The Shakerz down in NOLA.

The Shakerz even added a new sponsor for their trips:

New York City based Life Juice, a beverage company for a healthy body, mind, and spirit partnered with the Salt Shakerz Lacrosse Club for both the Bump n’ Grind and the Mardi Gras Lacrosse Tournaments. The company is devoted to providing healthy, tantalizing products, and outstanding service. At Life Juice®, the company believes in the fruits, vegetables and the philosophy behind every drop of their products.

Drinking that Life Juice goodness.

As they say, the “juice was worth the squeeze.” Life Juice proved to be exactly what it claims to be by replenishing the squad after tough nights on the town, and keeping the Shakerz hydrated and energized on the field when it mattered most.

While this was not the Shakerz’ most successful trip to South Beach, the club still represented well on the field, and more importantly, looked good doing it. The Salt Shakerz’ uniforms, more subtle than past versions, were a big hit in both SoBe & NOLA. The jerseys were white Under Armour polo shirts that were embroidered with an oversized Shakerz logo on the left chest above the heart and each player’s number on the left sleeve in pink (Duh!). What really tied the whole kit together, completing the vacation-vibe, were the Under Armour Khaki Shorts.

Life Juice Salt Shakerz khaki UA shorts. Dope.

Jake Mendlinger, goalie out of Haverford College was named MVP for his efforts in Miami. Dude stood on his head all weekend and drew rave reviews for his play.

Jake (left) was our Miami MVP.

The Salt Shakerz were joined in Miami by the Cayenne Pepperz, the Shakerz’ female equivalent, who dominated while in SoBe, coasting to the women’s championship.  Congrats to the Pepperz on their first championship! This is a young, immensely talented group of gals that will need to be reckoned with in future tournaments. Faith Richards from Rutgers University captains the Pepperz.

After Miami, Shakerz had a short rest before it was off to New Orleans. What a trip! It’s safe to say the Salt Shakerz will be headed back to New Orleans after experiencing some great lacrosse, great new friends, and a great city!

Shakerz take NOLA!

The Salt Shakerz, proudly sponsored by Life Juice, won the Mardi Gras Lacrosse Tournament by defeating a talented UVA Men’s Club team on Sunday February 12th!

The tournament was held at City Park, which is just a short ride from the French Quarter and proved to be convenient location. Ford Deith and Paul Johnson from the NOLA Lacrosse Club did an awesome job running the event. Lacrosse is lucky to have those guys helping to Grow the Game!

Who is excited to be in NOLA? This guy!

The Shakerz always like to ball for a good cause, and were especially happy to learn that the tournament’s charitable donation for 2012 was for Maggie Hebert.

Maggie is a fifth grader at St. Dominic who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in mid December. Her surgery was successful, but Maggie will be faced with a year of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Donations will assist Maggie and her family with the financial burden of the surgery and accompanying treatments.

The Mardi Gras Lacrosse Tournament featured both Men’s and Women’s Divisions, which were stacked with talented rosters.

The men’s field included:

New Orleans Lacrosse Club
Tony’s Tavern (TX)
Salt Shakerz Lacrosse Club
Team Gin Mill
Wisconsin Club (non-MCLA)
Southern Shine
Bamboozers (TX)
Krewe Du Texas (SWLA)
UVA Lacrosse Club (NCLL)
Team Adrenaline
Pensacola Riptide (FL)
Houston Predators (TX)

A Quick recap:

Friday – SSZ Defeated Team Adrenaline
Saturday – SSZ Defeated New Orleans Lacrosse Club & Defeated Southern Shine
Sunday – Championship Game – Defeated UVA Men’s Club

Heavy rains on Friday made for a muddy state of affairs at City Park … The Shakerz literally took every player’s uniform to a Laundromat in the French Quarter after their game and ate Po’ boys while waiting for their gear to get clean. Saturday, the conditions improved significantly, and Sunday was just a little cooler with some more wind.

Salt Shakerz, Lax, Laundry.

Most importantly, the Shakerz’ family continued to grow with only 5 veterans participating in the Mardi Gras Tournament. That meant 14 new players joined the club, including Shakerz tournament MVP, Matt Witko from Tufts University. Matt led all scorers with 15 points. No goal was more impressive than the cannon he unleashed from 12 yards out that broke the goalie’s stick on its way to finding the back of the net.  Definitely one of the most ridiculous goals scored in the Shakerz recent history.

Witko losing a rare face off to Connor Wilson, who CONSTANTLY cheats.

Other new notable players included:

Brad Korvin, Salisbury
Zack Clark, Stevenson
Tommy Vitale, Virginia Wesleyan
Chas Berntson, Rutgers
John Harmonay, St. Josesph’s University
Sean Murray, Curry College
Mark Tyler, UMass

The Salt Shakerz continue to be fortunate to attract “good guys both on and off the field.” The “Shakerz effect” as we like to call it is starting to take hold as a great sense of camaraderie, mutual respect, and sincere friendship continues to cement the chemistry
between new and old players.

I Slap da bass.

So with that said, what’s the best way to recap the event? A top 10 List!

#10 – Parents, girlfriends, wives and friends who just came to support the boyz in pink
#9 – Shakerz midfielder, Tommy Vitale sporting a “flowhawk.”TKT (That Kid Tom)
#8 – The Trampoline set up at the tournament

Let's get EXTREME!

#7 – Harrah’s Casino. Nuff said

Winnin' and sinnin'.

#6 – Team lunch at Manning’s Sports Bar on Fulton Street (table for 18 please…-Archie & Peyton’s jersey #!!) FYI the speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is reportedly 18 MPH in honor of Archie Manning

Archie Manning's restaurant.

#5 – Dancing in the streets to the sounds of jazz… Visit Frenchmen St. It’s awesome!
#4 – The famous New Orleans Beignet from Café DuMonde

Nom.

#3 – Team Karaoke at “The Cats Meow” on Bourbon Street

Note the lyrics. Totally appropriate.

#2 – New Orleans Dog Parade… we’ve never seen anything like that!

Does that dog look tired or what?

#1 – Continuing to grow this game we all love, one city at a time! Lax often…

Follow the Shakerz & Pepperz via:
Website: www.laxoften.com
Facebook: facebook.com/shakerzlacrosse
Twitter: @laxoften

About the Salt Shakerz: The Salt Shakerz Lacrosse club is a post-collegiate traveling lacrosse team originating out of the New York City metro area. The Shakerz came together in the fall of 2008 when CJ Greene (Villanova University 00′) and Co. began talking about putting a competitive team together of “good guys” both on and off the field. The name ‘Salt Shakerz” is derived from the expression; ‘Pass the Salt’—or in Lax vernacular ‘keep it hot,’ ‘Spin it,’ or ‘one more’. The moniker pays homage to what the club likes to embody: unselfish and tasty play.

