Oct. 12, 2008
by Howard Green, Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
BLAINE, Minn. - Lacrosse has arrived in a big way in Minnesota.
A huge turnout of players and fans Saturday for what Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dubbed "Lacrosse Day in Minnesota," highlighted by the first NCAA Division I men's lacrosse game in the state's history, only reinforced that reality.
Thanks in part to the vision of new Minnesota Swarm owners John and Andy Arlotta, the eventful day reached its apex when Army edged Notre Dame, 9-8, in double overtime before an announced 5,041 fans at the National Sports Complex in Blaine, Minn.
"As a 1971 graduate of Notre Dame and a former U.S. Army captain, I wanted to give our fans and lacrosse players throughout the state the chance to see the highest standard of college lacrosse," said John Arlotta. "I wanted them to have a better idea of what to shoot for as players while also providing the coaches at all levels in the state the chance to learn from some of the greatest lacrosse minds in America."
It began Friday night, as Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan and Army head coach Joe Alberici coordinated their staffs for a clinic attended by over 75 coaches from Minnesota. Said Corrigan: "We do coaches clinics throughout the country, and I've seen as much passion from the group in Minnesota as I've seen anywhere else in the country. It's great to see the growth of the sport here, and there may be a future Irish lacrosse player here in the stands this weekend."
Added Alberici: "It's so important that we pass on our knowledge of drills, game situations, whatever we know. We want to pass it along to other coaches. I had that when I began, and I'm happy to help other coaches in the same way. It's a thrill for us and our coaching staff to be here."
Saturday dawned with a beautiful early fall sun over the National Sports Complex, as the Hot Dish Classic kicked off with a scrimmage between Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota Duluth. "This is our first NCAA Division I experience, and it's a terrific way for our kids to see how they match up against some of the best lacrosse players in college," said Bulldogs head coach Rob Graff, whose club team competes in the MCLA.
With numerous high school and middle school lacrosse games being played throughout the sports complex in conjunction with the event, the Fighting Irish and Bulldogs set the tone for lacrosse at its highest level in the main stadium throughout the day. Andy Arlotta summed it up best: "As the new owners of the Swarm, we want to help support the growth of lacrosse throughout the state. Our objective is to bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor lacrosse...It's all lacrosse, and we're thrilled to help make it happen."
"Lacrosse Day in Minnesota" included the aforementioned coaches clinic, youth clinics hosted by Army and the Swarm, four college lacrosse contest (UMD-Notre Dame, UMD-Army, Notre Dame-Army scrimmage, Notre Dame-Army game) and an autograph session.
In the event's main draw, Army defeated Notre Dame, 9-8, in double overtime on a goal scored by senior Brooks Korvin with 3:49 remaining in the second sudden-death period. Both Division I coaches got a chance to see what their respective teams had.
Said Corrigan: "I want our guys to learn how to play the way we want to play. We want to leave fall ball with all of us on the same page... we want something to build on and then use the rest of the fall to develop our individual skills."
Added Alberici: "It's never too early to establish your identity as a team. We do that throughout the fall, and when we meet a quality opponent like Notre Dame, we learn how to compete at a higher level so we play well. That all helps us build our identity."
