

The point here is that lacrosse has evolved a long way from the Bachrach helmet, Brine floating cuff system gloves, and other relic forms of gear. The new gloves, helmets, and everything else look great. Lacrosse equipment has never looked or performed better. However, we need not celebrate this fact by making items of equipment stand out the way Hopkins and Syracuse did this year. The focus should not be on the gear, but the game. If there is a new helmet that a school wants to unveil for the NCAA Tournament, and they use their traditional logo and color scheme, people will still want to buy it. All Hopkins and Syracuse did this year was stand out, and not in a good way.

Here’s hoping the top lacrosse programs keep it simple moving forward!

How about them Wildcats?

Speaking of empires, it’s getting to the point where the accomplishments of Kelly Amonte-Hiller, the coach, are going to be compared to Kelly Amonte, the player, and all of the other Maryland Terrapins who led Maryland to seven consecutive national championships from 1995-2001. With their 8-7 win over Maryland on Memorial Day Sunday, Northwestern won its six national championship during the last seven years, and the Wildcats were a couple of goals away from making it seven straight after losing to Maryland during
the 2010 championship game.

Believe it or not, it’s hard to compare Northwestern to Maryland, simply because it is not a comparison of apples to apples. Maryland was nothing short of a dynasty from 1995-2001, however during that run, Division I lacrosse was essentially defined by the ACC, the Ivy League, and a couple of upstarts (i.e. Georgetown, Loyola).

During Northwestern’s run, the sport has spread like wildfire across the Division I landscape, with BCS schools such as Oregon, Cincinnati, Fresno State, Stanford, Florida, Lousiville, and now USC, Marquette, and Michigan adding varsity women’s lacrosse. The explosion of Division I women’s lacrosse has spread the talent wealth, so to speak, and yet still, Northwestern remains at the top of the pack. The fact that Northwestern has continued to dominate women’s lacrosse despite the expansion to so many institutions that pride themselves on athletic excellence is a testimony to the amazing work of Amonte-Hiller. A dynasty in Division I Women’s Lacrosse is improbable, yet somehow Northwestern refuses to skip a beat.

The Wildcats’ collective challenge has only just begun as Florida found a way to beat Northwestern this season, and is only getting better, while Maryland appears to be poised to remain near the top for a long time to come, and the rest of the ACC and most of the Ivy League will always be a national championship contender. Add to the mix that USC and Michigan give the sport two more potential perennial national championship contenders, and it is clear that the field at the top is going to get more cluttered every season. What Amonte-Hiller has done at Northwestern is simply sensational. If Northwestern keeps their empire going as the newer BCS programs continue their development, Amonte-Hiller’s Hall of Fame status will likely shift to legendary status in a hurry. By the way, only Florida returns the kind of talent that Northwestern will return for the 2012 season. The Wildcats are almost untouched by graduation and have most of their key players back. Is Northwestern a lock for a National Championship? Of course not. But, it would be more than fair to call them a heavy favorite.

Men’s Division II

The ‘Big Three’ are
back – actually, they never really left
I first started covering lacrosse as the Division II editor of Inside Lacrosse, a position of convenience simply because I happened to be playing Division II lacrosse at the time. That was the late 1990’s, and Division II lacrosse – after a 10-year hiatus – had just returned to the lacrosse landscape. At that time, there were three programs of note in Division II lacrosse – C.W. Post, NY Tech, and Adelphi – and their coaches (Tom Postel, Jack Kaley, and Sandy Kapatos, respectively) absolutely dominated the landscape, with only a run by Limestone in 2000 and 2002 to interrupt what was an early ‘Big Three’ dynasty.

And then something happened, Division II started to seriously expand. Thanks to the fantastic work of Dan Sheehan at LeMoyne, and others, Division II saw some rapid expansion and parity during the early part of this century. Fast forward a few years later, and the Head Coaches of the ‘Big Three’ retired, other Division II programs began making serious pushes, and suddenly the ‘Big Three’ were much less relevant. The three Long Island powerhouses never disappeared – in fact, one of the ‘Big Three’ has appeared in all but two NCAA Championship Games since Division II was brought back in 1993 - but it just seemed like all three were never as strong at the same time as they were when Division II first came back.