It goes without saying that people like to lax with guys they get along with, and that has been the goal of the team since day one. Obviously everyone wants to win, but for this group, no one player has been bigger than the team. That being said, the club still puts together a talented squad. The Salt Shakerz roster includes current and former MLL, NLL, and LXM Pro Players-all the way to college club and MCLA guys. The Shakerz rotate playing in the various tournaments based on the event and geography.

Yeah, ouch.

I’m going to share a note from a parent in the Pacific NW lacrosse community, who shall remain anonymous.  Who they are isn’t that important.  But the message they are sending surely is!  It’s simple.  They want to spread the word about the importance of wearing a cup while playing the sport of lacrosse.

Dear Lacrosse Family:
I was at the gym this morning, and a customer of the gym was working out talking about her weekend.  Deborah X is a nurse, and she had an adolescent lacrosse-playing boy as a patient this weekend. He is having one of his testicles removed because he did not wear a cup during practice. The ball hit him so fast and hard that he was knocked out and sent to the hospital. Apparently, his testicle expanded to larger than the size of a grapefruit and he now has to have it surgically removed.

I just hope we can all pass this along to our sons and sons’ friends, so that no one else gets injured like this, and that they try their best to protect themselves.

Ouch!  I just wanted to share this note with all of LAS readers out there so that we can ALL spread the word about the importance of wearing a cup while playing the game we love.

Make sure to share this post if you want your teammates and friends to be safe out there!!!!

And as funny as it is to watch Justin Timberlake take a shot in the business, in reality it’s just painful.  And dangerous.  So take a note from JT and RP, and wear a cup out there!

Playing with a target on your back.

Yet somehow, Hopkins still won the game.  Delaware gave it all they had, and Hop still won.  And this brings me to this week’s Hot Pot topic: Playing With A Target On Your Back.

Everyone knew Hop would be good this year.  They more than proved their worth last year, and returned the vast majority of their top players this season.  I even heard rumblings that they could easily be a pre-season #1, even though UVA won it all last year.  The point is that Hopkins is probably seen as THE giant in D1 this year, and every single team that plays them will bring their A-game.

So every single game for Hopkins this year could be like a playoff game, but how can they deal with this?????  Both Towson and Delaware have come out hard, but Hopkins has found a way to win.  Some call it winning ugly, but I just call it winning.  What lessons can be learned from their success?

JHU runs a good number of players in games:  In the past, Hop tried to use marquee offensive players exclusively on offense, and definitely had “their guys” who each filled certain roles.  When one guy went down, the next guy on the chart was expected to step up and fill the void.  But at the end of last year, and so far this year, things seem a little different.

A couple more guys get involved all over the field, and more guys get runs from D to O.  It’s sort of like watching Tufts against Salisbury in the 2010 DIII finals.  Middies who can do it all.  Love it.  Star players take the wings on face-offs, and the midfield units seem much more fluid. By getting away from an overly structured football mentality, Hop seems to be increasing their depth.  They have more guys who have do more things, and they’re letting them play.

Hopkins is consistent: Hop doesn’t come out slow, and they don’t slow down late.  They play all 4 quarters hard, and keep their eyes on the prize at the end of the game.  People talk about momentum a lot, but with Hop it’s almost a non-issue.  They don’t get too up, and they don’t get too down.  The other team scores and goes crazy?  I don’t notice a change in Hop.  The attitude and effort remain the same.  It’s this consistent work rate and mindset that helps Hop deal with all comers.  It starts with Petro, but every guy on the team seems to buy in to it.  Petro seems a little calmer now (just a little) but I think this is really helping the team stay focused on winning.

Hopkins still dictates.  Other teams may treat this like a special game, but it’s just another step on the path for JHU.  Hop isn’t out there changing up schemes to fit their opponents, or trying crazy stuff.  They are just playing teams straight up, building on their existing base, and getting better.  They play THEIR style of lacrosse, and run THEIR sets when they want to.  If you want to run and gun (like Delaware did), Hop doesn’t care.  They’re just going to go on and play their game, and win by 2 goals.

This shows a confidence in not only the schemes, but also the personnel on the field.  And it allows for a LOT of changes later on in the season, when other teams start to think they truly know what Hopkins does.  And this brings me to my final point…

Hopkins is building to something bigger.  Hop is playing like they are in mid-season form, but their offensive sets, man up plays, man down approach and other strategies are still in their beginning phases.  For example, imagine if Hop is working on an aggressive man-zone hybrid D right now.  They can stick to what they know for now, whip this hybrid out in mid to later April, perfect it over the last month of the season, and then use it to totally change their approach in the play-offs.  And another layer to the pyramid would be in place.

I’m not saying they ARE working on a man-zone hybrid… just that they’re working on SOMETHING.  And when they decide it’s time to add it to a game plan, the rest of the college lacrosse world will have some more catching up to do.

To sum up, if you have a big target on your back, you’d best be prepared to deal with a tough opponent in every single game.  You need talent, and depth, and great coaching to weather the storm.  But check out Johns Hopkins as a model.  They may win “ugly”, but they win, and there’s no real end in sight.

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LACROSSE IN OTHER NEWS:

- Is this goodbye for the Maryland – Georgetown lacrosse rivalry? | Washington Times

- Bates and Skidmore team up to honor the memory of the late, great Morgan McDuffee | Boston Herald

- George Huguely V murder trial continues to make headlines | Reuters

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LACROSSE VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

We found some solid CW Post vs Wheeling Jesuit highlights online.  NCAA DII lax at its finest!

When we talk about making it at the collegiate level, we try to stress points about both on-field requirements and off the field life, and the kids who have the most potential to play college lax are the ones who take it all in.

Today, I’d like to go through what I believe are the top Ten Ways To Become A College-Ready Lacrosse Player.

So you want to be like this guy, do you?

10 Ways To Become A College-Reader Lacrosse Player

1) Have a GREAT Stick!

I’m not talking about owning an expensive stick, or making sure it’s taped up correctly.  Oh no.  I’m talking about having world class stick skills, of course!  Ask ANY pro or college player today, and they will tell you how important stick skills are.  Even the D-middies will tell you to have great stick skills.  Otherwise you’ll be a d-middie too.  All joking aside, even d-mids at the D1 level have really solid stick skills.  After all, if you can’t clear the ball, you’re a liability.

