Lacrosse

[Sympleesmshn]

Any one out there follow lax or play it?
Who will win it all in Division 1 this spring?

[Princess Turandot]

1. I haven't seen a game in years, but I went to college at the mecca..

of lacrosse in Baltimore. (They didn't have a girl's team when I was there, and I also didn't like the stick they used.) We played lacrosse-catch the way other college kids played frisbee lol.
I even strung the basket on my stick myself. (I got it as a gift from someone, and it was cheaper as a do-it-yourself kit lol.)

It's a great game, but I think you don't develop an appreciation for it unless you go to a school where it's played. Like hockey (IMO) it doesn't televise well.

[Sympleesmshn]

2. I play at my High School...

We have to travel at least a half an hour to play another team. I love the sport and was wondering if there were other DUer's who knew of the sport.

I would agree it is not great for TV, it is too fast and a little complicated to a first time watcher. Anyways to get the real sense of the game you have to see one in person.

[Princess Turandot]

3. I saw a lot of college campuses in my day to see our team play..

UVA, U.Md., Cornell, Princeton, U.Pa, West Point, among others.
(I went to JHU.) We even had a bonafide 'Sports Illustrated' cover jinx event one year, when the goalie from the opposing team was on the cover of the magazine the week before they played us. We had an attackman for a few years who was larger than the average defenseman. The first time the goalie came out of the crease with the ball, this attackman checked him. The goalie left on a stretcher.
It was a home game. I don't know if he was even penalized.

As you probably know, it is the oldest truly american game, having been played by Native Americans. Of course, they frequently played to the death.

Baltimore had 'club lacrosse' league of guys who had graduated from college but still wanted to play. The refs were really liberal with the penalties; the games could get really wild.

It's an awesome sport, combining skill, tactics and teamwork, and a little muscle thrown in to boot. It's too bad that it has sort of an 'elitist' rep around it.

What position do you play?

[Sympleesmshn]

4. Defense...

at least that is what I played since 6th grade, but we have a new coach from Vermont who coach's his own way so who knows where I will end up. The I don't qualify for any of the local rec leagues, but there are some club teams like 21 and over. I am playing indoor league right now, with the rest of my team and the indoor qualities give the game a new side.

[Sympleesmshn]

5. Is that all?

Only one other person on this website has heard of and seen lacrosse. I am sure some of you from the NE know the game. I am wrong?

[slestak]

6. I played it in high school

Played for three years, first two as a middie, last as defenseman. We played (and lost) in the state championship my second year.

This was in Austin, TX. We were a club, not an official sport, so we had to buy our own gear, etc. There were only three other high schools in town that had lacrosse clubs, so sometimes we'd travel to Plano or Houston to play other schools.

[Sympleesmshn]

7. I bet it was a lot of fun

I did not know there were teams in Texas, that is interesting.

Well you make 3. Did you guys know Kerry played Lacrosse at one point?

[slestak]

10. "immigrants"

Lots of guys from the northeast who have tech jobs get shipped down to Texas. They're the guys who sparked it.

When I was in high school (15 years ago), the private schools had school sponsored teams, but us public school kids had to organize the thing ourselves.

I also played summer league. One year, it was indoor, which was a total blast. It was hotter than hell, but it was so much fun it didn't matter.

My college (Oklahoma State) had a lacrosse club, but from what I gathered they were just a "party team". They'd bring a keg with them to games, etc. I wanted to play for a competitive team. I believe they would play other schools in the Big 12

[Princess Turandot]

8. But at least that one person has seen the Lacrosse Hall of Fame!..

it was on the JHU campus when I went there. The JHU players seemed to come mostly from Maryland or Long Island, NY.

I even saw a game of indoor lacrosse in the brief period that there was a professional league for that.

Are you hoping to play lacrosse in college?

[Sympleesmshn]

9. Yeah

I want to go to Georgetown and they have a good team. I don't think I will get recruited because I could not play last year due to a football injury. We will see how things play out.

By the way, not to be rude but there still is a Pro indoor league, but it is not doing well because of the new Pro outdoor league. http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com/ -outdoor
http://www.nll.com/ -indoor

[Princess Turandot]

11. That's not rude..

I was talking abt seeing a game in a league which existed more years ago than I care to mention :), being older than dirt! I think they referred to it as 'box lacrosse', maybe. (I still remember that game because the DC area team's motto was 'You gotta be mean' and we had 2 inebriated yahoos bellowing that from a few rows behind us during most of the game.) Thanks for the links!

Good luck on the college applications! My alumni magazine often has articles on lacrosse, which says something considering that the college is heavy-duty on the sciences. I know there was a big to-do in the last year or two about whether JHU should be allowed to play Division I lacrosse, while being in Division III for everything else. This apparently comes up periodically; I don't recall what the technical issue is. But they received a majority vote to remain in Division I.

[Sympleesmshn]

12. The season start on the 28!!!

the first game like 10 days later!!!

[Bemis]

13. Played in high school

Actually both of my brothers and I played, only one brother
played in college. He also started a team at the high school where he teaches in Maine. Just quit coaching this past year.

Living in central Jersey have followed Princeton. Should be a good team again this year.

Nice to see that several local high schools have now finally started their own programs.

[Sympleesmshn]

14. Princeton always has a good team

some years are better then others but they always have a good young defense, they just need a little work on offense.