Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/9/12

Chris Robinson, who has guided McDonogh School (Md.) to consecutive girls’ lacrosse national championships and a remarkable 51-game win streak, will serve as a guest tonight on the “Lax High” radio show on the Lacrosse Radio Network.

The co-hosts for “Lax High” are PhillyLacrosse.com Editor Chris Goldberg and Inside Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders.

The show runs from 6:30-7:15 and can be accessed by going to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lacrosseradio/2012/02/09/lax-high. Callers can ask questions by dialing in at (805) 727-7011. The taped version of the show can be accessed at any time following the show’s conclusion.

Robinson has a sizzling 130-9 record at McDonogh in seven seasons. He has won the last three IAAM “A” Division titles.

Before coming to McDonogh, Robinson coached Mt. Hebron to five straight state titles and two national championships.

Robinson also is the founder of the successful M&D Lax club. His M&D 2014 Black team have 18 tournament championships to date.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12
From Press Release

James Madison lacrosse coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe has announced the Dukes’ 2012-2013 freshman class.

The incoming class includes the following: Jenna Mertz (Villa Maria Academy, Pa.); Emily Pillion (Conestoga H.S., Pa.), Betsy Angel (Roland Park Country School, Md.); Jaci Gordon (Lawrence Academy, Mass.); Taylor Gress (Manchester Valley H.S., Md.); ; Alex Revel (Oakton High School, Va.); and Carter Reifsneider (Collegiate School, Va.).

“JMU is very honored to announce our recruiting class for the 2016 JMU graduating class,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “This group of young women is not only successful on the field but in the classroom. This class combines athleticism, speed, tenacity, skill, and a championship experience that we will be relying on heavily as we work to obtain our program goals of winning CAA championships and returning to the NCAA final four.”

The seven incoming players will join a JMU program that is coming off back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association championships and NCAA Tournament appearances (2010, 2011) and is a preseason favorite to win a third straight CAA title in 2012.

A closer look at JMU lacrosse’s recruiting class:

Jenna Mertz (Midfield, Villa Maria Academy, PA Express Club, West Chester, Pa.)

Mertz is a two-sport athlete, competing in field hockey and lacrosse. She was also her team’s midfield MVP and leading scorer in her junior campaign. Jenna has received Academic All America honors and is a National Honor Society member.

Coach Klaes-Bawcombe on Mertz: “Jenna will be a workhorse for JMU, constantly moving without the ball. She has great vision and game sense and uses these attributes to impact the game in many ways. She is a consistent player with solid skills and will contribute those hustle stats every championship team needs.”

Emily Pillion (Defender, Conestoga H.S., Phantastix Club, Chesterbrook, Pa.)

Pillion is a two-sport athlete in field hockey and lacrosse. She was recently honored by ESPN as a Top 25 senior defender at #4 and among the Top 100 seniors overall at #23. As a junior Pillion was awarded All Central League First Team and All-Main Line Second Team recognition and was her team’s defensive MVP. Her field hockey team won the Central League championship in 2011.

Coach Klaes-Bawcombe on Pillion: “Emily is a solid defender with great positioning and presence. She has a nice balance between quickness and strength, and we are excited to see her compete very quickly for time on our roster.”

Betsy Angel (Attack, Roland Park Country School, TLC club, Baltimore, Md.)

Angel is a four-sport athlete who also competes in soccer, basketball and tennis. She has been recognized by ESPN as one of the top 25 attackers in the country at #24. In 2010-11 Angel was a member of Roland Park’s lacrosse and soccer teams that were Interscholastic Athletics Association of Maryland runners-up.

Taylor Gress (Attack, Manchester Valley H.S., Checkers Club, Westminster, Md.)

Gress is a three-sport athlete, competing in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She is a multi-year All-Carroll County honoree for lacrosse and soccer and was a member of the under-15 US lacrosse national champion team in 2009.

Jaci Gordon (Midfield, Lawrence Academy, REV Club, Boston, Mass.)

Gordon is a three-sport athlete, competing in field hockey, soccer and lacrosse. She has been her lacrosse team’s MVP and earned Independent School League Honorable Mention in her sophomore and junior years.

Alex Revel (Defensive Midfield, Oakton H.S., Capital Club, Fairfax, Va.)

Revel is a two-sport athlete, competing in field hockey and lacrosse, and she is a two-time team captain in field hockey. Her Oakton lacrosse team was a state runner-up and has won Concorde District and Northern Region championships.