2) Be An Athlete

We don’t ask kids who are little heavy set to run a 4.4 40.  But we do ask that they try to improve their athleticism.  Kids need to run, come to practice in shape, and develop their skills primarily, because that is part of athleticism.  The focus isn’t on getting huge in the gym, or becoming the fastest player on the field.  The focus is on being athletic on the field.  So make sure a lot of the running you do includes having a stick in your hands.  And we do run the kids.  It’s a part of the game, and if you want to play in college, it really helps to be able to run all day.

3) Pay Attention

Your coaches are here to help you become better players.  Do they know everything? No.  Does that matter?  Not at all.  Listen to them, and take away positive things you can learn from.  This is a skill college coaches need you to possess, so there is no better time than to work on it in high school.

4) Work On Your Game On Your Own

Showing up to practice is simply not enough.  If the coaches are going to be able to teach the finer points of the game, the players need to show up in shape and with sharp stick skills.  A low lacrosse IQ can be improved, but only if a player can catch and pass and run at a high level.  If you want to truly learn the game, you need pre-existing skills.  And this MUST be done on a player’s own time.  Players owe, at the very least, a week of wall ball for one hour a day before practice starts.  Funny how so much of this comes back to stick skills!

5) Be A Good Teammate

Lacrosse is a team game.  And if a player wants to improve, and play in college, they need good teammates.  Part of having good teammates is being a good member of the team.  This means leading by example, playing on your own time, and dragging reluctant friends to hit the wall with you.  It’s keeping in mind that you are all fighting on the same side, but knowing that going hard in practice helps everyone improve.  Star individuals who aren’t great teammates (not saying the two are always, or even often, linked) tend to struggle in college a lot more, and coaches look for kids who will make their team stronger, not divided.

6) Be A Good Student

If you want to go to college, you need to have good grades in school.  But it’s more than that.  Going to college is an opportunity, and a great one at that.  Don’t take it for granted.  Be stimulated by SOMETHING in school, and pursue it with vigor in college.  Otherwise, you’re just wasting everyone’s time.  I could have worked harder in the classroom when I was in college, and not doing so is actually one of my biggest regrets in life.  Don’t take the college experience for granted.  Soak it in.

7) Be A Good Person

Most coaches out there aren’t looking for “ok guys”.  They want good people on their team who are awesome at lacrosse.  Will teams take some not-so-awesome guys?  Yes.  But it’s certainly not helping ANYONE in the long run.  Lacrosse will always be the Creator’s Game, and this separates it from other sports in a way.  It gives us the chance to live by a hard-fought code but still walk the path of harmony.  If you feel better when you’re playing lacrosse than when you’re not, then you know what I’m talking about.

8) Help Win As A Team

This is a broad topic, and it ranges from playing hard and honest in practice, to playing team lacrosse in games.  It covers attitude, respect, and camaraderie.  It means picking your teammates up when the fall, and not blaming each other when things go wrong.  It’s knowing that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so instead of trying to break the link, you make it stronger.  It’s about helping your teammates improve their play, and knowing they will do the same for you.

9) Understand The Game

It’s taken me a while to get back to the stick skills thing, but here we are!  Get the stick skills down and then learn the game of lacrosse!  This mean watching games on TV, using youtube, asking other players questions, reading books and magazines and then going out and trying it.  It means listening to Quint during ESPNU games and then asking your coach what the heck he was talking about.  It’s about listening to your coach explain things like subbing through x, or the concept of high and away.  It’s about knowing when to throw a face dodge, and when to just shoot the ball.  It’s the finer things, and the points that will make a good player great.  And once a player has stick skills, they are ready to step up to this realm.

10) Have Fun!

The points aren’t put in any order, but Having Fun is probably number 1.  It does NOT mean that you can do whatever you want, goof around, not listen to the coaches, etc.  It means doing things the right way, and ENJOYING IT.  When I was in high school, I didn’t get it.  I really didn’t.  I was elected captain, but I was not a good leader.  I didn’t enjoy practice.  I saw it as competition, and remember getting angry quite often.  I wasn’t helping anyone out there.  And no matter how much I complained or swore or got angry, practice didn’t change.

Once I got to college, and I was extremely lucky to be able to play in college at all after my showing in high school, I started to enjoy practice for what it was.  It was a chance to go out and get better at something I realized I absolutely LOVED doing.  I got to do it with 40 other guys who wanted the same thing.  I had 4 dedicated coaches who only wanted us to be better players.  It was heaven!  And I only wish I had possessed the same attitude in high school.  That’s another big regret of mine.

To sum up…

You’re going to get bruised up and battered.  Sometimes you’ll win, and sometimes you’ll lose.  You’ll get tired and beat up, possibly even yelled at a little, and maybe hit so hard you land on your back.  But that’s being a lacrosse player, and it’s being alive!  Enjoy it ALL while you still can.  I took a hit on the back in New Orleans and I’m pretty sure I’ve now slipped a disk.  It doesn’t last forever.  Savor your youth, play hard in practice and enjoy yourself.  It’s literally the only shot you get at this, so make it count and make it memorable!

These Ten Points might seem pretty obvious to most players out there.  They would have seemed obvious to me when I was in high school too.  But I wouldn’t have read them anymore seriously, or truly questioned my own attitude and behavior.  And all I can do now looking back, is hope that you won’t repeat the same mistakes I did.

Man, I feel like a real old timer!  Maybe I should move to Baltimore and join 24SevenLax.  Old person joke!

What are some other ways high school athletes can prepare themselves for college? Let us know in the comments section below!

For more on how to become a better player, and more ready for high level college lacrosse, check out our High School section or our Training section. You’re guaranteed to find something that will help you fulfill your potential!

The reason I’m all up in arms about you watching the Hop – Del game tonight is that the Hop – Towson game on Friday night was killer.  Towson came to play but turnovers really cost them.  Can Delaware regroup quickly and capitalize on what they’ve learned about Johns Hopkins?  Ball possession and limiting mistakes are KEY here, just like they were on Friday.  Hop ended up winning comfortably, and the Blue Jays looked great for it being this early in the year.  Delaware is supposed to be improved, but I think Hop will roll in the 3rd and 4th quarters, especially after seeing how the Blue Hens fared against Loyola.

