Summer Lax News and Notes

[burnspbesq]

One current and one former Duke player were selected to the 38-player training roster from which the United States team for the 2017 women's world championship will be selected. Sarah Bullard '11 will have the chance to participate in her third world championship, while Taylor Trimble '15 will look to move up from the U-19 ranks. Kerrin Maurer '15, Gabby Moise '15, and Kelsey Duryea '16 participated but were not selected. Taylor Virden '14 was invited but did not participate.

Former Duke player and current Duke assistant coach Kristen Waagbo will be the first-ever head coach of women's lacrosse at West Point. The Black Knights will begin NCAA D1 play in 2016.

Three former Duke players were named to the Major League Lacrosse All-Star team that will face the US national team on June 26 at Harvard. Matt Danowski '08 of Charlotte, Mike Manley '12 of Rochester, and Justin Turri '12 of Rochester will be on the 24-player roster.

Jordan Wolf made his MLL debut for Rochester last night, and racked up four goals and an assist for Rochester in the Rattlers' 18-13 loss to Ohio. His first pro tally came on an assist from fellow Blue Devil Justin Turri.

Incoming freshman David Gill was named New Jersey Midfielder of the Year in balloting by the state's high school coaches. Gill is in the minority of Duke's incoming freshmen, in that he was not selected to play in the Under Armour All-America game on July 12. He led Chatham HS to the state Group 2 quarterfinals.

[MCFinARL]

One current and one former Duke player were selected to the 38-player training roster from which the United States team for the 2017 women's world championship will be selected. Sarah Bullard '11 will have the chance to participate in her third world championship, while Taylor Trimble '15 will look to move up from the U-19 ranks. Kerrin Maurer '15, Gabby Moise '15, and Kelsey Duryea '16 participated but were not selected. Taylor Virden '14 was invited but did not participate.

Former Duke player and current Duke assistant coach Kristen Waagbo will be the first-ever head coach of women's lacrosse at West Point. The Black Knights will begin NCAA D1 play in 2016.

Three former Duke players were named to the Major League Lacrosse All-Star team that will face the US national team on June 26 at Harvard. Matt Danowski '08 of Charlotte, Mike Manley '12 of Rochester, and Justin Turri '12 of Rochester will be on the 24-player roster.

Jordan Wolf made his MLL debut for Rochester last night, and racked up four goals and an assist for Rochester in the Rattlers' 18-13 loss to Ohio. His first pro tally came on an assist from fellow Blue Devil Justin Turri.

Incoming freshman David Gill was named New Jersey Midfielder of the Year in balloting by the state's high school coaches. Gill is in the minority of Duke's incoming freshmen, in that he was not selected to play in the Under Armour All-America game on July 12. He led Chatham HS to the state Group 2 quarterfinals.

Also, the US Team that will play the MLL All-Stars at Harvard includes former Duke players Ned Crotty '10 and Dave Lawson '13.

[burnspbesq]

Jordan Wolf has hit the ground running in MLL. He followed up his five-point debut with two goals and four assists in Rochester's 18-13 win over Florida on Friday night. The win moves the Rattlers, who missed the playoffs last year, into second place. Justin Turri chipped in two goals (including a two-pointer in transition), and Mike Manley had a solid performance against the legend that is Casey Powell. Dave Lawson didn't play.

[TKG]

Jordan Wolf has hit the ground running in MLL. He followed up his five-point debut with two goals and four assists in Rochester's 18-13 win over Florida on Friday night. The win moves the Rattlers, who missed the playoffs last year, into second place. Justin Turri chipped in two goals (including a two-pointer in transition), and Mike Manley had a solid performance against the legend that is Casey Powell. Dave Lawson didn't play.

Watched the game last night and Jordan looked so small compared to the other players on the field. He looked very good but hope he can survive the physical play of the MLL. It is nothing like the college game.

[burnspbesq]

Watched the game last night and Jordan looked so small compared to the other players on the field. He looked very good but hope he can survive the physical play of the MLL. It is nothing like the college game.