Carter Reifsneider (Defender, Collegiate School, Future Elite, Richmond, Va.)

Reifsneider is a three-sport athlete competing in field hockey, swimming and lacrosse. She has been honored by ESPN as the #18 best defensive midfielder in the country. Reifsneider played on Collegiate’s field hockey and lacrosse teams that won League of Independent Schools championships in 2011, and her teams were state runners-up in 2010 and 2011 in lacrosse and state semifinalists in 2010 in field hockey.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12

Leading by four at halftime, the Duke women’s lacrosse team utilized a 6-0 run to start the second period to down host William & Mary 18-9 Wednesday afternoon. The Blue Devils improve to 2-0 on the year as William & Mary falls to 0-1 to start the season.

Nine Blue Devils scored at least one goal with sophomore Mollie Quirke registering a career-best five goals in the contest and junior Makenzie Hommel posting a career-high six points on three goals and three assists. Redshirt senior Emma Hamm (Baldwin School) added two goals and three assists, while senior Kim Wenger (Great Valley) had two goals and one assist, Amanda Jones (Germantown Academy) had a goal and an assist and Taylor Trimble (Episcopal Academy) had a goal.

In the midst of a three-game road swing, Duke will travel to Vanderbilt for a 1 p.m., match against the Commodores Sunday, February 11.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12

Thirty-four members of the Strath Haven boys’ lacrosse team volunteered Tuesday night to help bail Philabundance out of a jam.

Strath Haven 's boys' lacrosse team volunteered at Philabundance

The players and coaches as well as chaperones and some Panther family members packed a whopping 856 boxes of food that had been delivered late by the USDA. The boxes were being delivered to needy senior citizens.

“This is the second year we’ve done this service project,” said Strath Haven coach David Waldman. “One of our kids had an idea last year to go help out and we want to make it a regular thing for us.

“They had some sort of a shipment come in late and a certain number of people were counting on having those supplies. We didn’t know about this until we got there, but they said, ‘We have a big mission for you.’

“We accomplished that goal and it was fun to be a part of it.”

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12
From Press Releases

The James Madison lacrosse team has selected three players to serve as team tri-captains to lead the Dukes against a challenging 2012 schedule.

Senior midfielder Annie Brophy (Berwyn, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), senior defender Cally Chakrian (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow), and redshirt junior attacker Casey Ancarrow (Jarrettsville, Md./John Carroll) are captains for the Dukes’ two-time defending Colonial Athletic Association champion team.

“JMU has relied heavily on this senior class’s ability to re-establish the Dukes’ lacrosse program as a major contender in the CAA and a program to respect at NCAA tournament time,” said JMU coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe. “Casey, Cally and Annie have worked hard to take themselves out of their comfort zone in order to lead this team toward our program goals. They have learned to put the team first, and we are very excited to see what comes from a strong captainship and senior class as a whole for this 2012 season.”

Brophy had 29 groundballs, 16 caused turnovers and 16 draw controls last year, to go with five goals and five assists.

JMU, ranked ninth in the preseason Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll, faces four other preseason top-10 ranked teams in 2012. The slate includes No. 2 Maryland, sixth-ranked Stanford, No. 7 Loyola and 10th-ranked Virginia.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12

The Philadelphia Wings’ Dan Dawson, Max Seibald and Kevin Crowley have been named as reserves to the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) East Division All-Star Team. The NLL All-Star game will take place at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. on Saturday, February 25.

In his first year playing for the Philadelphia Wings, Dawson ranks fifth in the NLL with 18 assists through just four games and will make his sixth All-Star appearance. The forward has been instrumental in directing the Wings offense and is the team’s top set-up man. In his five career All-Star games Dawson has scored eight goals and added 16 assists.

Entering his second full season with the Wings, transition player Max Seibald will participate in his second consecutive All-Star game. As one of the team’s top transition players, Seibald has policed the middle of the field for the Wings, scooping up 25 loose balls in four games, while adding two goals and three assists.

Rookie Kevin Crowley has established himself as an early Rookie of the Year candidate and will make his first All-Star appearance in Buffalo. Operating from his right forward post, Crowley has netted 10 goals and eight assists while recovering 23 loose balls so far this season. He provided a memorable start to his career with a five-goal performance, including the game-winner in a 10-9 overtime victory over the Washington Stealth on January 21.

The trio of Wings will be joined on the East squad by Wings Captain Brodie Merrill, who was named the starter at transition earlier this week.