Ohio State – Denver was probably the game of the weekend.  OSU proved they are ready to roll for real in 2012, and I was really impressed by their athleticism on defense, and their ability to cycle the ball on offense.  The Buckeyes adjusted well to their face off problems, and didn’t let Mark Matthews beat them all by himself.  Matthews certainly performed, but OSU did a great job of limiting him when possible.  It really disrupted Denver’s O, and I expect MM22 to get a LOT of attention for the rest of the year.  OSU should be in the Top 10 after this huge win, and no one can count the Buckeyes out this year.

Jacksonville beat Navy and some people were surprised here, but it didn’t come as a total shocker to me.  Sure, I thought Navy would win, and they didn’t, but the game was tighter than many people think.  Jacksonville’s goalie had a huge game, especially early, and the Midshipmen were never able to get a run going where they could catch up.  Coach Sowell could be a good fit at Navy, and I liked their stick skills and ball movement, but I definitely think they’re lacking in size.  They looked more like a really good DIII team in that regard, even though they played a 6′ 7″ goalie.  Navy will take time to turn around, but I liked their first step, even if it was in a loss.

A couple of other big D1 games included UMass Vs. Bucknell, where UMass won by 2 goals.  This is a big win for UMass, who have a tough opening schedule, but are playing strong and winning.  Notre Dame really stepped up last weekend when they played Duke, and they dominated the final score 7 – 3.  No ONE saw ND holding Duke to THREE goals.  It was a hugely impressive win.  A little boring to watch, but impressive nonetheless.  Finally, Virginia beat Drexel by 1 in what we knew would be a great game.  UVA won 9-8, and now both of these teams are laden with high expectations for the rest of the year.

Usually, we would NEVER talk about a scrimmage, but in Brown’s case, we’ll make an exception.  Brown “State” University Lacrosse took on the Iroquois Nationals U-19 team in Providence this weekend, and we can’t WAIT to hear what Alex Jones, our Brown State Blogger, thought of the experience.  SUPER cool, Brown!

In DII and DIII, there really weren’t any surprises whatsoever.  Salisbury won, Stevenson won, Roanoke won and Denison won.  No shockers in DIII, although the Noke – St. Mary’s game looked awfully snowy.  In DII, NYIT won both games out West, although Dominican kept it close at 11 – 8.  CW Post won, LeMoyne won and Tampa won.  Rory Whipple has Tampa rolling in their first year with a ton of transfers.

Wow. White out.

On the MCLA side of things, BYU beat Chapman by 1 in double OT.  What a game!  BYU was down 1 late, tied it up, forced OT and then weathered the storm to take home the win.  I wouldn’t be shocked to see these two teams meet at LEAST one more time this year, and I’d expect every follow up game to be just as good.  That game was played on Friday, and on Sunday, Chapman rebounded with a win over Utah.  They had also won over Santa Clara on Thursday, 12-4.

BYU however, LOST to Cal Poly.  HUGE upset right there.  An almost upset was ASU beating San Diego 5 – 4.  What’s up with the Sun Devils this year?  Struggling on offense a bit, huh?

Florida State took a huge victory over the University of South Carolina, but the 12 – 11 score has to give the Gamecocks hope for the rest of 2012.  If they can continue to improve, they could be a really dangerous team later in the year.  In DII MCLA play, Washington – St. Louis went 2-1 in three games in only 2 days.  They dominated Emory, lost to Kennesaw State by 3 and then beat Reinhardt 19 – 8.  Tough road and a couple good wins for WSL!

Wow. So much  college lacrosse action! Which games are YOU looking forward to this week? Check our TV Schedule for listings! 

(Roanoke – St. Mary’s Photo courtesy of the 90% of Lax is in the flow Facebook page.)

Lindsay playing in the LXM Pro.

And we’re back for another edition of Lettin’ It Rip! This time around I’m talking with another Cuse alum, Sean Lindsay.  Sean has played pro lacrosse in the MLL and LXM and is a development officer for the Thai National Team.  Check out our conversation below and get to know one of the most creative and fun to watch players from recent memory!

Player Profile

Name: Sean Lindsay

Nickname: SL21

Position: Midfield

Birthday: October 31, 1981

Hometown: Cortlandt Mannor, NY

College: Syracuse University

High School: Lakeland-Panas High School

Awards: 2x High School All American; 2x Division 1 NCAA All American; 2x National Champion, 2004 MLL First round draft pick, 2007 MLL ALL STAR, 2007 All MLL, 2007 USA National Team Member

Current Gig: LA Mavericks Founder/President, Lax Snax Director of Operations, Development Director/US Coordinator- Thailand Lacrosse Association, LXM PRO Player, Head Coach at Agoura High School

Time to let it rip!

What was the first vehicle that you had? What kind of vehicle do you currently drive?

The first car I ever owned was a 1980 something Plymouth Voyager with wood paneling on the sides. I currently drive a blue Grand Cherokee.

Not bad!!

Your last meal, what is it?

If this is the last meal I’m going to have I’m doing it up big, so bear with me… Dinosaur BBQ ribs; a Cheeseburger from The Counter; French Fries; Chocolate Milk; Sprite; French Toast; A Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwich with salt, pepper and ketchup; Three bags of Lax Snax, one Rip it Ranch, one Braveheart Bandito, and one Man Up Roasted and Salted; Double stuffed Oreos, with a glass of milk for dipping; My Grandmother’s meatballs; My Mom’s Baked Ziti; Emily Pfeifer’s Ham Chunk; a butter Croisant, a glazed donut and a homemade S’more.

Now I realize the only healthy things on this list are the bags of Lax Snax, but considering the fact that this is my last meal I might as well go out with a bang.

Who do you look up to most today and why?

My idols growing up as a kid were Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali. I loved how Michael Jordan was by far the best player on the court every time I watched him play. What I loved most about Muhammad Ali was his ability to talk the talk and walk the walk; a lot of people thought him to be very arrogant, but I never saw him that way. The one word that sticks out in my mind when I think of Muhammad Ali is confidence.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is a world without an ocean, and waves.

Sean hits the beach with Jim Lindsay.

If you had to redo college and had to go to another school and you were going to play lacrosse at the new school, where would you go?

Wow, this is a very tough question… My entire life growing up, starting from when I started playing lacrosse at 10 years old, all I ever wanted to do was play in the Carrier Dome, and win National Championship for Syracuse.  If I had to choose a school to play at right now, in the year 2012, that wasn’t Cuse, I would go to Michigan.

