Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
What is lacrosse?

Lacrosse is a sport played with sticks and balls with the goal of advancing the ball into the opposing net. Some call it the fastest sport on two feet. It's got a lot in common with hockey, and was invented by the First Nations people of Canada.

What kind of equipment?

Sticks


There are three types of lacrosse sticks. There is the regular lacrosse stick, a 40-42 inch stick meant for passing and scoring with. This is what the man in the front is holding. The "D-Pole" is what the defender is carrying behind the man, it can be anywhere from 52 to 72 inches, but most defenders will prefer as long a stick as possible for poke checking and hitting. There is also this guy.



I really don't know what the protocol is on goaltender's sticks. They have huge heads for catching 90-100MPH shots.

Protective Gear

Here are my sick MS paint skills.



Some players will wear shin pads, but they get made fun of, so most don't.

Positions

ATTACK



These guys linger on the opposite end of the field, and just bomb sick shots all day. That's pretty much their job description. Set up for a sick goal.

Midfielder



These guys take faceoffs and run around everywhere on the field, they often advance the ball up the field from a defensive position. They have to be pretty well conditioned and are asked to do jobs that both defenders and attack players would do.

Long Stick Midfielder



These guys do the same duties of the midfielder but are more defensively oriented. If a midfielder is switching out for a line change while the team is backed into their zone, an LSM will typically come out. For some teams, these guys are unicorns and are only out there rarely. They sometimes take shots and look goofy as hell.

Defense



They hit, stop, and block the attack and middies from getting the ball into their net. They will utilize poke and body checks to keep them out. Sometimes they will block shots. They're pretty crazy.

Goaltender

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvfRxVzA_M0

They stop the ball??? They don't wear shin pads. They're weird.

Rules

Many of the same rules as hockey are shared. In Box Lacrosse, you can even fight. But this entire OP is about Field Lacrosse so eh. You cannot go offsides, and you can have a maximum of four people in a zone. You can't go crazy and swing your stick around with one hand, and if you hit someone in the head with a two hand slash you're in bad shape. Head contact is illegal.

College Teams

If it's an east coast school, they probably have a lacrosse team. Denver is the most westerly lacrosse team.

Well that OP sucked, and you do too OP

Thanks! If you want to check out college lacrosse, you can often find it on ESPNU or streaming online. Pro lacrosse is harder to find, and might be on weird niche channels or streaming. Box lacrosse games are hilarious.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Box owns. Lacrosse owns.

I was the dumbass goalie for my high school and college years and christ that was.... something.

E: Also goddamn do I love the sport as much as I loving hate the people in it. It has far and away the bro-iest loving player base and almost all of them are completely loving insufferable. Also lacrosse parents are almost worse than hockey parents.

E2: :eng101: Goalie shafts can be basically of any length they want from attack/middie length to full defensive length, as I recall. More and more these days seem to go with attack length shafts.

DJExile fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Mar 28, 2016

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
That's a hell of a hit

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Top Hats Monthly posted:

That's a hell of a hit

I prayed so hard to get chances like that in the field game. Midwest lacrosse wasn't much when I was growing up, so you'd get a lot of long passes chucked to attackmen behind the D.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Speaking of midwest lacrosse, for those that want to see how the game is played almost perfectly on defense, watch Notre Dame. Holy poo poo they always get great goalies and defenders.

E: Ohio State of all people is quietly building a really solid program too. Nick Meyers has done a hell of a job.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
i would but i hate notre dame and ohio state, god bless

pars
Sep 7, 2011
I've always wondered why there was no Lacrosse thread on SA, and am happy that this is a thread that exists now.

It is fun as poo poo and I'm getting back in to it after a few years away from the game.
Always good to see the game growing too, hopefully not too long before we see some D1 West coast schools.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT

pars posted:

I've always wondered why there was no Lacrosse thread on SA, and am happy that this is a thread that exists now.