The Wings will be back in action versus the Buffalo Bandits at Wells Fargo Center Sunday, February 12 at 4 p.m. Tickets for all Wings home games are available by phone at 215-389-WING or online at WingsLAX.com.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12
From Press Releases and Staff Reports

Marist College senior attack Kelly Condon (Abington) was named to the Preseason All-MAAC team released today after a vote of the seven league coaches.

Condon – who was an All-Phillylacrosse.com close defender in helping the Ghosts share the Suburban One National Conference title in 2008 – has scored 82 goals in her three seasons. She was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 and last year added 20 assists to her 28 goals.

Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Canisius – 45
2. Fairfield – 42
T3. Marist – 31
T3. Siena – 31
5. Iona – 23
T6. Manhattan – 12
T6. Niagara – 12

Preseason All-MAAC Team
Carly Quinn – Canisius
Melanie Raso – Fairfield
Kelly Condon (Abington) – Marist
Megan Oosting – Canisius
Amanda Best – Fairfield
Chloe Mangan – Fairfield
Elizabeth Dugan – Manhattan
Jamie Romano – Marist
Kelsey Sickles – Iona
Amber Zimmerlink – Iona
Bailey Knapton – Marist
Amanda Corso – Siena
Kristen Concordia – Siena

Preseason Player of the Year
Megan Oosting – Canisius

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12
From Press Release

By most accounts, the Lehigh men’s lacrosse team enjoyed a successful 2011 season, but the Mountain Hawks aren’t satisfied.

Senior defenseman Blaise Fullen (Penn Charter)

Their most significant accomplishment was making the team’s first Patriot League Tournament since 2006, but they want more. Entering this season, Lehigh has its eyes set on breaking onto the national lacrosse landscape while competing for a league championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they hope to do damage against the nation’s elite.

“Last year was a good experience for us,” said Lehigh head coach Kevin Cassese, whose Mountain Hawks open Saturday at St. Joseph’s at 1 p.m. “We certainly didn’t reach all our goals, but one of our main goals was to make the Patriot League Tournament and we did that. We had a chance to at least see the environment, get there and be a part of it.”

The Mountain Hawks entered the offseason with a sour taste in their mouths. After a strong defensive first half in the Patriot League Semifinals against Bucknell, the top-seeded Bison outscored Lehigh, 11-3 in the second, to break a 2-2 tie and pull away.

“The way we lost was something we won’t soon forget,” said Cassese. “Hopefully for this team, it’s something they draw on, and has motivated them to come back and take the next step. It’s a much different team, even though it’s a lot of the same players.”

With so many key returnees in 2012, including 10 of the team’s top 11 scorers, making the Patriot League Tournament is a “minimum expectation,” according to Cassese. They have their eyes firmly set on a Patriot League Championship which would put Lehigh in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Juniors David DiMaria and Dante Fantoni lead the attack while seniors Cameron and Roman Lao-Gosney anchor the midfield, preseason Inside Lacrosse All-American Ryan Snyder (Reading native) is a rock at the faceoff X while the defense is led by sophomore Ty Souders (Emmaus) and senior Blaise Fullen (Penn Charter). The Mountain Hawks have strengths all over the field, and they hope to turn those strengths into some big wins in 2012, and ultimately a league championship and the opportunity to play for a national title.

ATTACK
DiMaria and Fantoni return as the nation’s sixth-leading returning scoring duo. They combined for 99 points a year ago, with Fantoni leading the team in goals (33) and DiMaria in assists (30). Lehigh’s offense generally goes as the junior tandem goes.

“Those guys have started just about every game since they showed up as freshmen,” said Cassese. “They work really well together. David is very much a feeder first, but can dodge and score. Dante has turned into a playmaker, but also has a sneaky ability to feed.”

Senior Adam Johnston will definitely start, either at attack or midfield. Johnston returns as the Mountain Hawks’ second-leading goal-scorer (27) and fourth-leading point-getter (29). A force on man-up, Johnston scored half of the team’s extra man goals a season ago (12 of 24) to up his career total to 27 man-up tallies. Canadian freshman Dan Taylor is also expected to see significant action. As a lefty, he and Johnston could serve as good complements.

“Dan does a really good job scoring goals and does some things as a Canadian that not a lot of guys on our team, or in the lacrosse world, can do,” said Cassese. “I would say that he and Adam are similar in their games; they’re both incredibly talented goal-scorers and work very well off-ball.”

Coming off an injury, sophomore Cody Ferraro should make his presence felt at attack. In high school, Ferraro was listed among Inside Lacrosse’s 40 top high school attackmen.

