LAXFU Lacrosse News Blog

The Canadian Jr. B’s know how to throw-down.  This week’s fight features Carney Johnson (Six Nations Rebels) in the white against Paul Gardner (Welland Warlords) in the blue.

It’s always entertaining to see two goalies go at it.  You have to wonder how it started…

Team LAXFU has returned battled and bruised from Lake Placid, NY for the 20th annual Summit Lacrosse Classic.  Since there was little media coverage on one of the biggest and best lacrosse events we’ve ever attended, we thought we’d share our notes from the weekend here on the LAXFU News Blog.

As far as lacrosse goes, Lake Placid is the mecca.  With around 120 teams entered in the tournament, along with families, friends, and fans – it was truly one of the more impressive lacrosse events you will find anywhere.  Lake Placid is a great town in the Adirondack Mountains with amazing scenery and surprisingly plenty to do for a relatively small village in northern New York.  While we didn’t get a chance to check out many of the tourist sites (bobsled run, insanely high ski jump, Olympic Training Center, etc…) we did manage to get around to most of the bars and restaurants in town.  Everywhere we went lacrosse players were met with a warm welcome and the service was great.

Each day starts bright and early with the first games going off at 8:30am, and the final game each day ending around 7pm.  There are eight fields laid out in the main venue, and then there are additional satellite fields around town. All of the fields are surrounded by panoramic views of the mountains, making for a great lacrosse setting that makes you pause every once in a while to soak it in.

When you look around and see eight intense lacrosse games going on side-by-side simultaneously, stacked with the best lacrosse players in the world, it’s one of the more impressive sights you will ever witness as a lacrosse player (or fan).  There are too many names to mention here, but it was pretty much a “who’s who” of all-time great lacrosse players, along with many who will go down as future greats.

Team LAXFU was in the Men’s Masters Division 1, which was arguably one the best divisions in the entire tournament.  Game 1 against long-time powerhouse Sailin’ Shoe left our squad with some key injuries that made the rest of our weekend a bit of a struggle.  Considering that we were the only team that was stuck playing 4 games in less than a 36 hour span, we fared pretty well.

In the end, the weekend is all about having a great time and reuniting some great players and friends from around the country.  Rest assured that Team LAXFU will return next year stronger than ever.

InsideLacrosse also attended the event and posted daily blog entries with some insightful coverage.  Click on the links below to read their write-ups from the weekend.

• 20 Years of Lake Placid in NY
• Thursday’s Game Coverage
• Friday’s Game Coverage
• Saturday’s Game Coverage
• Lake Placid Weekend Wrap-up

By now Geoff Snider should need no introduction.  He is lacrosse’s version of Tie Domi, Bob Probert, and Rob Ray – all rolled into one.  Normally we don’t like to give away the outcome of the fight, but since it’s Snider, you already know how it ends.  Snider might be taking things too far when he continues to taunt the hospital-bound Tyler Worden while he’s getting medical attention.

Warning: Worden snaps his ankle right after Snider knocks him out, and it’s quite graphic.

If it were not for Canadian BOXLA, Friday Fights would have run its course months ago. Fortunately, for the fight fans out there, there’s no shortage of new brawls in the pipeline. In this week’s fight, the mini-Chuck Liddell makes some hay with a series of upper-cuts.

Just another day in the Junior B’s, Nepean vs Cornwall. Alex Oneil takes on Chris White.

Championship: Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear – 11, Team 21 – 8

In a battle of #1 and #2 Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear took down defending champion Team 21 to earn their first Vail Shootout championship.  Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear gained the lead on a two point goal from All-Tournament midfielder Jake Plonket (Syracuse) late in the first quarter and never trailed again.

The staunch defensive effort of Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear held the balanced Big Red offense at bay.  All Tournament long poles Tim Shaw (Virginia), Billy Haire (Bucknell), and Tom Izard (Bucknell) hounded the 21 offense all game.  All three were essential in keeping 21 off the board for a stretch that started at the end of the first quarter and ended when Team 21 was able to get on with 8:31 left in the third quarter.

Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear used their size and speed to dominate the possession game. They scooped up 43 ground balls and won 18 face offs, in contrast Team 21 got 19 ground balls and 4 draws.  The game was extremely well played by both teams as there were only two thirty second penalties in the entire game.   Read the full story here.

Vail All Tournament Team

Attack:
Alex Capretta – Olympic Club
Kip Dooley – Lacrossewear’s Jammin’ Salmon
Pete Carrol – Last Call
Tim Desko – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear

Midfield:
Jake Plonket – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Rocco Romero – Team 21
Adam Goodwin – Club All Stars
Steve Giannone – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear

Face-Off:
Greg Guerenlian – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear

Long Stick Middie:
Tim Shaw – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear

Defense:
Paul Starwick – Lacrossewear’s Jammin’ Salmon
Billy Haire – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Tom Izard – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Tim Deblois – Team 21

Goalie:
Billy Olin – Last Call

Tournament Awards:
Offensive MVP: Steve Giannone – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Defensive MVP:  Chris Madalon – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Coach of the Year: Paul Landaiche – Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear
Earl Bill Staff Award: Sean Byrne and Julie Sutherland

source: http://www.vaillacrosse.com/2009/mens/elite/