College Crosse Prospectus: Duke, Maryland Top US Lacrosse Polls; Coaching Additions

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, College Crosse Nation!! Thanks for making us a part of your day! Here are your links for January 9, 2018.

What You Missed

We took at look at the schedules for Detroit Mercy and Yale.

Team USA announced their 23-player FIL World Championship roster.

Lacrosse The Nation

The Duke Blue Devils and the Maryland Terrapins are the top ranked teams in the Nike/US Lacrosse men’s and women’s preseason polls respectively.

The Monmouth Hawks have promoted Andrew Geison to associate head coach:

“I’m glad we were able to add Associate Head Coach to Andrew’s title,” [Brian] Fisher said. ”He is a well-rounded coach due to all of his past experience and his fingerprints have been all over our program from day one. His experience with recruiting, along with his coaching acumen have been a great benefit to our young program and helped get us off the ground these first few years.”

Geison, who specializes in the Hawks’ defense, was rewarded as the Hawks were among the nation’s elite in a number of statistical categories, including second in scoring defense (7.39 goals allowed per game), third in clearing percentage at 90.6 percent and fifth in winning percentage (.778). Monmouth entered the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak with 11 consecutive wins from March 18 – May 7.

Meanwhile, the Binghamton Bearcats have added Nick Hautau to their coaching staff:

“We are very fortunate to be able to add Nick to our coaching staff,” said [Kevin] McKeown.” He brings wealth of coaching experience that will greatly enhance how our staff is able to operate.”

Hautau comes to Binghamton after one season at Manhattanville. Previously, he spent five years at Greenwich High School where he served as an assistant coach to the varsity men’s lacrosse program from 2012-2017. While at Greenwich, Hautau was responsible for coordinating offensive schemes and managing substitutions. He has also spent time working with Prime Time Lacrosse as a Clinic Coordinator and the Head Coach for the U15-17 team from 2009-2017.

Members of the Providence Friars traveled up to Boston to take with some fellow Friar alumni about jobs:

Rutgers also had a development day:

Quick check in with teams continuing, or starting up, practices for the Spring season:

Speaking of practices, the Towson Tigers had their first practice of 2018. Shawn Stepner of ABC 2 news in Baltimore has more:

With the field lined with snow and the temperature in the 20’s, the Tigers hit the field for their first practice of the season.

”The elements probably just make it even better,” said Tigers attack Drew Laundry. “Everybody is fired up and ready to go.”

”It’s definitely a mental thing with your hands. Because, definitely, your hands get cold. Once your hands get cold everything else gets cold,” added Tigers defensive midfield Zach Goodrich.

For the first time in 16 years, the Tigers begin the season on the heels of an NCAA Final Four berth. Last year brought their first national semifinal appearance since 2001.

”Being able to go to the Final Four helped our program establish a little bit more national recognition than what we’ve had in the past possibly,” said Tigers Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “But, for the guys that were part of that team it just shows what a lot of hard work, a lot of belief, a lot of trust and determination can get you.”

Check out Drew Laundry and his hair!

A few more teams being later in the week, including Duke. They got the fun stuff out of the way:

The Orange also start later this week, but unveiled their captains, and for the first time assistant captains, for the season:

The Bucknell Bison publicly announced their season opener:

You can see their entire schedule here.

A great story from Jason Butynski of the Greenfield Reporter on how one lacrosse goalie doesn’t let his amputated leg get in the way for his love of the sport:

Calvin Todd has devoted much of his life to the sport of lacrosse, so it’s only fitting that when the 29-year-old former Army medic suffered a life-changing injury in combat, the sport aided his healing process.

In fact, the sport has been such a big part of his life that Todd was recently one of three honorees at the “Sticks for Soldiers” Tournament, which takes place in Fairfield, Conn., on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The tournament serves as a fundraiser for wounded veterans. Over $100,000 was raised this year, according to Indoor Action Sports owner and Catamount Lacrosse director and founder Jeff Coulson. That money is given out to the honorees to used any way they see fit.

The money did not come without a price for Todd, who has a prosthetic left leg after getting injured in combat on Oct. 4, 2012. That came 10 years after Todd first began playing lacrosse for Coulson in Franklin County.

Philly Jawns

Be careful going outside! It might be very icy!

World News

What a National Championship game! Alabama, led by freshman quarter Tua Tagovailoa, defeated Georgia in overtime, 26-20, to win Nick Saban’s sixth national championship.

Video of the Day

Here’s highlights from said game:

Tagovailoa and Saban had great quotes, but take a listen to what Jalen Hurts had to say after he was benched at halftime:

He might never play for the Crimson Tide again.

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