Inside the February Issue of Lacrosse Magazine
COVER STORY
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| Lacrosse Magazine: February 2010 |
John Danowski was on his way to the Tewaaraton Trophy ceremony in Washington, D.C., with his son and eventual winner Matt Danowski on May 30, 2007, when word arrived that 33 men's lacrosse players, including Matt, were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to the extraordinary circumstances under which Duke's 2006 season was cancelled.
Ever since then, despite the apparent riches of talent and depth at his disposal, the Blue Devils' head coach has yearned for normalcy.
"The whole fifth-year thing has been a blessing and a curse," Danowski said. "It wasn't very normal. But listen, if it was normal, I wouldn't be here."
Can Ned Crotty's crew succeed where the previous two fifth-year classes failed?
Crotty joins Steve Schoeffel, Sam Payton, Mike Catalino, Dan Theodoridis, Tom Clute and Devon Sherwood and a natural senior class that includes Max Quinzani and Parker McKee.
The urgency? The fury? It's palpable.
THE SCOOP
Fly South for the Summer
The US Lacrosse Under-15 National Championships are headed south this year to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Beginning July 17, thousands of laxers will converge on the House of Mouse as part of ESPN's Rise Games, a multi-sport event that attracts youth and high school athletes from all over the country.
Lifestyles: Dan Dawson
Boston Blazers forward Dan Dawson can scorch the net with his shot, and then put out the fire himself. The 2009 NLL MVP recently became a firefighter with the Bramtpon (Ont.) Fire and Emergency Services. LM scorched him with some questions about his new career.
US Lacrosse Serves Up Youth
From top to bottom of the now 12-year-old organization, US Lacrosse is restructuring to include an added focus on youth play.
SIDELINE CHATTER
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Loyola midfielder and US Lacrosse intern Emily Gibson takes LM on a tour of Evergreen's world-class dorms. © Alain Jaramillo |
LM's Question of the Month: What will you do differently this season?
It's the new year, and another spring is upon us. Got a rival you desperately want to beat? Looking to hit a personal milestone? Trying out some new moves? Lacrosse people are goal-oriented, in every form of the word. LM wants to know, what will you do differently this season?
OFF THE FIELD
Emily Gibson
Loyola senior Emily Gibson has two tough jobs, as a midfielder for the Greyhounds and an intern for US Lacrosse. In her few spare moments, Gibson took us on a tour of her palatial dorm room. (Loyola has sick on-campus housing -- the dorms were ranked as the second-most luxurious ones in the nation by 2010 Princeton Review.)
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: MEN'S DIVISION I
No. 1 Duke: The Blue Devils' last super seniors
seek sweet closure.
No. 2 Syracuse: Josh Amidon heads an unproven
midfield contingent.
No. 3 Virginia: After Steele Stanwick, the Wahoos
face questions on attack.
No. 4 North Carolina: Replacing Shane
Walterhoefer is a key issue for the Tar Heels.
No. 5 Johns Hopkins: Hopkins must rediscover its
heart and soul: defense.
No. 6 Cornell: Minnesotan Ryan Hurley is a huge
hit in his hometown, and at Cornell.
No. 7 Princeton: The Tigers welcome change with
new head coach Chris Bates.
No. 8 Maryland: The Terps must settle at midfield
and get return on experience.
No. 9 Hofstra: The young Pride is primed to take
the next step.
No. 10 Notre Dame: A friend's memory helps Neal
Hicks lead.
Nos. 11-20: The Rest of the Best
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: ALL-LM TEAM
Jac Coyne and Matt DaSilva developed preseason All-America teams -- with a twist. We didn't look for the best player at every position. Rather, we constructed the best team, blending styles and strengths. We devised a team that cannot be defeated in a 15-minute game with any combination of the remaining players in their division. Think you can do better? Try us.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: WOMEN'S DIVISION I
No. 1 Northwestern: Can the Wildcats reload in
the cage as they have elsewhere?
No. 2 Maryland: The Terps won't catch anyone by
surprise this year.
No. 3 North Carolina: The Tar Heels dig in with a
blend of veterans and youth.
No. 4 Penn: The Quakers' veteran seniors look to
finish the job.
No. 5 Duke: Can the younger Blue Devils make it
back to the final four?
No. 6 Georgetown: The Hoyas don't find revamping
their defense to be too hard.
No. 7 Syracuse: The Orange has a new look with
Dove stepping up, Thorpe coaching 'D.'
No. 8 Virginia: The Cavaliers look to each other
for redemption.
No. 9 Notre Dame: The Irish goalies will be all
things short and tall.
No. 10 Princeton: The Tigers are marching to the
beat of a different Drumm.
Nos. 11-20: The Rest of the Best
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: MEN'S DIVISION II
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Merrimack's arrival as a national contender in 2009 was just the beginning, according to head coach Mike Morgan. © Greg Wall |
Big 'Mack on Campus
Merrimack College may have officially arrived as a Division II men's lacrosse force a year ago, when the Warriors set a school record for victories and advanced to their first-ever NCAA tournament semifinal game. But Merrimack hardly came out of nowhere.
Top 10 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 C.W. Post to No. 10 Molloy, a look at LM's top-ranked teams in Division II men's lacrosse.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: WOMEN'S DIVISION II
Prowling for Perfection
Even though former Adelphi coach Jill Lesne-Solomon was a tough act to follow, her successor, Joe Spallina, hasn't had many problems. Spallina already owns one title and a 34-1 overall mark in just two years at the helm of his alma mater. His Panthers went 18-0 in their 2009 championship run. And the way things are looking now, that could just be the tip of a mighty iceberg on which rivals could flounder for years to come.
