I mean, how do you even prepare for something like that?

Tell me you didn’t miss it! If you did, rematch it from the :18 second mark, and pay attention to the black arrow that appears on the screen.

Tyrrell’s Triple Overtime Winner Puts Griffins in Title Game

GREENVILLE, S.C. – It took a third overtime for the Westminster College men’s lacrosse team to defeat St. John’s (Minn.) 9-8 in the semi-finals of the MCLA National Championships on Thursday afternoon at Sirrine Stadium.

“I just told them to get to the (cage) and keep shooting,” assistant coach Brad Lavoie said. “It wasn’t pretty but we will take it any way we can get it.”

Brian Tyrrell sent the second-seeded Griffins (16-5) to the second championship game in school history as he scooped a loose ball into the net with 1:43 left in the third overtime session. The ball became free after an initial shot from Kyle Postler was turned away by St. John’s (13-3) goalie Michael King. Tyrrell was moving away from the goal when he chipped a shot in the cage and sent the Griffins into a celebration.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Tyrrell said after the game. “It could have been any one of us, but today it was me.”

Early on it seemed as though Westminster was going to run away from the third-seeded Johnnies. The Griffins used a goal from Adam Marfice and two from Kyle Postler to lead 3-0 after the first quarter. Miles Armitage scored for SJU early in the second quarter, before Postler, Kevin Gee and Tyrrell scored three straight for the Griffins to give them a 6-1 advantage with 2:59 left in the half.

The game swung in favor of SJU when Michael Culshaw-Maurer scored with 1:27 left in the half. That goal sparked a string of seven straight goals by the Johnnies that put them ahead 8-6 with 9:03 to play in the fourth quarter. Collin Madsen started the Griffins rally when he scored with 4:37 to play to make it a one goal deficit.

As things continued to look bleak for the Griffins, Elias Fairman tied the game at 8-8 when he scored his only goal of the game with 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Westminster won the ensuing faceoff, but they couldn’t get a final shot off before the game was sent into overtime.

Westminster goalie Chris Burckle came up with four saves in the first four-minute overtime to give his team a chance to win. The biggest save of the game came from Griffin defender Matt Lambourne. With Burckle out of the cage, SJU got a shot from 15-yards out on an empty cage before Lambourne stepped in front and kept the game even.

Both teams would get one shot on goal in the second overtime and both came up empty. The Griffins controlled the third extra period and forced King into two stops before Tyrrell’s winner.

“Lacrosse is a game of momentum,” Lambourne commented. “We had to rally together and play as a team today to get this one.”

The Griffins took 48 shots in the game while allowing SJU to just 30 attempts. It was the Johnnies that were more efficient as they put 21 of those 30 shots on cage while the Griffins also had 21 on target. SJU won 14-of-23 faceoffs, including 13-of-17 following the first quarter. They also finished with a 26-24 edge in ground balls.

“This was not an offensive game,” Lavoie added. “Our defense was picked on all day and they continued to rise to the occasion.”

Postler finished the afternoon with five points after adding two assists to his three goals. Fairman, Gee and Madsen had one goal and one assist apiece with Fairman matching Postler with a team-high nine shots. Burckle finished with 12 saves and earned his eighth win of the season.

Armitage and Conlan Meade scored three goals apiece to lead the Johnnies. King made 12 saves in cage while also picking up two ground balls and attempting one shot.

“We now have to put this in the past and move on to Saturday,” Lambourne said of Saturday’s championship game. “Today isn’t the finish line.”

The win puts the Griffins into Saturday’s championship game against the winner over No.1-seed St. Thomas (Minn.) and fourth-seeded Liberty (Va.). The Griffins defeated Grand Valley State (Mich.) in the team’s last trip to the title game in 2008. Saturday’s game will begin at 3 p.m. (MT) and be streamed live on the MCLA web site.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC or WestminsterPR on Twitter.

First Set: Indiana Tech Over PBA

Derek Miller, of CIA Sports Photography, sent us a couple shots from Indiana Tech’s 20-10 win over Palm Beach Atlantic in the first round of the Division 2 MCLA Tournament. Big win for ITech!

If you have taken some tournament photos you want to see up on MCLA Fan, then send them in to us! It’s that simple.

More Derek Miller Shots: Oregon, Oregon State, Chapman, and UCSB get in on the action…

We also got some superb Georgia – ASU photos by Dave Nuckolls. Submitted by Connor Reed.

Read the Press Release from Florida State Lacrosse, which is below, to learn more from the team about the dismissal of Bill Harkins as the Head Coach at FSU. After you’ve read the presser, I add in some opinion, and a little commentary. But really, I want to know what YOU think about this situation. BE HEARD in the comments. This is big.

