FUTURE ELITE LACROSSE: Lax & Team News You Can Use

Eight University of Richmond sports teams have been penalized for what the NCAA said were impermissible text messages and phone calls to recruiting prospects. The school failed properly to monitor its sports programs, the NCAA said. The NCAA said the violations were mostly in the men's and women's basketball programs.

The organization's Committee on Infractions concluded the head coaches of the men's and women's basketball teams "did not promote an atmosphere of compliance," the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported.

More than 500 impermissible text messages and 83 phone calls were made to 17 prospective student-athletes and parents, the NCAA said. Also cited by the NCAA were the football and baseball teams and the women's lacrosse, golf, soccer and track teams.

Penalties included two years probation and multiple recruiting restrictions.

The Blake High School field hockey team's improbable playoff run, after entering postseason play with a 5-7 record, ended with a well-played but heartbreaking, 1-0 loss to Hereford in the Maryland Class 3A state championship match Saturday at Washington College in Chestertown.  Results of the game were reported in The Washington Post and Montgomery Gazette.

Future Elite senior, Justine Allen, single-handedly led her James H. Blake High School field hockey team with 4 goals and 1 assist in a 6-0 thumping of Northern High School to bounce the Bengals into the Maryland 3A field hockey state championship game.  She even got major headlines in the Washington Post sports page and the Montgomery Gazette.

Justine’s older sister, Sammy, played for Future Elite and now plays lacrosse for Louisville, one of the teams that has recruited Justine. Adding to the thrashing was freshman Caroline Wannen. Caroline's older sister, Nicky, played with Jessica Singer and Justine, and attends Wake Forest. Her other sister, Molly, played on Future Elite with Sammy Allen, and now plays lacrosse for William  & Mary.  Caroline now plays travel lacrosse for the M&D 2013 Black team, and will join Justine on Blake's lacrosse team this coming spring.

Earlier this year, Justine's high school basketball team played for the Maryland state basketball championship but lost to 5-time defending champion, Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

Visiting player, Ann Wallace Tazewell of the Collegiate School in Richmond enjoyed the thrill of vistory as her field hockey team captured the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship this past weekend with a 5-4 win over St. Catherine’s.  The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on the game.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation on Tuesday, October 13 to adopt an official State Series for the sports of Boys Lacrosse and Girls Lacrosse beginning with the 2010-11 school term.  According to the IHSA Emerging Sports List, there are currently 65 schools fielding boys lacrosse teams in the state and 40 fielding girls lacrosse teams. 

Currently, 17 other state associations crown champions in boys and girls lacrosse.

There are certain things that players can and should do to position themselves to get recruited for college lacrosse.  Some of those things can be found in Future Elite's website under "Player College Lacrosse and Beyond".  But for all the material out there, scant information exists regarding the role that parents play in the process.

It's a delicate balancing act, one that simulaneously juggles the desire to prod and pull, while also recognizing the need to step back and simply guide.  There are no easy answers, and much of that is dictated by the personality of the player.  But for some guidance, professional recruiting consultant, Tom Kovic, offers his take that appeared recently on an Inside Lacrosse blog.  Parents of ahtletes interested in playing at the next level should check-out his perspective.

Scott Burnam, Future Elite Assistant Director and veteran midfielder for American League Lacrosse post-collegiate juggernaut DeWalt Lacrosse Club, discusses the key points to remember when faking a goalie one-on-one in the October 2009 issue of Lacrosse Magazine. His comments appear in the magazine's "Your Game" section.

Burnam says that even if you drop low, lead with the butt end of your stick.  Plus, always shoot overhand.

Scott has been featured several times in Lacrosse Magazine. He last appeared in the March 2009 issue discussing how the offense can bait a defender and in the January 2009 issue talked about using 2 men playing off of each other to form a potent attack.

Future Elite alumna, Holton-Arms School grad, and University of California Bear senior midfield/defender, Alex Tickner, enjoys some face time in the "Off the Field" section of Lacrosse Magazine's October 2009 edition.

The 2-page spread features Alex in her on-campus dorm.  She offers commentary of the various parts of her room and her life in the crazy world of Berkeley, California.

To become GOOD at this position, lacrosse goaltenders must first master all the essential techniques that come with job. These are techniques such as the ready position, communication skills, top hand movement, stepping to the ball, positioning in the crease and clearing the ball. To become GREAT at this position, goaltenders must also be able to enhance their all around speed. While many consider speed to be defined by how fast they can run, goaltenders must consider how fast they react to make a save.

Adam Platzer's book, Good to Great Goaltending will provide you with both the essential goaltender techniques that will make you good, as well as the unique speed training drills that will make you great. These unique drills are centered on training the four human elements that help make a lacrosse save: mind/body, eye perception, reaction time and movement speed. Furthermore, a training technique called shadow goaltending is introduced that compliments many of the drills and drastically improves overall technique.

