Junior College lacrosse: Richard Speckmann steps down as Nassau CC head coach; Powers takes over.
After completing his 40th season at the helm of the Nassau Community College Lacrosse program, Coach Rich Speckmann has stepped down as the Head Coach. He will continue in the program for the immediate future in another capacity.
In 40 years as the Head Coach of the Lions his teams have participated in 39 of the 40 NJCAA Final Fours and has won a record 20 National Championships. Coach Speckmann has compiled a won-lost record of 477-158-1 during his tenure.
Winning championships is only half of Coach Speckmann’s legacy. Of his players, over 200 have been named NJCAA All Americans, 6 have been selected to the U.S. World Team, and dozens have been named NCAA All Americans. Coach Speckmann’s family tree of coaches include Rich Meade, Head Coach U.S. Naval Academy, Greg Cannella, Head Coach University Massachusetts, and Dave Klarman, former Head Coach University of North Carolina. Current Division I Assistant Coaches include Sean Smith at Hofstra University and J.P. Brazel at Sacred Heart University.
Coach Speckmann’s teams have been known for being unselfish, fundamentally sound, and always prepared. He is a member of the Oceanside High School, SUNY Cortland, and the Long Island Metropolitan Foundation Halls of Fame.
Longtime (since 1984) Assistant Coach George Powers has been named Nassau Community College’s new Head Coach.
No. 18 Pioneers Extend Win Streak to Seven With 9-8 Win Over No. 17 Fairfield
For the second straight week, the Pioneers come-from-behind to defeat their opponent by one goal, claiming a 9-8 win over the Stags
HARTFORD, Conn. – For the second straight week, sophomore Mark Matthews (Oshawa, Ontario) used a late fourth-quarter goal to seal the win as the No. 18/20 University of Denver men’s lacrosse team (10-4, 5-0 ECAC) defeated No. 17/18 Fairfield University (8-4, 4-2 ECAC) 9-8 in the first game of the Inaugural ESPNU Warrior Classic at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Denver has now won seven straight games.
Also scoring for the Pioneers was senior John Dickenson (Dallas, Texas), juniors Andrew Lay (Denver, Colo.) and Todd Baxter (Eden Prairie, Minn.), sophomores Alex Demopoulos (Canton, Conn.) and Patrick Rogers (Portland, Ore.) and freshman Colin Scott (Ridgefield, Conn.).
“I thought we played a much better game after the first quarter,” said head coach Bill Tierney. “Fairfield really made it difficult for us and took advantage of a lot of our mistakes in the first half, but in the style that we have played in all season long, we found a way to win down the stretch when it counted. A lot of credit for this win needs to go to Chase Carraro, who did an excellent job winning the ball for us on face-offs and getting our offense some really good looks.”
A freshman from Louisville, Ky., Carraro finished the game winning 12-of-19 face-offs and scooping up four ground balls.
Posting his sixth complete game of the season, senior goalie Peter Lowell (Freeport, Maine) made nine saves for Denver between the Pipes, including four in the second quarter.
Denver held the advantage in face-offs, winning 13-of-21, while Fairfield held the advantage in shots (29-23) and ground balls (24-16). Fairfield’s Sam Snow led the scoring efforts for the Stags, scoring three goals and tallying one assist for four points, while Brent Adams added two goals.
Up next, Denver will host No. 7 Loyola University at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 1 p.m. MT. The game will be held after Denver Outlaws training camp, which will run from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
This is the second consecutive year in that the Pioneers will host a game at INVESCO Field. Last season, Denver took part in the Sixth Annual Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown, hosting Notre Dame. Since turning Division I in the 1999 season, the Pioneers have not faced the Greyhounds.
Tickets for the game are on sale at all Ticket Master locations. Fans can also purchase them through www.DenverOutlaws.com or by calling (303) OUT-LAWS. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youths (12 and under).
Pioneer Notes
The win stretches the Pioneers’ winning streak to seven games and improves them to a perfect 5-0 in conference play. The streak began on March 20 with a 13-12 win over Stony Brook and has included wins over Air Force (9-6), Hobart (17-13), Bellarmine (12-8), Quinnipiac (14-10), Ohio State (10-9) and Fairfield (9-8).
The Pioneers are 6-0 when allowing fewer than 10 goals and are 8-0 against teams when winning more face-offs.