If his first two games are any indication, Jordan's going to make MLS defenders feel like Wile E. Coyote until they get used to his explosiveness. He left Durkin, who is one of the best cover guys in the world, in the dust on two or three occasions.

[burnspbesq]

ESPN has announced its broadcast schedule for the upcoming World Championships. Forty-three games (amazing).

The first marquee game is the US-Canada group-stage matchup on Thursday, 7/10 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. US-Iroquois is on the last night of the group stage, Tuesday, 7/15 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Oh yeah, the Iroquois announced their roster the other day, and it includes all five Thompsons, Randy Staats from Syracuse, Zach Miller from Denver, Warren Hill who was the best keeper at the 2012 U-19 worlds, and assorted other box legends.

The championship game is at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, 7/19.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/full-espn-broadcast-schedule-for-2014-fil-world-championship-starting-july-10/29040

[burnspbesq]

The coaching carousel creaks, groans, and starts to turn. Andy Towers is out after five seasons at Dartmouth.

Gotta believe that the Green will take long looks at both DeLuca and Caputo.

[burnspbesq]

The box score from Rochester's surprising 19-14 win over Denver today makes it look like a Duke alumni game. Dave Lawson, Justin Turri, and Jordan Wolf combined for nine goals and five assists. In the Rattlers' early 9-1 run that broke the game open, they chipped in five and two. With the win, the Rattlers move within a game of Denver at the top of the standings; more importantly, with five games left they are two games clear of the mosh pit of teams fighting for the last playoff spot.

I didn't see the game, so I don't know how much time Jordan spent matched up against Lee Zink, who is generally considered the best close defenseman in the world. Still, in his first three pro games, he's gone for 16 points (nine goals and seven assists). That's downright ridiculous.

Lawson and Ned Crotty should find out tomorrow (Monday) whether they have booked their places on the 23-man USA roster for the world championships. Best of luck to both!

[burnspbesq]

Ned and Dave were both selected. Way to go, fellas. Make us proud.

[MCFinARL]

Ned and Dave were both selected. Way to go, fellas. Make us proud.

Great news! Congratulations to both.

[Billy Dat]

ESPN has announced its broadcast schedule for the upcoming World Championships. Forty-three games (amazing).

The first marquee game is the US-Canada group-stage matchup on Thursday, 7/10 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. US-Iroquois is on the last night of the group stage, Tuesday, 7/15 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Oh yeah, the Iroquois announced their roster the other day, and it includes all five Thompsons, Randy Staats from Syracuse, Zach Miller from Denver, Warren Hill who was the best keeper at the 2012 U-19 worlds, and assorted other box legends.

The championship game is at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, 7/19.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/full-espn-broadcast-schedule-for-2014-fil-world-championship-starting-july-10/29040

Thank god for the proliferation of cable sports channels, the need for content, and the expansion of the sport. Every US game is on at least ESPNU with a few of them on ESPN2. I will be interested to see the Iroquois squad with the Thompsons et al.

Did anyone watch Team USA vs the MLL All Stars - I forgot it was on. Any surprised at the cuts? I am no expert, but I guess I figured Steele Stanwick would make it, especially after he was featured on the cover of Inside Lacrosse with Rabil, etc.

[burnspbesq]

Thank god for the proliferation of cable sports channels, the need for content, and the expansion of the sport. Every US game is on at least ESPNU with a few of them on ESPN2. I will be interested to see the Iroquois squad with the Thompsons et al.

Did anyone watch Team USA vs the MLL All Stars - I forgot it was on. Any surprised at the cuts? I am no expert, but I guess I figured Steele Stanwick would make it, especially after he was featured on the cover of Inside Lacrosse with Rabil, etc.

Stanwick and Pannell spent large portions of the All-Star Game in each other's way, and while Stanwick is a great feeder from behind, Pannell has a more diverse skill-set. However, what really killed Stanwick's chances was the decision to only take five pure offensive mids (Rabil, Buchanan, Harrison, Seibald, and Lawson), plus two SSDMs. That pretty much guaranteed that they would take two attackmen who can also play midfield, and those two guys turned out to be Crotty and Garrett Thul from Army.