Free Book Download, Feedback Needed - You can get a free download of Good to Great Goaltending if you provide feedback to the writer after reading it. The more feedback received, the better this book will be, and the more goalies will learn. Contact Adam Platzer at primesportstraining.com if you are interested.

David Marshall, M.D., Medical Director, Sports Medicine Program, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Clinical Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine writes in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that participation in lacrosse is safe and the injury rate among young athletes is actually very low. But because of rules differences for the boys and girls games, some injury patterns in male and female players differ as well. Dr. Marshall goes on to enumerate the various injuries that bother young male and felmale lacrosse players.

NCAA President Myles Brand, the first university president to serve as the Association's chief executive, has died from pancreatic cancer. He was 67.  Brand, who began his tenure in January 2003 after having served as president at Indiana and Oregon, died at his Indianapolis home. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2008 and announced his condition to the NCAA Executive Committee, the national office staff and the leadership at NCAA member schools in January, saying the long-term prognosis for his condition was "not good."

Brand will probably be best remembered for firing Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Knight at Indiana University.  The volatile and popular Knight, who led the Hoosiers to 3 national championships and 11 Big Ten titles, was fired in his 29th year at Indiana by then-IU president Dr. Brand, who cited a long pattern of boorish behaior by Knight, including outbursts towards subordinates, players and university officials. 

Despite widespread budget cuts in higher education, the addition of new sports -- lacrosse often among them -- continues.  A study by news agency, Associated Press, discusses the phenomenon.

The AP observes that the reasons for adding sports "aren't always economic - complying with rules that demand gender equality in sports and that require Division III schools to carry a minimum of 12 sports starting in 2010 also play a role. However, the economy keeps popping up as an important and often critical reason for the expansion, particularly in Divisions II and III, where athletes often don't receive scholarships."

Colleges mentioned in the article include Pacific (OR), Adams State (CO), Lake Erie (OH), Columbus State (GA), West Virginia Wesleyan (WV), and La Grange (GA).

A very preliminary listing of predominantly Division I women's fall lacrosse tournaments, along with a few head-to-head exhibition matches and scrimmages, has been published by Laxpower, which will be updated regularly as new information is received. 

Of particular note are some games that will be held locally, including:

• September 27 - Maryland Fall Ball: Virginia vs. Maryland & Penn State vs. Virginia @ University of Maryland - College Park, MD
• October 3: Adelphi vs. Navy @ USNA - Annapolis, MD
• October 4 - Navy Fall Ball: Navy vs. G.W., G.W. vs. Penn State & Navy vs. Penn State @ USNA - Annapolis, MD
• October 11 - US Team Exhibition: US National Team, US Developmental Team, James Madison & North Carolina @ St. Stephen's & St. Agnes - Alexandria, VA
• October 16: Denver vs. Navy @ USNA - Annapolis, MD
• October 17 - Navy Fall Ball Play Day Tournament: Navy, Bucknell, Cincinnati, Denver, Longwood, Louisville, Oregon, Richmond, Robert Morris and William & Mary @ USNA - Annapolis, MD 

The Navy Fall Ball Play Day Tournament on October 17th will feature several Future Elite Alumnae including:

• Cara O'Brien & Karen Nirschl - Longwood
• Sammy Allen - Louisville
• Alex Breiner - Oregon
• Annie Macomber & Molly Wannen - William & Mary

The IWLCA and US Lacrosse have honored 51 student-athletes in Division I with a selection on one of the All-American teams and 134 student-athletes with a selection on one of the All-Regional teams for 2009. Among the regional honorees is Future Elite Lacrosse Alum, Alex Tickner, a senior midfielder at the University of California, Berkeley.

In more local news, Future Elite alum, Molly Wannen, a sophomore midfielder at William & Mary, was selected to the Virginia Sports Information Directors 2nd Team.  Wannen was a second-team all-conference selection in 2009. She led the team and ranked second in the CAA with 40 draw controls, and also totaled 30 points on 25 goals and five assists to go with 23 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. The midfielder also recorded one of the squad’s best shooting percentages with a .543 mark. 

Although sudden deaths occur in competitive lacrosse at about the same rate as in baseball and football, deaths caused by a strong blow to the chest are more common in lacrosse, new research shows.

Lacrosse has swept up about a half-million young participants in the United States, making it the fastest-growing youth sport in the country. The hard rubber balls used in the sport can travel as fast as 100 miles an hour, and contact also occurs between a lacrosse stick and an opponent's body, called a "body check."

But hard hits to the chest, according to the American Heart Association, can cause what's called commotio cordis, a Latin term meaning "commotion of the heart."

"There are risks to young athletes [playing lacrosse], but these are, overall, no greater in lacrosse than in many other sports," said Dr. Barry Maron, lead author of a study on the subject in the Aug. 10 issue of Pediatrics. Maron is director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.

