Lax: It's Whats for Dinner!

Welcome to Canton - Baltimore, MD

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:15:18 -0600

After a year stint in DC, I decided to come back to the place where I had lived for the 3 years prior. It's been a year and a half and I am having a blast in this SE corner of Baltimore City.

Canton Square or in many of its corner bars is where I spend most of my time. Why not, nothing more fun than enjoying a couple libations amongst some good folks...and I can't forget the ladies.

JD's is a 2nd home. The friendliest folks in the square. And when I can bully that jukebox, you know that Danzig's '93 smash hit "MOTHER" will be played!

Portside Tavern is a great spot whether your a laxer or just looking for a fun spot. For 3 years, Portside Tavern was a sponsor for Team Heineken in the ALL. We had many Sunday Funday's in that place. I think I'll hit it up this weekend.

Although I don't have time for all the places to be, you have to hit up either Mahaffey's Pub or The Baltimore TapHouse (formerly Growlers Pub). They're both off the square but they offer the best beer selections that Canton has to offer.

Thats about all I feel like talkin about tonight, just got on this site and i'm excited to start a blog...its about time.

Happy Holidays - MB's '07 Lax Review

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:54:45 -0600

What a time of year. No lacrosse! So it's time to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. These were some of my personal 2007 highlights.

I bought my little cousin (7yrs old) his first lacrosse stick and he played baseball in the spring...go figure.
My alma-maters won National Championships in their repsected divisions and had a blast at the Final Four Weekend. Sux its goin up to Foxboro this year.
- SEAGULLS & BLUE JAYS!!
The Duke fiaso is over, so now I don't have to hear about how scummy I am for being a lacrosse player.
Team Heineken had a tough one and we're done...on to Magerk's in the '08 season.
Enjoyed a great indoor season in the BILL with Dewalt.
Had a blast at the OC and Charm City tournaments once again with my idiot teammates...Bates and Jordashe never paid me for the room...shocker!
The Lax Vegas tournament. (Details aren't necessary).

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Oh the Places You'll Go

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:39:07 -0600

I was just pondering how lucky that I have been all because I picked up a stick back in middle school. From the people that I've met, the experiences I've had and the places I've had the privilege to go to…all because of lacrosse. In today’s growing lacrosse community, the opportunity to travel and spread the game have become limitless.

Back when I was really getting geared up to make the run to play in college, I attended numerous camps at the beautiful West Point campus, Springfield College, UMASS & Hofstra University. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was just the start of going to many places and meeting many new faces.

While attending college at Salisbury “State” University, we didn’t have the budget to go all over the country but we still got around. One event we had was our annual Spring Break trip to Florida. We couldn’t go out like the real spring breakers, but it was a great experience. Our schedule would allow us to play many great northern schools such as Williams, Bowdoin, and Colby all in the sun! You couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere.

One summer during college I joined the camp circuit and it allowed me to travel out to Colorado to coach at a few camps and see first hand at how the game had been spreading. I couldn’t believe the talent that was out there. Now you can see some of these folks on rosters in all divisions. I think it’s great!

Once I reached the Post-Collegiate club ball ranks, I was really able to get on the road and experience the game at a whole new level. My club teams (Swamp Dawgs & Team Heineken) played mainly in East Coast tournaments like the Bump & Grind in NJ, the Ocean City and Charm City Lacrosse Classics and Laxtoberfest in Annapolis, MD.

During my first year of club ball I was fortunate to be able to play with the Crease Monkeys run by lacrosse guru and great all round guy Harry Mazaheri. With the Crease Monkeys I was able to play Top-Notch lacrosse and had way too much fun! I played for the Monkeys tournament squad in the Mardi Gras Lacrosse Tournament, Hawaii Invitational Lacrosse Tournament, Lake Placid and even went to Tokyo, Japan with the Monkeys in April 2006. A bunch of Barbary Coast and Crease Monkey’s guys also took the field at a tournament at Texas A&M University one fall and matched up against college club teams such as Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Texas Christian and Tulane.

All of these teams consisted of a diverse group of guys from all over the US and the world. The skill level was unbelievable also. While in Japan our team consisted of many NLL & MLL all-stars and Team USA / Team Japan / Team Korea players such as Nick Polanco, Lee Zink, Chris Passavia, Gavin Prout, John Grant Jr, Trevor Tierney to name drop. It surely was an amazing experience to play with all of these star players.


The best teams that I ever had the privilege of playing with were at the Hawaii Invitational tournament in ’02 & ’03. Our first year, we were runners up to a stacked Marin team who’s attack was Casey & Ryan Powell and Jesse Hubbard. I couldn’t believe that I had to cover that Casey guy. There were hundreds of fans lining the field which was located right off the water in Waikiki. In my second year at the tournament we pulled out a victory versus a highly talented Long Island Jesters team.

All in all, I have to say that I’m pretty lucky to have gone all over the US and even to Japan simply because I met some great folks and played lacrosse. Hopefully my travels in the future will get me back to Hawaii over to Europe and wherever there is a game being played.

Promoting the Game in 2008 and Beyond

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:20:12 -0600

We're excited to have launched prior to the New Year so that we can put all the hype and craziness of launching behind us and focus on the year ahead. When all is said and done, our goal at Lax Spot is to ultimately promote the game we play, follow and love.

I've been getting some great responses from users and friends about the site. Many are excited to have another avenue to promote the game. And we're excited to all we have to look forward to as well.

With this site, the people will be helping the game grow. This is just a medium for lacrosse folks to gather and have their voices be heard. In 2008, I'm looking forward to the many things that LaxSpot can be a part of.

I'm looking forward to hear (actually read) about some feel good stories. There are plenty of them, but no one in our game hears about too many of them.
I'm looking forward to reading about games that I won't be able to see rather than just a box score.
I'm looking forward to hopefully hear about the Middle Country (or any HS) game being covered on a blog from a student at their high school. To hear it from a real prospective from a player or a student fan will be great.
I'm looking forward to having companies set up their own profiles and using the group and blog arenas to promote their gear and new releases. A user can get greater insight on what they want to purchase with a personal touch from a rep or spokesperson rather than just having the gear be on the shelf in the Spring.
I'm looking forward to see some great new videos and highlights as well!