And now it would seem as if what went around is coming back around. While the story of the year in Division II men’s lacrosse is clearly the National Championship run for a Mercyhurst program that has been on the lip of the cup for the better part of a decade, if there is a subplot thickening, it is that the ‘Big Three’ are all standing pretty tall once again. Thanks to the great work of Head Coach John Jez, CW Post is still the class of Division II, having won the 2009 and 2010 national championships. For Adelphi, after a few lean years, Head Coach Gordon Purdie has revamped the Panther program, and Adelphi fell a hair short of their first national championship in 10 years this season. NY Tech, under Head Coach Bill Dunn, was a respectable 10-4 this season, never losing a game by more than five goals.

Of all three programs, NYIT has the furthest to go to get back to the top after winning the 2008 national championship, simply because Jack Kaley was the ultimate system coach. He alone was probably the toughest of the ‘Big Three’ coaches to replace upon retirement, but Bill Dunn seems to be bringing in a ton of talent to NYIT, and it is hard to believe that a post-season run is not imminent for the Bears.

In other words, when the Division II Tournament expands to eight teams next season (a fantastic development), don’t be surprised if there is a heavy dose of the ‘Big Three’ on an annual basis. The difference this time around is that the field is far more level. Mercyhurst will only recruit better now that they won a national championship, and Limestone and LeMoyne are going nowhere. Dowling is not far removed from an appearance in the NCAA Championship Game, and upstarts such as Mercy College and Merrimack seem to be poised at a post-season run.

The development and expansion of Division II Men’s Lacrosse is one of the great stories in the lacrosse world, and having the ‘Big Three’ back at the top collectively can only help Division II continue its self-showcase. For 2011, the Division II Championship Game was a classic. It was great to see a new name at the top, and almost as great to see Adelphi back in the finals, something that seemed like a right of passage not too long ago. If you want to talk about parity in lacrosse, the conversation really begins at the Division II level … and the conversation seems to be on the verge of a long-term continuation with the tournament field expanding.

Finally … John Tillman – Man of the Year

My favorite moment of the 2011 post-season? Maryland stuns Syracuse, 6-5 in overtime on May 22 during the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals. Moments after probably the proudest moment of Maryland Head Coach John Tillman’s career, he was interviewed by ESPN. Instead of speaking of how proud Tillman was of his team (which he got to, eventually), instead of lauding a defeat of a team that seems to have made advancing to the final four a right, instead of discussing what a great game had just transpired, Tillman took the moment to thank his predecessor, Dave Cottle, and their staff for the excellent work they did to assemble such a terrific team.

Tillman’s statement on national television was one of the classiest, most respectable acts I have ever seen in college athletics. He had no reason to use that particular moment to recognize Cottle’s great work, but he did so because John Tillman is simply a class act, who represents the finest virtues in coaching. While it was simply a two sentence statement praising Cottle, Tillman put himself in a class above most (if not all) others by using one of his first moments in the true national lacrosse spotlight to prove that he is truly a first class man, along with a fantastic lacrosse coach.

John Tillman may not have led his team to a national championship, but he certainly conducted himself as a champion, and the University of Maryland is clearly in great hands for what should be a long time to come.

Enough with the shot-clock talk
If there is a theme for the 2011 Division I Men’s Championship Tournament, it would be, “The year of the stall warning.” During decades in the sport of lacrosse, I don’t think I have ever heard so much talk regarding the pace of the games as we heard during the 2011 post-season. The coaches talked about it, the announcers talked about it, and the daily journalists wrote about it. The stall warning chatter evolved to the point where ESPN created an on-screen graphic to notify the viewing audience when a stall warning was in effect, and the announcers kept track of how many stall warnings the teams were receiving during the games.