A synopsis of the study can be found through ABC News and Quality Health.

Congratulations to Future Elite RED Team members for their selection as US Lacrosse Academic All-Americans for 2009 :

• Justine Allen (2010, James H. Blake HS)
• Lauren Burke (2010, Oakton HS)
• Jessica Singer (2010, Herndon HS)
• Visiting player Steph Hanson (2010, Chapel Hill HS - Chapel Hill, NC)
• 2009 high school graduates Danielle Kraner (Herndon HS, University of Virginia) & Nicky Wannen (James H. Blake HS, Wake Forest).

U.S. Lacrosse committees consider student-athletes  who exhibit exemplary lacrosse skills and excellent sportsmanship on the field while also representing high standards of academic achievement in the classroom.  Additionally, USL notes significant contributions of service to the school or community when making their selections.

• Boys had three times more visits to treat sports injuries than did girls (147 visits per 10,000 children vs. 50 visits per 10,000 children).
• Teens were five times more likely than children to be treated for sports injuries in emergency departments (154 visits per 10,000 15 to 17 year-olds vs. 30 visits per 10,000 5 to 9 year-olds).
• Some 81 percent of all visits were for bruises, sprains and strains, arm fractures, or cuts and scrapes to the head, neck or chest.
• Only 1.3 percent of visits resulted in hospital admissions, mostly for leg and arm fractures. In nearly 99 percent of visits, the children were treated and released.

The U.S. defeated Australia, 8-7, in the final game of the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic. Team USA goalie Devon Wills (Denver, Colo./Dartmouth '06) made seven saves and had three ground balls to earn Player of the Match honors. Caroline Cryer (Centennial, Colo./Duke '09) led the U.S. in scoring with three goals. This is the sixth time that the U.S. has won the World Cup, and the fourth time they have defeated the Australians in the final.
 

Future Elite alumna Emily Patterson (Broad Run), a dual citizen of the US and Germany, was an alternate on the German FIL team.

Of the 12 girls' lacrosse players named first-team All-Met by The Washington Post this spring (out of about 2,000 in the Washington area who competed on the varsity level), four have chosen to play in Gainesville.  Of the 24 recruits that will make up the Gators' 2010 team, 17 played for Baltimore or Washington high schools. Six of those 24 are high school All-Americans.

Among the local talent is All-Met Hayley Katzenberger of Academy of the Holy Cross, coached by Future Elite assistant coach, Lindsey Welch. 

Farmingdale, on Long Island, is LaxPower's national champion for 2009. The Lady Dalers, who capped off a 17-0 season winning the New York state Class A title, finished in first place both in the coaches' poll and in the computer ratings. Farmingdale had 11 of 20 first place votes among the coaches. McDonogh School had six first place votes. The coaches' poll and the computer power ratings agreed on the first five positions.

Rounding out the top five programs in the country for 2009 are four perennial powers:

#2: McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Maryland (19-1) — IAAM-A champion
#3: West Genesee, Camillus, New York (21-2) — New York Upstate Regional champion
#4: Notre Dame Prep, Towson, Maryland (17-2) — IAAM-A runner-up
#5: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, Alexandria, Virginia (25-2) — ISL and VISAA I champion

The National Coaches and Computer Ratings were also published for all 2,382 high school girls lacrosse programs around the country.  Local schools Chantilly was ranked #101 nationally, Loudoun Valley #162, Robinson #163, Holton-Arms #193, Blake #336, Madison #348 & Langley #580.

 The IWLCA announced the honorees for Players of the Year as 12 student-athletes from 8 colleges received recognition at the annual All-American banquet on June 13th. 

2009 IWLCA Players of the Year

Division I
C. Markland Kelly Goalkeeper of the Year: Logan Ripley, North Carolina
Defender: Amber Falcone, North Carolina
Midfielder: Caitlyn McFadden, Maryland
Attacker: Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern

Division II
C. Markland Kelly Goalkeeper of the Year: Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Adelphi
Defender: Kate Zichelli, Lock Haven
Midfielder: Katie Hogan, C. W. Post
Attacker: Jaclyn Napoli, C. W. Post

Division III
C. Markland Kelly Goalkeeper of the Year: Sonja Stuart, Salisbury
Defender: Sarah McKinley, Salisbury
Midfielder: Shannon Summers, Franklin & Marshall
Attacker: Jen Pritchard, Franklin & Marshall

On Thursday - June 11, 2009 the county-based All-Extra weekly sections of The Washington Post announced their annual All-Extra girsl lacrosse teams.

