College Crosse Prospectus: Team USA Holds Blue-White Game

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, College Crosse Nation!! Happy Labor Day and the unofficial end to summer! Here are your links for September 4, 2017.

What You Missed

The Texas Longhorns, a football school, lost to the Maryland Terrapins, a lacrosse school, on Saturday.

Lacrosse The Nation

Team USA scrimmaged each other yesterday over in Maryland, with the Blue team winning 16-13. Matt Hamilton from US Lacrosse Magazine has more.

There’s no denying the talent that stepped onto the field for the Blue-White game Sunday afternoon, but [John] Danowski and his staff weren’t focused on individual displays. The goal of this weekend, the first time players met as a whole squad, was to start to develop chemistry with one another and build what Danowski labels as a “culture.”

Although the training team will be further cut in October, and later in January, Danowski made it clear that he’s focused on all of his current players.

“There’s always this elephant in the room of making the top 23, but in the coaching staff’s mind, it’s all 47 guys that suited up today, they’re all part of the team,” he said. “This is the team.”

Danowski’s sincerity and trust in his players didn’t go unnoticed. He encouraged his players to spend time with as many different teammates as possible, in an effort to get to know one another more closely. Goalie John Galloway called it “no fluff,” meaning teammates needed to get by the normal pleasantries and develop a rapport.

“We’re just more comfortable with each other,” Galloway said. “You always come in on eggshells in the tryout process. This time, guys were coming out calm and comfortable and flying. Every time we get together it gets a little better.”

Joe Nardella, Ben Reeves, and Drew Adams did not play in the game.

Many collegiate teammates got to run into each other again.

Is Bryant Bulldogs midfielder Tom Kennedy the next Chris Hogan?

In his latest post, Dom Starsia for Inside Lacrosse pens his thoughts about the new recruiting landscape.

I have always considered that most players would find their way to the same schools if the recruiting was even more severely limited. The subtle, but not insignificant, shift that accompanies this current change is the that the recruiting will not continue to get earlier and high school students should enjoy an uninterrupted freshmen year.

I have also been hearing that these new rules will accelerate a scenario in which prospects need to attend lacrosse events in the fall in lieu of participation in football and soccer. Let me suggest to high school players and their parents that every reputable college coach that I know would prefer you play a fall sport. There is nothing you can do for your development as a lacrosse player on your own that is better than going to football and soccer practice every day. You learn and strengthen the fundamental understanding of lacrosse team offense and defense on the football and soccer fields, the basketball courts and hockey rinks of your youth.

The spring and summer following your sophomore year of high school will give the college coaches ample time and opportunity to make a thorough evaluation of your potential. Do you have a school or two that stands head and shoulders above the rest in your plans? Give up one of your club tournaments and go to camp or a prospect day at that institution. That is still the best setting for college coaches to appreciate the subtle nuances of your game.

To the college coaches, I am going to make this thorny recommendation: Do not contact players who are committed to other schools. These commitments will come a little later now; let’s consider them at least slightly more mature decisions than before the new legislation. This talk about an increased frequency of “poaching” seems to carry an air of inevitability. It does not have to be that way. Men’s and women’s lacrosse has already taken a leadership role on the college landscape with an uncommon cooperation and creative spirit that distinguishes the new rules. The college coaches could also decide that they simply will not make an initial contact with a committed athlete. Could a young man change his mind in his junior or senior year?...yes, of course, but don’t initiate that contact and let common decency and an “honor among thieves” carry the day.

Big day ahead for the Marist Red Foxes in terms of 2019 recruits.

The fundamentals are always key.

A new lacrosse exhibit opened up in Vestal and the Binghamton Bearcats were on hand for the opening.

It will be open until October 28 and feature the history of the game and the different Native American tribes that played it.

Who doesn’t love team bonding?

Frankford, New Jersey opened up a new lacrosse field on Saturday, from Kyle Morel of the New Jersey Herald.

[Chris] Carney said the idea for a new field serving local lacrosse teams first came up about four years ago as the sport became more prevalent in the area.

"Lacrosse is an up-and-coming sport, and as a Parks Commission, we always feel that we need to give the kids the opportunity for a facility of their own," he said. "We had the room, we had plenty of land at the park, so we decided that it's time to get a field of our own."

Andrew Kattermann, president of the High Point Lacrosse Club, said the teams have been playing on the softball and soccer fields in Frankford Park as well as Woodbourne Park in Wantage since the club's inception in 2014. While the field conditions were fine, Kattermann appreciated the determination by Carney and the Parks Commission to create a facility mainly for lacrosse.

"Chris Carney really spearheaded (the effort) and said, ‘Let's try to get you guys a lacrosse field,'" Kattermann said, "and four years later, we've got a field that's ready, so it's great."

Women’s news: 3d Lacrosse is taking over operations of the UWLX.

Philly Jawns

Jay-Z wrapped up another Made In America weekend last night on the Ben Franklin Parkway.

World News

Ice Cube and his BIG3 league are being sued $250 million after possibly stealing ideas from another league.

Video of the Day

Some old school life hacks still work!

That’s it for today!! I’ll see you out there!! Make sure you follow us on social media!

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Managing Editors: Safe Fekadu, Chris Jastrzembski, Ryan McDonnell