It is fun as poo poo and I'm getting back in to it after a few years away from the game.
Always good to see the game growing too, hopefully not too long before we see some D1 West coast schools.

You sauce some passes broh

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Rise from your grave, lacrosse thread!

The D-I selection show is this coming Sunday at 9PM on ESPNU. Quarterfinals will be at Brown and Ohio State. Semis and finals in Philadelphia. Epoch/Inside Lacrosse predicts the following:



Maryland has won 11 straight and has already locked up the B1G. Denver has mostly steamrolled through the season, aside from an odd loss to Penn State and has won the Big East. Their offense has been spectacular. Notre Dame is riding what is still likely the best defense in the nation, but have lost their last 2 games in a huge UNC comeback and tight Duke loss. The ACC tournament was its usual bloodbath and Syracuse came out on top for the 2nd year in a row. Albany murdered America East and has won 9 straight.

Inside Lacrosse posted:

RPI Changes

The biggest development of the weekend was the manner in which the top two seeds clearly separated themselves. With wins over Johns Hopkins and Villanova, respectively, Maryland and Denver separated themselves from the pack of other “top two seed” contenders as they scored Top 20 wins while Notre Dame lost and Brown, Albany and Yale secured non-Top 20 wins. It’s possible that both could lose in their conference semifinal matchup and remain a top two seed, and it's almost assured that advancing to the league championship game will mean that each hosts a winner of a play-in game.

The two most surprising developments in the RPI are Bucknell remaining in the Top 20 and Towson moving in. The Tigers replaced Rutgers, which fell to No. 21, and they appear to have some cushion as they rose all the way to No. 16. Depending on how the CAA and Big Ten Tournaments play (essentially if Rutgers and Penn State lose and Hofstra advances to the CAA championship), there’s a scenario in which Towson could be in at-large consideration if it doesn't win the AQ.

No. 8 Seed

It looks right now like there are three teams in contention for the No. 8 seed — Johns Hopkins, Duke and Loyola. None of the combinations of one of those teams hosting either of the other two should come as a surprise.

The resumes seem to fall pretty neatly from seeds 3-7 —if the only loss in that group this weekend is Yale to Brown in the Ivy championship, the current order would remain IL’s projection (though it’s possible — but unlikely — that the Colgate game could drag Syracuse’s RPI down, including them in the conversation with Hopkins, Duke and Loyola).

Bubble-In

The most interesting spot for shuffling this weekend is in resumes currently ranked Nos. 11-15 — North Carolina’s Top 5 win and two additional Top 20 wins put them top among the group. While Navy and Bryant are very even resume-wise (identical record, three Top 20 wins vs. one Top 5 win), the Mids get the nod because of their superior RPI. However, it’s likely the winner of Villanova-Marquette will jump both Navy and Bryant, nearly securing them an at-large berth.

Bubble-Out?

Rutgers and Penn State should both be big Bryant fans because right now, one of them would be in if Bryant were projected as the NEC champion. The Bulldogs aren’t because of their regular season loss to Saint Joseph’s, however that was the identical scenario by which Bryant secured the AQ last season. If either wins its Big Ten Semifinal matchup (especially Penn State because it’d secure another Top 5 win), it’d be in pretty good shape on Sunday.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Harvard's Joe Lang got annihilated thanks to a floating pass

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


NCAA Bracket is set, schedule as follows:
All times eastern

ESPN posted:

Saturday, May 14

Noon on ESPNU: Duke (11-7) at No. 7 Loyola Maryland (12-3)
2:30 p.m. on ESPNU: North Carolina (8-6) at no. 6 Marquette (11-4)
5 p.m. on ESPNU: Johns Hopkins (8-6) at No. 5 Brown (14-2)
7:30 p.m. on ESPNU: Air Force (15-2) at No. 3 Notre Dame (10-3)