If you were to ask Quint Kessenich or Syracuse Head Coach John Desko (based on comments to the Syracuse Post Standard during the week after Syracuse fell to Maryland in the Quarterfinals), a shot-clock is the ultimate savior to the sport. It will cure all of the sport’s ills, lead to a higher-scoring, transition-based sport, and recreate lacrosse as the ‘fastest game on two feet.’ Basically, shot-clock pundits are claiming that what would constitute one of the biggest rule changes in the history of the sport will pretty much do everything short of improving the economy. We’ll all go to sleep at night feeling all kinds of warm and fuzzy because lacrosse added a shot-clock.

I could not disagree more with the sentiment that a shot-clock is the cure for the ills facing the sport of lacrosse. In fact, I am convinced that the shot-clock has the potential to slow the sport down every bit as much as the present rules do. How did Virginia win the 2011 national championship? A shift in offensive philosophy, a commitment to better teamwork, and, more than anything else, Dom Starsia’s decision to implement a 3-3 zone. The zone defense didn’t do a whole lot of good for Virginia during their win over Bucknell, but from that point on, it gave opponents fits, particularly against Maryland in the championship game.

The reason to bring up the 3-3 zone is that if a shot-clock is implemented, lacrosse fans should expect to see a heck of a lot more of it. If I am a defensive coach with a solid goalie - and most top teams at every level have at least a solid goalie, if not better – and I know the opposing team has limited outside shooting ability but only 30 or 45 seconds to get a shot on-goal – I am sitting back in a 3-3 zone, and giving the opposing team very little room to get a shot off inside of 12-15 yards. At a minimum, I am implementing a call with 10 seconds left on the shot clock to shift into some sort of zone, thereby forcing the opponent to heave an outside shot, or risk a shot-clock violation. As a result, there will be more transition lacrosse based on bad shots or fast re-starts after violations, but for teams deep enough that can stop transition, the six-on-six game will not speed up one bit, in fact it will slow down.

The zone strategy worked for Virginia without a shot-clock, I would submit that it will only appear more often if a shot-clock is implemented. After all, how many ‘zone busters’ are out there, who can rip a shot from more than 12 yards and beat a solid college goalie regularly. We all have seen the Paul Rabil ‘111 miles per hour’ commercials, but there are few who can do that regularly, and accurately. If the shot-clock comes, more zone defenses are coming with it.

For John Desko and others who are pushing for a shot-clock, the most logical response is that if a team is so concerned that a slow-down approach is negatively impacting the game, why not pressure the ball, particularly once a stall warning is called? The advantage of having every Division I tournament game televised on the ESPN family of networks was that lacrosse fans had the opportunity to see how teams strategized, and changed from week to week. Maryland slowed the game down to a near-crawl for most of the NCAA Tournament, and likely led the tournament field in stall warnings per game. However, how many times did we see teams change their defensive strategy based on Maryland’s game plan? Very few … even when a stall warning was called. Pressure defense? Almost non-existent, even from Syracuse. Virginia actually spent most of the championship game in a 3-3 zone, and Maryland did very little to counter defensively.

In other words, the slow-down of lacrosse has as much to do with the reluctance of defensive coaches to pressure the ball as it has to do with offensive coaches choosing to slow down the game.
Does this mean the rules should not be changed? Of course not. There is room for changes to the game to encourage more attacking, but a shot-clock is not the ultimate answer, and will likely create as many issues as it solves. But, there are some tweaks to the rules that could help speed things up enough to make the games faster paced:

1 – Eliminate subbing on the fly: Part of the slow-down of lacrosse takes place immediately after a team clears the ball, as offensive personnel rush to the midfield lines to make changes, sometimes with a defensive player scrambling to get to the midfield line just as fast. On occasion, this dynamic leads to interesting games of cat and mouse, but oftentimes, it’s about 20+ seconds of wasted time as both teams get their ideal people on the field, create the right match-ups, and put everybody where they need to be. This is the first line of slow-down in lacrosse.

We do not live in an ideal world, so creating the ideal match-up with ideal personnel on a lacrosse field only makes the game boring. The game has evolved (or devolved, depending on how you see it) to the point where there is a specialist for the face-off, short-stick defensive specialists, long-stick midfielders, and all kinds of other specialists. When a team transitions from offense to defense, it takes time to get everybody on and off the field. If we eliminate substitutions ‘on the fly’ we will see some natural progression in the speed of the game. First, all of the changes after the clear will end. Secondly, natural mismatches will appear.