Matthews provided both goals to tie the game at 5-5 and at 8-8 and then scored his second game winner of the season with 3:58 left in the game for his seventh straight game with two or more goals. For the season, Matthews has six hat tricks.
Finishing with one point, Demopoulos extended his consecutive games with one or more points to 14 games.
- PIONEERS -
http://www.lacrossehero.com
Fitness is a huge part of success in the game of lacrosse. You must posses speed, strength and endurance in order be competitive. Arriving at the first day of practice out-of-shape, regardless of your talent, is the best way to get on your coaches bad side and fall way behind other less talented players and end up on the bench. You simply cannot play lacrosse if you are not in top condition, there is too much running, hustle and fitness involved in the game.
I always started training at least 2 months before the first practice because I didn’t want to spend the first weeks trying to get into playing shape and looking bad in front of the coaches. You want to show your commitment to the team and impress the coaches quickly because many decisions about who will play are made in the first weeks of practice. Your goal must be to make sure you are at least a starter, which will give you an opportunity to have a good season – and this all starts by arriving in shape.
I suggest a routine of distance running, basketball and some sort of muscle building routine.
Distance running:
There is a ton of running in lacrosse, and you better be prepared. Your goal is to be in shape when the season starts, not be a marathon runner. In two months, you should be able to increase your cardio fitness by running approx. 3 times per week. For the first 2 weeks, I would run 1.5 miles each time you go to the track, followed by some 100 yard sprints. This should start to get your legs in shape and give you enough time to recover to prevent injury. Make sure you have a good running shoe and do some light stretching.
Around the 3rd week, you will notice 1.5 miles feels very easy and you can start to run about 3 miles each time out. I would not go much beyond that distance; that should be enough to really get you in terrific shape for the start of the season. Distance running is great for lacrosse players.
Basketball:
While distance running is great for overall endurance, basketball is great for improving your first step speed, lateral movement and your ability to backpeddle. Basketball is a game of quick bursts, jumping and sprints; all of which will greatly increase your leg strength and again, your endurance. Some lacrosse players prefer HOOPS over running because it more closely simulates the workout of a lacrosse game and is more fun.
When I was preparing for the season, I would play hoops 2-3 times per week. Since I love basketball, this was never an issue. Get a few teammates together and play other good athletes. Cover the best man on the other team and work on your latteral movement. Offensively, push the tempo of the game but share the ball. Play with a purpose. Don’t just go out there and start shooting 3 pt shots and not getting back on defense. Get in the post, rebound, build your strength, defend and communicate. This is the best way to maximize your workout.
Basketball also gets you in mental shape. Each game has its own dynamic. Obviously, the goal is to help your team win the game. How can you contribute? How can you help your teammates get better? What can we do as a team to stop the other teams strength? These are exactly the same issues you will face as a leader on your lacrosse team.
Strength building:
The third area you want to work on is your physical strength. I always love weights but also added routine push-ups and sit-ups. Lacrosse is a very physical sport and if you get pushed around easily, you probably will not be very successful. You want to be strong enough to both take and give a hit; and run through stick checks.
I normally hit the weight room about 3 times per week prior to lacrosse season. I was not trying to get HUGE; I wanted to be strong, fast and flexible. I would do push-pull routines of chest/triceps, back/biceps and shoulders/hand strength work. Personally, I never did any legs in the weight room since I was running and playing basketball but squats are great for explosive strength so u should work them into your routine.
After the first few weeks, I would notice improvement in my strength and begin doing more reps. While I did use a decent amount of weight, I never wanted to feel like I was do so much I could hurt myself – an injury in the weight room can be a huge setback. I wanted to be lean and strong, fit and ready to explode at the first practice. That is the build of an athlete – look at hoop stars like Lebron James or any top lacrosse player! Lean and mean.
Weight lifting is a also great way to prevent injury.
A complete work out would also include YOGA to increase flexibility.
DIET: A diet high in protein, vegetables, fruits and low fat will remove any weight your carrying and provide you with the necessary nutrition to add muscle.
PICK A STICK! Start to break-in a few sticks so you are comfortable with your equipment. Find a stick that compliments your game. Make sure you have at least 2 sticks ready for the start of the seasons; in-case one breaks in the cold weather. LACROSSE HERO.