When you think about it, promoting the game with the words of the people actually involved; to me, seems like a win-win for everyone. Sharing information on this site is up to the users and lets them be creative amongst their peers. Even if they don't know it, they're promoting the game that we all care about.

I guess in 2008, we're all looking forward to a lot.

Have a Happy and a Healthy 2008 folks!

Lacrosse Video Games

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:10:33 -0600

For the longest time the folks in the lacrosse community have been both asking and waiting for THE lacrosse game to hit the stores. When you think about it, the sport of lacrosse either box or field would make for a great game.

The game could offer the crushing hits of Madden or other top NFL games, the passing and shooting of the NHL games and the moves of an NBA game. The players could have different special moves depending on the position they're assigned. I would love to press that special move button and have my defenseman throw a butt dig into a rusty gate. I almost forgot, behind the back passes would have to be a part of it too!

We were lucky to get a PS1 game called "Blast Lacrosse" by Akklaim. However that was like playing an atari game. Heck it was even worse than the great Blades of Steel hockey game for NES.

The best lacrosse game that I've seen thus far that offers the opportunity to at least catch a pass and shoot is on a site called the Candystand called the Lacrosse Shootout. It is cheesy, but hey it's at least tough to score! Check the game out here!

Submit your high score as a comment. My highscore was 26. Let's see who can be the ultimate shootout champion!!

National Lacrosse Convention Jan 18-20

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:06:32 -0600

The National Lacrosse Convention is coming up Jan 18-20th in Philly. It should be a good time. Hopefully I'll get to hit up the Wings game and see some old friends. If you're going to be around the Philly area that Saturday, check it out. There will be a ton of vendors there with the latest gear. It's open to the public from 12-4pm on Saturday with a $5 entry fee. For More Information

I've been to the convention several times in either Baltimore and Philly and while you're there, you will see just how much this game has grown. It's amazing!

In case this post is too boring, play this radical snowboarding game!

My '08 Season is on hold, so it's time for the LaxSpot Biggest Loser!

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:58:15 -0600

Well I'm kinda bummed out. I have to get some shoulder surgery on Feb 12th which will sideline me for 6-8 weeks. I've been lucky that this will be the first setback since I had an ACL reconstruction back in my senior year of HS...way back in '96.

The ironic part of the story for both injuries is that they have a similar theme. For my entire athletic career growing up, I was never allowed to play football. I played soccer, ice hockey and lax for years, so there wasn't down time. However, this will be my 2nd surgery due to athletics and I injured myself both times while playing football. This time was at a ONE HAND TOUCH; Turkey Bowl game around Thanksgiving time.

How ironic is that!?!

So I'm going to be hitting the gym to strengthen the arm around the shoulder so the atrophe doesn't completely take everything away. And I'm sure that my friends wanted to hear this, but I'm going to start the "LaxSpot Biggest Loser".

I will track my progress on my blog here. If you're on a program or just getting in shape, feel free to add a comment to keep my motivation going!!

US Lax Convention - Review

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:50:05 -0600

So I had a great day trip up to Philly with fellow LaxSpot Staffer Hirbod Azmi. We arrived around noon, just in time to check out the vendor open house. While walking the corridors, we saw a sea of under armoured coaches, fans, vendors and players who were taking it all in. You could tell that most of the guys got up there on Friday night and took in all that Philly had to offer.

The folks at US Lacrosse definitely put together a great convention this year. Everyone was positive and you can tell that they enjoyed what they were doing. A lot of hard work was done by everyone and it showed. Kudos to you all for a job well done.

The first thing you saw walking into the open house area was a crowd by the Scorpion Lacrosse setup. Dressed to the tee in their bowling shirts, they had the guitar hero contests going on all day which folks of all ages were taking a part of.

I got to witness a great Talon Lacrosse video showing the strength of their new poles. In the video Doug Appleton was beating on fellow Talon member Cort Kim. It was a great segment that referees should show at their convention to show what a slash actually is.

Grahm D'Alvia was hanging around the US Indoor Lacrosse booth sharing some war stories with the guys. Personally I'd love to see the box game grow in the US. It's definitely a great game and a quite aggressive one. They are doing a great job promoting the box game!

Former Seagull Tim Parks and Team Heineken mate Kris Davis were holding down the fort at the Lax World booth. While chatting about some new gear I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by E-Lacrosse's Darla Burns. She loves being on the camera.

Justin Smith from Adrenaline Lacrosse was running around the scene all day with goodie bags and showing off some new threads. Check out LaxSpot's new blog titled "Lacrosse Company 2.0" where we outlined Adrenaline here.

Funnyman Scott Burnam was working with Billy Curtis at the Rebel Wear booth and I got to see the new Salisbury uniforms, so I was excited. The new threads are sweet. They sure beat the hand-me-down uniforms I had to wear back in the day.

I'd like to send a quick thanks to Kevin Fox at Brine, Kyle Sweeney at Maverik, Tom Slate at Lacrosse Evolution, Tom Ryan at deBeer, John Strohsacker at laxphotos.com and many more for their great support and interest in LaxSpot.

We were there simply to spread the word about the site and we received some great feedback from everyone. It was great to hear such positive things from folks at the convention. Most people thought it was a great idea to come up with a social networking site so that folks can stay connected all year and not just at the conventions and annual meetings.

Remember to invite your teammates and friends to help keep the game connected.

The New York "Football" Giants!

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:14:48 -0600

I gotta say that I had a great weekend! Lacrosse is almost in full swing with a bunch of scrimmages, my Gmen were playing in the Super Bowl. I knew it was going to be a full weekend of debauchery.

