As always, the inbox is open via e-mail or Twitter for tips. On to the links:
NCAA
Shayne Adams photo by GLS
Four Detroit Titans were namedto the Inside Lacrosse pre-season all-MAAC team. LSM Jordan Houtby – also an Honorable Mention All-American, according to IL – is joined by defenseman Jamie Hebden, attack Shayne Adams, and short-stick defender Nick Garippa.
Michigan doesn’t get such a hot review in the ECAC preview. The Wolverines are picked to finish last in the league, and have no pre-season all-conference players.
The Michigan women’s team has gotten on its player profile game. Recent signee Emily Braun is up first, followed by Bianca Brueckner.
Additional details on Michigan’s game at Citi Field in New York this spring.
Defenseman Cooper Charlton is the latest freshman on the men’s side to be profiled.
Former Brother Rice standout Peter Plaskey has been named a captain at D-2 Mercyhurst.
Michigan gets a shoutout in Inside Lacrosse’s retrospective on the growth of the game. and another mention in a discussion of proliferation in the West – the “voice of the sport” gives a shoutout to California midfielder Mike Schlosser for being one of the best midfielders in the country.
Collegiate Club
The pre-season MCLA rankings from Lax Magazine have been released. Michigan State is No. 6 and Davenport is No. 17 in its first year of MCLA-1 play. On the D-2 side of things, Grand Valley State is No. 2. Davenport’s official site talks about the pre-season rankings.
Michigan is ranked No. 5 in the WCLA Division-1 pre-season rankings, and Oakland is No. 6 in Division-2. The Golden Grizzlies’ Desiree Messina is the pre-season Player of the Year. Hope and Grand Valley are Nos. 16 and 18, respectively, in Division-2.
High School and Club
Tryouts for 313 Lacrosse’s GP Select clubs is tonight at Elite Indoor Sports in Shelby Township. Visit the site for more details. 313 Lax clinics will take place this winter, with details also on the site.
Detroit Country Day will be looking for a new coach after the departure of headman Byron Collins. He is accepting an assistant position at Rutgers.
Schedules are available for the D-Town Lacrosse Classic, taking place Dec. 27 and 28 at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac.
Heat Lacrosse has a U-13 team, U-15 team, and a boys elite team in the NDP Lacrosse Nationals, while Team Total has a boys rising stars squad.
Recruiting
LaxLessons covers Haverford (Pa.) attack Brandon Shima’s commitment to Michigan.
IL talks the commitment of J.C. Sorenson to the Wolverines:
The 6-foot-1 middie was a starter on varsity this past spring, and also plays football as a wide receiver and defensive back. A member of Leading Edge, he attended Jake Reed’s Nike Blue Chip, NSCLA and Rider MVP, earning All-Star appearances at Blue Chip 225 Elite and Dartmouth’s Camp. Sorenson strongly considered Dartmouth, Harvard, North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and Yale.
That’s an impressive list of schools to beat out, and a sign that U-M’s recruiting is headed in the right direction, at the least.
Clarkston (and Ca$h Cow$) senior defenseman Evan Kneisel has committed to Albion.
Advanced Stats
A little more detail on the Krossover presentation from the IMCLA convention. College Crosse talks about the presentation, and links it – in all its Tempo Free Lax-mentioning glory.
Conference Realignment
Realignment cant stop won’t stop. At this point – without covering it every single day – it’s almost a better idea to just wait and see how everything shakes out.
Monmouth and Quinnipiac have joined the MAAC in all sports, presumably including lacrosse (and there have been rumors that Wagner isn’t far behind). This could have a few ripple effects, such as: 1) killing the NEC or forcing the league to expand, and 2) giving the MAAC nine current members, potentially giving that league the incentive to retract geographically, which could affect UDM long-term.
Friend of the Blog Hoya Suxa over at College Crosse points out one realignment angle that nobody seems to be considering: it could lead to a shrinking – rather than growth – of the sport.
Did inside lacrosse ever profile or list Shayne Adams or Jordan Houtby as recruits? Honest question.
I would be surprised. IL only covers commitments that are reported to them, which means limited coverage of… lower-profile recruits, Canadians (except from powerhouse high schools or headed to powerhouse colleges), and those who don’t play for prominent club programs.