So arrive in shape and ready to go! Get your teammates to join you in your commitment and be a leader. It’s a great start to a great season!
http://www.lacrossehero.com
LacrosseHero.com is a lacrosse clothing, apparel, culture, and information portal designed to celebrate and accelerate the spread of the sport of lacrosse from coast to coast. The site is BREWED FRESH DAILY with contributions from top lacrosse players, brands, NCAA media, coaches and our own LAX PACK. The site features a lacrosse video game, BLOG and a lacrosse apparel line with t-shirts, hoodies, hats, socks and more!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 16, 2010
Contact: Mike Morrison (315) 443-2608
SU LACROSSE RETURNS TO BIG EAST PLAY SUNDAY AT RUTGERS
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 2 Syracuse (9-1, 2-0) returns to BIG EAST play on Sunday, April 18 with a 6 p.m. clash against Rutgers (5-5, 1-1) at Yurcak Field. It’s the first of four straight conference games for the Orange to close the regular season. Syracuse has won seven in a row, including an electrifying 8-7 triumph at Cornell Tuesday. Rutgers was also in action Tuesday, losing at Princeton, 10-8.
Sunday’s game will be televised live nationally on ESPNU. Fans can also hear the action live on the radio home of the Orange – TK 99 (99.5 FM). Live streaming audio of the radio broadcast is available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.
THOMPSON CRACKS SEASON TOP 10 IN FACEOFF WINNING PERCENTAGE
Junior Jeremy Thompson (Nedrow, N.Y.) is currently sixth on the Orange’s season record list for faceoff winning percentage (min. 100 attempts). He is 65-for-101 (.644) at the faceoff X this year and he’s won better than 50 percent of his attempts in every game this season. Chris Cercy set the school season record in 2000, winning slightly better than 71 percent of his draws. Cercy is the only player in Syracuse history to finish with a season mark higher than 70 percent.
GALLOWAY JOINS 40-WIN CLUB
Junior goalie John Galloway (Syracuse, N.Y.) became the 15th Division I goalie in NCAA history to win 40 games on April 13 at Cornell. Galloway is 40-5 since 2008. He’s currently tied with Mike Federico (Johns Hopkins), Matt Palumb (Syracuse), Joey Kemp (Notre Dame) and Brian Carcaterra (Johns Hopkins) for 11th on the Division I career wins list. Galloway’s 40 career victories are the most of any active Division I netminder. Princeton’s Scott Bacigalupo is the all-time leader with 51 wins for the Tigers from 1991-94.
SYRACUSE VERSUS THE BIG EAST
Syracuse is 61-12 all-time against the other six members of the BIG EAST, including a 27-5 record under head coach John Desko. Syracuse is 15-4 against Georgetown; 3-0 versus Notre Dame; 1-0 against Providence; 37-8 versus Rutgers; 2-0 versus St. John’s and 3-0 against Villanova. The Orange has won 12 in a row against current BIG EAST teams since losing to Georgetown (10-8) in 2006. Syracuse notched a 15-12 win over the Hoyas earlier this season in its inaugural BIG EAST Conference game. It also drubbed Villanova, 20-6.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers began the year 5-2, but has hit a rough patch lately. The Scarlet Knights have dropped their last three decisions to fall to 5-5 overall. Rutgers hasn’t won in the month of April. The last victory for head coach Jim Stagnitta and his team was on March 27 when the Scarlet Knights defeated Notre Dame (10-8) in its BIG EAST Conference opener.
Senior midfielder Justin Pennington is the engine that drives the Scarlet Knights. A preseason All-BIG EAST performer, Pennington leads Rutgers in goals (20), assists (12) and points (32). He also lists third on the club with 25 ground balls. Attackman Kory Kelly and midfielder Gerhard Buehning are tied for second on the squad with 19 goals. No other Rutgers player has more than nine goals.
Jacob Fradkin is the only Rutgers defender to start every game. He has 20 ground balls and leads the Scarlet Knights with 16 caused turnovers. Against Princeton, senior Sean Hover and junior Brian Shemesh joined Fradkin in the starting lineup. Goalies Rudy Butler and Billy Olin have shared time in the cage this season. Butler has seven appearances with six starts. He’s made 37 saves and owns an 8.08 goals-against average. Olin has played in six contests, starting four. He has 28 saves and a 9.72 goals-against average. Olin was between the pipes for all 60 minutes Tuesday at Princeton.