Sunday, May 15
12:30 p.m. on ESPNU: Quinnipiac (11-3)/Hartford (11-6)* at No. 1 Maryland (14-2)
3 p.m. on ESPNU: Towson (14-2)/Hobart (10-6)* at No. 2 Denver (13-2)
5:15 p.m. on ESPNU: Navy (10-4) at No. 4 Yale (13-2)
7:30 p.m. on ESPNU: Albany (12-3) at No. 8 Syracuse (11-4)

*Play-in games Wednesday, May 11

Shrapnig
Jan 21, 2005

Hop had no business getting in, another pandering to Petro(oval office) by the selection committee.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Shrapnig posted:

Hop had no business getting in, another pandering to Petro(oval office) by the selection committee.

Quint Kessenich doesn't seem to disagree

quote:

Hopkins was holding its breath, rooting for Yale on Sunday. Defensive miscues and failed clears have been the storyline throughout 2016. The Jays manufactured 50 shots against Rutgers losing 14-12, as they let the Scarlet Knights run and counter attack in transition. The good news is that Shack Stanwick and Ryan Brown will get looks against a Brown defense that allows lots of shots. The bad news is that Hopkins’ defense has been really bad since April 2, and Brown can blow up a scoreboard. Hopkins has had 77 goals against in its last six games; that's nearly 13 goals against for a Hopkins defense that's getting worse every week. This game could produce 30 or more total goals and should be very fan friendly.

Here's how he described the first 4 out, for what it's worth

quote:

Harvard (8-8)

The Crimson were all over the map in 2016. Wins over ‘Nova, Duke and Brown are impressive. Losses to Bryant, Penn State, Brown, BU, Albany, Penn and Yale hurt. A four-game losing streak in March is forgettable. Face-off wins were in short supply all year long. Devin Dwyer, Morgan Cheek, Joe Lang and Will Walker had their moments. On Sunday, they had no answers for Yale in the fourth quarter.

Rutgers (11-5)

The Scarlet Knights fell to Maryland in the Big Ten Championship game 14-8 in a game that it never felt like they would win. They beat Hopkins twice in 2016 and are a better team than the Blue Jays, but their overall resume isn't as strong.

This is a team with upside in 2017. RU received major contributions from freshman this year while developing an identity as a transition team capable of lighting up opponents with odd-man rushes and early offense. Jules Heningburg, Adam Charalambides, Casey Rose and Michael Rexrode will form a strong nucleus next year.

Villanova (9-5)

At the end of the day, Nova has two wins of merit over Penn State and Bucknell. A handful of losses to Harvard (OT), Brown, Marquette twice and Denver show lost opportunity. SOS was pretty good, and the RPI was in the mid-teens. Close but no cigar.

Bryant (10-5)

The Bulldogs beat Harvard, Brown and Hartford this season but stubbed their toe in the NEC semifinals against Hobart. Losses to Bucknell, Yale, Drexel, Saint Joe's and Hobart leave no excuses. A weak SOS, playing no teams from the Big Ten or ACC seals their fate.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT

Have you ever separated a man and his soul?

DOOMocrat
Oct 2, 2003

Anyone here play in the Midwest or south where this isn't really a thing? I've already picked up floorball, kinda want to play the other almost hockey sport.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


DOOMocrat posted:

Anyone here play in the Midwest or south where this isn't really a thing? I've already picked up floorball, kinda want to play the other almost hockey sport.

Ohio reppin', and Top Hats plays in Minnesota. It isn't as much a huge thing as the east coast, but it's picked up pretty well over the last 15 years around here. I grew up in Toledo and there was no sign of it until I got to high school in 98. I went out to high school in Indiana and it was slowly picking up there too.

Nowadays there are a bunch of club and drop-in organizations and beer leagues around the Midwest but you have to do a little poking around to find them. US Lacrosse may be able to help you find some things in your area.

E: Local youth leagues and even high school teams can always use volunteers too, and that can help you learn and pick the game up as well.

