NCAA lacrosse action comes to Dallas

[dcpony]

College LAX
NCAA lacrosse action comes to Dallas
March 13, 2007

Navy and Holy Cross will play a game at Ford Stadium.

The article notes Texas is becoming a hot bed for D-1 Lax recruiting,
Navy has three Texans on its roster, and Mr. Orsini helped set this up.

It would be great if this was the first step in making SMU the first D-1 LAX program in TX.

http://www.collegelax.us/news.php?action=fullnews&id=1133

[Water Pony]

This game will be very cool.

Div. 1 lacrosse/ Varisty status for SMU Men LAX even better. Unfortunately, it is not likely to happen due to $, Title IX and the nearest Div. 1 teams are in Denver (DU) and Louisville (Bellermaine)

Women LAX is more likely, if we need another women's sport. Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame field teams. It would be nice to be with them. Compare the academics too.

[Water Pony]

BTW, the game between Navy and Holy Cross is this Saturday the 17th at noon CT

If you have never seen a big time lacrosse game, take the time. Great spectator sport: fast and high scoring.

Go Navy!

[jkflamebo]

that'd be amazing if we were the first d-1 team in texas with a lax program. i guess that would mean we'd have to create field hockey and softball for it to happen!

[EastStang]

There is also Women's lacrosse and many of your best female high school field hockey players also star in lacrosse in the spring. So you might get a twofer. Fall they play field hockey, spring they play lacrosse. Two sports same athletes, double the participation. Give them half scholarships in each sport. Also many of these girls go to prep schools so academics would not be a problem. I suspect that Tulane, Rice, ECU, Marshall would be interested in lacrosse in CUSA. Some of our SEC imports for soccer like Kentucky and South Carolina might be interested as well. Some of the powerhouses in this sport like Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Navy, Georgetown, and Duke are all schools that have strong academic requirements. Orsini spent time at Navy and I'm sure developed an interest in the sport. I watched it some while I was in grad school and it is exciting to watch. Its fast and violent.

[smupony94]

that'd be amazing if we were the first d-1 team in texas with a lax program. i guess that would mean we'd have to create field hockey and softball for it to happen!

Cousin wanted to stay in Texas but she got a fully schollie to UVA to play field hockey next year

[Water Pony]

DALLAS, Texas, March 17th

Junior Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) scored three goals and assisted on two others to lead the fifth ranked Navy Midshipmen (6-0, 3-0 in the Patriot League) to an easy 12-2 Patriot League victory over Holy Cross (2-5, 0-4) in front of a terrific crowd of 4,482 fans at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University. The game was the first Division I lacrosse game played in the Dallas Metroplex area.

"I'm thankful and appreciative to the Dallas and SMU communities for making this a great event," said Navy head coach Richie Meade. "We are used to playing in front of a great home crowd and I thought the crowd today was tremendous."

"4,482 fans. Pretty impressive turnout"

[Boston Pony]

JHU played at Ownby in 1979 against a team of Texas All Stars...It was not a sanctioned NCAA event, however it was a blast to go to and play in (Hopkins won the NCAA title that year).

[ClassOf81]

Women LAX is more likely, if we need another women's sport....

Ding, ding, ding! We might have a winner here.
I have a friend who works on campus. My family visited her in her office, and there's a calendar printed by someone on campus - can't remember who - that includes a photo of two female SMU students in SMU lacrosse unifroms, holding lacrosse sticks, standing in an end zone at Ford Stadium. My guess is that it will happen.

One concern about playing in Ford - for those who never have played lacrosse, that ball bounces like the old superball we had as kids, but it's heavier than a baseball. Someone's going to fire one of those off the brick wall around the field at Ford and take someone's head off on the ricochet. Hope the Navy/Holy Cross game goes well - thankfully, they wear helmets, but those things can hurt.

[PK]

Hope the Navy/Holy Cross game goes well - thankfully, they wear helmets, but those things can hurt.

The game was played last Saturday, the 17th. It went well with a fairly decent crowd watching (see Water Pony's post above). The DMN had a good write up on it in the Sunday Sports section and the coaches and players seemed to enjoy being in Dallas and Ford Stadium. Hopefully we can have more of these games in the future.

[MustangLaxer]

Women LAX is more likely, if we need another women's sport....

Ding, ding, ding! We might have a winner here.
I have a friend who works on campus. My family visited her in her office, and there's a calendar printed by someone on campus - can't remember who - that includes a photo of two female SMU students in SMU lacrosse unifroms, holding lacrosse sticks, standing in an end zone at Ford Stadium. My guess is that it will happen.

One concern about playing in Ford - for those who never have played lacrosse, that ball bounces like the old superball we had as kids, but it's heavier than a baseball. Someone's going to fire one of those off the brick wall around the field at Ford and take someone's head off on the ricochet. Hope the Navy/Holy Cross game goes well - thankfully, they wear helmets, but those things can hurt.