THE SYRACUSE-RUTGERS SERIES
Syracuse and Rutgers have played at least once every season since 1979. The Orange owns a dominating 37-8 lead in the series thanks in large part to a 20-game series winning streak from 1956 to 1995. Overall, the Orange is 14-6 in road games against the Scarlet Knights. The Orange has won the last five games in the series and has defeated Rutgers by an aggregate score of 79-39 in those five contests.
*************************************
Mike Morrison
Asst. Director of Athletic Communications
Syracuse University
Manley Field House
Syracuse, NY 13244
Ph: 315-443-2608
Fax: 315-443-3405
www.suathletics.com
Syracuse University: New York’s College Team
Lacrosse Apparel / Lacrosse Clothing
BALTIMORE, MD – The fifth-ranked Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse team got a 9-1 run that bridged the second and fourth quarters and midfielder Michael Kimmel (Towson, MD/Loyola) and attackmen Steven Boyle (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy) and Kyle Wharton (Garnet Valley, PA/Haverford School) combined for 11 goals and six assists to pace a 15-7 win over 13th-ranked Delaware at Homewood Field Tuesday evening. The win improves JHU’s record to 2-0 this season and 7-0 all-time against the Blue Hens, who slip to 2-1 with the loss.
The Blue Jays led just 6-4 after a John Austin (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) goal for Delaware with 6:53 remaining in the second quarter before Boyle ignited the 9-1 run with the first of his four goals on the night. Boyle’s goal was the last scored in the first half, which ended with Hopkins holding a 7-4 lead despite being outshot 26-15 in the first two periods.
JHU’s high-scoring trio then took over Kimmel drew a double-team at the top of the box and quickly fed senior Max Chautin (Northport, NY/Northport) for his first goal of the season less than two minutes into the third quarter and Boyle and Wharton struck less than two minutes apart a short time later to extend the lead to 10-4 midway through the period. A Martin Cahill (Malden, MA/The Governor’s Academy) goal with 3:48 remaining in the period halted the 4-0 run, but the Blue Jays struck for five goals in a span of just over four minutes midway through the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 15-5.
Kimmel again ignited the spree as he threaded a pass to Boyle on the backdoor for a man-up goal with 10:44 remaining before freshmen John Ranagan (Yorktown, NY/Yorktown) and Zach Palmer (Oshawa, Ontario/The Hill Academy) struck for unassisted goals less than 90 seconds apart to make it 13-5. A laser from Wharton with 6:29 left was followed eight seconds later by Boyle’s fourth of the game off a feed from junior Eric DiProspero (Chadds Ford, PA/Unionville) to account for JHU’s final goal.
Delaware got two more goals from Cahill in the final six minutes – the second of which came on the extra-man – to account for the 15-7 final score.
Hopkins led 2-0, 4-2 and 6-3 before Austin tallied the goal that drew the ‘Hens to within 6-4 midway through the second quarter. That two-goal margin held for more than three minutes before Boyle’s seventh goal of the season ignited the decisive 9-1 run for the Blue Jays.
In a game that saw the Blue Jays get at least a point from nine different players, it was Kimmel’s three goals and personal-best four assists for a career-high seven points that led the way. Boyle, who opened the season with an eight-point showing against Manhattan, added four goals and one assist, while Wharton matched those totals for a five-point effort of his own. The five-point showing matched Wharton’s career high.
Senior Michael Gvozden (Millersville, MD/Severna Park) led the Blue Jay defense as he posted 12 saves. JHU held the Blue Hens’ leading scorer, senior Curtis Dickson (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia/Riverside), to just one goal. Dickson entered the game with 11 goals and four assists in two games.
Cahill led the Blue Hens with four goals and fellow midfielder Kevin Kaminski (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) added one goal and one assist, but no other Delaware player managed more than one point and the ‘Hens connected on just 7-of-40 shots in the game.