[burnspbesq]

Two former Duke players have taken rides on the coaching carousel this summer.

Brad Ross '09 has moved from Bryant to Ohio State, where he will be offensive coordinator.

Justin Turri '12 has moved from the volunteer assistant job at Providence to a full-time, paid job at West Point.

Congrats to both. The Pressler/Danowski coaching tree continues to sprout new growth and expand its influence in the sport.

[burnspbesq]

The Duke women's program has filled its coaching vacancy, hiring current Georgetown assistant Lauren Morton to replace Kristen Waagbo. Welcome to Duke, and best wishes.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209574581&DB_OEM_ID=4200

[MCFinARL]

Team USA beat Canada (http://www.worldlacrosse2014.com/sports/mlax/2013-14/boxscores/20140710_5jhm.xml) last night 10-7 in their World Lacrosse Championship opener. Lots of playing time for Duke alums Ned Crotty and Dave Lawson, though neither scored (Lawson did notch one assist). Duke alum Zack Greer scored two for Canada.

[burnspbesq]

Team USA beat Canada (http://www.worldlacrosse2014.com/sports/mlax/2013-14/boxscores/20140710_5jhm.xml) last night 10-7 in their World Lacrosse Championship opener. Lots of playing time for Duke alums Ned Crotty and Dave Lawson, though neither scored (Lawson did notch one assist). Duke alum Zack Greer scored two for Canada.

The US team's willingness to share the ball, make the extra pass, and sacrifice for each other was very Duke-like. Dave Lawson's biggest contribution doesn't show up in the box score; he leveled Brodie Merrill with a pick to get Rabil free for a second-quarter goal that keyed the US' 8-0 run to take control.

The game was far less competitive than the final score suggests. Greer was the only Canadian player who came close to consistently winning his matchup. Canada got one goal in transition off a turnover, and one straight from a face-off. The shots were 40-20 for the US. But for a massive performance by Canadian keeper Dillon Ward, this would have been a blowout.

The big game today is England - Iroquois at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. The US resumes pool play on Saturday against Australia, a nice double-header with the Under Armour All-America Game.

[burnspbesq]

When watching last week's Hounds - Rattlers game, I noticed that Brendan Fowler's long hair was gone.

I assume he had cut it because he had started work.

Wrong.

The answer is much better than that.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/hounds-duke-fogo-brendan-fowler-donates-hair-to-locks-of-love/29184

[burnspbesq]

Duke guys went off big-time at the world championships on Saturday.

Dave Lawson had a MOTM performance for the USA in its win over Australia, with four goals and an assist. Ned Crotty chipped in a goal.

Zak Greer had a goal and an assist in Canada's blowout win over England.

Andrew Rullan '11 had a hat trick for Germany in a 20-2 win over Austria.

[MCFinARL]

On Sunday, the US beat an overmatched Japanese team 21-3; Ned Crotty had four goals and an assist, and Dave Lawson had two goals and an assist. Zach Greer did not score in the marquis matchup of the day, a 9-8 Canada victory over the Iroquois Nationals.

[Billy Dat]

Zach Greer did not score in the marquis matchup of the day, a 9-8 Canada victory over the Iroquois Nationals.

Wow, I turned the game off because Canada was dominating, the Iroquois defense was horrible, and the Iroquois were also playing like a bunch of punks with lots of nasty slashes, including a bunch after plays were whistled dead. I will have to go back and watch - what the heck happened in the second half?

[burnspbesq]

Wow, I turned the game off because Canada was dominating, the Iroquois defense was horrible, and the Iroquois were also playing like a bunch of punks with lots of nasty slashes, including a bunch after plays were whistled dead. I will have to go back and watch - what the heck happened in the second half?

The Iroquois stopped taking silly penalties, and started winning all the ground-ball battles. Most importantly, they moved Lyle Thompson from midfield to attack, and put him at X. The fourth quarter is well worth watching.