Senior attack Kelly Austin of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes, the nation's leading player, was the Fairfax All-Extra player of the year.  Austin broke the Saints' single-season scoring record (120 goals) and career scoring record (232 goals). She also had 17 assists. An all-American the past two seasons, she helped propel the Saints to their 15th consecutive ISL-AA title and third straight VIS title. She will play for Virginia.  Joining her on the Fairfax All-Extra teams were Robinson teammates, Kesley Zinck (G), Megan Dunleavy (M), and Sam Barber (D). Brittany Griel (M) of Chantilly and Maggie Kovacs (A) of Langley, were also selected.

Future Elite alumnae were featured prominently in the Loudoun All- Extra team.  Senior goalie, Allison Bogle and senior midlfielder, Kate Sistare, both of Broad Run, were member of Future Elite for two years.

Chantilly won its first Virginia state title, while Severna Park won its third straight Maryland 4A/3A crown. Robinson won Concorde District and Northern Region titles before losing in the state final.  All of that propelled Virginia public schools to reach The Washington Post's season-ending girls lacrosse top 10 poll.

Congratulations to the 2009 Future Elite high school graduates. Last year at this time, just about all these girls were on the field together as Future Elite teammates.

Our graduating class is an accomplished group both on the field and off.

• Tess DeAtley is attending William & Mary on a 4-year full academic scholarship.
• Allison Bogle, Danielle Kraner, Emily Patterson, Kate Sistare and Nicky Wannen were all US Lacrosse Academic All-Americans.
• Emily is an alternate on the German FIL Woman's World Cup Team this summer, and will be playing for Saint Francis next year.
• Nicky's sister, Molly, is a Future Elite alumna and this year as a sophomore at William & Mary, was selected to the 2nd Team, All-Colonial Conference as a star midfielder on their nationally-ranked women's lacrosse team.

Ladies - you are all now officially Future Elite Alumnae.  We'll miss you all...

Behind a 5 goal flurry by senior all-star Brittany Griel and the stingy goaltending of senior Heather Meraw, Chantilly (21-2) captured the 2009 VHSL Girls Lacrosse Championship over Robinson (17-4), 13-4.  Robinson was the only team to beat the Chargers this year, and in this case, revenge could not have tasted sweeter.

The Concorde District has won the past 4 consecutive state championships and 6 of the past 8 titles.

Future Elite is pleased to welcome new coach, Bryanne Gilkinson, a graduate of Stanford where she excelled both on and off the lacrosse field.

Bryanne was a top-scoring defender on the Stanford Cardinal squad who contributed immediately as a freshman.  A native of Mississauga, Canada, Bryanne participated on the Brampton Minor Lacrosse Association club team, was named captain in 2000 and 2002, was awarded Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2002, and the Brampton Minor Lacrosse Association Citizenship Award in 2003. She was selected to the U-19 Canadian National Team, which participated in the 2003 World Championships in Towson, Maryland, helping the Canadian U-19 National Team to the bronze medal in the World Cup with a 16-10 win over England. She was also a member of the U-19 Ontario women's lacrosse team in 1999 and 2000, and selected to the U-20 Ontario All-Star team in 2001.

While at Stanford, Bryanne was a psychology major with a 3.89 GPA, and was recognized as a member of the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll and a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women’s Lacrosse Academic All-Conference selection.  She was the recipient of the 2005 Chappell-Lougee Undergraduate Research Scholarship and the 2005 Shultz Grant in Canadian Studies, and has traveled across Canada, England, France, and Belgium in the course of her research. She assisted in research in a number of Stanford academic departments and is a member of the Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.

Bryanne graduated in May 2009 with a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) where she concentrated in Conflict Management and International Economics.  She spent a summer interning in the Military Public Affairs division of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, and has been working part-time at Search for Common Ground since August 2008.  She is also involved with Project Akilah, that addresses the lack of higher education opportunities for young women in Rwanda.

The Robinson Rams (17-3) have already beaten the Chantilly Chargers (20-2) twice this year, both times coming from behind to win in the second half.  The Rams are hoping that "the third time's the charm" when the two Concorde District rivals face each other for the VHSL Girls Lacrosse Championship on Saturday at Westfield High School.

Robinson senior Megan Dunleavy scored six goals and junior attacker Rachel Moody added four goals and three assists, as the Rams ripped Broad Run (15-5), 18-5 in the first semi-final game. Chantilly's Katie Stillwell romped for 8 goals to punctuate their win over formerly undefeated Loudoun Valley (19-1), 14-9.

Future Elite alumnae fingerprints were all other these games.  Assuming starring roles for their respective teams were Chantilly defenders Lisa Comerford ('09) and Kimberley Patten ('09), and Broad Run's goalie Allison Bogle ('09), midfielders Nina Dunay ('10) and Kate Sistare ('09), and defender Emily Patterson ('09). 

The Washington Post coverage of the games includes pictures.

The Concorde District has produced the Virginia state girls lacrosse champion in the last 3 consecutive years, and in 6 of the past 8 years.  In 2009, the Concorde District had 4 teams in the state's top 20, according to LaxPower.