On Saturday night, 12 of the "Baltimore Big Blue Wrecking Crue" hit up Ruth's Chris for a pregame meal. You can clean us up but don't want to take us out. Check out the pick, we put up a Giants banner in the room and after many bottles of wine we were rowdy as we were going to be on Sunday.

If you're a Giants fan and are in Baltimore, hit me up so that you can come watch the games with us in Canton on Sundays next season. We were at Looney's until the final weekend of the season, but due to a doorman with a working out problem, we hit up JD's upstairs for the entire playoffs. The tradition started 3 seasons ago and when I moved back from DC I stumbled in to get some food with my Gmen gear and there was about 10 other guys in blue. This year we had a steady group of about 30 throughout the season.

ON TO SUNDAY! I scheduled work on Sunday so that I could work at home on Monday with everything complete! I got to JD's around 4 and the upstairs was in full swing. There was only a table of Skins fans, who weren't obnoxious and they put up with our few comments :)

What a game! We got on a roll at the right time and rode it along in the playoffs. The girls in our group handed out Giants glasses to the group with our names on it, put up banners and were all looking great!!

Great stuff! And Justin Berry predicted it!

G-I-A-N-T-S

Getting into the Lax mood...sorta

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:12:50 -0600

January is gone. It's time for some lacrosse! Although its still too cold for anything, this is always my favorite time of the year. Grab your stick, get some new cleats...possibly clean out your bag and wash those socks that have been in there from a summer tournament about 7 months ago.

I'm going to be a spectator for most of this Spring, but I can support the team with my clever and witty heckling and the ability to down beverages and wings or subs on the sidelines.

I got my shoulder surgery last week and I'm still hemmed up a bit but it'll be fine in no time at all. I'm pretty excited for lax this weekend. Hopefully there is a game on the tube because I'm not making the trip to Gtown or JHU to watch these great games. It's still way too cold even for me to head on down to Salisbury for the Lynchburg match up. That could just be me being lazy also...?

This weekend, I'll just hang out at home and lax it up a bit then off to the Magerk's Lacrosse Bull Roast at Magerk's in Federal Hill in Baltimore. If you're around and want to eat all you can and drink all you please come on out. It starts at 5pm and goes til 9pm. $45 allows you to hang out with the coolest guys in town.

Lax, Lax, Lax

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:37:46 -0500

Man we're in full swing in the NLL and NCAA and it better get warm soon. The shoulder is doing well, thanks for those who were asking about it. I'm totally loving all the lax on TV this year. It seems like much more than the past few seasons. This weekend I got to see 3 games. A sloppy UVA/Princeton, a blowout Duke/Loyola and Gtown/Cuse was on yesterday. Now I just need the games from the Eastern Shore televised so I don't have to sit at my computer waiting for typed updates.

Magerk's has a by week this week so I won't be missing a game. I'm sure that the St Patty's festivities in Canton will be fun as usual. I'll leave you with some Road House, courtesy of one rockin SOB...

ROAD HOUSE!

2008 ESPN U - Lacrosse Coverage

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:26:25 -0500

In case you were wondering what games were televised this season.

Sat., March 15	Syracuse at Johns Hopkins	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., March 15	Hofstra at Princeton	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Mon., March 17	Women's: Maryland at Johns Hopkins	4 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., March 22	Duke at Georgetown	2 p.m. (tape delay)	ESPNU
Sat., March 22	Johns Hopkins at Virginia	4 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., March 22	Maryland at North Carolina	6 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat. March 29	Virginia at Maryland	Noon	ESPN2
Sat., March 29	North Carolina at Johns Hopkins	2 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., April 4	Navy at Maryland	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 5	Delaware at Towson	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., April 5	Virginia at North Carolina	4 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 5	Johns Hopkins at Duke	6 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 12	Navy at Army	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., April 12	Maryland at Johns Hopkins	2 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 12	Duke at Virginia	6 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 19	Duke at Army	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., April 19	Cornell at Princeton	4 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 19	Hartford at UMBC	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 23	Towson at Johns Hopkins	7 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 26	Pennsylvania at Towson	1 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., April 28	Mount St. Mary's at Johns Hopkins	7 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., May 3	Johns Hopkins at Loyola (Md.)	1 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 4	NCAA Tournament Selection Show	9 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., May 10	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #1	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., May 10	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #2	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., May 10	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #3	5 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., May 10	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #4	7:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 11	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #5	Noon	ESPNU
Sun., May 11	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #6	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 11	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #7	5 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 11	NCAA Tournament First round, Game #8	7:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., May 17	NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal (Md.), Game #1	Noon	ESPNU
Sat., May 17	NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal (Md.), Game #2	3 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 18	NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal (NY.), Game #1	Noon	ESPNU
Sun., May 18	NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal (NY.), Game #2	3 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., May 24	NCAA Tournament Semifinal, Game #1	Noon	ESPN2
Sun., May 24	NCAA Tournament Semifinal, Game #2	2:30 p.m.	ESPN2
Mon., May 26	NCAA Tournament National championship	1 p.m.	ESPN

3/22 Game updates.

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:38:16 -0500

What a day for men's college lacrosse. Many close ones as well as some unpredictable outcomes.

D1 action: The story of the day has to be #10 Georgetown over #1 Duke 11-7. G'town's keeper Miles stood on his head making 18 saves while Cannon went 2-3 on the O.   Duke IS beatable. This should only put a fire under them as the season moves along.

# 6 Cornell fought off Yale 8-7 in OT.   The Ivy's seem to play each other very tight all season and it's anyone's to win this season.

Unranked Albany got a big win over #11 Princeton 10-2 on Friday night. That was Albany's first win and a big loss for Princeton as they still have a number of big games to play.

#13 UMBC used only 2OT's this week to beat Ohio State 12-11.

#18 Loyola got back on the winning track by putting a 15-1 hurting on a weak UMass team.