#13 Delaware (2-1) 2-2-1-2/7
#5 Johns Hopkins (2-0) 4-3-3-5/15
Goals: D: Cahill-4, Kaminski, Dickson, Austin. J: Boyle-4, Wharton-4, Kimmel-3, Palmer-2, Chautin, Ranagan. Assists: D: Elsmo, Kaminski, Lombard, Rollins, Smith. J: Kimmel-4, Boyle, DiProspero, Lightner, Palasek, Wharton. Saves: D: Fossner-16. J: Gvozden-12. Shots: D-40. J-34. EMO: D: 1-for-2. J: 2-for-4. Attendance: 575.
- 30 -
Season and individual game tickets for the 2010 Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse season are now available. In addition, all individuals who purchase season tickets will be entered into a pair of drawings:
• 10-for-10: One season ticket purchaser will win 10 free season tickets for 10 years (2011-2020)!
• Championship Bound: Three season ticket purchasers will win a pair of tickets to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium!
Order your tickets today by clicking below to access the ticket application:
http://www.hopkinssports.com/tickets/jhop-tickets.html
OLD RIVALS, NEW FOES DOT SYRACUSE’S 2010 SCHEDULE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Traditional rivals as well as some more unfamiliar foes make up the crux of Syracuse’s 2010 men’s lacrosse schedule, released on Friday, Dec. 4. Longtime rivals Virginia, Johns Hopkins and Cornell highlight a slate that also features new additions like Denver and St. John’s as the Orange prepares for the inaugural season of the BIG EAST lacrosse league.
Overall, the team’s 14-game schedule includes six matchups with teams that reached the 2009 NCAA Championship and nine contests against squads that finished with at least a .500 record last season. In addition, Syracuse will play six conference games as Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Providence Villanova and St. John’s join the Orange as members of the BIG EAST.
Syracuse begins its quest for a third straight NCAA title on Feb. 19 against Denver at the Carrier Dome, marking just the second time in school history the Orange will take on the Pioneers. The following weekend the Orange hosts Army on Feb. 28.
The Orange hits the road for the first time on March 7 at Virginia. Following its highly-anticipated showdown with the Cavaliers, Syracuse returns home on March 13 for its BIG EAST opener against Georgetown. Road dates with Johns Hopkins (March 20) and Hobart (March 23) follow before the Orange returns to conference play with a home game against Villanova (March 29).
After the Wildcats, Syracuse hosts Albany on April 3 before embarking on a challenging stretch run. Five of the Orange’s last six games are on the road and it closes the season with four straight games against BIG EAST opponents.
The late season gauntlet begins with a neutral-site game against Princeton on April 10 at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The contest is part of the Konica Minolta Big City Classic, a tripleheader that also features Delaware versus Hofstra and Virginia against North Carolina.
Three days later, on April 13, Syracuse travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to face Cornell in a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by the Orange in overtime. Syracuse will also play at Rutgers on April 18 before returning to the Carrier Dome for its home finale against Providence (April 24).
The Orange concludes the regular season with back-to-back road games at Notre Dame (May 1) and at St. John’s (May 8).
In addition to the 14 regular-season dates, the Orange will host Le Moyne and Hofstra in a three-way scrimmage on Feb. 7 and welcomes Maryland to the Carrier Dome for a scrimmage on Feb. 12.
The 2010 campaign marks the 91st varsity lacrosse season at Syracuse. The Orange tied the school record with 16 wins for the second straight season and posted an overall record of 16-2 in 2009 on its way to its second consecutive national championship.
2010 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MEN’S LACROSSE SCHEDULE
Sun., Feb. 7 Le Moyne/Hofstra Carrier Dome 12 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 12 Maryland Carrier Dome 12 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 19 Denver Carrier Dome 7 p.m.
Sun., Feb 28 Army Carrier Dome 5 p.m.
Sun., March 7 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va 1 p.m.
Sat., March 13 Georgetown * Carrier Dome 2 p.m.
Sat., March 20 at Johns Hopkins Baltimore, Md. 8 p.m.
Tues., March 23 at Hobart Geneva, N.Y. 7 p.m.
Mon., March 29 Villanova * Carrier Dome 3 p.m.
Sat., April 3 Albany Carrier Dome 4 p.m.
Sat., April 10 vs. Princeton # E. Rutherford, N.J. 6:30 p.m.
Tue., April 13 at Cornell Ithaca, N.Y. 7 p.m.
Sun., April 18 at Rutgers * Piscataway, N.J TBA
Sat., April 24 Providence * Carrier Dome 2 p.m.