The elite of the local girls lacrosse community shined brightly as the The Washington Post announced its annual Spring All-Met Girls Lacrosse players today.  Among the highlights are 2 players coached by Future Elite Assistant Coach, Lindsey Welch, who in her role as head coach of Academy of the Holy Cross, proudly coached 1st Team All-Met midfielder, Haley Katzenberger (Sr.) and Honorable Mention junior, Katie Slater.  Haley had 67 goals and 32 assists this year.  She and 3 other 1st Team All-Met players will play for the University of Florida in its inaugural first year of 2010.  The Gators are considered to have the strongest recruiting class in the nation this year.

Among those selcted to the All-Met teams are several athletes many Future Elite players have played against.  They include:

FIRST TEAM: Brittany Griel - A/M, Chantilly (playing for Delaware)

SECOND TEAM: Sam Barber - D, Robinson (playing for Maryland) & Megan Dunleavy - M, Robinson (playing for Virginia)

The complete list, along with video interviews of each of the 12 players on the 1st Team, can be found in today's Washington Post.

This coming Tuesday - June 2nd at 6:00 pm at Westfield High School - Robinson takes on Broad Run, followed at 7:30 pm when Chantilly plays Loudoun Valley, for a berth to the VHSL State Tournament finals to be played on Saturday - June 6th at Westfield.

The matchups came about when Broad Run squeaked by Battlefield,16-12, Robnson trounced Albemarle, 15-5, Chantilly crushed Western Albemarle, 20-5, and Loudoun Valley beat W.T. Woodson, 12-2. 

The Concorde District, represented by Robinson and Chantilly, has never had less than 2 teams in the VHSL Girls Lacrosse Final Four.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Tewaaraton Trophy will remain in Evanston, IL as senior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) was once again named the nation's top player. Nielsen becomes just the second player to win the sport's most prestigious award in back-to-back seasons, joining former Wildcat standout Kristen Kjellman, who took home the trophy in 2006 and 2007.

Nielsen played a vital role in helping Northwestern to a 23-0 record in 2009 and its fifth-straight national championship. She finishes her four years in Evanston as the Wildcats' all-time leader in points (398) after becoming the NCAA Division I all-time assist leader with 224. She also ranks sixth in program history in goals (174) after tallying a career-best 59 this year.

She will go down as the top distributor in Division I history. In addition to holding the all-time career assist record, Nielsen set the single-game record with 10 at Duquesne on Feb. 17, and also set a new season-best mark of 83, shattering her previous record of 69 in 2007. Her 16 assists during the 2009 Women's Lacrosse Championship is a new tournament best, while her career 35 assists in the NCAA tournament is also tops all-time.

The two-time American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Year and reigning IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Year, Nielsen led the nation in points with 142, the second-highest season total in NCAA history. Her 398 career points ranks third all-time in Division I history, behind only Jen Adams' 445 and Karen Emas' 420, and she recorded at least one point in her final 67 games in a Wildcat uniform.

Nielsen has already been named Player of the Year by both WomensLacrosse.com and WomensLax.com, with more honors expected to roll in in the coming days. She was named to the NCAA all-tournament team for the third-straight year, and was a five-time American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week, including four straight honors from March 17 to April 7.

She is the reigning Lacrosse Honda Sports Award winner, and is a finalist again this year, and earned her third-straight IWLCA/US Lacrosse first-team All-American nod earlier in the day. But her lacrosse career is not quite over, as Nielsen will represent Australia in the FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup in Prague June 17-27.

Previous Tewaaraton Trophy Winners
2009 -- Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern
2008 -- Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern
2007 -- Kristen Kjellman, Northwestern
2006 -- Kristen Kjellman, Northwestern
2005 -- Katie Chrest, Duke
2004 -- Amy Appelt, Virginia
2003 -- Rachael Becker, Princeton
2002 -- Erin Elbe, Georgetown
2001 -- Jen Adams, Maryland

The Under Armour Underclassmen All-Star Lacrosse try-outs are comng-up next week.  Because of the success of this event, the Tournament has expanded to a total of 8 regional All-Star Teams from Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York, New England and the Midwest (boys and girls divisions).  Those selected to their regional team will play in a two-day tournament (June 27-28) guaranteed 4 games against other regional teams. This tournament is for bragging rights as there will be the best talent in the country competing.

The tryouts will feature the top underclass lacrosse players in that particular region, as they battle to make the 24 man roster that will travel to Towson University to compete in the Under Armour Underclassman Tournament on June 27th and 28th.

All girls who will be graduating their freshman, sophomore and junior years of high school are eligible. Local tryouts will be held on June 2-3 at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA from 5:00-8:00 pm.  A non-refundable registration fee of $70 will cover the cost of the venues, coaches, insurance, uniforms and other administrative expenses.

The VHSL State Girls Lacrosse Championship Tournament seatings have been set and once again northern Virginia schools are prominently featured in each of the 4 brackets.  Quarter-final play begins at week's end.