Somebody with limited defensive skill will end up on the defensive end, and the offense will go right after him. On the other side of the field, somebody with limited offensive talent will end up on offense, and the defense will go right after him when he gets the ball. Or, somebody will simply be tired from running the length of the field, and become a natural target. We will also see the return of the two-way midfielder, something the sport is sorely missing.

Either way, if we eliminate ‘on the fly’ substitutions, we will see some strategic creativity that will naturally speed up the game. Change the rule to become that personnel changes can only take place on a dead-ball whistle, and the game will become naturally faster, and much more creative.

2 – Get it in, and keep it in … all the time: Why do we have to wait a full minute for a stall warning? If a team has to keep the ball inside the offensive restraining box once it is brought in, it gives defenses more motive and opportunity to pressure the ball, creating more flow to the game. Granted, turnovers will rise whenever a ball is thrown away, but the quick whistle after a violation will create more transition opportunities, and speed up the game.

You add this rule to an elimination of subbing ‘on the fly,’ and lacrosse speeds itself up, just enough to make things a little bit more interesting. This particular rule change would have a similar impact to the shot clock in that there will be more turnovers, but it doesn’t lead to a dramatic change in philosophy the way a shot-clock would.

At the end of the day, there is no legislation that is going to speed up the sport of lacrosse as if a coach really wants to slow the game down, they will attempt to do so. But to jump straight to a shot-clock only gives slow-down coaches another avenue to slow down the sport in another way (i.e. the zone defense). The goal of those who do not like the way the game is being played should not be to increase scoring, but to increase the flow of the game. The two ideas above will do just that.

By the way, it’s worth noting that the Division II and III coaches have not been vocal about a shot-clock. Why? Because Division II and III coaches do not slow the game down as much as they do at the Division I levels. Watch Salisbury play Roanoke or Stevenson. See Cortland play RIT. Check out video from the Division II Championship Game. Then tell me if we really need a shot-clock.

Two Juniors Presented with Collegiate Lacrosse’s Top Honor

Washington, D.C. – Shannon Smith and Steele Stanwick, both coming off NCAA Division I National Championship victories, were named as the 2011 Tewaaraton Award Recipients at its 11th Anniversary event. Both individuals were one of five finalists in their respective divisions.

The Tewaaraton Award watch list began with over 100 of the nation’s top men and women college players in the race to receive the sport’s top honor. The watch list was ultimately narrowed down to the top five men and women, all of whom were in attendance at the ceremony.

Smith has become one of Northwestern University’s top offensive players, with an average of 5.58 points per game and 106 total career points. She is a two-time WomensLacrosse.com Offensive Player of the Week and a three-time American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Offensive Player of the Week Selection, where she was also named Championship MVP. At Northwestern, Shannon ranks 7th all-time in points with 246, 9th in career goals with 170, and 6th in assists with 76. She ranks 3rd nationally in goals scored with 68. Shannon recorded only the sixth 10-point game in Northwestern’s history and the 2nd of her career against Georgetown, where she scored five goals and had five assists. She is the 2010 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American and the first-team All-ALC selection. Shannon has started all 74 games of her Northwestern career, and is on pace to set career highs for draw controls and ground balls. Shannon is a junior from West Babylon, New York.

Stanwick was named USILA second-team All-American, All-ACC, All-ACC Tournament, All-NCAA Championship Team, and ACC Player of the Week all in 2010. He is ranked No. 23 nationally in points per game with 3.39, ranked No. 93 nationally for goals per game with 1.61, ranked No. 12 nationally for assists per game 1.78, and ranked No. 48 nationally for shot percentage with 38.2. Steele led his team with 32 assists, was the second on the team with 61 points and 29 goals. He was named Player of the Game against No. 2 University of North Carolina in the Big City Classic after scoring three goals and dishing one assist. In 2009, he was named ACC Rookie of the Year, and the nation’s top recruit by Inside Lacrosse. He was the third in nation among freshmen in with 36 goals, second in points with 58, and 22 assists. He ranked 10th in the nation in shooting at 44.4%, and ranked high on University of Virginia’s list for freshmen, being first in points with 58, second in goals with 36, and tied for fifth in assists with 22. Steele is a junior from Baltimore, Maryland.

