Thursday, January 28, 2016

Who Will Win the Next Title?


 Lacrosse season is right around the corner and I cannot wait to see the top teams in the country battle out for the national title. Last year, the two teams, Maryland, and UNC battled out for the NCAA National Championship. With both teams evenly matched in the skill of the game, Maryland was able to take the win with a final score of 8-9. Both teams are unique in playing style. Maryland plays strictly textbook lacrosse, no fancy tricks, stick skills, or plays. Throughout the game they were consistent in their passing, catching, and settling the ball around the 12-meter arc. With the help of Taylor Cummings, a two-time Tewaaraton trophy winner, and Megan Whittle the team was able to assist and score goals. 

   With the help of their top scorers Maggie Bill and Aly Messinger, UNC was able to get past Marylands solid defense. UNC is more complex in their plays, they handle the ball differently, play more aggressive, and have more complicated ways of settling the ball. As a player, I recognize the strengths and differences of both teams, and while I do not favor one team more than other, I was sad to see UNC's loss. They could have easily won the game if they did not commit so many fouls, especially in the last half with a yellow card being given to their midfielder, causing them to be man-down for a temporary amount of time.

   I am excited to see the top two teams of 2016 battle it out, maybe this time with a different outcome than last years.


Friday, January 22, 2016

Lacrosse 101

Lacrosse originates from eastern Woodlands Native American, being one of the oldest team sports in North America. Originally a male-only sport, it was introduced to women in the 1890's. The rules of women's lacrosse are simple. The games are played with 12 players on the field, including a goalkeeper. There are 4 attackers, 3 midfielders, and 4 defenders. Attackers line up on the opposing team's side of the goal, their main objective being to score goals. The midfielder's play out 3 different role's, the main midfielder takes the draw, controlling the outcome of the start of the game. The other two are a defensive wing and offensive wing playing both sides of the game. The defender's are on the opposite side of the field to the attacker's, protecting their own goal. The game last 60 minutes, with two halves.


 There are two different surroundings around the goal on both sides of the field; the eight-meter arc and the 12-meter fan. When a player commits a major foul inside either of these areas, the offense regains the ball and has a straight shot towards goal. If a player is inside the eight-meter arc for more than 3 seconds, there is a turnover to the other team, the only exception being if there is a player defending an opponent.