What is the one thing that you need on a daily basis?

SUP; Stand-Up-Paddle boarding.  It’s amazing.

What’s in your DVD collection?

I’m into Blue Rays nowadays, but now that I have Netflix on my TV I don’t really buy too many blue rays anymore either. My recent favorites are Captain America, and Inception.

What are some of your household chores?

Sweeping the floors, taking out the trash, cleaning the counters. I don’t mind doing laundry, but I hate folding clothes. Lucky for me, my girlfriend loves folding clothes, so it works out perfect.

What your favorite TV show?

My favorite show of all time is Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I also really love The Office, The Wire, and Dexter.

What is your favorite song?

That would be a tie between two songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers: All Around the World and Venice Queen.

RHCP does rock!

What would you say if someone on the street asked you for 20 bucks?

That depends on the situation. If it was really needed I would give it up for sure.

What was the best lacrosse stick that you ever owned?

My current stick actually… the Easton Stealth Head and Shaft.

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

I am 100% a dog person. I am a proud owner of a Bullmation (half Bulldog, half Dalmatian), named Moo.

Too cute.

If you could be a video game character, who would you be and why?

I would want to be either Enzo from Assassins Creed, or Master Chief from Halo. Anyone familiar with these two characters will not need an explanation as to why I choose them. They are two very baddddddd men!!!!!

What kind of cologne do you wear?

I don’t wear cologne, just deodorant.

If you could be any color of a crayon, what would you be?

You should know the answer to this one RP, Orange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is your favorite quote?

“People don’t want to try new things if they think they are going to be bad at them. The tendency is to say, ‘I haven’t done that, i don’t need to do that, I’m not good at that. You guys go on ahead.’ But the truth is, you have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, to be bad at something, to fall on your butt and do it again, and try stuff you’ve never done. That’s the ideal mindset in sports, and in life… You need to keep challenging yourself.. It forces your mind to engage.” Laird Hamilton- Waterman.

If you did not choose lacrosse as your sport, what sport would you have chosen?

If you would have asked this question to me a year ago I would have said football, but now I would say Paddle boarding. I started doing this over the summer for training for my LXM games, but I have since falling in love with the sport, and I try to go every day.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as a good son, a good brother, a good uncle, and as an ambassador to the sport of lacrosse.  I want to be remembered for helping the game grow, not only in Southern California, but throughout the world.

Lindsay helping out the Thai team.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Prosciutto

Did you have a nick name as a kid?

My dad used to call me Moocher as a little kid. I am not sure why, as I don’t remember mooching for anything.

If you were to play an instrument what would it be?

Drums

If you could visit anywhere in the world that you have not visited before, where would it be?

Tavarua Island, Fiji

Small, but breathtaking!

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?

Falcor from the Never Ending Story. For all you young laxers out there who are not familiar with this book or movie, I highly recomend seeing it or reading it. If Falcor was my pet I would not need a car, would not need to worry about flights or traffic, and the best part of all is that he can speak.  Also he has great hair.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive, who would it be and what would say?

Bruce Lee, I would ask him if he would train me and show me the way of the 1 inch punch.

What is the longest you’ve gone without a shower?

I love being clean, I hate being dirty, so probably a day or two at the most.

If you knew you were going to be stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you take with you?

If I can bring whatever I want I would bring my paddle board with paddle, a satellite phone, and a lighter or matches.

Tell us one random thing about yourself?

I am ambidextrous, but every time I try to tell people that I butcher the word completely and sound like a fool. I was also born on Halloween.

Favorite restaurant of all time? Name and what city?

Dinosaur Barbecue, up in Syracuse, NY. This has been the easiest question by far. (Editor’s Note: and a VERY popular response.  Dinosaur BBQ just might be THE favorite spot to grub for all lasers. Cue someone from Baltimore disagreeing.)

Who is your celebrity crush?

Taking the 5th on this questions for sure, especially considering the fact that my girlfriend is typing my answers for me…

Do you have a pre-game ritual? If so, what is it?

Yes, I take a knee and say a few words to two people. First is to my former Syracuse teammate and childhood friend Brian Crockett and the other is to a former youth player that I I coached name Cody. Cody passed away in November 3 years ago and Brian passed a few months later. I always ask these guys to look over me when I play and let them know they are not forgotten.

On your day off, you wake up and… ?

A perfect day goes like this for me. Brush my teeth, make an Herbalife shake, take my vitamins, walk my dog, strap up my paddle board to the golf cart and head down to Little Dume and hopefully the surf is good so I can paddle out.

Are you a good tipper?

Yes, always!!!

What do you put on your hot dog?

This might sound crazy and many people might not believe this, but I have never in my life taken a bite out of a hot dog. For some reason it’s one of those foods that I refuse to try.

Seriously, who hates Hot Dogs?

Why do you wear the # that you wear?

I wear #21. The reason that I wear that number is because when I played on my first organized lacrosse team in 4th grade I was given the number 21. Lucky for me going into my freshman year at Syracuse it was available.

Do you have a question that we should ask the next pro lacrosse player I interview?

What has been your scariest nightmare or dream??

Also, please answer this question that was asked by Kyle Harrison: What’s your favorite lacrosse memory and why?

My favorite lacrosse memory would be two things. First would be winning my first National Championship in 2002. That was a life long dream of mine, and a goal I set for myself at a very young age. That was a very special day for me and my family because they all knew how much it meant to me to get that ring and they all saw how hard I worked my whole life to get it.

The second thing would be winning our second National Championship. People always ask me which one felt better, or which one do you like better.  But it is impossible to compare.  The first one will always be the first, and nothing will ever change that. When we won our second championship I was a Senior, team captain and first team All-American. If you were to go down my checklist of lacrosse goals going into college the top 3 would be: 1) Win a National Championship, 2) Become a team captain, and 3) Become a first team All-American.  So the second one is equally as special. The best way to sum it up would be that I ended my career as a National Champion. Not many Division 1 college athletes can say that, but I can.  It’s a truly great set of memories.

(RHCP photo courtesy myticketin.com, Tavarua photo courtesy SurfingNewsDaily, LXM PRO photo courtesy of Pro Athletics Facebook page.)

Ok, WE didn’t come up with the pose at all, but we’re naming it!  K18ing is here, alive, and well!  And it’s our Photo of the Week!

K18ing with the best of them right here!

Aidan, Josh “Chewy” Acut’s rambunctious and lacrosse loving son, really deserves all the credit here.  Aidan is a big K18 fan, and he just loves lax.  So when we saw this photo, we knew a movement had just begun!  So of course we got in on the action!