Sat., May 1 at Notre Dame * South Bend, Ind. TBA
Sat. May 8 at St. John’s * Queens, N.Y. 1 p.m.
Home games in bold
!- Scrimmage
# – Big City Classic (New Meadowlands Stadium; E. Rutherford, N.J.)
* – BIG EAST Conference game
-SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: NEW YORK’S COLLEGE TEAM-
DU Men’s Lacrosse Unveils 2010 Schedule
Pioneers open up season on the road against defending NCAA National Champions Syracuse
DENVER – The University of Denver men’s lacrosse team will open up the 2010 season on the road against the defending NCAA National Champions Syracuse, DU head coach Bill Tierney announced today. The Pioneers will also embark on new adventure as a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, making the move with former Great Western Lacrosse League teams, Air Force, Bellarmine, Ohio State and Quinnipiac.
The Pioneers will enter the Carrier Dome on Friday, Feb. 19 to face an Orange team that posted a 16-2 overall record last season and a dramatic 10-9 come-from-behind win in overtime against Cornell at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., to capture the program’s 11th National Championship.
“Starting off the season against the defending National Champions is going to be a great test of our young team,” Tierney said. “It was important for us as a coaching staff to come here and make a statement to our players, and what better way than opening up a season against the best team in the country.”
Following their game with the Orange, the Pioneers remain on the road to face the Jacksonville University Dolphins on Sunday, Feb. 21, a program in its inaugural season of Division I lacrosse.
Denver opens up its home schedule on Saturday, Feb. 27 as it welcomes the Albany Great Danes to the Mile-High City. The Pioneers then welcome Air Force, Lehigh and Penn to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium for the Ninth Annual DU Face-Off Classic on Saturday, Mar. 6 and Sunday, Mar. 7.
The Pioneers then host Canisius at home before heading on a two-game Northeast road trip to Notre Dame and Stony Brook, two teams that finished ranked in the top-25 last season. During the 2009 season, the Pioneers matched-up with the then No. 4 Irish in a GWLL game, dropping a 10-8 decision at Invesco Field at Mile High. Denver faced Stony Brook at home last season, turning in a 17-12 victory.
In a non-conference game, the Pioneers will host Air Force on Saturday, March 27 in the first of four straight home games, three of which are ECAC opponents. Denver opens ECAC play against Hobart on Saturday, April 3 and follows it up with games against Bellarmine and Quinnipiac the following weekend.
“Joining the ECAC is going to be a great asset for us,” Tierney said. “We are going to face some very tough teams that have strong lacrosse programs and if we play well, we can really make a statement in our first year. The good news for the Denver lacrosse community is that we will bring in some very good East teams to the Mile-High City.”
Denver then returns to the road to take on Ohio State on Saturday, April 17, followed by a match-up with Fairfield on Sunday, April 25 in a televised ESPNU contest.
Once again, the Pioneers will make the trip up Interstate-25 to host a game at Invesco Field at Mile High as they invite Loyola to the Rocky Mountain Region for another ECAC meeting on Sunday, May 2.
Denver closes out the regular season with its final conference game, making the journey south to the United States Air Force Academy on Saturday, May 8.
Heading into the 2010 season, the Pioneers return their top-two leading scorers from a season ago as senior Charley Dickenson (Dallas, Texas) and Mark Matthews (Oshawa, Ontario) will be called upon to help lead the Denver offense.
“Everyone is starting fresh this season,” Tierney said. “Since we are new as a coaching staff and we have a big group of incoming players, everyone will be competing for a starting position. It’s a new language, new techniques and a new way of doing things that everyone needs to become familiar with. Our goal is to have fans say, ‘I can’t wait till the spring.’”
The Pioneers will open the fall with the inaugural Colorado Lacrosse Showcase on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium as DU takes on the Denver Outlaws for the first time ever. The game will be preceded by the Colorado Lacrosse Showcase Youth Clinic at 10 a.m., featuring the Denver Outlaws and an appearance by coach Tierney.
Tickets are $5 and will go on sale on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. They can be purchased through www.TicketMaster.com or at the DU Box Office, located in the Daniel L. Ritchie Center on the DU campus.