Some big matchups later today include #2 UVA vs #6 JHU and #4 UNC vs #9 MD.

D2 action: Lot's of top 10 action this week. 2 time defending champs #1 Leymone took down #9 Byrant 8-3. While #2 NYIT beat down #7 Molloy 22-6. #5 Dowling beat #10 Mercyhurst 10-7. With only minor room for a loss, the D2 games this week were critical.

D3 action: The shocker of the week is VA Weslyan beating out #18 Roanoke by a score of 15-12. That is a huge win for the Marlins.

The huge matchup with #3 Cortland vs #4 Ithaca went in favor of Ithaca 9-8 in OT! Ithaca is for real this year by keeping the high flying Cortland offense under 10.

#8 Wesleyan ousted #5 Tufts 12-4. Those NESCAC games are always brutal as they beat the heck out of each other all year in D3's toughest division.

One other matchup to note is #12 Lynchburg vs #15 Villa Julie that takes place tonight under the lights.

Ahhhhh what a lazy Saturday!

D3 Matchup #1 vs #2 this weekend

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:41:10 -0500

On Saturday March 29, the Battle of Gettysburg continues with #1 Salisbury vs #2 Gettysburg. The Seagulls have basically owned the Bullets since losing twice to them in the 2002 season.

Both teams have looked a bit shaky this season thus far but this rivalry creates such an intense atmosphere. Over the past few seasons, this game has equaled or taken over as the Seagulls #1 rival as Washington College has had some horrible seasons lately. Perhaps this season, with WAC winning all their contests to date.

If you're around with nothing to do, it's worth a ride up to PA to check out these two D3 Titans going head to head..

Lacrosse is an "Elitist" Sport.

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:14:30 -0500

Lacrosse has always had the stigma of being an elitist game. From its ties to Wall Street to the East Coast prep schools, it has been a thing of privelege in the past. With the growth of the game, things are changing but college lacrosse is elitist, only not by socio-economic standards, but by universities.

It seems that you must be a student athlete at only a select few institutions to win a NCAA National Championship. This goes for both the men's and women's games. While cruising through the NCAA Championships website, I couldn't help myself from noticing how selective winning a championship is.

First lets take the women's game. Since 1991, only 4 institutions have won a national championship. Northwestern has dominated the past 3 seasons, Maryland has 8 with a crazy stretch in the late 90's and early 2000's and Princeton and Virgina have 3 each.

In the women's poll, these 4 schools are listed #1 thru #4. I know that the playoffs still have to take place, but at least one of these programs will most likely be competing for their next championship.

On to the men's game. A total of 7 teams have won national championships since the NCAA was involved. However since 1992, only 4 have won the NCAA trophy. Princeton has 6, Syracuse 5, Virginia 3 and Johns Hopkins 2.

Could this be the year of a new men's championship program? Well, Syracuse and Virginia are ranked #1 and #3 right now and are looking strong to continue in their winning ways. Duke has been stirring up the pond the past few seasons and is looking strong to make another championship attempt this Memorial Day.

Perhaps we may see different teams in this years men's championships. How does a UMBC vs Drexel championship sound?

Lacrosse Weather is Finally Here!!

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:17:24 -0500

This season has gone by so fast thus far. I guess since I'm on the IR, that it's tough to follow all the games with the same eagerness this season. My club team is doing well, but I haven't played all season and it's been a drag. This is the first season that I had to sit out since my senior year in high school.

Today while working from home I picked up the stick and hit the wall of the warehouse down the block during lunch for a bit. Ahhh, lacrosse weather is finally here! Those walks to practice always got a lot easier during this time of the year. Going out to play a pickup game or getting out for those club games in weather like this was always a treat and I can't wait to suit up again real soon. So watch out attackman, I've been scheming up some new checks and I'm going to bring the pain while looking good in the process.

This weekend in college lacrosse is going to be a great one. #7 Hop plays at #10 Navy during their alumni weekend. There should be a huge crowd for that game. It could swing either way as JHU is still trying to make their NCAA run and need all the wins they can get.

On Long Island, #2 Duke is facing #8 Army in a game to honor fallen Army Ranger Jimmy Regan. (Check out the article on IL)

There is a big Ivy League matchup as well where #3 Cornell travels to NJ to take on #17 Princeton.

In DIII the game to watch will be in the NESCAC as #7 Middlebury takes on #13 Wesleyan. But don't forget about the #9 Villa Julie vs #1 Salisbury game to crown the CAC champion and lock up a NCAA bid for the winner.

Next weekend I'll be heading down to Salisbury for the annual War on the Shore which coincides with SU Lacrosse Alumni weekend. I'll be swinging the wrenches with some former teammates Chris Turner, Tim Parks and Mr. Parks. I don't think we'll be going for the top prize in the alumni golf tournament, but I'm sure that we'll have a great time. I hope the shoulder holds up, but I should be fine.

Trophies Up for Grabs!

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:58:37 -0500

There's nothing finer than hoisting that championship trophy on Memorial Day weekend! I was lucky enough to get to do so in '99 and I'll never forget the experience. This weekend begins the 2008 NCAA playoffs and there are some trophies up for grabs.

So who's going to be the fortunate one's this season? I guess I could make some picks like everyone else is doing.

In Division 1, Duke looks too strong. They did lose a game this year, so they can be beat. Congrats to Greer for setting the NCAA goal scoring record.

I don't follow Division 2 much, but I would like to see a good game. Bryant vs NYIT and we'll crown Bryant. Could Pressler hoist his own trophy while his former team hoists one as well. I'm sure that the Dukies will be at the championship game if Bryant is in it.

I'm going to have to go with my Seagulls in Division 3 again this year. They're gelling at the right time. They will have to play a very, very good Cortland team again. If SU's defense and a hot keeper show up, the Gulls take away their 8th national championship.