The Florida State Men’s Lacrosse team dismissed long-time head coach Bill Harkins earlier this week.  During his ten years with the program, Harkins led the Seminoles to a record of 152-45, won three SELC Championships, and earned seven bids to the MCLA National Championship.  He was named the SELC Coach of the Year in 2004, and the MLCA National Coach of the Year in 2009.  While serving as head coach at Florida State, Harkins spent six years as a coach with the German National Team.  He coached in two European Championships, and the World Lacrosse Championship. 

 “If it were not for Coach Harkins, FSU Lacrosse would not be where it is today,” said former Seminole All American DJ Romanchuk, “He brought an attitude that was all about winning, but importantly, he was able to bring the absolute best out of his players by using an individualized approach.  He approached coaching like he did everything else—by pouring his whole life into it.  Many of us became an extended part of his family, and for that I am extremely grateful that he is a part of my life.”

In addition to working as head coach, Harkins became an active part of Florida State University and the Tallahassee area.  He served as a Board Member for the Seminole Boosters, met with university groups to offer advice on fundraising and program building, and is the benefactor of the turf facility which now bears his name and is used by Florida State lacrosse, football, and the Marching Chiefs.  He organized coaching clinics for youth and high school coaches in the state.  Harkins served as director for the Tallahassee Possums youth lacrosse teams, Seminole Lacrosse Camp, and the Challenge for the Seminole Cup youth lacrosse tournament.  These efforts gave hundreds of youth lacrosse players the opportunity to play lacrosse in Tallahassee each year. 

Many of these efforts went unnoticed, said former FSU team captain Chris Sjogren.  “Coach Harkins did more for FSU than anyone can ever truly appreciate,” he said, “Both on and off the field, Coach bled FSU and was always there for his players.  As a player, it is impossible to always see eye-to-eye with your coach, but I loved the four years that I had with him.  It was my pleasure to play for Coach Harkins, and I will never be able to fully thank him for everything he did for me, and the program.  No one will ever be able to think of FSU lacrosse without thinking of Coach Harkins.” 

“He was a great coach, but more importantly, he’s a better person,” said former All American Corey Noonan, “I went through some tough times in my life, and Coach was always there for me, no matter what.  He’s a father figure for me.  Everybody knows what he did as a coach on the field, but I think what he did off the field was more important, and I’ll always be grateful for what he did for me.”

When asked about his time at Florida State, Harkins said, “Most of the best times of my life were spent with the men I have had the privilege to coach.  I will hold them close to my heart the rest of my life.” 

A replacement has not been named.  According to a team statement, a national search will be conducted to find the next Seminole head coach. 

Ok. From the press release statements, it sounds like yet another rosy departure for a long-time MCLA Head Coach. Plenty of platitudes are handed out, and no concrete reasons for the dismissal are offered whatsoever. Was it time to move on? Is FSU seeking a new direction? Was it time for some change? I’d love to see even one reason given, but none are, and to me, that makes this dismissal nonsense.

Why is it nonsense?

Because the above presser is filled with the things we ALWAYS hear from MCLA teams when they let a coach go. ALWAYS. It’s like there is a template press release for firing coaches or something. Pay compliments, skirt the issue, and try to move on quietly. Coach Harkins supported this program in earnest, for a long time, and the best we can do is a flowery letter announcing his departure? Sheesh.

What really happened at FSU may or may not come to see the light of day, but we do know that we’re not getting the whole story here. Of course, that’s nothing new.

Cue up a couple articles by current or former MCLA Coaches on how they fear for their jobs constantly, and the annual cycle will be complete.

My point is: when a coach has helped transform a program, and has been the guiding force for so long, don’t they deserve more than this? I know that club teams are run by players to a large extent, but in some places, the coaches really step up and make a huge difference. Bill Harkins was one of those coaches. Why would FSU let him go?

1982! That’s a long time coming!

Both teams made the MCLA playoffs with Sonoma knocking off BC, 14-6 to advance. Stanford lost to Michigan State, 13-9. Sonoma State’s season ended yesterday with a 9-4 loss to 2012 Champ, Colorado State, in the Elite 8 of the 2013 MCLA Division 1 tournament.

United States Coast Guard Academy Men’s Lacrosse Team

NEWS RELEASE

COAST GUARD ACADEMY MEN’S LACROSSE MAKES HISTORY WITH 2013 MCLA TOURNEY BID

New London, Conn. – For the first time in the 29 year program history, the Coast Guard Academy Men’s Lacrosse Team will be making an appearance in the MCLA National Tournament. The No. 9 seeded Bears head to Greenville S.C. for a first-round match-up against No. 8 Sam Houston State University on Monday at 1:30 P.M.

