Exciting Fixtures...
Netherlands Vs Wales, FO 11.30am
Both of these teams are developing nations in terms of lacrosse and gunning to make serious names for themselves. A mixture of young talent and experience in both teams, make this a one to watch.
Finland Vs Denmark, FO 6.30pm
Everyone loves a Derby match be sure sure to check this one out!! We all know the Scandi' play hard so expect some big hits!
Thursday, 15 July 2010
The Ones To Watch!
Players who are sure to make an impression this year!!
USA
Brian Dougherty: The ‘Doc’ is the USA’s number one GK. A larger than life character and the oldest member of the squad. In 1995 he gave the performance of a lifetime in the NCAA final four against Johns Hopkins, winning 16-8 in the semi-final. This will be Brians 3rd World Championship and he is yet to be challenged as the USA’s first choice, expect to see some HUGE saves.
Ryan McClay: First Team all american for Cornell in 2002, seven strong years in the MLL, and a gold medal at the 2003 World Champs only underlines what a truly great defenseman ryan is. Rarely putting a foot wrong and a strong determination to prove his worth after being cut from the 2006 World Champs, he is truly one for budding international defenseman to keep an eye on.
Ned Crotty: On Memorial Day this year, Crotty led Duke as captain to the NCAA Division I national championship. He won the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the best player in all of NCAA lacrosse, recording 23 goals and 63 assists for the season. He was also 1st in the MLL draft by the Chicago Machine. He will definitely be making waves in this year Tournament.
ENGLAND
Tom Williamson: As one of the co-Captains for this years England team, he bring a cocktail of strength, positional play and technical ability to table. Also captain for his club side, he led the team to the double, dominating the Premier League and Flags Finals.
Sam Russell: A young player, the second youngest on the squad, has spent the past two years at Whittier College, a Division III school in California. As a sophomore he started 15 of 15 Games, scored 31 Goals, made 25 Assists, 56 Points in total, with 33 Groundballs. These impressive stats left the England youngster in the top 5 nationally for Division III midfielders. Not only one to watch during this years games, but one for the future also.
Nick Watson: Don’t let his size fool you! With ankle breaking change of direction and breakneck speed, Watson has been running circles around english defense-men for years. Still young; some might say; in his prime, Nick has been training with the England Squad since 2007. He played in finland as part of the team who won the Europeans. He went to the Flags Finals this year with Rochdale, and was a key player in their most successful season in years.
CANADA
Broadie Merrill: This 6’ 4” 205lb Long stick midfielder played at Gorgetown University, now playing in both the MLL and NLL, he seems to only get better and better. His first year in the pro’s, winning Rookie of the year in both leagues. A fantastic athlete, who plays skill full and intelligent lacrosse. Look out for him on offensive transitions.
Geoff Snider: The MVP at the last World Championships after winning 143 of 195 face-offs. This was the first time a face-off specialist has won. The numbers them selves are exceptional, however it is the way that snider dominated the possession which make him so special. His ability to win quick possession from the face-off and creating fast breaks is what gives him the edge over the competition.
John Grant Junior: Generally accepted as the best stick handler in the world, JGJ was top goal scorer in the World Championships 2006. His credentials in college and professional lacrosse would require day’s of your time, so lets just say, expect tremendous lacrosse with fantastic showmanship.
IROQUOIS NATIONALS
Sid Smith: Extraordinary pace and Sheer size are two things that this man possesses. However, his huge success comes from his ability to read the game and inspiring defensive play. Sid a two time NJCAA champion, Minto cup winner, NCAA Division I Champion, and MLL league winner , this guy is obviously doing something right! With what could be seen as a sixth sense on the field, this guy always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Jeremy Thompson: An all round midfielder, solid in all aspects of the game. Whether he is making a dodge, a cut, or even playing man down defense, Thompsons always embedding deep tracks everywhere he plays, I’m sure the 2010 WC’s wont be any different.
USA
Brian Dougherty: The ‘Doc’ is the USA’s number one GK. A larger than life character and the oldest member of the squad. In 1995 he gave the performance of a lifetime in the NCAA final four against Johns Hopkins, winning 16-8 in the semi-final. This will be Brians 3rd World Championship and he is yet to be challenged as the USA’s first choice, expect to see some HUGE saves.