My playoff players to watch:
1. Matt Bocklett, D, JHU - Ground ball machine and can run like the wind. Fun to watch
2. The Duke attack - Highlight reel stuff every game
3. Paul Rabil, M, JHU - He can do it all....1,2,3,4,5...we want more
4. Ben Rubeor, A, Virginia - He just makes it look easy.
5. Ryan Cranston, M, Lynchburg - If he plays to his potential, they could lead a run in the D3 South.

Three cheers to Coach Jim Berkman at Salisbury who will become the NCAA most winningest coach with one more victory! It could happen on 5/10 against Ohio Wesleyan.

My Final Four Weekend in a Nutshell

Tue, 27 May 2008 22:52:29 -0500

What a fun weekend up in Boston!

I flew up to Boston on Friday after work with the guru himself G-Diddy. H was meeting up later on. Upon arrival, we realized that we've never stayed in this area of Boston before. We were right on the edge of Southey and the Financial District. So we went back to where we've been before and hit up the Black Rose.

You get a great atmosphere with live music, a bunch of the ladies and of course pints of Guinness. Watch out for the stinky Irish guys in the band though. Wow was that smell bad. It was a calm evening as far as they go because we had a big Saturday planned.

I don't really hold an allegiance to any team (although I personally lean towards the Hop) so we were fired up to take in the day and perhaps go into some games. Well, that didn't happen.

The LaxSpot guys were busy getting the thirsty tailgater folks their much needed LaxSpot coozies. They were a hit with everyone. While on coozie patrol, we hit up the Crease Monkeys party ran by the grand-pooba himself Harry Mazaheri. The Monkey tailgate is always a must stop because it simply goes on all weekend!

Our main stop was the Yorktown tailgate. "Y-TOWN". Sporting their colors, corn-hole, a bus, several grills, confiscated kegs and a hell of a good time. Luckily for us, three buses of Providence college kids (and many gals!) showed up and tailgated right next door and provided a ton of comedy. Go College!

Saturday evening, we left the Westin and hit up a little seafood place right along the path of the 1/2 marathon which was to take place on Sunday downtown. I have no clue what the place was called, but it had a great rooftop deck and plenty of gorgeous ladies and we ran into former Seagull, Kyle Hartzel.

So after a meal, we jumped into a cab to Southie and hit up The Beer Garden. It wasn't like a Good Will Hunting type bar, the neighborhood was all rehabbed and the cliental was young. So we creeped it out for a bit then onto Patty O's where we met up with some Salisbury guys to finish up for the night.

The highlight of the evening was fellow LaxSpotter - Mr. "Showercap" Azmi and his antics towards the end of the night. All he needed were some rubber gloves and it would've been hilarious.

Game Day, Sunday. We make the 40 minute trek to Gillette to watch the D3 contest. We found out the hard way that they won't sell beverages until noon. Well it was 10am and we had to make due with what we had.

Being in the lax industry, we got to check out all the tailgates as neutral as we could. The Cortland folks were fired up as were the Seagull fans. I put some pics below. The game worked out in our favor as the Seagulls won 19-13 in a decently entertaining game.

Back to the Salisbury tailgate to celebrate with current players, alumni, friends and families. As always the spread was amazing! Thanks to the parents and the Varsity Club for putting together a great time. Our final stop was back at the Crease Monkey action where it was evident that the long day had taken a toll on everyone, but the flip cup was still going on with Jr. and some great Canadian girls. They even let Matt Alrich play. How nice of them.

We were feeling saucy after the tailgate so we hit up some live music and dinner. The Bottle in Hand was the final destination where we met up with some Seagulls and continued the celebration.

Unfortunately we missed the D1 championship game live, but we were back in time to catch the 2nd quarter on. What a great game that was. Congrats to all the champions this weekend.

Next year we'll plan ahead, not stay in Boston, get an RV, buy beverages before Sunday and Monday, bring tons of food and film!

Summer Laxin

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:45:05 -0500

As some of you know, I had to sit out this spring season due to a shoulder injury and surgery caused by a ruthless game of 1-Hand touch CO-ED football...LOLI! It was a long spring as I sat out, but it was actually kind of relaxing not having anything to do. Well I think that I'm all set with the rehab and will try my luck on the field of play again. I can only hope that the desire to play comes back as I've found something more fun than playing lacrosse, which is sitting on my couch and doing nothing. I'm real good at it too!!

Last summer I played for Dewalt in the Scotty Boyle League [Gillman League] in Baltimore and also for Team Serafino's in the HoCo League. But this summer, being wayyyyy out of shape, I'll play for LaxSpot.com / Serafino's in the HoCo leauge. One stipulation I had to ask for was that there was more than 4 poles. Last year, I had to play just about every minute of every game and I definately am not up for it this year. The best part of summer ball is that the college kids play and they can run all day.

I'm not sure what tournaments that I'll attend this summer. Since I'm living at the beach (Dewey) this summer, I will definately play in the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic sometime in mid-August. The Charm City Classic is usually a good time. It's the weekend of July 13th this year and I think it moved from Patterson Park downtown to the fields in Howard County.

There was a time when I'd play 5 or 6 summer tournaments and love it. Now I have to pick and choose my battles. I still manage to have more fun than any of the young bucks.

Once this summer mumbojumbo is done, box season starts in september. That is my new favorite time of year. The Baltimore Indoor Lax League is a great one, with a lot of talent including many current and ex-NLL'ers. After about 6 years of box, I understand my role of DEFENSE and off, and also the game, transition and covering that pick and roll. The league has become quite competitive since many understand the box game now as they didn't only a few years ago.

Wish me luck on the Berryesque comeback! Well without all the lifting and running.

I'm Back Baby!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:52:11 -0500

So last night I made my own Berryesque comeback onto the lacrosse field!! Well, without all the working out of course (if you can call rehabin a shoulder working out). It had been the first time I had suited up for a field game since Sept 2007 in Vegas and playing in a game since the Baltimore Indoor Lax League with Dewalt.