For those of you not familiar, the United States Coast Guard Academy, founded in 1876, is the smallest of the five federal Service Academies with about 900 cadets. The Coast Guard Academy graduates young men and women to serve as Commissioned Officers in the U.S. Coast Guard. Founded by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790, the Coast Guard lays claim to being the United States’ oldest continuous seagoing service. While the Coast Guard is notable as the oldest life-saving service in the world, its roles include more than just Maritime Safety and Security. The Coast Guard is also called upon for critical service in protection of natural resources, maritime mobility (management of maritime traffic, commerce and navigation) and national defense.

Situated on a beautiful campus on the Thames River in New London, Connecticut, the Coast Guard Academy provides a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program with a full scholarship for each individual. Each year, approximately 200 Ensigns are commissioned during graduation exercises in May.

In just a few short weeks, the 1/c cadets (seniors) on the Coast Guard Academy Men’s Lacrosse Team will report for duty aboard cutters, at Naval Flight Training in Pensacola, FL and at Sector offices in ports nationwide. Graduates of the academy are obligated to serve five years in the Coast Guard, though many choose to stay and make a rewarding, life-long career of their maritime military service. This year’s graduating 1/c cadets and their initial assignments include:

1/c Andrew Bogdan – Naval Flight Training – Pensacola, FL
1/c Conor Breckenridge – USCGC BERTHOLF – Alameda, CA
1/c Michael Cooper – USCGC MACKINAW – Cheboygan, MI
1/c Steven Danseglio (C) – USCGC HARRIET LANE – Portsmouth, VA
1/c Justin Dougherty – Naval Flight Training – Pensacola, FL
1/c Austin English (C) – Naval Flight Training – Pensacola, FL
1/c James Fennessey – USCGC CYPRESS – Pensacola, FL
1/c Benjamin Hinchman – USCGC VIGILANT – Port Canaveral, FL
1/c James Lord – USCGC CAMPBELL – Portsmouth, NH
1/c Graham Pitcairn – Naval Flight Training – Pensacola, FL
1/c Andrew Ray – USCGC GALLATIN – Charleston, SC
1/c Steele Johnson – USCGC ELM – Atlantic Beach, NC
1/c Timothy Wyderko (C) – USCGC DEPENDABLE – Cape May, NJ

USCGC = United State Coast Guard Cutter

After the season ends, the typical college lacrosse players spend summer vacation at home, utilizing free time to lounge by the pool or at the beach, earning some much-needed cash at an internship or full-time job and playing lacrosse in the local summer league. For Coast Guard Academy lacrosse players the summer training period always proves to be anything but typical. As soon as the season is over – the rest of the underclass cadets will head out for their summer training program where cadets learn about leadership through immersion in the ultimate setting – the operational Coast Guard. They learn about the roles of officers and the enlisted as they see the United States and the world as members of a Coast Guard crew. Cadets in summer training find themselves in thrilling experiences that include: sailing aboard the tall ship Eagle to various ports of call, flying in Coast Guard aircraft as a part of the Cadet Aviation Training Program and participating in Internships for Engineering, Government, Science or Operations at centers of excellence through the country.

Coast Guard, who finished as the regular season Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) Champions with an 11-1 record, earned an at-large bid and a No. 9 seed after losing in the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) Tournament finals. Sam Houston State University, who sits at 15-2 this year, also earned an at-large bid despite claiming the Lone Star Alliance (LSA) championship – due to the LSA losing their automatic qualifier bid this year.

The winner of Wednesday’s match-up will advance to face the survivor of the University of St. Thomas – Depaul bout. The second round is scheduled for Tuesday.

Coast Guard and Sam Houston State University have never faced each other, but have one common opponent this season. Both squads faced SCAD – Savannah College of Art and Design this year with Coast Guard posting a 14-10 victory in those contests, while Sam Houston State won 12-5.

Interestingly, the Coast Guard Academy Men’s Lacrosse team is wearing orange away uniforms (Coast Guard MH-65Cs helicopters have an orange paint scheme) this year to honor Captain Nelson and the 6505 crew that included Lieutenant Commander Andrew Wischmeier, AST1 David Skimin and AMT2 Joshua Nichols. In September 2008, Coast Guard lacrosse player Captain Thomas D. Nelson, Class of 1988, was added as the 61st name on WALL OF REMEMBRANCE (which honors Academy graduates who have perished while carrying out operational missions) after he perished aboard Coast Guard MH-65C helicopter 6505 off the coast of Hawaii. “So Others May Live” is inscribed on the inside of the collar and is the official motto of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. The Team Captains decided that this motto epitomized the Coast Guard’s mission of selfless service. The Coast Guard core values – HONOR, RESPECT and DEVOTION TO DUTY – appear on the inner waistband of the shorts. The core values are more than just Coast Guard rules of behavior. They are deeply rooted in the heritage that has made our organization great. Because Cadets represent the Coast Guard to the public, they must embrace these values on the field, in their professional undertakings as well as in their personal lives.

