REGAN STORY INSPIRES FCA TO GOLD
FCA National (Md.) won its
second straight and fourth overall US Lacrosse National Championship, defeating an upstart Colorado team, 10-4, in the gold-medal game of the U15 boys’ tournament. The multi- state squad won each game by no fewer than six goals.
Brenden Malloy (16 said he uses the pinch and pop technique in faceoffs. He won 13 of 17 in Nati Lax Bros’ 8-7 overtime win over FLG in the third-place game.
“With FCA, we’re always looking for a bigger message than just the game of lacrosse,” coach Travis Crane said.
That perspective came from assistant coach Drew Wardlow.
The FCA awarded its Peter Kohn Award to the late Sgt. James J. Regan and the Lead the Way Fund in January at LaxCon. Regan served his country as a U.S. Army Ranger until he was killed in action in 2007. He played lacrosse at Duke. Wardlow brought Regan-inspired “Ranger/Lead the Way” t-shirts to Grand Park. Rather than award a game ball to an MVP of each game, coaches selected the player who gave the most hustle to receive a shirt.
“It helped the guys focus on the effort plays,” Crane said. “It was impressive how quickly they bought in and played together, in a way reflective of the shirt.”
The Lead the
Way Fund generates resources for disabled U.S. Army Rangers and for Ranger
families that have lost loved ones. — P
.K.
From left, Ranger shirt winners Rory Bateman, Christian Tomey, Matt Gunty, Daniel Kelly, Connor Whalen and Koa Todd.
“It was a relief for us to get the diagnosis,” DeAnna Malloy said. “For him it was finally being able to say, ‘There’s a reason. I’m not just being a wimp.’” Doctors diagnosed Brenden with type 3 EDS. The family avoided a more serious diagnosis of vascular EDS, which can be life threatening. The news served as a welcome respite given Brenden’s previously existing immune disorder and von Willebrand disease, which prolongs bleeding. “The EDS, when it’s really hot, I’ll get lightheaded,” Brenden said. “I just don’t feel like I’m in it. My legs start feeling funny, and then I get sore. Really sore. At the end of the day, it’s really hard to move.
“I can’t take ibuprofen- based stuff. I just take Tylenol, ice what hurts and suck it up.”
Doctors cleared Brenden to play in #USLaxChamps, but the future remains cloudy. Rilee had played
laxmagazine.com
volleyball and softball, but no longer due in part to 12 fractures in one year. “How do you take
something that a kid loves so much away from him?” DeAnna Malloy said. Especially with a core group of friends on the NLB team with whom he has played for several years. “We’ll go to a creek near his house and go fishing,” NLB and Mason midfielder Xander Wells said. “He likes to have fun and be outside. He never complains.” The team earned the
sportsmanship award in last year’s #USLaxChamps as the Queen City Chill, gaining an invitation to play this year. But with some players from last year already too old, the previous coach declined to return a team.
Assistant coach Mike Fruland filled the void. “Mike is like another dad to Brenden. He loves him like his own kid,” DeAnna Malloy said. “He would ask us if Brenden can play in
this tournament or that tournament, and we’d say, ‘We’re working towards [US Lacrosse] Nationals. That’s what we’re working for.’” Fruland choked up when speaking of Brenden. “He’s just a great kid, with everything he’s been through,” Fruland said. Fruland took charge and rebranded the squad, knowing this would be the final opportunity for the local group to play together. “As soon as Coach said, ‘We’re going,’ we all said, ‘OK. We’re playing,’” Brenden Malloy said. NLB earned the No. 2 seed for the bracket. Malloy exited the field after taking each faceoff to rest. In a 16-6 semifinal loss to Colorado, Malloy won 19
of 25 draws, impressing talented opposition goalie Isaac Abramovitz. After one such victory over Air Force commit Joe Kassal, Abramovitz said from his cage, “Dude is so good.” “Joe’s really good,” Abramovtiz said later, “but he was all over Joe in that game.”
Against FLG (N.Y.), he won his 13th of 17 to begin overtime of a 7-7 game. This time he stayed on the field, drew attention at the restraining line and assisted his old friend, Wells, on the bronze medal-winning goal. “This was fun,” Malloy said. “I’m not sore yet, but once I get to the car I’ll get sore. Tomorrow I’ll be super sore.” Pain may never have felt so good.
September/october 2016 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 47
©AJ MAST ©©AJ MAST
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