• Robinson hosts Albemarle on May 30 at 6:30 pm
• Broad Run hosts Battlefield on May 30 at 2:30 pm
• Chantilly hosts Western Albemarle on May 29 at 6:00 pm
• Loudoun Valley hosts W.T. Woodson on May 30 at 6:00 pm

Westfield High School hosts both the semi-finals (June 2 & 3) and the championship game (June 6) for the boys and girls lacrosse titles.

Four top Division I players were nominated for the 2009 Honda Sports Award in Lacrosse that is presented annually to the top collegiate athlete in that sport. The winner goes on to become a candidate for the Honda-Broderick Cup awarded to the Collegiate Woman's Athlete of the Year. This year’s nominees are Jillian Byers of Notre Dame, Amber Falcone of North Carolina, Caitlyn McFadden of Maryland, and Northwestern's Hannah Nielsen, who was the 2008 winner in lacrosse.  Winners are selected in each of the 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports by a panel of more than 1,000 NCAA administrators.

A press conference announcing the winner of the 2008-2009 Honda-Broderick Cup will be held at the Low Library, Columbia University, New York City June 22, 2009. The Cup will be presented to The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. The Divisions II and III Athletes of the Year, as well as the recipients of the Inspiration Award and the Irv Grossman Award of Merit, will also be honored and will receive their awards at the press conference.

Michael Wilbon, longtime Washington Post sports columnist and co-host of ESPN's daily show, Pardon the Interruption, expressed his glee over witnessing his alma mater, Northwestern, claim its 5th consecutive NCAA Women's Lacrosse title this weekend.  He was especially delighted to see his cousin and goddaughter, Future Elite alumna, Brittany Wilbon, on the field as time expired. Of all the sporting events he has covered in his 29 year sportswriting career, it was the first time he had ever seen his Wildcats win a championship.

In his column, Wilbon notes that "lacrosse is the hot sport for girls, and is becoming for girls what football is to boys".  He observes rightfully that "what used to be a niche sport up and down the Atlantic seaboard is now going national'.

The Wildcats (23-0), who survived a huge double-overtime scare from fourth-seeded Pennsylvania on Friday night (winning 13-12), broke away from the Tar Heels in the final 15 minutes of the first half, extending a 4-2 lead to 14-2 by Meredith Frank (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) with 1:07 to play. Frank added another goal in the final seconds for a commanding 15-3 Wildcat halftime lead. The 15 first-half goals were an NCAA tournament record.  Northwestern trailed only one during the tournament.

Senior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton), who suffered a torn ACL in her left knee last month against California, amazingly came back to play in her final three games and she capped her career with a game-high five goals. Classmate Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) notched six assists to give her a record 16 in the tournament, while juniors Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) each added four goals. Dowd finished this year's NCAA tournament with 22 goals, an NCAA tourney record.  Jenn Russell had two goals for North Carolina (16-5), which was making its first appearance in the title game.

Hannah Nielson, last year's Tewaaraton Award winner and UNC defender, Amber Falcone, are among the five finalists for this year's Tewaaraton Award.

With the win and the title, Northwestern now has won 20 straight NCAA games, one shy of the record (21), held by Maryland.  What's even more amazing is that just 7 years ago, women's lacrosse was only a club sport at Northwestern.

The Northwestern Wildcats upped the last team to beat them two years ago, the UPenn Quakers, 13-12, with 91 seconds left in the 2nd overtime to take one of the two spots for the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship held last night at Towson University.  The Wildcats (22-0) take on the UNC Tar Heels, who delivered the University of Maryland its first defeat of the season, 8-7, in the second NCAA semi-final game.

The National Championship game will be played at Towson University on Sunday - May 24th at 5:30 pm.  It will be broadcast on the CBS College Sports network.

Robinson went ahead in the final 90 seconds of the game to overtake Chantilly and win the AAA Northern Region Girls Lacrosse Championship by the score of 10-9 on Wednesday evening.  During the regular season, the Rams beat the Chargers to spoil their undefeated season.  The review of the game appeared in May 21st edition of The Washington Post.

Last night also, Broad Run bested Western Albemarle, 10-7, to win the AA Northern Region Girls Lacrosse Championship.

Today's edition of the Wall Street Journal has an article on the westward growth of lacrosse. The authors cite many of the statistics from the National Federation of State High School Associations we have referenced here, among them that "participation in high school lacrosse has about doubled this decade, to a total of 143,946 boys and girls playing on high school lacrosse teams in the 2007-2008 school year."

The WSJ article also notes the growth of the sport at the college level: "In the 2007-2008 school year, 17 colleges added women's lacrosse, more than any other sport. Meanwhile, a dozen men's teams were added in 2007-2008, far more than sports like basketball, which added three teams; football, which added two; and baseball, which added just one."