Andrew Rullan, playing for a very strong German team, is the leading Duke scorer. He put up his second hat trick in a row on Sunday, giving him eight goals for the tournament (seven more than he scored in three seasons at Duke).

[burnspbesq]

The classification rounds started this morning. Scotland, Germany, and Israel are one win away from playing with the big boys in the medal round. The last spot in tomorrow's quasi-round-of-16 belongs to the winner of Netherlands vs. New Zealand.

Andrew Rullan found a new way to contribute for dear old Deutschland. With Germany's dominant faceoff guy, Chris Mattes of the MLL Florida Launch, missing, he stepped in at the dot and went 6-for-6, with seven GBs, in Germany's 9-5 win over the Czech Republic.

Another familiar name showed up in the box score of Scotland's win over Finland. Jesse Fehr, who played the 2011 season at Duke as a grad student after graduating from Harvard with a year of eligibility left, chipped in three assists.

Germany - Israel could be one of the most competitive games of the tournament. Former Hopkins midfielder Lee Coppersmith blew up for Israel today, scoring five goals in a surprisingly easy win over Ireland. The matchup between Coppersmith and Germany's Simon Giourmetakis (a former first-team All-MAAC performer at Canisius) could be fun to watch.

[MCFinARL]

If you didn't see last night's US victory over England (http://www.worldlacrosse2014.com/sports/mlax/2013-14/files/074.htm), an easy 20-1 victory in which Ned Crotty had a goal and 2 assists and Dave Lawson had 2 goals, you may want to watch it just the hear Quint Kessenich heap love on Duke-connected folks--Crotty, Lawson and John Danowski. Especially a lot of love for Lawson and how he has developed into an exceptional player while also, until recently, holding down a job at a private equity firm in Boston.

Lots of credit to Danowski for focusing on player development--he noted how Lawson, for example, spent a couple of years playing on defensive midfield before taking on a major role in the offense. Kessenich even got in a complimentary mention of Jordan Wolf, though he is not on the team.

[budwom]

Danowski is one of the most impressive, (if not THE most impressive), coaches I've had the pleasure of watching over the past 47 years of Duke watching. Everything, his player development, his in-game coaching, his sideline demeanor, his recruiting, is top notch. Watching him develop teams over the past few years has been a genuine pleasure.

[burnspbesq]

A surprisingly easy 18-5 win for the USA over the Iroquois on the last night of pool play for the Blue group. Tucker Durkin, the former Hopkins defender, had a great night against Lyle Thompson, and Rob Pannell blew up for seven goals. It might have been different if Jesse Schwartzmann hadn't made three ridiculous saves in the first quarter.

Quiet nights for Ned and Dave, who each had a goal and an assist.

So much for Israel-Germany being competitive. The blue and white went nuts, winning 15-1. In their first time in the tournament, they are in the quarterfinals against Australia. The other quarter will be Iroquois-Scotland. The US and Canada have byes into Thursday night's semis.

[burnspbesq]

The US is in Saturday night's championship game after a 22-3 demolition of Australia. Dave Lawson led the onslaught with four goals and two assists, and Ned Crotty rang the bell twice. Dave passes Andrew Rullan as the top scoring Duke alum in the tournament.

Iroquois and Canada are having a surprising defensive battle. It's 4-3 Haudenosaunee at halftime. They played a lot of zone in the first half, and soon-to-be Cuse goaltender Warren Hill has been locked in.

If he is academically up to Duke standards, I sure hope we're recruiting Oakley Thomas of the Iroquois. Kid is absolutely an ACC-caliber defender. He has one more year at Onondaga CC.

[burnspbesq]

Canada are deserving world champions after putting on two sensational defensive performances in the semifinal and final. If you can hold the Iroquois and the US to a total of eleven goals, you earned those gold medals.

Five former Duke players participated in the tournament, all all five turned in solid-to-superb performances. Zak Greer, Ned Crotty, and Dave Lawson all made significant contributions. Jesse Fehr was a hugely important complementary player for a Scotland team that achieved its best performance ever, finishing fifth and moving into the top group for 2018. Andrew Rullan played a major role in Germany's ninth-place finish. Well done, gentlemen.