That office would prolly be in the Rec Sports Department where both the men's and women's teams get their advisors. This is the first year for the women's club team. Both the men's and women's teams practice in Ford Stadium, but don't play their games there. And if playing lax in Ford in front of fans ever became a regular thing then there are temporary nets that can be set up to avoid a ball flying into the stands (only one direction to worry about in Ford right)

[EastStang]

Ford Stadium is not much different from the stadia where by play lacrosse at Georgetown, Delaware, Princeton, William and Mary and I have never heard of an injury from a bounce off a brick wall. I would be more concerned about injury because the field turf is not as forgiving as grass. The bounces would be truer and faster I would think. Being a goalie would really be not fun. By the way, does anyone know who might have been the greatest lacrosse player of all time? Hint - he was better known in another sport. Second Hint. The college he played for is in New York.

[Boston Pony]

Sorry EastStang...it's not open and shut case for Jimmy Brown as the greatest lax player. He was dominant at Syracuse in lax...in days before length of stick rule he would run down the field with short stick against his chest...word was he enjoyed lax more than football but it pays much better. Many now say that Gary Gait (another Orangemen grad) may be the greatest. His 'hallmark' play was jumping from behind the goal (you can play behind the goal much like hockey) and stuffing the ball in the net. Another rule change has ended this play, however his goal in the national championship game was Michael Jordan like.

[Water Pony]

Gary Gait (Syracuse and Pro's) is the most prolific LAX player in history. Jim Brown may have been the most athletic and punishing with his cradling of the ball against his chest. This technique required a rule change, as Boston says.

However, the stick handling of the modern players is a beautiful thing to watch. And as a spectator sport, LAX is unbelieveable.

[Water Pony]

SPORTSDAY Colleges: SMU

Lacrosse match at SMU grabs big response

More than 1,500 turn out for area's first-ever NCAA Division I game


11:19 PM CDT on Saturday, March 17, 2007
By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
kwhitmire@dallasnews.com

UNIVERSITY PARK – As lacrosse matches go, Navy's 12-2 domination of Holy Cross wasn't exactly a thriller. However, the participants were thrilled with the reception for the area's first-ever NCAA Division I lacrosse game.

Many in Saturday's crowd of 1,572 at SMU's Ford Stadium sported T-shirts and jerseys of local lacrosse teams. A number of youngsters brandished their sticks from attending a pregame clinic.

There were also a significant number of Navy fans who engaged in the lacrosse tradition of pre- and postgame tailgating.

"It was like playing in front of a crowd at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium [Navy's home field]," Navy coach Richie Meade said. "I thought it was great. We appreciate them appreciating us."

The loudest cheers were for Navy attackman Gregory Clement, an Episcopal School of Dallas graduate. Clement received a short ovation when he entered the game late in the third quarter.

The ovation turned into an eruption when Clement scored back-to-back goals to give Navy a 10-0 lead.

Clement guessed he had about 20 friends, family and former ESD teammates watching him.

"Our coach brought it up last year, playing a game in Texas, but he was concerned that we wouldn't get a crowd," Clement said. "I looked at him like he was insane. I knew there would be plenty of people, even over spring break."

Navy, ranked No. 5 nationally, improved to 6-0 (3-0 in Patriot League play). Holy Cross (2-5, 0-4) was missing two of its top offensive players to injuries and spent much of the time trying to burn the clock with long possessions.

Navy started slowly with just two goals in the first quarter, but took a 5-0 lead into halftime.

"It was a little sloppy, especially in the beginning," Meade said. "We were trying to force the tempo."

Navy attackman Nick Mirabito opened the scoring in the third quarter with his third goal of the game. The Midshipmen appeared headed for a shutout until Holy Cross scored twice in the final 2:14.

"When they told me we were going to Dallas, the first thing that popped in my head was, 'Do they even play lacrosse in Dallas?' " said Mirabito, who also had two assists. "I think this one rivaled [last year's game in] San Diego in terms of hospitality and the crowd. I wouldn't mind coming back."

Neither would Holy Cross coach Adam Pascal, despite the loss.

"I think it was awesome," Pascal said. "I like the football atmosphere here and playing in a nice, built-up stadium."
For a sport that doesn't get much exposure outside of the eastern U.S., Saturday's game may have helped counter some of the negativity generated by last year's Duke lacrosse team scandal.

Ironically, Holy Cross played at Duke the week before three Duke players were accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a team party.

"You go to Oregon and Arkansas, places that aren't traditional lacrosse strongholds, and they know about Duke," Pascal said. "We're very conscious of our image on campus and in the general public."

Players on both teams said the Duke scandal was a black eye for collegiate lacrosse, but hopefully a temporary one.

"A lot of people that know about Duke don't know lacrosse," Holy Cross goalie Jimmy Harrison said. "We've got a little burden on our back to be extra nice and give lacrosse a better image."