DOOMocrat
Oct 2, 2003

Was just lookin' for something rec. Most search results are for dudes named Dallas. Floorball was easy, with all the Nokia campuses we used to have around there were a lot of Swedes and Finns. I'll keep looking.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


DOOMocrat posted:

Was just lookin' for something rec. Most search results are for dudes named Dallas. Floorball was easy, with all the Nokia campuses we used to have around there were a lot of Swedes and Finns. I'll keep looking.

Check some municipal rec centers and such, they may know where you can find them.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT

DOOMocrat posted:

Was just lookin' for something rec. Most search results are for dudes named Dallas. Floorball was easy, with all the Nokia campuses we used to have around there were a lot of Swedes and Finns. I'll keep looking.

Lacrosse has a very poor online presence. I can call some friends who live in OK/North TX and see what they know

e: I would do what DJExile said, checking online it's a lot of "D1-D3 PLAYERS ONLY", which is hilarious, even though Texas is huge, there isn't exactly a glut of lacrosse players.

Top Hats Monthly fucked around with this message at 17:10 on May 12, 2016

pars
Sep 7, 2011
I play in Japan, of all places.

I would be surprised if there is anywhere in the US where you can't find at least some way to play, so long as there is a decent population there. If there are any lacrosse stores in the area that would also be a good place to ask. In Chicago, Seattle and Colorado there were a number of options for leagues to play in, so it definitely exists outside of the east coast.

On another note anyone know where to find highlights for the NCAA Tournament games? Or is it basically pray for someone to put stuff up on youtube?

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT

pars posted:

I play in Japan, of all places.



Please tell me more!

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Upsets and poo poo!

Play-In:
Q'Pac beats Hartford 14-9
Towson smokes Hobart 18-5

First Round:

#1 Maryland comfortably beats Q'Pac 13-6
Towson shocks #2 (and defending champ) Denver 10-9
#3 Notre Dame beats Air Force 15-7
Navy upsets #4 Yale 13-10
#5 Brown crushes Hopkins 17-8
UNC upsets #6 Marquette 10-9
#7 Loyola(MD) beats Duke 16-11
#8 Syracuse beats Albany 11-9

Saturday's Quarterfinals at Brown!
#8 Syracuse vs. #1 Maryland - Noon. ESPNU
Navy vs. #5 Brown - 2:30PM ESPNU

Sunday's Quarterfinals at Ohio State!
UNC vs. #3 Notre Dame - Noon ESPN2
Towson vs. #7 Loyola-MD - 2:30PM ESPN2

Navy vs. Brown should be a fantastic defense vs. offense matchup, and ND and UNC played an instant classic earlier this season.

pars posted:

I play in Japan, of all places.

I would be surprised if there is anywhere in the US where you can't find at least some way to play, so long as there is a decent population there. If there are any lacrosse stores in the area that would also be a good place to ask. In Chicago, Seattle and Colorado there were a number of options for leagues to play in, so it definitely exists outside of the east coast.

On another note anyone know where to find highlights for the NCAA Tournament games? Or is it basically pray for someone to put stuff up on youtube?

ESPN.com has a few highlights up.

Shrapnig
Jan 21, 2005

Brodie Merrill did this last night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_TxsmIbX4

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007



holy poo poo :stare:

E: lol then they won in OT. That is nuts.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
Be careful kiddos! Wear sunscreen! I have a very bleach white hand, dark tan forearm, bleached elbow, and tan shoulders.

:mad:

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Top Hats Monthly posted:

Be careful kiddos! Wear sunscreen! I have a very bleach white hand, dark tan forearm, bleached elbow, and tan shoulders.

:mad:

hahahahaha I remember exactly what this looks like

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT

DJExile posted:

hahahahaha I remember exactly what this looks like

Also I blocked a shot off my inner thigh that was absolutely whipped by an LSM. It looks as bad as you think it might :stonk:. The limp today is real.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Top Hats Monthly posted:

Also I blocked a shot off my inner thigh that was absolutely whipped by an LSM. It looks as bad as you think it might :stonk:. The limp today is real.