CW getting in on the K18ing action.

Here are the keys to a successful K18 pose:

• Wear sweatpants, sneakers, and a hooded sweatshirt.  
• Jeans are also acceptable as K18 looks like he’s wearing jeans.  But, seriously, who trains in jeans?
• Put the hood up.
• Split dodge to a one-handed righty cradle.  Make sure you have a lacrosse stick!
• Snap the photo!

Ridiculous locations will get you bonus points.  Funny facial expressions will get you bonus points.  Imitating K18 in some funny way will DEFINITELY get you bonus points (focus on the split dodge snarl!).  Touching your right knee with your left hand will get you bonus points.  Costuming will only get you bonus points if it’s truly special.  Replacing the lacrosse stick with some other prop could be amazing.  Depends on what the prop is!

So there you have it… the new thing to fill your Facebook page with: K18ing.

Aidan just won some Grow The Game laces from the Lacrosse Shop!  Congrats Aidan!

Click here to submit a photo of yourself K18ing!

Next week we’ll show off the best K18ing photos (if we get great submissions) or go back to our typical Photo of the Week format.

Notice I say that they should “the chance”, and not “be the team”.  That becomes important later.

The United States used to send the best collegiate lacrosse team to the World Games as a national representative, and this approach could definitely still work today.  Our collegiate teams are simply some of the best lacrosse squads in the world.

Now, it would be a very different national team to be sure, and of course there are some problems that need to be addressed, but overall the idea has serious potential.  It’s totally outside the realm of need, and probably completely unnecessary, but my mind went to the idea while watching this weekend’s college games, and now I can’t get it out of my head.  The only way to stop thinking about it is to write a little blob about it.  Blob, blob, blob.

Would I trade Team USA for a winning college lacrosse team? Maybe.

On an individual basis, the players on the college team wouldn’t be as good as the all-star players on Team USA.  On average, it really wouldn’t even be close.  College lacrosse teams often have a couple of guys along the lines of a Mark Mattews, Rob Pannell or Steele Stanwick, but it’s usually not the whole team. However, even with that in mind, I STILL think the US should send the latest National Champion to the World Games… or at least give them a fair shot at going.

If the World Games had been held last Summer, Virginia could have gone on to represent the United States. And honestly, I might taken the Cavs when they were peaking last year over any team in the world.  Like I said, on a player by player by basis, Virginia, or Duke in 2010, doesn’t compare to a Major League Lacrosse-laden roster of a typical national team.  Connor English is great, but would I take him over a Powell or a Leveille if we’re playing in Placid?  Probably not.  So how in the world can I even argue for a college team to go as the US representative?

If lacrosse were just a game about individuals, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. But it’s a team sport.  So we are!

The argument boils down a team approach vs. an all-star approach, and I just want to see it play out. I think it could add a really interesting layer to the relationship between collegiate and international lacrosse.

Here’s my proposal:

- Select a US Men’s National Team like we do every 4 years.  This team is made up of anyone eligible to try out, from current pros to current college players.  US Lacrosse will still run the selection process.

- Create a second national team comprised of members of the latest National Champion at the Division 1 NCAA level. Cut the roster down to meet International Lacrosse guidelines in terms of size and nationality, and give the team two weeks to prepare for the play-in game.  Only American players would who were enrolled in the latest semester at the school would be eligible.  The Coaching Staff would remain on.  The school would be responsible for all costs for prep.  US lacrosse would cover travel and costs for the game.

- Host a play-in game under International Rules two weeks after the NCAA Finals.  This game will feature the latest collegiate champion and the US Men’s Team.  Winner takes all and goes on to represent the United States at the FIL World Championships.

- If the collegiate team wins, they don the red, white and blue and play as Team USA.  If Team USA wins, they go on to fight the rest of the world for lacrosse domination.  US lacrosse runs the team either way, but the Coaching Staffs stay on no matter what.

So, how would this work?

The World Games would be hosted in early July, and the NCAA Championships would have taken place over a month earlier, on Memorial Day.  The US team would play the collegiate champion on June 14th, and the winner would then have about 4 weeks to make final preparations for the World Games.

This “US Championship” game would provide an exciting and meaningful lead up game to the World Games, and would help the international scene capitalize on the college lacrosse craze in a major way, every four years, directly leading up to the games.  It would provide the lacrosse world with a fantastic game to watch, and could do a lot to continue the debate on team vs individual development.

The best of the best from two distinct styles would get to face off.  It would give a battle tested group of college kids an opportunity to play for their country, and keep their magical ride going.  And finally, it would incentivize the US Team to continue to put together a top notch team, while adding on a little more pressure to perform and come ready to play.

In my heart of hearts, I think the US team of pro all-stars would usually win.  Most years, the college team would just be a great tune up for the World Games.  The pro lacrosse world is still a relatively small one, and these guys know each other well. However, knowing that they’ll have to face a seasoned college team just to GET to the World Games could be a great motivator for guys we all know to be the best already.

Why should this happen?

Lacrosse is a team game.  And the US has long been the leader when it comes to field lacrosse.  If we want to maintain our position at the top, while also showing the rest of the world how the game should be played, the above model makes a lot of sense.

It still brings together a top notch group of established players, but it also puts an added importance on teamwork and preparation.  It puts the pressure on the pros, and gives the underdogs as fair a shot as possible.

A play-in game would be good for college lacrosse, and it would be good for international lacrosse.  It would keep an emphasis on team play, and quickly become one of the most important games of the year, especially if it were played every year, even when the World Games are not being held.

The play-in game would also provide the chance for the lacrosse community to once again come together and celebrate the sport.  It enables both international lacrosse and college lacrosse to benefit from greater exposure.  This is the kind of thing no other sport would ever try – not because the idea is crazy, but because other sports are too cautious. ESPN would probably eat it up.

NCAA Champions vs. Team USA for all the marbles, who wouldn’t want to see that?  And if a truly special college team should happen to come through and beat Team USA in a World Games year?  Well then that school might not only be a national champion… they might become a WORLD Champion. That would be pretty darn cool and unique to our sport.

The 2018 World Champions, (insert your college name here) Lacrosse.  That’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

If you watched the Johns Hopkins vs. Towson lacrosse game on ESPNU Friday evening, you probably saw the brand new commercial from Maverik Lacrosse. If you watched it with the volume on, it probably hit you like it hit us – it gave you the chills.