[chrishoke]

That championship game was unwatchable. All credit to Canada, but the US allowed them to dictate tempo the entire game and didn't match their intensity and fight until it was too late.

[MCFinARL]

That championship game was unwatchable. All credit to Canada, but the US allowed them to dictate tempo the entire game and didn't match their intensity and fight until it was too late.

Yes. I wonder if their easy road to the final made the US team less sharp than they needed to be. I also wonder if the coaching staff could have developed a strategy that would work better for this particular game.

I believe I saw a stat that Canada won 35 groundballs to the US's 22. In a game where one team is slowing the pace and controlling possession, you just can't let them pick up that many ground balls.

[Billy Dat]

Yes. I wonder if their easy road to the final made the US team less sharp than they needed to be. I also wonder if the coaching staff could have developed a strategy that would work better for this particular game.

I believe I saw a stat that Canada won 35 groundballs to the US's 22. In a game where one team is slowing the pace and controlling possession, you just can't let them pick up that many ground balls.

Very disappointing. I credit Canada with execution of a great scheme, but early on we had a ton of turnovers - forced and unforced - that kind of set the stage for a bad performance. When Ward stuck the stick in Rabil's belly, yes, it was a dirty move, but it was also a big FU to the face of US Lacrosse and a sign that they weren't going to lay down. The US had a few point blank chances to tie it at 3-3 early in the second half, failed, and then the route was on.

I think this World Cup was good for the sport, but it would be more fun to see a US v Canada series played annually - maybe like the USSR v Canada Summit Series in hockey.

[Billy Dat]

When Ward stuck the stick in Rabil's belly...

I didn't mean Ward, maybe he's burned on my brain because he played so well. I think it was Hall.

[MCFinARL]

I didn't mean Ward, maybe he's burned on my brain because he played so well. I think it was Hall.

Correction noted. Ward did play extremely well.

[burnspbesq]

Kyle Rowe, younger brother of current Duke player Jack Rowe, is transferring to Duke. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

At Stony Brook in 2014, he was the top freshman FOGO in all of D1, winning 62.5 percent. He finished the season number four overall in IL's freshman ratings.

He went 6-for-15 against B. Fowler in Duke's February win over the Seawolves.

Welcome to Duke, Kyle.

[R2Dukie]

Kyle Rowe, younger brother of current Duke player Jack Rowe, is transferring to Duke. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

At Stony Brook in 2014, he was the top freshman FOGO in all of D1, winning 62.5 percent. He finished the season number four overall in IL's freshman ratings.

He went 6-for-15 against B. Fowler in Duke's February win over the Seawolves.

Welcome to Duke, Kyle.


Is he going to be eligible to play next season or does he need to redshirt for a year?

[burnspbesq]

Is he going to be eligible to play next season or does he need to redshirt for a year?

Don't know for certain, and the piece at IL online didn't say either way, but there is recent precedent for key contributors playing right away. See, e.g., Jack Bobzien, who played for Fairfield in 2013 and Denver in 2014.

If all else fails, we'll find out on the second Saturday in February.

[budwom]

Don't know for certain, and the piece at IL online didn't say either way, but there is recent precedent for key contributors playing right away. See, e.g., Jack Bobzien, who played for Fairfield in 2013 and Denver in 2014.

If all else fails, we'll find out on the second Saturday in February.

From what I've been reading, lax guys can play right away...not like hoops and futbol...there is a thread on this seeming inconsistency in NCAA rules
over at laxpower...this is most fortuitous for next year, of course.

[johnb]

A 15 yr old from rural Ottawa has committed to play for Duke. He won't start until 2017, apparently when he finishes grade 13.

http://news.ca.msn.com/local/ottawa/ottawa-rising-lacrosse-star-cam-badour-commits-to-duke-university

[burnspbesq]

A 15 yr old from rural Ottawa has committed to play for Duke. He won't start until 2017, apparently when he finishes grade 13.

http://news.ca.msn.com/local/ottawa/ottawa-rising-lacrosse-star-cam-badour-commits-to-duke-university

Interesting article, but I think Taylor Wray and Jesse Fehr would be surprised to learn that Zack Greer was the only Canadian ever to play at Duke.