Hall of Famer James “Jim” Brown was present at the ceremony to accept the first ever Tewaaraton Legends award. Going forward, this award will be presented to one recipient each year that played collegiate lacrosse prior to 2001 and whose performance would have earned them a Tewaaraton Award had the pre-eminent honor existed.

In addition to the Tewaaraton Award recipient announcement; The University Club Foundation of Washington, DC presented the 2011 Outstanding Native American High School Scholarships to Kristiana Ferguson of the Tuscarora Nation and Christopher White of the Oneida Nation. Ferguson will be attending Syracuse University, and White plans to play lacrosse at Sienna College in the fall. The scholarship is based on merit, academic achievement, athletic performance and ambition. Moreover, all applicants were required to articulate what lacrosse meant to them as Native American players.

The ceremony will premiere locally in the Washington, D.C. region on WUSA-Channel 9 on Saturday, June 11th at 12:30 p.m. EST.

About The Tewaaraton Award:
The Tewaaraton Award was founded by the University Club of Washington DC in August, 2000 to annually recognize the most outstanding men’s and women’s collegiate lacrosse players and to symbolize lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American history. The word “Tewaaraton” is the name given by the Iroquois Confederacy for the game now called lacrosse. Each year the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy: the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and the Tuscarora. Today, the Tewaaraton Trophy is the pre-eminent award in lacrosse which also recognizes a Boys and Girls Baltimore/Washington All-Tewaaraton teams and provides scholarships to Native American youth from the Iroquois Confederacy.

In an ironic twist of fate, the two biggest stories encompassing the world of college athletics on Memorial Day 2011 involved two of the biggest name head coaches in their respective sports. During the morning of Memorial Day, we learned that Jim Tressel, the head football coach at The Ohio State University, resigned in disgrace after doing everything but tell the truth regarding a scandal plaguing his team. A few hours later, University of Virginia Head Coach Dom Starsia completed one of the most improbable championship runs in lacrosse history when his Cavaliers overcame an avalanche of adversity to down the University of Maryland to capture the 2011 Division I men’s lacrosse championship.

The juxtaposition of Tressel and Starsia represents what will be the story to be remembered of the 2011 Division I men’s lacrosse season. Tressel will likely never coach college football again (and rightfully so) because he placed the pursuit of victory ahead of the standards of integrity, conduct, and educational value mandated by the mission of the NCAA. Starsia, who entered the 2011 season a dozen victories from becoming the all-time wins leader in Division I Men’s Lacrosse history, faced a similar ethical dilemma to Tressel in that he had to make a decision whether or not he should put standards of conduct ahead of the pursuit of victory. But instead of hiding issues that existed within his program, Starsia put his value system first, suspended three of his best players at one point or another, rallied the troops, and won a national championship. In doing so, Starsia proved to be every bit worthy of the honor of being the all-time wins leader in NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse history.

When you think about it, the 2011 University of Virginia men’s lacrosse season will be defined more by the adversity the program faced off the field than the product on the field that won a national championship. 14 months ago, a team member allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, a member of the Virginia women’s lacrosse team. Between that date and Memorial Day 2011, the program saw the Bratton Brothers, its two premiere midfield players and two of the most highly touted recruits in lacrosse history, suspended for the season on the eve of the team’s final regular season game. The suspensions sparked the Cavaliers to play its best lacrosse of the season just days later, and engage a run that saw Virginia dominate a solid Pennsylvania team, somehow come back to beat Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and then defeat a Cornell team that seemed destined to win its first National Championship in decades in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

And just when it seemed like Virginia had finally overcome all of the obstacles it had faced during the last 14 months, on Saturday morning of championship weekend, it was announced that Starsia suspended midfielder Colin Briggs for the team’s semifinal game against Denver … a game that Virginia dominated en route to a 14-8 win. Whatever Starsia told Briggs, it certainly worked as the junior netted five goals to lead the Cavaliers to their fourth national championship, all under Starsia.