More statistics can be found on the Future Elite wesite link, "The Game's Growth and Status" on the left hand column.

See the article on the WSJ's online version, Lacrosse Muscles Its Way West, for the full story.  Registration may be required.

For the 5th consecutive year, #1 Northwestern finds itself in the NCAA Final 4 with the hope of garnering a 5th consecutive national crown. The Wildcats plays UPenn in the first semi-final match-up on Friday at 5 pm at Towson University, the same teams that met in last year's national championship.  In the second game, #2 ranked UMaryland takes on the Tar Heels of UNC.

The national championship game will be held on Sunday.

Click on the "2009 NCAA Women's LAX Championship" link on the left for complete coverage.

The NCAA Women's Lacrosse Division II & III Championships concluded at Roanoke College this weekend with Adelphi and Franklin & Marshall taking their respective Division II & III crowns.  Complete coverage and tournament statistics can be found below:

NCAA 2009 Women's Lacrosse Division II Champion - Adelphi 

NCAA 2009 Women's Lacrosse Division III Champion - Franklin & Marshall

The No. 6 seeded Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the No. 4 seeded Colorado Buffaloes, 17-9, to win the 2009 WDIA National Championship. The Hokies' offensive machine couldn't be stopped, and they built up a 10+ points advantage that lasted most of the second half. Tech's Briana Warner (3G, 2A) led all scorers with five points; Christina Griel (4G) and Briana Beach (3G, 1A) contributed four points each. CU's Rebecca Greene scored two of her team-leading three goals in the final minute, when the Hokies were practically overcome with emotion about their immenent victory. Freshman defender Megan McDonough kept CU offensive star Amy Long to just two goals, both in the first half.

A complete article of their win was published in Lacrosse Magazine.

The WDIA represents women's lacrosse clubs at colleges throughout the U.S.

This weekend will find the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Division II & III playing the semi-final and championship games at Roanoke College in Salem, VA and Division I play continuing into the second round.

Division III semi-finals find Salisbury playing Gettysburg and defending national champion, Hamilton playing Franklin & Marshall on Saturday evening - May 16th.  The Division II semi's pits Limestone against Lock Haven and C.W. Post versus Adelphi on the same field earlier in the day.  Their respective championship games will be held the following day - May 17th.

Local fans can see #2 Maryland host #7 Syracuse at College Park at 2:00 pm on Saturday - May 16th.

A synopsis of the 4 Division I games being played this weekend quarterfinals can be found at ESPN College Sports.

You can follow all the action at the "2009 NCAA Women's LAX Championship" tab on the left.

With high school tournament time upon us, and fans (and players) anxiously awaiting the fate of  the region's premier teams, local high schools where Future Elite athletes play, were featured in The Washington Post's weekly round-up of high school girl's lacrosse.

Northern Virginia's lacrosse powers, undefeated Chantilly and Robinson, found themselves front and center in last week's "Lacrosse Notebook".  Lisa Comerford and Kimberly Patten, Chantilly defenders and Future Elite alumnae, were mentioned as leaders of the state's number one team.

See the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043000047.html

The article in the Post's Maryland edition discussed the only loss by Montgomery County's Blake High School, lead by current Future Elite player, Justine Allen and Future Elite alum, Nicky Wannen.

See that article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043000071.html

The Tewaaraton Award Foundation is pleased to announce the 2009 women's finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy.  These finalists will be invited to the 9th Annual Tewaaraton Award Banquet on May 28, 2009 in Washington, DC. 

Women's 2009 Finalists

Byers, Jillian - Notre Dame
Davis, Carolyn - Duke
Falcone, Amber - North Carolina
McFadden, Caitlyn - Maryland
Nielsen, Hannah - Northwestern

Like a never-ending octopus, high school lacrosse continues to extend its tentacles into far-reaching communities across America.  In areas where football, basketball and car racing have tradtionally prevailed have sprung several upstart lacrosse programs. Three recent articles appearing in LaxPower describe how lacrosse has flourished in such states as Alabama, Idaho and Indiana.

You can read about the progress in these states here:

Growth in Alabama: http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=14998

Growth in Idaho: http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=14996

Growth in Indiana: http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=14995

With the regular season winding-down, pundits galore are offering their ideas on which local girls lacrosse teams are worthy of a top ranking.

One team is a clear favorite: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes stands alone as the #1 ranked team in the nation, according to, well, everybody (see the article below).  Aside from that, different polls and the areas they are covering will yield different results.  Remember, polls change from week-to-week.  In fact, the rankings at Lax Power, which tracks rankings on a state-by-state, regional, and national basis, change daily!