In warmups, I beat on fellow attackman Rob Bates for a bit and the shoulder felt pretty good. I didn't take too many runs at defense, but I was more than happy to be out there again. After sitting out this Spring while having the shoulder repaired, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to play anymore. But that lasted about 5 minutes as I got into the game with some heckles, cheering on the guys, some great coaching antics and of course letting the officials know that their calls were all way off. :)

Our summer team is Serafino's / LaxSpot.com and we're playing in the Howard County Summer Lax League. We suffered a 5-4 loss to the Rednexx who's keeper played spectacular. For a 5-4 game, it was up and down and not as boring as you may think. Both defenses played pretty darn well.

My only highlight was jumping behind our keeper and saving a one on none as my mighty kick save steered the ball away. We're a young team with many current college guys. Most are going to be juniors or sophmores in college so it's fun watching them get up and down the field. The rest of the guys are former teammates of mine at Salisbury or on Team Heineken, so you know that we know how to have a great time.

Our next game is tomorrow night and I hope that the youngin's bring their A-game and stick 15 or so! A "W" is in the making, then back to Serafino's for a free pizza buffet and ice cold beverages.

http://serafinosonline.com/

A Rained Out Game and Streaker!?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:12:13 -0500

So my summer team is now 0-2 but we've been fighting hard to get that first W. On Monday night, not only did we have a 9:00pm game, but I drove back from the beach (actually for work) but went straight to the game.

With about 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter we had some lightning, and then a little more, so the refs called for a 30 minute break. I guess that's the mandatory waiting period. About 15 minutes in, there came the rain, and boy did it come down. So the game was called and I guess we flip a coin or make it up at another time. We were down 3-2 at the time. Luckily we made our way to Serafino's for some grub and suds without getting too drenched.

I had a tough challenge for the shoulder during this game covering fellow BIG MAN Roland Miller. I tell you what, it hurt and I really couldn't push him out. I'll have to take the advice of my physical therapist and continue to do some strengthening on my own.

It was brought to my attention that sometime in the first quarter, there was a streaker that ran across the field. During the rain delay, some of the guys were talking and laughing about it. I was on defense at the time and I didn't notice anything.

Apparently there was a group of unruly teens on the road behind the field and one of their buddies ran behind the bleachers and ran down the sidelines in his tighty whiteys and ran up the hill to his awaiting friends in the car. CLASSIC! I wish we had that on film.

Here is a classic lacrosse streaker video from a LI girl's game (Sachem vs Middle Country). He goes down the entire field, hugs a few players along the way and makes his way off into the woods.

LaxSpot.com Summer League Update 7/11

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:58:53 -0500

Well, were back to our winning ways on Team Serafino's / LaxSpot.com. Another big win on Wednesday over the always tough Charm City Warhawks. Our keeper and D played great and we held on for the 7-5 victory.

After starting out 0-2, we've been on a roll and are now 3-2 and a rainout. I'm a little disturbed by our offensive output, but I think that the guys are gelling as a unit and we've been moving the ball a lot better. We'll be scoring more when it matters most....in the playoffs!

Btw, the free pizza buffet at Serafino's is excellent!!!

Team LaxSpot.com Update 7/18

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:22:01 -0500

What an eventful week for Team LaxSpot/Serafino's. We won both games in the Howard County League and are on our way to the playoffs already. I didn't think it was playoff time, but its time to put the game face on and get after it.

On Monday we played the Renegades and won 8-6. And sealed the deal when their keeper dropped the ball in the net with about 1 minute left. Rob Bates tore it up scoring four, but only two counted as he couldn't keep his big feet out of the crease.

On Wednesday, it surely was a show. Due to a scheduling mishap, we travelled to the wrong field. After finding out the error and going to the actual field, we lost a few on the way and had only 12 against a full sideline of Team Breakout.

We pulled out a 7-5 win in a shortened game. Our middies played basically the entire game. Of course I had my share of standard ding-dong checks which obviously resulted in numerous fast breaks up field.

Next week is playoff time!

Team LaxSpot.com Update 7/22

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:06:21 -0500

We found out late last week that we were going to make up our rain out. Sweet! So we took to the field about 25 deep and dominated Dell Franklin Financial from the opening whistle to finish the regular season 6-2.

Our offense had no problem scoring last night with some help from the long poles as resident veteran Glen "Dr. Jekyl" Doss lasered two goals (one that would've been an MLL two-pointer) and off a rough breakup, Tony "Lion Heart" Incontrera juked multiple defenders and stuck one left handed. We didn't even know that he had a left hand.

Stud attackman Blaine "Power Cradle" Bates suffered an injury that required stiches to his beautiful grill by big ole Dell defenseman Mike "Pain Train" Ryan, but that didn't stop Blaine from putting in 4 goals on the day and he even may have gotten an assist.

The offensive attack also had contributions from Tommy "Little Inc" Incontrera, Peter "Rocket Pocket" Cannon and Rob "Sweetness" Bookhammer who all put in a few themselves or dished them to seal the deal.

Hats off to keeper Billy "X-Ray Eyes" MacNamara for making at least 10 sharp saves on the evening and dominated on clears. I think he caught one in the family jewels as well. Way to step it up big fella!

Now it's officially playoff time. Oh yea!!

Team LaxSpot.com - Playoff Game 1

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:48:23 -0500

#4 Team Serafino's/Laxspot.com faced off against #13 Hang Loose for the second time last night in the first round of the Howard County Summer League. Our first meeting was cut short by lightning about 6 minutes before halftime as Team LaxSpot.com was up 7-1.

So last night we decided to play the entire game over. The final score, 13-6, good guys! We had a couple great individual efforts as a few key guys were out of town. These guys were on top of their games and pushed the team in green to the victory.

POG went to Rob "I Prefer Slow Pitch Softball" Bookhammer who finished the night with a season high 5 goals including a sweet swim move dodge beating the keeper with a up close short side finish. I wish I had a video as it was a very nice move. Surely he's been hitting the weight room.