The odds would suggest that the University of Virginia had absolutely no business winning this particular national championship, or any championship for that matter. To be thrust into the national spotlight at the end of the 2010 season in a way that would cripple many programs, lose two of the most skilled and dynamic players in program history late in the 2011 season, and their best remaining midfielder just before the 2011 Semifinals is enough to send many teams plunging into a losing season. Somehow, for some reason, faced with such adversity, the University of Virginia thrived, and captured the 2011 national championship … in the home state of their opponent in the finals to boot.

The reason for this team’s success in the face of such adversity starts and ends with the man at the top of the program. The University of Virginia is the 2011 national champion because Dom Starsia would not let his squad crumble under the weight of such incredible adversity. He could have very easily spoke of rebuilding when the Bratton brothers were suspended. He could have lauded another great Virginia recruiting class coming next year, and take on the ‘wait until next year’ mantra. Instead, he brought his team together using the ‘Why not us?’ slogan, made some incredible late-season adjustments on both ends of the field, and provided leadership reserved exclusively for champions. As a result, it is now more clear than ever before that Starsia has earned every accolade that has come his way.

During a span of nine days, facing odds greater than probably any championship program in NCAA history has faced, Dom Starsia became the all-time wins leader in Division I history, and captured his fourth national championship as a Head Coach. In the process of doing so, Starsia secured his reputation as a man of character and integrity who put his team standards ahead of a perceived pursuit of victory.

How many coaches would dismiss not one, but two of the most talented players on their team? How many coaches would suspend another top player just hours before the national semifinals? During a time when it is now ‘the norm’ for lacrosse coaches to lose their jobs for a lack of championships appearances (see: Cottle, Dave; Meade, Richie; Seaman, Tony), Starsia put it all of the line and placed his team in a position to potentially lose in order to pursue the finer virtues of the program he runs.

In other words, from the moment the national media first heard the name George Huguely a year ago until the final seconds of the 2011 championship victory over Maryland, Dom Starsia was a championship coach regardless of what happened on the field. He holds the most prestigious record among Division I men’s lacrosse coaches, a record that the entirety of the lacrosse world can be proud that he holds because – unlike the other coach in the headlines on Memorial Day 2011 – Dom Starsia stands for the finest qualities of college sports. The example and precedent he set with the way he handled the 2011 University of Virginia lacrosse team while leading them to a national championship is one of the great stories our sport has seen in some time, and will hopefully set the tone for the way programs are run as our sport continues its growth.

For a sport that has not quite hit the proverbial big time the way football and basketball has in the national sports culture, we have seen far too many scandals during the last five years. Had Dom Starsia not acted to maintain control of his program this season and set the bar higher than ever for what is expected of a Virginia lacrosse player, who knows the kind of stories that would have come out of this program? Instead, Dom Starsia did things the right way, and never lost focus on the educational mission mandated by intercollegiate athletics. As of Monday night, he is the all-time wins leader in Division I men’s lacrosse history and a four-time national champion … and the lacrosse world should not want it any other way.

Stanwick faces a Maryland team that is playing well, and rallying around their Goalie Niko Amato. In tournament play Niko has an average of 5 goals against per game, and save percentage of 70%. Keep in mind that these numbers are against UNC, Syracuse, and Duke who averaged 11.2 goals per game combined. Niko is putting up ridiculous saves against some of the top scoring offenses in the nation.

I really see this game as a test to Stanwick’s leadership and on field direction (he looked like a traffic cop at points against Denver telling teammates where to go, etc). There is no doubt he’ll be able to slice up Maryland’s defense, but can the UVA shooters get past Amato. While the marquee matchup will be between these two players, it won’t rest all on their shoulders. Each has a supporting cast of characters on their teams that get the job done.

Maryland flat out dominates on face offs. Curtis Holmes is a quick face off specialist. In tournament play, Holmes has won 37 of 53 (70%) face offs. While he may be undersized (170 pounds compared to MD average of 190 pounds), he is quick on the draw.
Grant Catalino and Ryan Young also seem to be peaking at the right time. Catalino has 7 points in tournament games (5G, 2A). Young has 9 points (2G, 7A).

