Two 1st Time Champs And a Repeat

Layola (MD) celebrates their first every NCAA DI Title.

The 2012 college lacrosse season came to a close today with two firsts and one very familiar ending. Layola (MD) hoisting their first every Division 1 National Championship. A first time champion rose in DII also, Dowling was victorious with their first ever Division II National Championship. And of course, Salisbury returned to their third straight national finals to claim their second consequtive crown. With 7 titles in 10 years and an undefeated record at Gillette Stadium the Salisbury Seagulls are starting to look like Tom Brady and the Patriots of the early 2000s. 

Salisbury and Layola were both carried to victory by stellar individual performances. The greyhounds Eric Lusby tallied four goals to push the game out of Marylands reach. And Sam Brandman scored a game high six goals to take the game for the seagulls, claiming the tournament's most valuable player award for himself. The Salisbury win continued a 30 game winning streak capping off a remarkable 23-0 season. 


With the collegiate season completed its now time for summer ball. Oh, and it's never too early for next years predictions. 3-peat anyone?

The Most Swaged out Teams of the Year

      College Lacrosse has reached a whole new level of swag. Last year Syracuse rocked the Nike Volt accented unis, socks and cleats. This years lineup of crazy color schemes, helmets and gear have made those look benine. With Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Warrior each trying to one-up each other each week we get to sit by and enjoy. Here are some of this years best and worst unis, gloves, and dome pieces. 


Maryland vs Johns Hopkins, or Under Armour vs Nike
       Both companies rolled out fresh new get ups for this Maryland state rivalry showdown. Nike went with a leather throwback look with tan gloves and arm pads and a sweet old school helmet wrap. Under Armour showed their home state pride incorporating the Maryland flag into every square inch of these uniforms. 

      Black on Black.With so many combinations you may not even recognize the Tar Heels when they roll out onto the field. But believe us these unis will make an impression. 

      This year Syracuse took being the Orangemen to a whole new level, wearing solid orange and white in every combination possible. And for the first time in a while the blue returned reminiscent of 'cuse from the 90s.  They may never look the same from one game to the next but Syracuse Orange is unmistakable. 

     This year even the Ivys stepped it up too, decked out in all new attire. First up is Princeton with their Matte black helmets and trademark tiger stripes. 

    And finally with arguably the dopest lids and cleats in all of the land, University of Denver. Warrior gave them a head to toe make over in laying the famous rocky mountains in everything from their jerseys to their cleats.

Shout out to Inside Lacrosse and Playground for the majority of the pictures.

Fast Breaks: It's What Makes the Fastest Game on Two Feet Fast

Fast breaks are what make lacrosse the most exciting sport, With out them the fastest game on the two feet would just be quick (still faster than baseball). A ball carrier sprinting up the field, with the rest of the midfield on his heals, the 3 attackman have to make the most of the situation. For 5 seconds there is an offensive advantage: a four vs three. Incredibly fast ball movement and thrilling goals. This is where games are won and lost. 


There is a simple key to success, let the ball do the work. The ball moves faster than your legs, so don't dodge. Three defenders can't cover all four offense men so the faster the ball moves from one attackman to the next the more open the shot will be.

The best formation for the attackman to be in is the L. One man at the "point", which should be a few feet inside the restraining box and a few feet wider than an outside post of the goal. The remaining attackman will set up right above the goal line extended and work their way up to 5 & 5 (5 feet up and 5 feet out from the nearest goal post). In all three of the positions continue to move your feet, a motionless target is an easy target to defend. 


It all starts with the middie pushing the transition; at first be hungry for glory and go straight for the goal. Only after the defenses slides to you do you pass the ball. If you pass before the slide than the defense will be able to cover all the attackman and the advantage will be lost. The advantage relies on the defense sliding, so be patient. Space between the point attackman and the middie is crucial. If there is only 5 yards between the two the defense can guard both men. As the middie make the defensemen commit to covering you. And if he doesn't? Green light to the goal!


The next pass is where it gets tricky. The point man has to read the defense. Recognize where the slides are coming from, thats where the open man is. But being a good recipient is just as important as being a good passer. If the man guarding you slides, you are now open. But its on you too be seen. Move your feet and get into that open space. The same goes for the passer. Flat footed passing = bad passing. 


Then comes the fun part, scoring. Dont fire the shot, you are only 5 feet away. But hey, we'll save that one for another time.


Lacrosse is fast. So move fast, pass fast, and think fast. Happy scoring.

Is there such a thing as a "good loser"?

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." Right?

Losing sucks. You should never want to lose, and hate when you lose, but there is such a thing as being a good loser. You need to lose first to truly appreciate a great victory. You need to experience just coming up short to really understand the thrill of coming out just on top. If nothing else losing should motivate you and remind you why you have to work so hard. Winning can be a double edge sword. You become confident, fat and happy and forget why you practice with so much intensity and sometimes it takes a lose to remind you. Learn from the mistakes of a lose and continue to move on. If you leave the field knowing you gave everything you had than there is nothing more you can ask for. But never settle. When you win next time it will make it that much more sweeter.