Admission for the youth clinic is $50 and includes a ticket to the Colorado Lacrosse Showcase game. Geared towards boys in second through eighth grade, the Outlaws will host the clinic from 10 a.m. to noon on the field at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
Skills covered in the clinic include shooting, dodging, footwork, one-on-one defense, clearing and transition work. An autograph session with the Outlaws players will also be included at 11:30 a.m.
To register or for more information on the clinic, visit www.DenverOutlaws.com/showcase.
2010 DU MEN’S LACROSSE SCHEDULE
DAY DATE OPPONENT
Fri. Feb. 19 Syracuse
Sun. Feb. 21 Jacksonville
Sat. Feb. 27 ALBANY
DU Face-Off Classic
Sat. Mar. 6 Air Force vs. Lehigh
Sat. Mar. 6 PENN
Sun. Mar. 7 Air Force vs. Penn
Sun. Mar. 7 LEHIGH
Sat. Mar. 13 CANISIUS
Tues. Mar. 16 Notre Dame
Sat. Mar. 20 Stony Brook
Sat. Mar. 27 AIR FORCE
Sat. Apr. 3 HOBART *
Fri. Apr. 9 BELLARMINE *
Sun. Apr. 11 QUINNIPIAC *
Sat. Apr. 17 Ohio State *
Sun Apr. 25 Fairfield * %
Sun. May 2 LOYOLA * &
Sat. May 8 Air Force *
* – ECAC Opponent
% – Game broadcasted on ESPNU
& – Played at Invesco Field at Mile High
HOME GAMES IN BOLD
All Times Mountain Time
- PIONEERS -
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Former Syracuse All-American Sid Smith was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft held Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the HSBC Arena. Smith was selected by the Rochester Knighthawks, which owned the first and second picks in Wednesday’s night’s draft.
Smith played two seasons for the Orange and earned All-America honors both years. He anchored a defense that was vital to Syracuse’s consecutive national championships in 2008 and 2009. Both seasons, Syracuse recorded sub-8.0 goals-against averages, the first time in back-to-back years the Orange achieved that feat since 1969 and 1970.
Smith started all 36 games he played for the Orange and recorded 76 ground balls. His final collegiate ground ball was his most memorable as he stripped Cornell attackman Ryan Hurley on the first possession of overtime in the 2009 NCAA title game to set up Cody Jamieson’s (Six Nations, Ontario) game-winning goal.
With Smith going No. 1 overall, Syracuse completed a lacrosse draft sweep, boasting the top pick in both professional leagues in 2009. Former Orange attackman Kenny Nims was the No. 1 pick in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Draft by Chicago back in May.
In addition to Smith, former Syracuse standouts Dan Hardy, Matt Abbott, Scott Kahoe and Nims were selected Wednesday night. Hardy and Abbott went back-to-back in the second round to Orlando (19th overall) and Boston (20th overall). Kahoe was tabbed by Boston in the third round (33rd overall) and Nims was selected with the last pick of the fourth round (41st overall) by Orlando.
Hardy was SU’s leading midfield scorer in 2009 with 25 goals and 18 assists. He ended his career with 136 points (83g, 53a) in 64 games. Last month, he was voted the MLL Rookie of the Year after helping lead the Denver Outlaws to the MLL title game.
Abbott was a 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy finalist and a first-team All-American. He led the Orange with 77 ground balls and recorded 12 goals and 11 assists. Abbott recently completed his first professional season as a member of the MLL’s Washington Bayhawks.
Kahoe was a member of SU’s second midfield in 2009. He scored 16 points, including nine goals.
Nims was a first-team All-American in 2009 and finished second in the nation in scoring at 4.11 points per game. He scored 32 goals and had 42 assists for a total of 74 points. Nims tallied eight goals and seven assists to earn NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player honors, including the tying goal with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to help lead the Orange past Cornell in the NCAA championship game.
Wednesday’s NLL Draft consisted of six rounds and 62 overall selections. The professional indoor league’s season gets underway on January 8.
Brooklyn, NY - Clothing and apparel brand Lacrosse Hero has launched a new website http://www.lacrossehero.com A site designed by former pro lacrosse players to aid future lax stars. A brand dedicated to accelerating the spread of the game and culture from coast to coast. We offer custom designed lacrosse apparel/lacrosse t-shirts line, games, tips and lax videos.
We played the game. We love the game. The future is yours.
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