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FROM THE EDITOR
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Season of Upstarts
The biggest buzzword in lacrosse is growth. Maybe it’s because we want validation from the mainstream sports realm, but we’re kind of obsessed with numbers. We complained when the number of NCAA Division I
men’s lacrosse programs was stuck on 60. We celebrated when the number of NCAA Division I
women’s lacrosse programs surpassed 100. We oohed when Paul Rabil hit 111 mph on the radar
gun and aahed when Mike Sawyer eclipsed him at 114. We cringed when a 2012 NCAA report had lacrosse
at the top of the charts in drug and alcohol use. We touted with pride the latest US Lacrosse
participation report, which showed lacrosse drawing near to 750,000 players on organized teams in 2013. We can’t wait to welcome 38 nations, including nine first-timers, to Denver for the FIL World Championship next month. We hope one day that number reaches the tipping point that puts lacrosse in the Olympics. But growth without substance is meaningless. That’s
why it was so encouraging to see several college startups succeed this spring. Let’s start with the most recent wave of newbies. Richmond’s men nearly stunned Virginia in their debut and qualified for the Atlantic Sun tournament — a conference whose frontrunners were High Point (second year) and Mercer (fourth year). Second-year Marquette topped traditional powers Hofstra and Georgetown and went 4-1 in the Big East. Michigan, the crowned jewel of startups, made strides in year three. On the women’s side, USC made noise in the MPSF
by taking down then-No. 12 Stanford in April. Colorado, in its inaugural season, was making a run at the MPSF crown right as this edition of LM went to press, beating Oregon (10th year) in double overtime to end the regular season and San Diego State (third year) in overtime of the MPSF quarterfinals. It’s no surprise both USC and Colorado have former Northwestern players at the helm. The St. John’s men (revived in 2005)
and Big East regular season champ Louisville women (seventh year) have become perennial top-20
contenders. It’s only a matter of time
before one of these teams makes a deep NCAA tournament run, especially as the fields expand.
>> PICTURE THIS
A lacrosse goal and rebounder adorn the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion in Annapolis, Md.
Deirdre Tanton
Send us your photos! LM welcomes member-submitted images. Email
picthis@laxmagazine.com.
CRAZY TO COMMIT Bravo, Mr. Tanton! Before I even picked up the May magazine (“A Pitch with a Catch”), I was thinking about a high school student who worked for me, who told me a sophomore teammate of his had committed early to some big lacrosse school. I laughed when he told me, and questioned, “How does a sophomore really know where he wants to spend his college years?” The recruiting process is crazy and seems to bully parents into spending loads of money to attend tournaments, where there may or may not be someone’s eye on them. Let’s not forget why kids go to college! They should attend somewhere that will help them start their next chapter in life, not just choose a place where they may or may not get playing time.
Kathy
Keefe Danbury, Conn.
4 LACROSSE MAGAZINE June 2014 >>
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PUBLICATION
Senior Director, Communications Bill Rubacky Director, Communications Brian Logue Editor-in-Chief Matt DaSilva ( @mdasilva15) Deputy Editor Corey McLaughlin ( Art Director Gabriella Ferraro O’Brien Graphic Design Manager Heather Hughes
Staff Writers TJ Buchanan, Lucia Clark, Jac Coyne, Lane Errington, Emily Gibson, Paul Krome, Charlie Obermayer, Paul Ohanian, Megan Schneider, Bill Tanton
Advertising Sales Colette Dixon Chief Photographer Kevin P. Tucker Staff Photographer John Strohsacker
LaxMagazine.com Editor Sean Burns (
LaxMagazine.com Asst. Editor Jac Coyne (
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©JOHN STROHSACKER
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