Midfielder, Brian "Mr. I Won't Drink a Beer after the Game with his Teammates" Oakley had 2 goals and 3 assists. He proved that he could shoot while scoring on an empty net, although he almost missed.

In cage, Jake "Like Warm Apple Pie" Dorsey had a great day and was even more impressive was his cat like speed running up field after picking up a few gbs and leading the break.

Versatile midfielder turned attackman, Peter "Does this Jersey Make Me Look Fat" Cannon only had 1, but had a few assists and was a force out there riding and doing the two step around defensemen.

Midfielder, Kyle "Rudi Rudiger" Carnaggio had two and played stellar between the lines. Watch out for this kid as the playoffs continue.

Attackman, Rob "Only One Stitch" Bates has to get mentioned in the write up as he played well sticking some in-tight goals and dished the rock with only one shoulder. This man child has been a rock all season.

Finally, some "big" long pole had a sweet behind the back clear after winning the gb off of the face off wing. Let's try not to let that guy run pole anymore, he's better at getting beat from behind the cage. Who was that quick footed guy?

Next game is Wednesday night against #5 - Mi Casa. It was a great matchup earlier in the season with Team Serafino's/ LaxSpot.com coming out on top!

Team LaxSpot.com - A Playoff Loss :(

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:36:08 -0500

We had a tough one against #5 ranked Mi Casa in the second round of the Howard County playoffs last night. At game time, we only had 10 bodies to start the game. Roanoke goalie Jake Dorsey suited up at midfield and played outstanding as Salisbury's Billy MacNamara went in between the pipes. You couldn't tell that he wasn't a middie (wink, wink Coach Pilat).

It was a back and forth game the entire way as a few more poles and middies showed up. It would've been a blowout without the subs. I think the final score was 8-7, but it could've been 9-8, not sure.

Overall, we had a great season, finishing 7-3 and vastly improving since last year. Just wait until our youngins who are still in school mature another year. We'll be taking the HoCo championship back to Serafino's.

Hats off to Tim Mcginnis for making some in close acrobatic saves to seal the victory for Mi Casa.

After all was said and done, we still felt better than this poor kid...

Salisbury's Dman Crushes a Kid from Villa Julie

Ocean City Lax Classic with the Crease Monkeys

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:47:24 -0500

I'm excited to be heading once again to the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic down in beautiful Ocean City, MD. I've spent most weekends at Dewey Beach, DE this summer so getting down to the old stomping grounds in OC will be fun. Grand Monkey, Harry Mazaheri has brought together a talented Crease Monkeys team that should be a contender.

I'll be picking up LaxSpot Blogger and Chicago Machinist, Brian Clayton from the airport at 7:13pm and we're on our way down to Dewey tonight and then down to OC for our 10am game.

This tournament consists of 40 men's teams this year! 1/2 the games are played in Berlin, MD which is 30-40 minutes away from Northside Park, which kind of stinks.

Here is the Crease Monkeys Roster!

2008 Ocean City Lacrosse Classic
Team: Crease Monkeys - Men's Elite
POS	First	Last	Accolades/Club/College	Hometown
A	Eric	Pittard	Chicago Machine/Cornell '07	Skaneateles, NY
A	Tim	Stratton	Towson '11	Lancaster, PA
A	Joe	High	Salisbury '00	Baltimore, MD
A	Kevin	Nee	Cornell ‘06	Canton, NY
A	John	DuBois	Towson '11	Lancaster, PA
M/FO	John	Glynn	Cornell '09	Lindenhurst, NY
M	Brian	Clayton	Chicago Machine/Cornell '07	Suffern, NY
M	Brian	Christopher	Johns Hopkins '09	Springfield, PA
M/FO	Jordan	Kolb	Penn State '09	Lancaster, PA
M	Jordan	Loftus	Onondaga/Georgetown	Watertown, NY
M	Chris	Turner	Salisbury '00	Crofton, MD
M	Colton	Vosburg	Penn State '11	Kennett Square, PA
M	Kyle	Piper	Salisbury '11	Lancaster, PA
M	Spencer	Smith	Salisbury '11	Baltimore, MD
M	Jared	Harriman	Gettysburg '08	Yarmouth, ME
M	Trey	Keely	Roanoke '11	Lancaster, PA
M	Lance	Diamond	UMBC '10	Ephrata, PA
M	Kylor	Berkman	Salisbury '09	Salisbury, MD
DM	Matt	Warner	Penn State '09	Geneva, NY
LS	Lance	Ophof	UMBC '10	Alexandria, VA
LS	Chris	Keating	Widner '11	Lancaster, PA
D	Mike	Glynn	SUNY Plattsburgh '11	Lindenhurst, NY
D	Matt	Kresse	UMBC '10	Setauket, NY
D	Matt	Bernier	Penn State '11	Drexel Hill, PA
D	Hirbod	Azmi	Salisbury '00	Suffern, NY
D	Mark	Breier	Salisbury '01	Centereach, NY
D	Padraig	McKendry	Towson '10	Lancaster, PA
G	Drew	Adams	Penn State '09	Springfield, PA
G	Chris	Schuch	Elizabethtown '09	Lancaster, PA
Coach	Tom	Ryan	BOS Blazers/PHI Wings/Bowdoin	Boston, MA

Biggie's Ocean City Lax Weekend

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:08:46 -0500

It was glorious being back in the land of make believe. Well at least that's what it was when you only had to play bartender, barback or doorman many summer's ago.

What a great time the Crease Monkeys had. Except for the guys that got the boot from the room on Friday night. Haha!.

Thursday night I picked up Clayton from BWI and we headed to my beach house in Dewey Beach, DE. A few friends were down already and we hit up the Rusty Rudder to unwind a bit. After closing time it was time to rock out on our own by playing Rock Band until 4am.

