LAX Warriors: Lacrosse World Championship
With the World Cup well underway, and the post season of Major League Baseball looming, it’s easy to overlook some of the other big tournaments out there…what a mistake! One such contest is right around the corner and promises all the action and international presence as any other. July 10th begins the Lacrosse World Championship, where the United States will defend its title, starting with a game against our northern neighbors, Canada. The club teams all over the U.S. are being tapped for their best players, and the competition to make the final roster is fierce.
The field of hopefuls was trimmed in January at the Champion Challenge Blue-White exhibition game, after which began an intense four-day training in Greenwich, Connecticut. Coaches stressed fundamentals as the championship team acclimated to the weather and each other. But overall, head coach Richie Meade made one point very clear; when you wear the jersey for Team USA, you never slack off. The camp culminated in the MLL All-Star game in Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts, marking the last opportunity for each player to prove to the coaches that they belong on the coveted 23-man roster.
"You have to walk that fine line," said midfielder Drew Snider, of the Denver Outlaws, who debuted in the MLL All-Star game last year. "They've watched plenty of MLL games, so they know our styles. It's just playing within the Team USA system. There're no individuals out here."
The coaches’ challenge, according to Team USA assistant coach Jeff Tambroni, is to see and appreciate how the players augment each other’s performance. The road to victory doesn’t depend on choosing the flashiest players, “We're adjusting ourselves into what it’s going to take to win at the international level, not only sharing the ball but sharing their talents."
Even so, the candidates realized what was at stake through camp and during the All-Star game. Tucker Durkin, the only rookie to be named MLL All-Pro last year noted, "Everyone knows that the work put in over [those] four days will likely reflect who the coaches choose for the 23-man roster. You sense a bit more competitiveness. Everyone's kind of got an edge to them."
The starting position for the US Team’s backstop is also in high contention. The Major League Lacrosse goalies vying for the spot are Drew Adams of the Long Island Lizards, John Galloway from the Rochester Rattlers, and Denver Outlaw’s Jesse Schwartzman. Each one of them brings something different to the table and will be effective between the pipes, as they noted about each other when asked.
“With Adams, he’s a lefty, so that’s a bit of an advantage, and you really have to make a great shot to beat him,” Schwartzman said.
“John is a real student of the game,” Adams said. “He’s a coach, so he understands the philosophy, and he’s such a good communicator.”
“With Jesse, the control that he has of the defense and his demeanor regardless of what’s going on, he has such confidence,” Galloway said. “Especially when you think of this team as a bunch of guys who don’t have a lot of chances to play together.”
Check out Rukket's innovative and portable practice lacrosse nets: www.rukket.com
