Archive for June, 2008
VAIL — The Vail Lacrosse Shootout had its humble beginnings with a keg of beer.
Really. That’s what the Shootout was when it started in the 70s — a few lacrosse players and a keg of beer.
As the sport has grown, so has the tournament, a nine-day lollapalooza from the high school level to grand masters (50 and older players). And we’re pretty sure the event needs more than just one keg.
The masters (33 and up) super masters (40 and up) and grand masters kick their divisions off today. While these divisions are more social in nature — here’s a hint: Bridge street is where these guys are when not on the field, — there is some strong competition.
The masters have their title game Monday at 12:30 p.m. at the Vail Athletic Field, while the grand masters crown their champ earlier in the day at 8:30 a.m. at Ford Park. The super masters wrap their tournament Tuesday at 1 p.m., also at Ford Park.
High school lacrosse is exploding across the country and that is also true at the Shootout. The boys start pool play Sunday at Nottingham Park in Avon, Freedom Park and Berry Creek Middle School in Edwards. The top-two teams in each pool advance to the knockout round, starting Monday.
While there are 16 teams in boys’ competition, there are a whopping 23 in the girls’ high school division. The young ladies will also have pool play, starting Sunday at Freedom Park on the turf and the grass fields. The girls title game is Wednesday at noon on the turf, while the boys wrap on the same day up at Ford Park at 1 p.m.
The Vail Lacrosse Shootout returns for its 36th edition in 2008, running from Saturday, June 28 – Sunday, July 6. As the premiere club tournament in the United States, Vail is home to some of the very best lacrosse in the world and will play host to over 60 men’s teams and 30 women’s teams in what has become a pilgrimage for any true lacrosse fan.
The Vail Shootout started in Aspen in 1973 and was founded by Flip Naumburg and Jim Soran. After making its permanent move to Vail in 1979, the tournament has enjoyed steady growth and become a fixture on the lacrosse landscape. More than just a lacrosse tournament, the Shootout is almost a spiritual gathering. It has become a place for lacrosse “people” of all ages to come together and celebrate their sport in a tribal manner, much in the same way their Native American forefathers did.
With players competing in seven different divisions, the Vail Shootout has enough lacrosse to satiate any fan’s appetite. The Men’s Elite division is the headliner, taking place from July 3rd – July 6th and coinciding with the Women’s Elite tournament. Preceding the Elite Divisions, Men’s Masters, Supermasters and Grandmasters kick off “8 Days at 8,000 Feet” on June 28th. The Boys and Girls High School Divisions take the field on June 29th.
Over the years, some of the world’s best lacrosse players have played in the Vail Shootout. Gary and Paul Gait (Syracuse), Jen Adams (Maryland), Casey, Ryan and Mike Powell (Syracuse), Kyle Harrison (Johns Hopkins) and Michele DeJuliis (Penn State), some of the most recognized names in the sport, have all graced the Vail Valley at some point in their lacrosse careers.
With a newly created pool play element to the Men’s Elite division, look for this year’s Shootout to be extremely competitive from start to finish.
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2008 Schedule of Events
Men’s Supermasters (ages 40 +): June 28 – July 1
Men’s Grandmasters (50 +): June 28 – June 30
Dr. Tom Watts Memorial Boy’s U-19:
June 29 – Pool Play
June 30 – July 2nd – Tournament Play
Girl’s U-19
June 29 and June 30 – Pool Play
July 1 and July 2 – Tournament Play
Chumash 3-on-3 Youth Tournament: June 28, June 29 and July 5
Contact Nickie Soran at (303) 257-7196 for registration and other information
Men’s Masters (ages 33 +): June 28 – June 30
Men’s Elite:
July 3 – Pool Play
July 4 – July 6 – Tournament Play
Women’s Elite:
July 3 and July 4 – Pool Play
July 5 and July 6 – Tournament Play
For schedules detailing teams and fields, please visit www.vaillacrosse.com.
**Men’s and Women’s Elite championship games will be held July 6 at Ford Field**
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What’s New for Vail 2008?
Just because Vail is one of the longest running tournaments in all of lacrosse does not mean that it has stopped being progressive. Several new features have been added to the 2008 version to ensure that it continues to be on the cutting edge.
The first and most noteworthy is the addition of pool play in the Men’s Elite division for the first time. After several years of mis-seeding teams in the tournament draw, the consensus this year was to make an attempt to give all teams a fair shake at the coveted “Championship Bracket.” Pool play in the Men’s Elite will take place on Thursday, July 3. The top two teams from each of the four pools will move on to the top half of the tournament draw while the remainder of the teams will play in the Consolation Bracket.
Next, the Chumash tournament will take a step forward in 2008 as well. With games on two weekends, instead of one, this youth favorite will continue to expand. Chumash is a form of lacrosse created by Vail co-founder Flip Naumburg that allows for a “portable” lacrosse game to break out wherever you might be. With no goalies and a long, skinny goal that two teams of three players each attack, it is similar to half-court basketball and is a great way to teach younger players the game. The Chumash tournament is a friendly, non-competitive event that will take place on both weekends of the tournament. Dates are June 28 and 29 as well as July 5. Contact Nickie Soran at (303) 257-7196 for more information and to register your team or player.
