3 MLL/NLL NEWS


5 HOT TOPICS


A fl urry of moves made for an fun offseason. • The MLL’s new player movement policy allows players with fi ve consecutive years of experience and an expiring contract the ability to sign with new teams. Veteran Joe Walters made the biggest splash by signing with the New York Lizards, while fellow all-star midfi elder Brent Adams signed with the Denver Outlaws. Both inked two- year contracts. Several other marquee players, including Rabil, re-signed with current teams. • When the NLL’s 31st season commences Dec. 29, it will be without Colin Doyle. The Toronto Rock forward, a surefi re Hall of Famer who ranks third all- time in league history with 1,384 points, announced his retirement Nov. 9 after 19 seasons. • NLL TV (nlltv.com), a subscription-based over- the-top video platform featuring live streams and on-demand digital content, formally launched in November after a trial run during last year’s playoffs. • The Ohio Machine will be the fi rst MLL team with its own stadium. Obetz Fortress Field, a 6,500-seat venue, is the centerpiece of a planned 250-acre recreational development in the Columbus suburb. The $15 million project will be ready for the Machine’s home opener May 6.


5


ONE THAT GOT AWAY


USlaxmagazine.com


Curtis Zappala, the once highly ranked Maryland recruit who decided not to play just a few weeks before he was set to report to College Park in 2015, opened up about his decision in an article by NXT Sports’ Matt Chandik. Zappala, who committed to Maryland after his freshman season at Episcopal (Pa.) Academy, was at the vanguard of the early recruiting movement that now has eighth-graders making college choices. “I was 15 years old. I had no idea what I wanted for dinner that night, let alone what I wanted with the rest of my life,” said Zappala, now a sophomore majoring in environmental studies and sustainability at Drexel.


January 2017 US LACROSSE MAGAZINE 11


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