Ryan McClay: First Team all american for Cornell in 2002, seven strong years in the MLL, and a gold medal at the 2003 World Champs only underlines what a truly great defenseman ryan is. Rarely putting a foot wrong and a strong determination to prove his worth after being cut from the 2006 World Champs, he is truly one for budding international defenseman to keep an eye on.
Ned Crotty: On Memorial Day this year, Crotty led Duke as captain to the NCAA Division I national championship. He won the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the best player in all of NCAA lacrosse, recording 23 goals and 63 assists for the season. He was also 1st in the MLL draft by the Chicago Machine. He will definitely be making waves in this year Tournament.
ENGLAND
Tom Williamson: As one of the co-Captains for this years England team, he bring a cocktail of strength, positional play and technical ability to table. Also captain for his club side, he led the team to the double, dominating the Premier League and Flags Finals.
Sam Russell: A young player, the second youngest on the squad, has spent the past two years at Whittier College, a Division III school in California. As a sophomore he started 15 of 15 Games, scored 31 Goals, made 25 Assists, 56 Points in total, with 33 Groundballs. These impressive stats left the England youngster in the top 5 nationally for Division III midfielders. Not only one to watch during this years games, but one for the future also.
Nick Watson: Don’t let his size fool you! With ankle breaking change of direction and breakneck speed, Watson has been running circles around english defense-men for years. Still young; some might say; in his prime, Nick has been training with the England Squad since 2007. He played in finland as part of the team who won the Europeans. He went to the Flags Finals this year with Rochdale, and was a key player in their most successful season in years.
CANADA
Broadie Merrill: This 6’ 4” 205lb Long stick midfielder played at Gorgetown University, now playing in both the MLL and NLL, he seems to only get better and better. His first year in the pro’s, winning Rookie of the year in both leagues. A fantastic athlete, who plays skill full and intelligent lacrosse. Look out for him on offensive transitions.
Geoff Snider: The MVP at the last World Championships after winning 143 of 195 face-offs. This was the first time a face-off specialist has won. The numbers them selves are exceptional, however it is the way that snider dominated the possession which make him so special. His ability to win quick possession from the face-off and creating fast breaks is what gives him the edge over the competition.
John Grant Junior: Generally accepted as the best stick handler in the world, JGJ was top goal scorer in the World Championships 2006. His credentials in college and professional lacrosse would require day’s of your time, so lets just say, expect tremendous lacrosse with fantastic showmanship.
IROQUOIS NATIONALS
Sid Smith: Extraordinary pace and Sheer size are two things that this man possesses. However, his huge success comes from his ability to read the game and inspiring defensive play. Sid a two time NJCAA champion, Minto cup winner, NCAA Division I Champion, and MLL league winner , this guy is obviously doing something right! With what could be seen as a sixth sense on the field, this guy always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Jeremy Thompson: An all round midfielder, solid in all aspects of the game. Whether he is making a dodge, a cut, or even playing man down defense, Thompsons always embedding deep tracks everywhere he plays, I’m sure the 2010 WC’s wont be any different.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Iroquois Nationals Breaking News
The UK consulate in New York City has confirmed that the UK will not be giving the Iroquois National lacrosse team the necessary Visa's to travel to England. The team will therefore be unable to play in the Championships, including the opening game against England tomorrow evening. Organisers are looking to promote the Irish team to play against England, from the next division down after Japan refused to accept the change in the schedule.
More to follow...
More to follow...
The Latest News!!!
> The blog has been updated with all the current press coverage which the world games has received over the past few days...
> The Blog dynamic has changed. There will no longer be full match reports at the blog site as they will now be written by Neil Goulding (Telegraph) and can be found at www.2010worldlacrosse.com
The blog will now cover:
>Quick fire interviews...
>Match discussion, focusing on key parts of selected games...
>Current satistics...
>The diaries of a Lacrosse Dummie...
>Other any other interesting banter we find throughout the champs
Let the games begin!!!!
> The Blog dynamic has changed. There will no longer be full match reports at the blog site as they will now be written by Neil Goulding (Telegraph) and can be found at www.2010worldlacrosse.com
The blog will now cover:
>Quick fire interviews...
>Match discussion, focusing on key parts of selected games...
>Current satistics...
>The diaries of a Lacrosse Dummie...
>Other any other interesting banter we find throughout the champs
Let the games begin!!!!
Diary of a Lacrosse Dummy Part 2
A ball hasn’t been thrown in a competitive match yet but the drama at the World Lacrosse World Championships has already begun.