“Cody’s had a nice fall and great preseason for us,” said Cassese. “He’s done a good job of shooting the ball and also feeding. He’s definitely developing his game.”

Senior Kevin Donovan is pushing for time as well after seeing limited action up to this point. Donovan scored one goal in 2009 before sitting out ’10, then scoring at MAAC finalist Detroit last season.

“Kevin has done a really nice job,” said Cassese. “He’s definitely improved his game. He’s scored some big goals in practice; I’ve been impressed with him.”

Another Canadian freshman is Patrick Corbett, who will certainly see time. Corbett was listed as Inside Lacrosse’s #7 ranked Post-Graduate recruit in August.

“Patrick is a crafty right-handed goal scorer who finds a way to make plays and score goals,” said Cassese. “His game is unconventional, even by Canadian standards, and that’s what makes him so dangerous.”

MIDFIELD
Lehigh has more depth at midfield than it’s had in a long time, with the Lao-Gosney twins expected to run on the first line along with junior Brian Hess. Cameron moves back to midfield from attack, where he played most of last season. Cameron enters 2012 with 89 career points (65 goals, 25 assists), including 35 last season (24 goals, 11 assists), which was third on the team.

“Cameron has been moved back to midfield to play with his brother, first and foremost,” said Cassese. “There’s nothing like the chemistry you get playing with your brother, especially when he’s a twin.”

Roman has been a mainstay in the midfield for the Mountain Hawks, finishing last season with 12 goals and three assists, which included a six-game goal streak beginning with his first-career hat trick against Binghamton.

“There are few people in the league who can match up with Roman athletically,” said Cassese. “He’s just a freak of an athlete – can go right, left, can shoot off the dodge, can shoot with his feet set and can really put some pressure on the defense.

“Cameron and Roman work really well together,” Cassese continued. “Cameron is great off the dodge, in the invert set and coming off the wing. He’s a sneaky good feeder and just a dynamic athlete overall.”

Hess will play more of an offensive midfield role this year after serving as a D middie his first two seasons. Even in that defensive-minded role, he ended up scoring three goals and adding an assist as a sophomore while excelling this preseason to make his presence felt.

“Brian is a smart player, very talented and skilled with both his right and left hand,” said Cassese. “He makes very good decisions on the field. We feel very confident in Brian out there.”

Expected to run on the second line is sophomore Matt Smith (Conestoga), who will transition to midfield from attack where he played most of last season. Smith showed flashes in limited action as a freshman, which included his first-career goal against #9 North Carolina.

“Matt has really worked hard to develop his athleticism,” said Cassese. “He’s going to play for us; he’s just too talented not to. He’s a great feeder and very slippery dodger, very skilled right and left hand, can shoot the ball on the run and operates really well from low angles.”

Freshman Alan Henderson should find himself alongside Smith on the second line. The Manorville, N.Y. native can do a variety of things on both ends of the field.

“Alan is very athletic, gets up and down the field and is a very smart kid who makes good decisions,” said Cassese. “He can put some pressure on the defense as a north-south dodger.”

Junior Kyle Stiefel will see increased action this season, likely on the second line. Stiefel came on last year, especially on extra man. He wound up with 10 points via nine goals and an assist and has been deemed a “pure goal scorer,” a tremendous outside threat whose shot can hit 100 miles per hour.

The Mountain Hawks have tremendous flexibility at midfield with a number of additional options as well.

One of them is freshman Kurtis Kaunas from local Parkland High School. An attackman in high school, Kaunas becomes the second Lehigh Valley native on the Mountain Hawks, joining Souders.

“Kurt has done a nice job for us,” said Cassese. “He’ll be a threat for us on offense somewhere; he’ll definitely push for time.”

Despite being small in stature, Kaunas’ speed and quickness should prove to be an asset for the Mountain Hawks.

“Kurt’s like a water bug,” said Cassese. “He’s an incredible dodger and really quick. He’s number one or two on the team in the 40-yard dash and in the top five percent in our pro agility. He has the ability to break down a defender and create some pressure for the defense.”

Not to be forgotten is junior Alex Drake, who finished seventh on the Mountain Hawks with 11 points a season ago. He scored six goals, including a big game-tying score in the third quarter against Penn State.

“Alex has been a steady contributor, a very skilled left-handed player,” said Cassese. “He can dodge, feed and shoot. Alex is very versatile with great game sense.”

Overall, Cassese is pleased with the potential at midfield and what the top two lines could bring.