I was a goalie myself. The balls are certainly the worst but god inner thigh makes walking just brutal for a day or two.

pars
Sep 7, 2011

Top Hats Monthly posted:

Please tell me more!

I've worked in Tokyo for about 2.5 years (not teaching English, a distinction that should be made) which is why I'm here.

Lacrosse here is interesting because 99% of people begin from college, since there are something like 2 high school teams in the country (Mens) and basically 0 organized lacrosse below that. So people begin from college and play for 4 years. I think there are somewhere around 50-100 colleges with mens teams, probably in the 100-200 range for womens. Mens teams will usually have 50-70 guys for big popular schools and 15-20 for very small schools. Womens teams range from 20-250(!).

Given that small lacrosse population, after college there is obviously no pro lacrosse. However, there are national mens and womens club leagues that are very well run. Since Japan is small they can get away with having a single club league, which is then split into regions (increasing in number as teams increase). Tokyo is by far the biggest/best for many reasons.
These teams are a lot more serious than you would expect from a mens league, and most do practices every non-working day (usually around 7 AM, which means waking up at 7 AM to catch a train to the fields which are all over the place). They also make their own jerseys, customize gear etc for the team, and make other team branded goods (shirts, sweatshirts, etc).
The level for the mens league varies quite widely. Each year the Japanese Lacrosse Association invites a mens and womens college team from the US to come and play a game (a few games? can't remember) against the Japanese national team. I don't think the Japanese team has won yet. This year Hofstra will be coming, and will probably win (handily). I'll update in June. Most of the top teams have a handful of guys on the national team, and a bunch of others who are close. So I think middling D-2 or club schools would probably be the best comparison.

I joined a team by meeting a guy at a wedding who played, and he invited me to come practice with them. So now I am one of 2 foreigners who play lacrosse in Japan (as far as I know). I also hadn't played in about 3 years, so after joining about 2 months ago I'm having a great time getting back into shape and being able to play this sport again.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


That's awesome as hell and good on you for helping to expand the sport :cheers: That Hofstra visit sounds sweet too.

NCAA RESULTS
#1 Maryland handled #8 Syracuse 13-7
#5 Brown escaped Navy 11-10. Fantastic game if you didn't watch it. Navy was spectacular on defense and drat near pulled it off.
UNC stunned #3 Notre Dame 13-8. It was 11-3 going into the 4th quarter. First time UNC has gone to the semis since 1993. Stephen Kelly was 17/25 at faceoffs.
Loyola-MD escaped Towson 10-8. Full credit to Towson, they gave Loyola fits all game.

Semifinals!
May 28
UNC vs. Loyola-MD - Noon, ESPN2
#5 Brown vs. #1 Maryland - 2:30, ESPN2


Really emotional moment for UNC's coach Joe Breschi after the game. He was the head coach at OSU 16 years ago (their game vs. ND was in Ohio Stadium), when his 3 year-old son was hit and killed by an SUV in his parking lot at pre-school. The team dedicated the game to him.

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
North Carolina, good???

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Top Hats Monthly posted:

North Carolina, good???

Seriously holy poo poo

and Brown drat near pulled it off against Maryland

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


I can respect Maryland but on the other hand gently caress the big ten forever

Go a heels bitch

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Holy poo poo what a start :stare:

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Aaaaaaahahaha holy gently caress UNC

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
HAHAHAHHAHA

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
I'm actually rooting for the Terps but I really don't care

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
What a goal!

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


Wow Maryland moves it well

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Top Hats Monthly
Jun 22, 2011


People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully blink blink recall STOP IT YOU POSH LITTLE SHIT
DJExile and TopHats, the thread.

The game is on ESPN2 if you want to join us

  • Locked thread