Top 10 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 Adelphi to No. 10 Gannon, a look at LM's top-ranked teams in Division II women's lacrosse.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: MEN'S DIVISION III
Caravana's Coattails
After a stint in the prep ranks, coach Mike Caravana has returned to Denison, a reunion that has the Big Red in position for a deep NCAA tournament run. Whether during the recruiting process or his return to the program, it has been Caravana's family-driven mentality and father-like approach to teaching his players that allowed him to return to his former program with little difficulty and instantly increase Denison's prominence in the Division III landscape.
Top 20 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 Cortland to No. 20 St. John Fisher, a look at LM's top-ranked teams in Division III men's lacrosse.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: WOMEN'S DIVISION III
Bullet Proof
As much as Gettysburg head coach Carol Cantele expected to be
heartbroken about the Bullets' loss to Salisbury in the national
semifinals, the disappointment just wouldn't set in. Initially, it
was tough to figure out why. After some introspection, she realized
part of it came from knowing her team played as well as it could,
but fell a goal short to a better team that day. Part of it was the
team had far surpassed Cantele's expectations -- "I was thinking we
aren't that good this year, and they made a fool of me," she said
with a laugh. But the primary reason only became apparent after the
team bus voasted back ointo campus that Saturday evening. Said
Cantele: "We had the final departure off of the bus and I looked at
all of their faces thinking, 'This is good... I'm going to see you
and you and you next year,' and that is when it really hit me.
We're just going to pick up where we left off. That's the plan.
Top 20 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 Franklin & Marshall to No. 20 Buffalo, a look at
LM's top-ranked teams in Division III women's lacrosse.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: MCLA
Fear and Loathing: Madison Edition
The University of Wisconsin men's lacrosse team has yet to play a game in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association, but the Badgers are already among the most frightening programs for the established members of the league. Can Wisconsin survive the monetary and organizational rigors of the MCLA?
Top 20 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 Michigan to No. 20 Texas (Division I), and No. 1 St. Thomas to No. 20 Whitman (Division II), a look at LM's top-ranked teams in the MCLA.
2010 COLLEGE PREVIEW: WDIA
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Florida lost some players to the school's new NCAA team, but the Gators will challenge for a berth in the WDIA Division I tournament. THSphoto.com |
It Takes II to Tango
With the WDIA ballooning to over 200 teams, the association has instituted a second division for organizational and national championship purposes. The goal: to provide opportunities to the "underserved" WDIA teams, "the ones who really would not have an opportunity for nationals," WDIA president Dave Holdsworth said. It's a whole new race now, and the excitement is already building.
Top 20 Team-By-Team Breakdown
From No. 1 Virginia tech to Nos. 20 Boston College and Virginia, a look at LM's top-ranked teams in the WDIA.
RUNDOWN
NLL: Rock Rebuilds Behind Familiar Face
Thomas Wolfe wrote that you can't go home again, yet a return home appears to be the perfect antidote for Colin Doyle and the Toronto Rock. Doyle's returns to his lacrosse home after three seasons with the Stealth has filled a leadership and playmaking void.
US Lacrosse: US Lacrosse Welcomes Great Plains
At the 2009 US Lacrosse Under-15 National Championships, a group of boys with "Great Plains Lacrosse" on their chests ambled onto the fields in Bel Air, Md., wide-eyed and smiling. Their excitement about the sport was contagios, as was their Midwest comportment. Little did they know they woudl represent a future US Lacrosse Chapter.
YOUR EDGE
Your Game: Two-on-Two Cat and Mouse
As defensive players get faster and coaches get better at designing defense to keep teams out of hte 8-meter arc, sometiems attackers need to take matters into their own hands. At Franklin & Marshall, the Diplomats showed us how to kick it old school with a two-on-two down low off the crease area.
Your Game: A Dash of Zash
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Lizards, Titans and U.S. team star Matt Zash answers your questions in a special "Straight Shooters" spread. © Joe Rogate |
Matt Zash plays on three premier teams -- the U.S. national team, the Long Island Lizards (MLL) and the Orlando Titans (NLL) -- owns a lacrosse store and finds time to answer your questions.
Your Body: Get FIT for Function
Rashad Devoe reveals the beauty of Functional Isometric Training (FIT) with a program specifically designed for lacrosse players.
Your Style: Sticks All Good, Sticks Alright!
Stylin' Strings throws it back with a hippie groove, turning a Warrior Nemesis into a four-color tie-dye masterpiece for "Hippie Goalie" Kyle Kurek.
Your Playbook: Reflections from a PCA Champion
Utah Lacrosse Association Hall of Famer Michael O'Malley esposues long0team goal setting and patience by coaches.
GIVE AND GO
Brian Dougherty
You won't want to miss LM's Q&A with U.S. team goalie and Penn assistant coach Brian "Doc" Dougherty -- be it for his reverence of Babe Ruth's night life, his affinity for his couch and his desire for a transporter.
COLUMNS
To Our Members: Time for Change
Jack McGetrick is well known among his peers and former players as one tough hombre, both physically and mentally. There's no denying that after he coached the Knights last season, LM editor Paul Krome writes, a job he plans to repeat this season despite ongoing cancer treatments.
Her Space: 'Mad' About You
While it might look like jai alai and lacrosse would have a lot in common, there's one big difference that has made lacrosse grow as it has: the people. People are the reason that lacrosse is growing -- people who love the game itself, Clare Lochary writes.