Six Denver Outlaws Included in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 30 Players in MLL
DENVER—June 26, 2008—The Denver Outlaws defeated the Chicago Machine, 15-13 last Saturday at INVESCO Field at Mile High. The second of three meetings against Chicago this season comes this Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park in Chicago. The game will be broadcast live on FSN Rocky Mountain Sunday (6/29/08) at 2:30pm MST.
Denver leads the MLL with a record of 5-1, while the Machine’s 1-5 record puts them at the bottom. With a total of 32 points, Brian Langtry is now tied with Rochester’s John Grant, Jr. in the league’s overall scoring leaders. The Outlaws have five of the top 25 scorers, more than any other team in the MLL.
In the July issue of Inside Lacrosse, ESPN Analyst and IL contributor Quint Kessenich ranks the top 30 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) players. Included in the rankings are six of Denver’s stars: Brian Langtry, Ryan Powell, Jeff Sonke, Brendan Mundorf, Benson Erwin and Drew Westervelt. A first of its kind, Inside Lacrosse is the most reputable lacrosse magazine while its internet counterpart, insidelacrosse.com, is “the top website in lacrosse.” Kessenich was a member of John Hopkins University’s 1987 Lacrosse Championship team and is currently in his eighth season as a MLL analyst.
Kessenich’s June 20th blog on insidelacrosse.com ranked midfielder Langtry ninth, with Powell filling in the fourteenth spot. Langtry is currently tied with Rochester’s John Grant, Jr. in the league’s overall scoring with a staggering 32 points. In the four games that he has played this season, Powell has totaled 17 points for an average of more than four points per game.
Last Saturday the Outlaws defeated the Chicago Machine in a last-minute play by Sonke. With the score tied 13-13 and with 13 seconds left on the clock, Sonke ripped a 2-point goal past Chicago giving the Outlaws the victory and the top seed in the league. Attackman Mundorf has recorded 20 points on the season, including four goals against Chicago. Erwin’s versatility at midfield put him on this list, while Westervelt’s sophomore status and big numbers ranked him 27th on Kessenich’s blog.
Sunday 3:30 PM (CST) at Toyota Park
DENVER—June 25, 2008— In a nail-biting game last Saturday, the Denver Outlaws defeated the Chicago Machine, 15-13. Jeff Sonke received the Bud Light MVP honors for his 13-second left 2-point goal giving the Outlaws the victory. This was the first of three meetings between the two teams this season.
The second meeting comes this Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park in Chicago. Overall, the Outlaws have come out victorious in six of the seven games against Chicago.
Denver leads the MLL with a record of 5-1, while the Machine’s 1-5 record puts them at the bottom. With a total of 32 points, Brian Langtry is now tied with Rochester’s John Grant, Jr. in the league’s overall scoring leaders. The Outlaws have five of the top 25 scorers, more than any other team in the MLL.
Looking to hold off Langtry and the rest of the Outlaws is Chicago’s goalie Mike Gabel who has a save percentage of .606, the second best in the league. With close games all season, Machine Head Coach John Combs is sure to look for a lead early on.
Denver’s next home game will be the 4th of July game versus San Francisco. The Outlaws set the professional lacrosse attendance record at last year’s July 4th game, drawing close to 20,000 fans. This year post-game festivities will include close proximity fireworks best viewed from inside the stadium.
Steamboat Springs — More than 10 local lacrosse players competed in the War rior Vail Colorado Lacrosse Tournament last week.
The tournament attracted some of the top select teams from across the country.
Jasper Gantick, Gus Worden, Tyler Samlowski and Andrew White competed on the Mountain All-Star team in the U-17 division. Tyler Saxe, Aleck Gantick and Jace Worden played for a Colorado Springs team in the U-15 division, and Logan Banning, Trent Trask, Christian Ramirez, Andrew Farney and Peter White competed for a Western Slope All-Star team in the U-13 division.
2008 Xcelerate Lacrosse Camps - Boys ages 8-17
Join us this summer at any of our 4 locations:
- June 23-26: Mountain Vista High School Day Camp (Highlands Ranch)
- July 20-24: Fountain Valley Overnight Camp (Colorado Springs)
- July 28-31: Ford Field Day Camp (Vail)
- August 4-7: Colorado Adventure Overnight Lacrosse Camp (Glenwood Springs)
REGISTRATION & camp details can be found here… www.XcelerateLacrosse.com
Evergreen HS JV lacrosse has an opening for a Head JV Coach. The boys JV team is coming off their most successful season and is looking for continued improvement. Evergreen HS is dedicated to growing their program and believes the JV program is a key to their overall program. For more information please contact Varsity Head Coach Toby Plank: tobyplank@yahoo.com
Following a week of great high school lacrosse at the MVP Tournament (Rutgers University), I headed home to Colorado for the U-17 Vail Shootout.
Though not a traditional stop on the recruiting circuit, the Shootout features outstanding high school club teams from both coasts and just about everywhere in between. There was certainly some great talent on display in Friday’s championship and 3rd place games as teams from Colorado, California, Maryland and DC battled it out for the crown of tournament king.