“Our top six has the potential to be pretty dynamic,” said Cassese. “Of course, we have to make sure we put everyone in spots to be successful. At the end of the day, we feel pretty good about these guys and what they can do.”

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Juniors Noah Molnar and Derek Bogorowski (La Salle) lead the way at short-stick. Molnar enjoyed a strong all-around season in 2011, finishing with 27 groundballs and 14 caused turnovers (second on the team) while adding 10 points via six goals and four assists.

“Noah’s just a horse; it’s tough to get around him,” said Cassese. “It’s like having a fifth long stick on the field. We feel really good about that. He can stay and play some offense too.”

Bogorowski complements Molnar as a lefty presence as well.

“Derek is a good athlete who gets up and down the field,” said Cassese. “He works well with Noah. Those guys are seasoned veterans; they’ve been playing that position their entire career.”

Other possibilities at short stick include sophomore Jimmy Cahill and junior Chris Rinaldi, who should all see their fair share of action.

Freshman Dylan O’Shaughnessy emerged in the fall as the favorite at long-stick and is expected to continue as the starter this spring.

“Dylan is just an incredible athlete,” said Cassese. “He worked really hard in the fall to put on some lean muscle. We saw a major change in his body type and you can see that on the field. He’s a very confident physical presence out there.”

One of O’Shaughnessy’s biggest competitors up top is sophomore Lukas Mikelinich, who came on as last season progressed. His highlight game came against #9 North Carolina when he posted three groundballs and a caused turnover.

Sophomore UMass transfer Bryson Craft (Episcopal Academy) is squarely in the mix, as is senior Gaige Flint, junior Kyle Sheridan and freshman TaShan Mitchell. Junior Baxter Lanius can also play up top, but is expected to play more close defense.

FACEOFF
Snyder returns as one of the top faceoff specialists in the nation after winning 61.6 percent while scooping a Patriot League record 118 groundballs in 2011. He finished ninth nationally in win percentage while his 7.38 groundballs per game were fourth.

Sophomore Ryan Buttenbaum (Conestoga) will serve as the primary backup, but is expected to push Snyder for time as well. Buttenbaum finished his freshman campaign winning 15-of-27 draws (55.6) percent with four groundballs while continuing to excel this preseason. Cahill has also been working at the faceoff X.

The short stick defensive midfielders should be staples on the wings, while midfielders like Roman and Cameron Lao-Gosney along with Hess, could also find themselves there as well. The long pole on the wing will likely be O’Shaughnessy.

CLOSE DEFENSE
Fullen and Souders are expected to anchor the defense as the two returning starters. Fullen has played both close defense and as a long stick midfielder, which gives Cassese flexibility. But he’s expected to play down low, alongside Souders.

“Ty Souders is our rock back there as a lefty defender,” said Cassese. “Ty and Blaise are the staples of our defense.”

A local product (along with Kaunas), Souders finished his freshman campaign with 29 groundballs and eight caused turnovers, stepping into the starting lineup from day one.

One of three team co-captains, Fullen is the veteran of the group.

“Blaise is a tremendous leader on the defensive end,” said Cassese. “He’s an enforcer and a big physical presence that hits anything that moves. Blaise is a tremendous competitor and true team player.”

Lanius and fellow junior Mike Noone (La Salle) are competing for the third close defense spot. Both have seen significant action in their careers, with Lanius playing more in 2010 and Noone more in 2011. Noone played in 15 games last season, starting eight times, while scooping 18 groundballs and adding nine caused turnovers. One highlight came against Lafayette when he held the Leopards’ leading scorer Tom Perini to only one goal.

Freshman Adam Sands should hit the field as well. He is a “big right-hander who will push for some time,” according to Cassese.

GOALTENDER
Freshman Matt Poillon has emerged as the likely starter after a tremendous fall campaign.

“Matt stops the ball, he’s athletic and gives us a new dynamic in the clearing game where he’s fast and his instincts are typically good,” said Cassese. “He makes a save and takes off. He’s quick enough, athletic enough and smart enough to get away from trouble.

“But as far as just his stopping ability, we’ve been impressed with what he can do,” Cassese continued.

The Mountain Hawks have good depth at the goaltender position as three others behind Poillon have all started games in their collegiate careers – junior Dan Carr (24, Penn Charter), senior Conor Murphy (9) and junior Griffin Farha (4). Cassese will definitely have options.