Let’s watch it again, shall we?

Featuring big name lacrosse athletes like Billy Bitter, Peet Poillon, Joe Cinosky and John Christmas, you’d think their names would be plastered all over the screen. However, there is no lacrosse star marketed as an individual in this commercial. No “I”, just a universal “we”. There is no focal point other than the raw view of the sport of lacrosse.

“The goal was to do something different this year. Working closely with Maverik’s marketing team, we came up with a commercial concept that we hope will not just inspire and motivate, but also convey the respect all lacrosse players have for each other.” - Jay Jalbert

Anyone notice Cino's traps?

According to Maverik staff, the ad, titled “The Future Is Here”, will air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU throughout the 2012 men’s lacrosse season. Judging from the frequency of Maverik Lacrosse spots played during college lacrosse games in the past, we can probably expect this ad to run at least 2-3 times per game.

During a time in which many lacrosse brands are desperately trying to connect with the “lax bro” culture at all costs, it’s nice to see Maverik Lacrosse taking the high road and promoting the growth of our sport. Now let’s all band together & Grow The Game!

I’m a big fan of both musical groups so I definitely had some concerns about this, but it’s good stuff!  Beware, there is swearing, because it’s rap music not by Will Smith.

Wugazi • 13 Chambers by WUGAZI

Wugazi

Welp, one thing led to another and we decided to run with it, highlighting our favorite legendary players from four NCAA Division 1 lacrosse powerhouses. Today, we’re excited to reintroduce the shirts with a revamped design.

Every year, new players rise up and make their names known, cementing their place in history. That leaves us with one question for the 2012 season, “Who’s next?”

Johns Hopkins

Dave & John & AJ & Kyle & Paul

Pauly Rabes and K18 tore up the show at Hopkins. Please enjoy three minutes of K18 highlights from his days back at JHU, free of charge.

Only in The Lacrosse Shop!

Princeton

Jesse & Josh & Ryan & Trevor & Matt

And a little blurry BTB action from Ryan Boyle while playing for Team USA.

Only in The Lacrosse Shop!

Syracuse

Paul & Gary & Casey & Ryan & Mikey

Holy highlight videos! There are so many that we didn’t even know which one to choose, between the ‘Air Gait’ and the Powell Brothers, Syracuse might as well have their own website dedicated to highlight videos.

Only in The Lacrosse Shop!

Virginia

Chris & Brett & Tillman & Matt & Danny

Check out this highlight video from the 2003 National Championship, featuring goals from Chris Rotelli and some SICK saves from Tillman Johnson. Don’t forget about Danny Glading either!

Only in The Lacrosse Shop!

We’re excited for these bad boys to come off the press, and we’re even more excited for the 2012 college lacrosse season to finally get going so we can see who will be the next Lax Legend!

Pick your Lax Legends Tee up in The Lacrosse Shop today! Who knows, maybe YOU will be the next Lax Legend.

CONTEST: The first person to list the last names of every player on each shirt will win a free Lax Legends tee of their choice! Drop your answers in the comments section below!

Pregame - Eric DiProspero and Marshall Burkhart

Hopkins entered the game with high expectations for 2012, and Towson had a lot to prove as a NCAA Division 1 program on the rise. JHU looked good from the beginning, even if they went down a goal early a couple of times. The fact that it was a pretty even game for much of the the first and second quarters didn’t seem to effect Hop all that much either.

Hopkins moved the ball well, ran their offensive and defensive schemes consistently and the players really looked like they knew what they were doing out there.  They had options to dodge or carry all over the field and used them intelligently. I thought Zach Palmer might have a BIG game, and he did – Palmer scored 3 goals and added 3 assists in the win for Hop.

As the game unfolded, Hop kept up the pressure and this is where the Blue Jays separated themselves from Towson. The big difference maker was clearly turnovers, as Hop did a great job with possession overall. With a tough ride and pressure all over the field, Hop was able to force Towson into a lot of mistakes. Towson players also made their fair share of mistakes on their own, but JHU deserves a lot of the credit here as the Blue Jays were almost always in a position to take advantage of mistakes.

Lee Coppersmith goin' for the goal!

That is what makes this game so darn interesting to recap!  Last year, Hopkins looked cautious in their opener.  They didn’t look like a dominant team, and they weren’t playing with any confidence.  They won some games, but it wasn’t pretty.  This year, I think a lot of people were worried that they’d have to sit through the same Blue Jays team early on in the season, but after Friday night’s game, that should be much less of a concern.

The Blue Jays were looking for opportunities to get good looks on cage.  They still had the ability to settle it down, work through their sets, and generate good looks via 6 v 6.  But Hopkins surprised me a little bit with some of their transition looks, feeds and goals.

They forced opportunities at times, which often resulted in goals, or good shot attempts.  In this regard, Palmer truly stood out.  He made a couple of great passes, and really played with his head on a swivel, but was also extremely sneaky, showing a great ability to score from any angle, especially in close.

That's some solid eye black, Rob Guida!

Johns Hopkins was dangerous before this game simply because they had a lot of returning talent. But the rest of NCAA D1 has to be looking at the Blue Jays again now, because Hop just displayed almost midseason form.  Towson is a good team, and they might even belong in the 12-15 ranking range for the D1 polls, but Hopkins made them look like a borderline top 20 team, especially in the second half.

You can give credit to Petro for a fiery halftime speech (it’s possible), or say it was just Towson playing up a level in the first half, but the truth is probably close to Towson being good this year, and Hopkins just being that much better.

Coach Pietramala

I really liked Hopkins last year, and I was just waiting for Petro to loosen the leash a little bit.  As the season progressed, he did just that, and Hop became a serious contender.  If Petro already has the confidence in his players to let them loose a bit this year, then watch out everyone else!  Hopkins is DANGEROUS in 2012 and we can’t wait to see more from these guys.

Other Game Notes:

- Did you see that hit on Kyle Wharton Wells Stanwick?  It was just egregiously high, late and illegal.  The game was definitely chippy at times, but both teams were involved from early in the 1st quarter.  Still, it looks like the refs did a great job of balancing the physical play, while keeping the game under control.

WOW

- Keeping the game under control is one thing.  But is it just me, or did the refs miss a goal by Towson?  The play resulted in a Hopkins goal on the other end eventually, and this is a huge game changing moment if it happened.  Guess I really need to watch that replay.   That being said, even if they got it wrong, I do NOT want to see instant replay in lacrosse.  It’s just not worth it.