Never confuse being a good loser with being a happy loser. Being a happy loser in unacceptable, never be content with coming close. You should go into every contest wanting, expecting and believing you are going to win. When you strive for mediocracy and are ok with close but never quite getting there, you will always be mediocre. 

New Posts Coming Soon

Sorry I haven't posted a new article in a while, I have been super busy. In the spirit of being a student athlete, refresh what it means to be a student first. In the meantime check out this 2011 College highlight reel, should get you pretty pumped up.

How about that ripped net at 1:45...wow!

Opportunities.

This weeks post comes from a guest writer, Finn Hadlock. A Maine state high school standout, Hadlock is now a midfielder on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Men's Lacrosse team. If anyone knows anything about taking advantage of your opportunities it would be a freshmen on a top tier collegiate team. Absorb the wisdom.

Lacrosse, like any sport, is one where you need to take advantage of your opportunities. It starts by earning playing time. Almost all of us have been lower on the depth chart than we want to be during our careers and the fastest way to move up is by playing well. You may only get a minute or two of playing time so you need to make the most of every second. Learning how to deal with this pressure you put on yourself to perform can be challenging and frustrating but it is important to stick to your fundamentals and to work as hard as you can.

Being a New Englander, I have grown up idolizing Tom Brady and he is the perfect example of a player making the most of the opportunity given to him. In 2001 Tom Brady started of the season as the 3^rd string quarterback and was almost cut, but due to the injury to New England’s franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady got his chance and as they say the rest is history. He made the most of his opportunity by being ready to play and performing when he got his chance.

One way to make the most of your opportunities is by picking the right times to take chances. Going up against the other team’s best defender the first time you touch the ball is a good way to end up back on the bench. It’s important to take advantage of matchups within the game. If you believe you have a good match up, take advantage of that opportunity within the game to show not only that you can outperform your opponent but also have the intelligence to know when to dodge, take a shot, throw a take away check, etc.

Take advantage of every second of playing time by understanding your match ups as well as working as hard as you can. Just like being opportunistic can help you move quickly up your teams depth chart, being lazy will put you in the dog house and limit your opportunities. No matter what, enjoy the game and keep playing hard.

WInning Face-offs From the Wing

Possession is key. The longer the ball is in your teams stick, the better chance you have to win. Face-offs are where you win that extra possession that could change the game. The face-off player is fighting at the X but the wing players are just as important. The wing players can make and break the work of the face-off guy.


As a wing player, your objective is to get the ball of the ground and too your offense. Simple as that.  Many times wing players run straight down the half line right at the X, this doesn't help your teammate. You aren't allowed to touch either player facing off and it wont matter who wins the draw anyways, it will now be a six guy free for all. Communicate with your face-off guy, know where he is going to try to put the ball and get to that space. But getting to that space is useless if the other team is right on your hands, make seperation from your opponent; lean in and V-cut, use your body to box out and gain position. Be aggressive but be mindful that if you lose the ground battle you will be on D-fense. Don't put your self in a position where you will jeopardize your ability to play sound D-fense.


The middies shouldn't be the only ones getting involved in the face-offs. Attack and Defense should both be ready to help get that ball. Obviously attack and defense have to wait for the possession call to leave the restraining box. The moment the ball is picked up by the other team the attack should ride as hard as they can to the mid line. If you are able to get back the ball that is another possession for your team, and one less for your opponent. An extra possession could be the difference between a win and loss, so don't take face-offs lightly. 

Being a Student of the Game

ESPN released their entire 2012 College Lacrosse TV Schedule back in January, and if you haven't seen it yet, here you go.  There is nothing like going to watch live college lacrosse game, but the next best thing is watching it on TV. With ESPNs 37 game coverage you can watch the best match ups this season has to offer right from your couch. We posted an article last spring about being a student of the game. Don't just watch lacrosse as a fan watch it as a student. Take the opportunity to learn from the best lacrosse players in the nation. And with ESPNs most expansive lacrosse coverage ever it has never been easier.

Lacrosse is an incredibly fast paced game no matter what level or age you play at. There are so many moving parts which makes it hard to get a grasp for lots of the little details; like where everyone is supposed to be on the field, understanding off sides or visualizing a pick and roll. That is why it is extremely important to watch lacrosse. Its easier to visualize and understand the things your coach has been teaching you.

Things to look for while watching the game...

Take note on how quickly and comfortable every player can transition between their right and left hands. The ball never stays still. The more the ball moves the more out of place the defense will become. Sharpen up your sticks and play some wall ball. 

The offenses may seem complex but they are the same concepts that any middle school or high school team will run. Pick and roll, cut the open space, draw and dump. You can learn a lot by watching the best do it. 

"If you want to walk, play baseball." There is never a moment where a player is not running their absolute hardest. 

Rides are not an opportunity to relax and catch your breath, its a chance to play some quick defense and get a free possession. Clears are just as important; you cant score with the ball in the D-zone

Learn the positions, understand the responsibilities for every individual, defense, middy and attack. There is more to a position then simply scoring or stopping the other team.

Even the guys on the sideline are paying attention listening to their coach and ready to jump in the game.