The young man has game. Ty Xanders, who covers recruiting for IL, called him "the best finisher" at this summers Maverik Showtime.

Welcome to Duke, eh.

[burnspbesq]

Congrats to Josh Dionne, who will henceforth be known as Coach Dionne. Josh has landed a full-time, paying gig as an assistant coach for the women's team at the Naval Academy. Megan Huether '06 will also be joining the Mids' staff as a volunteer assistant.

[MCFinARL]

Congrats to Josh Dionne, who will henceforth be known as Coach Dionne. Josh has landed a full-time, paying gig as an assistant coach for the women's team at the Naval Academy. Megan Huether '06 will also be joining the Mids' staff as a volunteer assistant.

Great news. When he was injured, Dionne said it gave him an opportunity to "coach," something he had always wanted to do. So it sounds like he is headed in that direction.

[burnspbesq]

The MLL regular season ended last weekend, and the two teams with the most Duke alums, Rochester and Charlotte, finished first and last, respectively. Rochester hosts Ohio in one semifinal on Saturday, while the other features New York at Denver. Alas, poor Charlotte, they have traded away their first-round pick in next year's draft, so they did not win the Lyle Thompson Sweepstakes.

Justin Turri ended the regular season as the highest-scoring Duke alum in the league, just ahead of Rochester teammates Jordan Wolf and Dave Lawson.

Jordan Wolf finished second in the balloting for MLL rookie of the year. This is really not a surprise. Although Jordan led all attackmen in the league in points per game, and his per-game average, if applied over 14 games, would have made him the league's leading scorer, he only played half the season. The award went to Kieran McArdle of Florida, who broke the rookie records for goals and points.

The NCAA men's lacrosse rules committee is in the middle of a three-day meeting. It is widely believed that one of the outcomes of the meeting will be the institution of a shot clock beginning next season, although there is apparently no consensus as to how long the clock will be, whether there will separate clocks for clearing and possession in the offensive zone, and a host of other issues. There may also be action taken regarding FOGOs making plays with the ball in the back of the stick.

[burnspbesq]

NCAA press release on the rules committee recommendations.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/lacrosse-men/article/2014-08-14/mens-lacrosse-committee-recommends-altering-stall-procedures

Highlights:

- no shot-clock per se. The 30-second "timer on" for stalling stays, but there will be a visible 30-second clock.

- a clampdown (pun intended) on FOGOs playing with the ball in the back of the stick. The old-school clamp-and-rake technique is back.

- something about requiring more contrast between uniform numbers and the base color of the jersey. Hopefully this means we've seen the last of Duke's illegible Confederate gray alternate kit, as well as some of the abominations that UA and Warrior have come up with for Maryland and Princeton in recent years.

[burnspbesq]

Forgot to mention this when it was announced on Tuesday, but Duke alum Justin Turri was named the MLL Most Improved Player for 2014. After two years of playing mostly d-mid and hardly scoring at all, he became part of what might have been the best midfield line in the league this year (with fellow Duke alum Dave Lawson and Jordan McIntosh from RIT), and blew up for 34 points on 19 goals (including two two-pointers) and 13 assists. Well done, Justin!

His Rochester teammate and former Duke assistant coach, John Galloway, was named today as the 2014 Goaltender of the Year. Congrats, Coach.

Rochester (aka Team Duke-a-Cuse) plays Ohio tomorrow afternoon in the league semifinal.

[burnspbesq]

The post-season honors continue to roll in for the Rochester chapter of the Duke lax alumni association. Mike Manley is the overwhelming choice for MLL DPOY. Congrats, Mike. Looking forward to seeing you, @thebigbadwolf31, Dave Lawson, and Justin Turri hoist the Steinfeld Cup on Saturday in Atlanta.