“We feel good about we are, but the bottom line is we’ve challenged our goaltenders,” said Cassese. “We have not been successful there in the last couple years. We know it’s a major point of emphasis; we just need to be better.”

OUTLOOK
The Mountain Hawks know they can control the hustle stats and if they do that, it will pay dividends. The biggest hustle stat in the game of lacrosse is groundballs, which Lehigh dominated a season ago, leading the Patriot League and finishing 10th nationally.

“We won’t let our team be anything but great at groundballs,” said Cassese. “That’s our first and foremost focus, just to make sure we’re great on the ground. That’s a toughness stat. We want to own that ball when it hits the ground.”

Another strength is the team’s offense, returning 148 of the team’s 167 goals from the squad’s Patriot League leading scoring a season ago. Faceoffs should also be a strength, behind an All-America caliber player in Snyder and Buttenbaum, who was ranked among Inside Lacrosse’s top 100 incoming freshmen a season ago.

One of the biggest focuses is defense and goaltending, which had its strong moments last season. Overall, Cassese is looking for added consistency from the group.

“We played good defense a year ago, but at times, we just couldn’t make enough stops,” he said. “We need to take the defense to the next level. There’s an entire new coaching staff with new schemes and new philosophies. We need to defend; if we can defend, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win every game.”

Last year’s Mountain Hawks finished with a 7-9 record, but all nine of the team’s losses came against opponents ranked at some point during the season. Seven of them came by a combined 17 goals, including three one-goal defeats. Two were against NCAA Tournament qualifiers Villanova (9-8) and Bucknell (12-11) while the other was an 8-7 overtime heartbreaker against in-state rival Penn State. The 2012 version of the Mountain Hawks can draw upon those games, knowing they can compete against the nation’s best. But now, they have to take the next step and start pulling them out.

“We play a tough schedule, one of the toughest in the league. That’s by design,” said Cassese. “We’re in these tough games, which is a good thing, but eventually we need to win them. You have to draw on these games and understand that when we learn how to finish, we’ll quickly turn that around.”

Cassese and the Mountain Hawks hope this is the year they turn some of those heartbreaking losses into wins and ultimately take that next step in both the Patriot League and on the national lacrosse landscape.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12

The 6th Annual LB3/Ward Melville-Style Lacrosse Clinic will be held on Saturday, March 3 at the Shipley School Farm Fields in Gladwyne.

Liam Banks instructs

The event, hosted by Shipley School Boys’ Lacrosse, runs from Noon-4 p.m. and is for boys aged 8-to-18.

The clinic serves as a nicely-timed tune-up for the spring season. Headed by LB3 founder Liam Banks, a standout from Ward Melville and Syracuse University, many of the the instructors are grads of the famed Long Island high school program that produced Banks and so many others that starred at the college and pro levels.

“We are so excited to come back and do this sixth annual clinic,” said Banks, Head of Sports Marketing Southeast for Warrior and Brine. “This kind of helps the boys get the rust off and brings the Ward Melville style and attitude to teach the way we were taught.”

Click here to register: http://www.active.com/lacrosse-clinic/gladwyne-pa/lb3-ward-melville-style-clinic—shipley-school-2012

The clinic will focus on passing, catching, shooting, defense, dodging, defensive positioning, face-offs, goaltending and many other facets of the game as a prelude to the start of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association season on Monday, March 5.

Besides Banks, other instructors that graduated from Ward Melville will include Mark Duncan (Lehigh attackman, head coach at Shipley); Tim Goldstein (former Cornell attackman); Dennis Goldstein (former UNC attackman); J.P. Banks (former Johns Hopkins goalie and current head coach at Upper Dublin and co-coach for LB3); Kevin Banks (former Hobart goalie); and Bob Betcher (played at Ohio Wesleyan, former Duke assistant).

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/8/12

Gear is here!

Phillylacrosse.com will be bringing you the hottest and newest custom lacrosse gear and apparel being used by the region’s high school, college, club and youth teams.

Sublimated pinnie front - Wave One

We kick off our coverage of “Philly Gear” with Chestnut Hill College, aiming to become a Division II power after knocking off eventual national champion Mercyhurst and fellow DII power Dowling last season in only its second year of lacrosse and first year under coach Brian Dougherty.

The Griffins will look sleek in these sublimated pinnies and Nike Huarache3 shoes. The pinnies were designed and supplied by Wave One of Conshohocken.

Sublimated pinnie - Wave One

If your team has recently been outfitted with new gear, let us know by e-mailing us at golax@phillylacrosse.com.

Nike Huarache3