For additional information – check out: www.coastguardlax.vicid.net

As the smallest of the five U.S. service academies, the Coast Guard Academy offers the elite higher education, rigorous professional development, and honor and tradition of a military academy but with a more personalized approach.

The Coast Guard Academy offers an integrated life experience which emphasizes academics, physical fitness, character and leadership, in order to graduate officers of the highest caliber. Graduates go directly to positions of leadership in “The Shield of Freedom,” one of the most admired organizations in the world. The Academy also features an impressive teacher-student ratio and picturesque waterfront campus that instills a traditional small college feel.

Cadets devote themselves to an honor concept and graduate to work at sea, on land, in the air, and even in space, in meaningful careers of selfless service to others.

Robert White was in Greenville last year and has delivered some epic game shots from around the tournament, let’s feature some of our favorites!

Watch for more great action from LaxAllStars.com and MCLA Fan this week and next week as I travel to Greenville on Sunday and the tournament kicks off on Monday. Georgia blogger Conner Reed will be there, Nick Widmer of Oregon State, Robert White, and many more will be helping to deliver some fantastic content from the tournament.

Good luck at Nationals gentlemen!

This marks the first time a team other than University of Oregon or Simon Fraser University has won the PNCLL title since 2002. And it’s also the first time that Oregon State has ever gone to Nationals.

Congrats to Oregon State for beating Oregon and winning the PNCLL. First ever trip to nationals for the Beavers.

— Jac Coyne (@Jac_Coyne) May 5, 2013

Photos courtesy of #12 Nick Widmer, Oregon State’s goalie who led the Beavers to the big win, earning PNCLL Championship MVP and 1st Team All Conference honors along the way.

How far will the Beavs need to go in the MCLA National Tournament before Widmer starts receiving MCLA All-American votes? Having played with him last summer on Team LaxAllStars at the Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament, we can honestly say the kid is a machine in cage.

Also, what gives a team a better chance of winning the MCLA title – having a potent offense or a dominate defense? Sound off in the comments section below and let us know what Oregon State will have to do to succeed in Greenville!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY MEN’S LACROSSE

Rams Earn #1 Seed at MCLA Tournament

Fort Collins, CO - 5/6/13 – On the backs of a 15-0 regular season and a fourth straight Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference title, the Colorado State Rams will enter the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s national tournament as the #1 seed. The Rams, who won the title in 2012, have been perched atop the MCLA polls all year and come into the tourney as the top seed for the first time since the 2006 season.

CSU will face off against the 16th seeded Purdue Boilermakers next Monday in Greenville, SC. Colorado State and Purdue have never before played and will feature several of the top playmakers in the MCLA. The Boilermakers, who rebounded from an 0-2 start to win 9 of their next 11 games, obtained a tournament berth as the automatic qualifier from the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference.

Colorado State won the automatic qualifier from the RMLC after taking down Utah 17-4 and 2nd ranked Colorado 9-6 in the conference tournament. The Rams have defeated the numbers 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 16, and 22 teams in the MCLA on the way to their record fourth-straight conference title. This will be the 15th appearance for the Rams in the MCLA tournament, where they have advanced to 11 semifinal games and won five national championships.

Purdue dropped early season contests to North Carolina State and Clemson before suffering defeats against Wisconsin and Indiana in the regular season. The Boilermakers avenged their losses to both conference foes in the GRLC tournament, defeating Wisconsin 8-7 and the rival Hoosiers 11-10 in the championship game. Their tournament championship and appearance in the MCLA tournament are both firsts in Purdue’s history.

The Rams are led by senior attackman Austin Fisher (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO), who won RMLC Offensive Player of the Year honors, and senior face-off specialist Dan Warfield (Smoky Hill HS / Aurora, CO), who is winning nearly 67% of his draws on the season. Purdue’s main scoring comes from junior Palen Rhodes, an honorable mention All-America selection in 2012, and freshman Greg Behning, who has 46 points on the season.

CSU is currently outscoring teams 12.8 to 4.3 on the season while Purdue has given up double digits only three times.
Face-off for the Rams and Boilermakers is scheduled for 4:00pm EST on Monday, May 13 in Greenville, SC at the Wenwood Soccer Complex.