Helping out Stanwick on UVA’s attack is Chris Bocklett who has 11 goals in this tournament (0 Assists), and Matt White with 5 goals and 3 assists.
Virginia’s defense and Adam Ghitelman will have to be on their game when facing Maryland’s offense. While not playing poor by any means, the UVA defense has not had any spectacular games this tournament. Bucknell put up 12 against them, Cornell 9, and Denver 8 (average 9.7 GAA). Ghitelman has a save percentage of 55%. These are respectable numbers, but looking at what the Maryland defense has been able to do, Virginia needs to step it up.

Maryland is going to continue to own face offs. Holmes is dominant and UVA is barely winning 50%. UVA will have to win the Ground Ball battles and try to force turnovers (something Duke was successful at Saturday forcing MD to turn the ball over 11 times). Possession will be critical as Maryland might turn turtle again like they did against Syracuse. It may not be the best game plan as the refs seem to be calling stalls early and often in the two Saturday games. Not that that means anything since even if a stall call is in effect, the offense still has a 30yard by 30 yard area to just sit on the clock.

The hometown fans don’t really care about the stall call. The stadium was mostly Maryland fans as it is their town. The “We Hate Duke” chant could be heard multiple times all the way in the press box. It seemed as the energy from the crowd transferred to the MD defense as they looked REAL physical against Duke. I can only imagine what the crowd has in store for UVA (or the refs). Could a see of Terp fans affect UVA’s communication on the field? It could as Maryland fans are ravenous as the Terps have not been in a final since 1998, and have not won a championship since 1975. We could see an attendance record be broken on Monday.

This is an epic matchup between two different talented and well coached teams. With both teams playing at their peak level at just the right time it will be a shame to see one of them lose. I see Superman finding the achiles heel of Nick Amato and UVA winning in a close one (OT?).

Virginia shooters had a field day. Almost every possession, play was started from behind the cage, and the Denver D looked slow. In addition to some late slides, there were multiple times Denver defensemen got hung on the topside.
Coach Starsia explained his game plan afterward, “We were going to try to attack Denver from behind and use an attackman on the first midfield spot to take it behind the goal.”
The Virginia offense has played lights out over the past three games. They put up 13 on Bucknell, 13 against Cornell, and now 14 against Denver. In today’s game eight different players scored for UVA, and three players (Stanwick, Cockerton, and Bocklet), all put up 3 goals.

On the other side of the field, Denver’s shooting woes were apparent from their first possession. A shot right in to UVA goalie Adam Ghitelman’s stick. It was a day of weak or poor placed shots for Denver, making Ghitelman’s day a lot easier. The times he was tested, he made the hard saves (10 saves, 8Goals against). Such as Denver’s Demopolous getting a one on one and trying to go 5-hole. Ghitelman showed it then closed it off making a beautiful save.

UVA Finally got its EMO unit going. Coming into the NCAA tournament UVA led the nation converting on 53% of their chances. Against Bucknell and Cornell, UVA was 0 for 3. Today, UVA was credited for scoring 3 on 6 chances.
Denver got called for many blatant penalties including a shot to the head, hitting after the whistle, and tripping amongst others. All in all, Denver got called for 5 penalties (4 of them unreleasable). Speaking of the refs…
Virginia seemed to be on permanent stall warning throughout the game as the refs were quick to call it. Virginia didn’t really start to “slow” until late in the second quarter when they were up 8-2.

Denver coach Bill Tierney summed up his teams efforts today, “The doubters were out there and unfortunately, with the way we played, there will be some out there tomorrow.”

All is not lost for Denver, as Jeremy Noble looked great all over the field. He had 3 goals, 1 assist, 6GBs, and is only a Freshman. Goalie Jamie Faus is also a Freshman, and even though he got shelled today (8 saves, 14 goals against) he has showed some promise throughout the tournament. Denver has some young talent, and with more success year after year, will only get more competative.

Congrats to UVA. The Wahoos seem to be clicking on all cylinders and will be very hard to beat in Monday’s all ACC Championship game.