- How good did BOTH teams look out there?  Sure, looks are meaningless, but both of these teams were looking fresh.  Hop in a classic look, and Towson with wild helmet stickers and striking uniforms.  Overall, a pretty game to watch.

- Was Wells Stanwick using traditional?  If so, he might be my new favorite player ever.  Sorry Jeremy Thompson.

Game Photos:

For more game photos, check out the LAS Facebook page!

Did you catch the game on ESPNU? Agree with Connor’s commentary? Let us know in the comments section below!

For more College Lacrosse coverage from LaxAllStars.com, click here.

As more and more fans join the Grow The Game movement, LAS sightings are starting to pop up everywhere. We absolutely love it!  Unfortunately for us, we aren’t everywhere so we need your help.  We want ALL OF YOU to send us your LAS sightings so we can show them off to the world.

Here are a few sweet LAS sightings that were recently sent to us…

CLICK HERE for the full album on the LAS Facebook Page!

Got an LAS Sighting to share? Hit up our LAS Tipline, our Facebook page, or tweet at us with the hashtag #LASsightings.

Need some LAS swag first? See here.

Get an inside look at the ND program and see what it’s like to be a player for the Fighting Irish!

Episode 1

Watch Episode 1, created by and for ATT U-Verse, which chronicles our pre-season 2011 training leading up to our contest with Penn State. Meet Irv, Earl, Trip and Beems and the ND Staff as we prepare for the Nittany Lions.

Episode 2

Catch Episode 2 as you meet our staff and players and their personalities in preparation for Penn State and Ohio State, our fiercests midwest Big 10 rivals. Created by ATT U-Verse.

Episode 3

The ATT U-Verse Documentary of our 2011 season comes to a conclusion with a last second 8-7 victory over Ohio State University.

NCAA Division 1 College Lacrosse is entering its third week of play and I’m already addicted. I find myself checking my phone for updates and scouring the forums trying to get my fix. This week will feature the first televised lacrosse game (Hop – Towson Friday night at 5pm on ESPNU), FINALLY!  You better believe that I will have that game on every TV in the bar when I have to go in to work later.

My Game of the Week is:

Notre Dame Vs. Duke

There is a ton of great lacrosse going on this weekend; once again it was impossible to choose just one game for my Game of the Week. Umass-Bucknell will be a great game that I was planning on attending until I remembered I had to work. Maryland-Hartford, Syracuse-Albany, and Denver-OhioSstate are all great games to follow this weekend.

However, the game I chose is a powerhouse matchup between Duke and Notre Dame, and here are my five reasons why to watch this game!

2010 National Championship Rematch:

Two years ago these two teams met in the National Championship game. Duke downed the Irish in an overtime thriller, and ever since then a cross-conference rivalry has been bred. The past two years, these two teams have met four times and the series is split 2-2. Notre Dame has beaten the Blue Devils twice in the regular season, but Duke is 2-0 against Notre Dame in NCAA playoff games. Duke comes
into South Bend ranked #2 in the nation and Notre Dame sits at #9.

A win for either team is huge but if the Irish come away with this one, they will jump a few notches in the rankings. No one knows for sure who will win when these two teams faceoff, but I can guarantee that it will be a great game to watch (they always are).

Westy Hopkins, Attack, Notre Dame:

Aside from having one of the greatest names in college lacrosse, Westy Hopkins can flat out play. He led the team in goals last year coming off the bench. He only started 6 games last year, I expect him to start every game this season and be a huge contributor. The only flaw I see with him is the big ZERO in his assist Colum. Within a certain diameter of the goal, Hopkins is deadly as ever (.43 shooting percentage last season). My question is can he dodge and create for his teammates. With David Earl and Zach Brennaman gone, Notre Dame has shifted to a more attack oriented team.

This means Hopkins will have to learn to create for others. I have no doubt he can do it, I am positive that he has worked to round out his game. Hopkins stats will be more even this year. Last year against Duke in a NCAA playoff game, Hopkins buried three goals. This year I can see him putting up similar numbers, look for Hopkins to go 2, 1. If Westy can get more than 3 points Duke might be in trouble.

Goalie Showdown – Duke’s Wigrizer vs. Notre Dame’s Kemp:

Both of these goalies are two of the best tendies in college lacrosse, they both were high school Under Armor All-Americans. Statistically, John Kemp is the better goalie. but I believe that Wigrizer has a better defense in front of him this year.  Last year, Kemp played all but 5 minutes where as Wigrizer struggled as of late, which led to Mike Rock getting a start in a NCAA tournament game. Which leads one to ask, “If Wigrizer struggles, will Danwoski replace him with a solid backup of Mike Rock?”

In the first game of the season, Wigrizer only had a handful of saves and let in 8 goals. What I can tell you is whichever goalie plays better, that team will have a significant advantage over the other. I’m going with Wigrizer has a big game, and shuts down the Notre Dame offense.

Return of Mike Manley:

One word here… consistency. Mike Manley started his fist game last weekend after missing all of the 2011 season with an ACL injury. He registered 4 GB’s and 2 CTs which means he is back to his old All-American self. He had a long time table for recovery and it seems like he has recovered well and is ready to roll. This is a tremendous boost for the already solid Duke defense.

He has been consistent all three years he has played. Manley isn’t a flashy player, he is a meat and potatoes kind of job, plain and simple…he gets the job done. I know one thing if I were an attack man, I wouldn’t want Manley guarding me.

Duke’s Offense:

Duke will have an arsenal to choose from on offense this year. In their opening game, 5 different players scored more than one goal including Robert Rotanz rattling off four. Notre Dame could be in trouble here. Duke has so many weapons to choose from it is going to be hard to stop them all. If you shut down Rotanz, Justin Turri or Jordan Wolf may light it up. You see this in any championship caliber
team; a team with a bunch of offense weapons goes deep into the playoffs.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, it’s only the third week after all, but Duke has a powerful offense. If that engine gets firing on all cylinders, Notre Dame could be in trouble. I can easily see Duke putting up over ten goals in this contest. It will be fun to watch this offense fill up the next, expect to see some highlight reel goals.

Well there you have it, 5 good reasons why to watch this game. My fearless forcast for this game is, Duke 11 Notre Dame 9. I think both teams come out blazing this season, but no hiccup here for Duke, they’ll get the W and take it back to sunny North Carolina. Duke’s offense is just too good to stop in this game. If you think I’m crazy or just left a good reason out let me know. Leave a comment or tweet me @connors36. See you on the other side.