The first game of the tournament has been scheduled for over a year, to take place on Thursday 15th July 2010 between England and the Iroquois Nationals. But yesterday the team, their coaches and their families and supporters were refused entry onto their flight from NYC airport after they were denied British entry visa clearance by the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. government then offered the group U.S. passports for travel, which they refused. To accept the U.S passports would have been a blow to their pride, their tradition of travelling as the Iroquois People on their Iroquois passports and their beliefs.
So as it stands, the Iroquois Nationals are stuck in New York and England have no one to play in the opening game. If the Iroquois team fail to make it over I will without doubt be disappointed. I have already done some research into the Iroquois team and their history of lacrosse and was genuinely looking forward to seeing the original inventors of the game play in a competitive match. It must be so hard for the team and players themselves, months of training, anticipation and excitement to come to this.
So what happens if the U.S Department of State refuse to offer clearance and the Iroquois team decide not to travel on a U.S passport? Since the playing schedule was released more than a year ago the organisers would not be able to draft another team in to play England and the game would have to be forfeited by the Iroquois Nationals.
Along with England and the Iroquois Nationals, Japan, Australia, Canada and USA make up the remainder of the blue or premier division. They are in this top pool based on the seedings from the 2006 Championships and the draw undertaken the ILF meeting in Lahti, Finland.
As well as the blue division there are six other groups containing teams from 24 nations, such as Bermuda, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand as well as the home nations of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. These teams all have a chance of contesting for the title of World Champions.
Once each nation has played each team within their pool they are ranked from first 1st to 4th and then divided into 3 tiers:
Top Division – 1st place finishers + top four 2nd place finishers
Middle Division – Remaining 2nd place finishers and the top four 3rd place finishers
Lower Division – remaining 3rd place finishers and the 4th place teams
The winners of each match will then go through to a Semi Finals Day and eventually a Finals Day on Saturday 24th July.
The contesting teams, bar the Iroquois Nationals are all now in Manchester, have set up their camps and are eager for the competition to start. It would be a real shame for the Championships to start without an opening game, and without the Iroquois team but I am sure the 29 other teams competing will want to put on as much of a spectacle as possible and showcase their sport of lacrosse.
The first game of the tournament has been scheduled for over a year, to take place on Thursday 15th July 2010 between England and the Iroquois Nationals. But yesterday the team, their coaches and their families and supporters were refused entry onto their flight from NYC airport after they were denied British entry visa clearance by the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. government then offered the group U.S. passports for travel, which they refused. To accept the U.S passports would have been a blow to their pride, their tradition of travelling as the Iroquois People on their Iroquois passports and their beliefs.
So as it stands, the Iroquois Nationals are stuck in New York and England have no one to play in the opening game. If the Iroquois team fail to make it over I will without doubt be disappointed. I have already done some research into the Iroquois team and their history of lacrosse and was genuinely looking forward to seeing the original inventors of the game play in a competitive match. It must be so hard for the team and players themselves, months of training, anticipation and excitement to come to this.
So what happens if the U.S Department of State refuse to offer clearance and the Iroquois team decide not to travel on a U.S passport? Since the playing schedule was released more than a year ago the organisers would not be able to draft another team in to play England and the game would have to be forfeited by the Iroquois Nationals.
Along with England and the Iroquois Nationals, Japan, Australia, Canada and USA make up the remainder of the blue or premier division. They are in this top pool based on the seedings from the 2006 Championships and the draw undertaken the ILF meeting in Lahti, Finland.
As well as the blue division there are six other groups containing teams from 24 nations, such as Bermuda, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand as well as the home nations of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. These teams all have a chance of contesting for the title of World Champions.
Once each nation has played each team within their pool they are ranked from first 1st to 4th and then divided into 3 tiers:
Top Division – 1st place finishers + top four 2nd place finishers
Middle Division – Remaining 2nd place finishers and the top four 3rd place finishers
Lower Division – remaining 3rd place finishers and the 4th place teams
The winners of each match will then go through to a Semi Finals Day and eventually a Finals Day on Saturday 24th July.
The contesting teams, bar the Iroquois Nationals are all now in Manchester, have set up their camps and are eager for the competition to start. It would be a real shame for the Championships to start without an opening game, and without the Iroquois team but I am sure the 29 other teams competing will want to put on as much of a spectacle as possible and showcase their sport of lacrosse.
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