Well 4am hurt since we got up at 8:30 to head down Rt. 1 to OC. 10am game versus the mighty Warriors. I beleive they were all Lycoming boys. The Monkeys cruised to a 8-2 win. 4pm game we had to play in Berlin, MD against the AZ Mermen. They were a bunch of young stud college guys and the Monkeys ripped up on them I think 11-2.   I'm sure that 1/2 of their team will be in the MLL someday, but you can't beat the skill of the vets we had.

Right after the game we enjoyed some beverages at the field. I got to hang out with a bunch of the Bury boys and Jenny and Jim Berkman showed up to watch Kylor who was playing with us on the Monkeys. Off to Bull on the Beach for grub, then a quick stop to Seacret's to use the free drink passes we got. Apparently some guys don't appreciate my love for frozen drinks. But say as you will, I'll take one of those any day over a beer.

We finished Friday night at Fager's.  For some strange and wonderful reason, I always end up with a Single Source or Smartlink bracelet which allows me to get Natty Lights for free. I didn't see you that night BK, so I'd like to say THANKS!!  You make it difficult to play at every OC tourney.

So we're pretty psyched for the #1 seed since we only let up 4 goals and the seeding went to the lowest GA. But apparently Smartlink let up 4 also. Oh well, we had to play at 9am on Saturday.

Saturday as we get matched up against the always talented Mt Washington LC. If you were up that early you would've seen a big fat guy running up the field surprisingly fast...well that was me running for my life up field. I needed a sub...both a breather and a chicken parm after that. We went on to beat the MWLC by a couple of goals .   Even Creasy Monkey guru Harry Mazaheri started the game in cage!!

Up next, the quarter finals against Dewalt. I've played box with Dewalt for the past 4 seasons so I know most of the guys so it's always fun to run against them. They took us down 6-5 as we fell short in a 2nd half comeback. We opened up slow and they're keeper shut the door at the last second. So we had to play for 5th place.

Ok, so it's 2pm and we're done. Joe High, Harry and I head up to see the lovely Shelley at Tequilla Mockingbird and had some grub. Next stop, Holiday in Pool Bar with the Burnams and some other laxer buds. Finally a trip to Castaways before we had to get ready for the evening.

Our early and final stop, Fishtales! I worked there for 2 summers so I love that place. It was a Salisbury Lacrosse reunion as I could count about 50 Seagulls taking over the place.   I'd have to say that we're a great looking bunch. We took the bus home and that was just pure enjoyment.

I think we played on Sunday, actually we did, only a 1/2, but we beat Pickles by 2 or 3. We were all pretty blurry.

So that was the long OC weekend for me. What a great time. I think that was my 10th OC tourney. Always a blast. I can't wait to go back next year but I think I have a wedding to go to...better not!!!

A special thanks to all the Crease Monkeys who showed up!
Hip-Hip Harry!

Fall ball? Heck it's indoor time here!

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:40:04 -0500

Everyone is all excited for Fall ball going on around the country. I gotta say that I'm glad that Salisbury didn't really have a fall ball. Sure there was 5 weeks of lax in the Fall, but it wasn't everyday and it wasn't too intense like the Springtime. Once I got older I always seemed to schedule a class during the week in the afternoon....woops!

In Baltimore, instead of Fall ball, us post collegiate guys have the Baltimore Indoor Lacrosse League or the BILL. They need to update their blog by the way...

This year I'm playing for Team TriCerat, a bunch of clowns that I've met thru the years. A few guys migrated from Dewalt to start up the squad this year. I think we're at .500 but we had a big win over E-Lacrosse last night as we make our run for the playoffs!

Hoping to have some more fun this fall and get geared up for the Spring season with Magerk's. I'll be able to play this year (barring any new 1 hand touch co-ed football games).

Thanks-giving '08

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:56:24 -0600

Remember the days of having school off around thanksgiving? If I remember correctly, we had a 1/2 day on Wednesday and off on Friday. Now I have to use a vacation day to rest after I stuff myself until my pants don't fit. Ain’t that the pits?

So we finished up our indoor season last week with a close one in the playoffs. It was a fun year…and Thanks to all that played and consumed beverages like camels at the Parrot. I was just told that there will be another indoor league this winter in beautiful Du Burns Arena in Canton...where I live. So I’ll be able to play some more box…sweet!

I don't remember if I shared this with y'all, but I scored my first goal; either field or box in I don't know how many years. I was fired up to stick one as I couldn't believe that I got the ball back after dishing it out! Those offensive guys never pass it. I guess I was due.

If you didn't know, in box I'm strictly a defensive player. We clear it, I get off. It's that simple. Defense, Get Off!! Hey, I know my role and am happy to help the team. But they gotta watch out next season as I like being on the offense!

I hope that everyone has a great Turkey Day! I 'm heading down to Florida to see the folks and to beat my old man at some golf.

Gobble, Gobble!

Holidays Wish List 08

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:26:28 -0600

Once my birthday passes in early December, it's time for Xmas time or Holiday Season if that's not your cup of tea. I forgot to write a letter to the big guy last year and I got squat, so I'm writing my letter to Santa early this year.

Dear Santa,

I have been a good boy all year so it's time for you to deliver. Okay, I was naughty that one time but no one at work still knows who ate all the cake out of the fridge.

So here's my Lax Christmas list.
1. Obviously I need a new Maverick Juice head.
1a. I'll need a sweet STX: ScTi Pro (defense) to go with #1
2. I would like for a NEW Division 1 team to win. How about Stonybrook?
3. I'll take another Salisbury Seagull DIII championship. If you could deliver that to Foxboro, MA that would be ideal.
4. I want the pro leagues to stick around and not have any teams fold.
5. I have been extra nice so I'd really like a step or two back on the field without having to workout.
6. Finally, would it kill ya to bring back the dive?

Merry Xmas
P.S. - I left you some cookies, but I ate them all. Sorry big guy.

If I don't post again in time, a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you out there in lacrosse land. Don't forget to keep an eye out for big things coming up from LaxSpot as we vamp up in 2009!