Here's a sampling of this week's local rankings:

Washington Post Girls Lacrosse Poll - 4/16/2009

1. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes
2. Severna Park
3. Good Counsel
4. Chantilly
5. Mount Hebron
6. Bishop Ireton
7. Bullis
8. Annapolis
9. Loudoun Valley
10. South River

Digital Sports DC Beltway Area: Girls Lacrosse Top 10 - 4/15/2009

1. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes
2. Good Counsel
3. Chantilly
4. Bishop Ireton
5. Loudoun Valley
6. Bullis
7. Holy Cross
8. Leonardtown
9. Winston Churchill
10. Langley

TripleEDGE Northern Virginia Coaches Poll: Weekly Girls Lacrosse - 4/14/2009

1. Chantilly
2. Robinson
3. W.T. Woodson
4. Langley
5. Madison
6. Westfield
7. Stone Bridge
8. Oakton
9. Annandale
10. South County

Undefeated St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School (Saints) of Alexandria, VA, the #1 ranked girl's lacrosse team in the U.S. will meet #5 ranked McDonogh School (Eagles) of Owens Mills, MD in Alexandria this coming Saturday - April 18th at 1:00 pm - for a showdown between two elite lacrosse programs (national rankings are from www.laxpower.com, 4/14).   The Eagles beat #2 nationally ranked team, Canadaigua Academy of NY, 9-8 at home on Tuesday, April 14th.

Sporting 13 Division I recruits between both programs, the game will feature some of the best high school lacrosse players in the country. The Saints have the nation's top-rated player, Virginia-bound, Kelly Austin (jersey #24 on the magazine cover on the left), daughter of fitness guru, Denise Austin.

St. Stephen's & St. Agnes was the featured cover story in the April 2009 issue of Lacrosse Magazine as the nation's best girl's lacrosse "college-feeder" program.

Defending Virginia state champion, Oakton High School, hosts the Saints on Wednesday - April 22nd at 6:15 pm, immediately after hosting #9 national power, Good Counsel of Maryland, on April 18th at 7:15 pm and Virginia's top public school, Chantilly High School, on April 20th at 7:15 pm.

Here are directions to St. Stephen's & St. Agnes:

• From Shirley Highway (I-395), take Exit 4, Seminary Road east. Follow Seminary Road for about one mile.
• At the fifth traffic light, turn right onto St. Stephen's Road. Campus will be on your right.

Scott Burnam, Future Elite coach and assistant director, was featured in a whole-page picture spread in the March 2009 issue of Lacrosse Magazine.  He was representing his club team, the DeWalt Lacrosse Club, an eight-time American Lacrosse League champion and perennial post-collegiate men's lacrosse power.  His teammates, Charlie Gibson and Evan Varipatis demonstrated how the offense can bait a defender.

See their tips right here: http://www.laxmagazine.com/tips/players/2008-09/032609f_dewalt_baiting

Kaylen Marie Burnam was born on St. Patrick's Day, 2009 at 4:16 pm.

She was 7 lbs. 11oz., 19 inches and everyone is doing great.

Rumor has it that defending NCAA women’s lacrosse champion, Northwestern, has already expressed an interest in her based solely on her ultrasound scans and her fine genetic stock, though her parents are anxious to get her out of diapers first.

Kaylen is Kendra and Scott's first child.  Kendra has no desire to be an "octomom".

Congratulations to the proud parents!!

In an attempt to rein in what some believe has become overly aggressive play and preserve the integrity of the women's game, officials are calling games more tightly beginning this year, and will be more stringent in their use of yellow cards. Each yellow card now takes the offending player off the field for three minutes with no substitution.

This Baltimore Sun article from March 19, 2009, discusses the rationale behind the move towards these stiffer penalties - and subsequent response from the lacrosse community.  Read it here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/highschool/bal-va.glax19mar19,0,3171253.story

The history and contemporary standing of lacrosse as a worldwide phenomenon was featured in the March 23, 2009 issue of thoughtful journalistic magazine, The New Yorker. John McPhee's article, entitled "Spin Right and Shoot Left", appeared in the magazine's The Sporting Scene section.  It looks mostly at the men's sport, but offers an interesting picture of lacrosse for an audience that might not ordinarily know the scope and breadth of the sport's influence.

The article in not available online except to subscribers.  You can find the magazine at most public libraries.

Sacred Sport: The Story of Lacrosse is a great new documentary on the origins of lacrosse that every lacrosse lover will enjoy.  Among the individuals featured in the video is Future Elite's Assistant Director, Scott Burnam, who has been a longstanding player for the Iroquois National Team.  Scott says of the video, "It is a great story and represents the history of the game better than any other video I have seen about lacrosse".  
 
Scott has always tried to stress the importance of the origins of the game to his players.  One thing the video emphasizes, Scott adds, is that "lacrosse is a gift from 'The Creator' and was originally a medicine game -meaning it is believed that if you play hard enough and please The Creator, then the game has medicinal value".

The video, from director and documentary filmmaker Jordan Klingerman, is available through the following website: http://www.laxmovie.com/