It was the third time these two teams faced each other this year, and there was obviously no love lost between them. The physical play started early and continued throughout the game. Both teams got called for 1 minute unsportsmanlike conduct in between the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Duke took an early lead scoring within the first minute with a goal from Dave Lawson. Maryland Goalie Niko Amato regrouped his defense, shook it off and became a wall making GREAT saves. Amato posted 13 saves and 4 goals against with at least 4 of those saves being highlight caliber. Duke didn’t score again for another 20 minutes. It then took another 20 minutes for Duke to score their third goal. Their final goal (4 total) was scored almost 23 minutes later.

Maryland took a while to get going on offense. Their first recorded shot did not come until halfway through the first quarter. They made it count as Catalino ripped a sidearm riser. Seven minutes later, Maryland got their second goal from Kevin Cooper. It was a highlight goal as Catalino tried to drive through three Duke defensemen before losing the ball. Cooper picked it up and shot diving away from the goal.

Maryland’s slow deliberae offense continued to pay off. While there is no stats currently kept for number of stall warnings I counted 10. Whether planned or not, they are patient (to a fault) on offense looking for the right opportunities. They executed everything well. Offense, defense, face offs (11 of 17).

Duke on the other hand looked sloppy all over the field from dropped passes to technical calls (goalie stepping back in the crease). They had been lucky getting in to this game, and it showed. Duke ended up with 15 turnovers (8 unforced)

Congrats to the terps. Maryland now has to prepare for a championship against UVA. A familiar foe, in their home town.

First Team
Lindsay Abbott, Cortland, M, Jr.
Sarah Bray, Hamilton, M, Sr.
Liz Bruno, Trinity, M, Jr.
Sarah Cullinan, Elizabethtown, A, Sr.
Trish DiGirolomo, Salisbury, A, Sr.
Alison Jaeger, TCNJ, A, Sr.
Catherine Kennedy, Mary Washington, A, Jr.
Megan Leonhard, Trinity, M, So.
Becky Lutz, Gettysburg, D, Sr.
Leigh Mitchell, TCNJ, M, Jr.
Lily Nguyen, Middlebury, GK, Sr.
Ingrid Oelschlager, Bowdoin, D, Sr.
Meg Pengue, Hamilton, D, Jr.
Rachel Romanowsky, Trinity, A, Sr.
Sally Ryan, Middlebury, M, Sr.
Mary Swarthout, Catholic, M, Jr.

Second Team
Hannah Church, Gettysburg, A, Jr.
Kendyl Clarkson, Buffalo State, A, Jr.
Kate Cox, Stevens, D, Sr.
Lexi Crook, Colby, D, Sr.
Liz Filgueras, Salisbury, D, Sr.
Lara Kozin, Tufts, A, Jr.
Emmy Mathews, Washington and Lee, M, Sr.
Kathleen Notos, TCNJ, M, Jr.
Stephanie Perez, Tufts, M, Jr.
Kate Pistel, Colby, M, So.
Marta Randall, Amherst, A, So.
Catherine Serpe, Franklin & Marshall, M, Jr.
Christine Smith, Stevens, M, Sr.
Christina Tran, Lynchburg, GK, Jr.
Shelby Vakiener, RIT, M, So.
Gina Valles, Roanoke, M, Sr.

Third Team
Liza Beckler, Trinity, D, Jr.
Becky Borrell, Catholic, D, Sr.
Anne Brockmeyer, Franklin & Marshall, D, Jr.
Elizabeth Clegg, Bowdoin, A, Jr.
Sarah Dick, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, A, Sr.
Erin Dunne, Franklin & Marshall Colllege, A, Jr.
Josie Ferri, Haverford, M, Jr.
Kara Geiman, Messiah, A, Sr.
Michelle Lubrano, Rowan, M, Jr.
Wilton Megargel, Washington & Lee, A, Sr.
Jensen Paterson, Allegheny, A, Sr.
Kate Robinson, Catholic, M, GS
Julia Schreiber, Williams, GK, Sr.
Madison Shove, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, M, So.
Katie Stewart, Bowdoin, M, Jr.
Mary Waller, TCNJ, GK, Sr.