Florida Lacrosse News on Substack 02/11/2025
Welcome to today's post! High School scores, FINALLY!
This is the last free day for Substack, as you see what you will be missing if you are only a free subscriber. $75 for the year, or $10 a month brings you all the Florida content you could possibly hope for, all in one place!
Highlights today:
Monday’s HS scores and today’s schedule, with my thoughts on some key games
College Polls, game recaps, etc.
PLL Championship Series starts today! We have the rules.
NLL Weekend Recap
I hope you liked the format for the Weekly College Recap article!
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Remember, I am looking to build up my database of info; coaches, please email me at lee@floridalacrossenews.com with social media of the school and yourself, phone number, direct email and Club data too!
#TAFTAG
#LayOffTheRefs
#FloridaRising
#LacrosseFanandDamnProudOfIt
#StopYellingWard
#AcknowledgeFloridaLacrosse
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Welcome - Southwest Florida Shootout Tournament Video
Buy tickets HERE
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Opening Day IS AWESOME!
For the 3rd straight year, I made my way over to Pompano Beach for opening night, and was treated to a 2-1 as West Broward came to town with both their Girls and Boys teams. West Broward, following the trend of many in Broward County, went back to Independent status, which Pompano has been part of for a while. There was clearly an experience gap in both games, but that didn’t take away from the sheer enjoyment of getting out into the fresh air, with a full moon peering through willowy clouds, and watching the best sport on earth.
The first game pitted the Girls’ teams, and WB took control early, going into halftime with a 7-0 lead. Pompano’s defense stepped up in the 2nd half and held WB to 2 goals, while scoring their lone goal in the 4th quarter for the 9-1 win for WB.
I stayed for the first half of the Boys game, which WB handled comfortably, as they clearly were the more polished team. A nice surprise, which I had forgotten about, was that Rudy Williams is now the head coach at WB. I’ve come across Rudy a number of times, as far back as a district semifinal where he was at Cardinal Gibbons. Relationships never go away in this sport and I always enjoy catching up with Rudy. Bob Rose was coaching the Pompano Girls, and I don’t have to worry about that relationship since we talk a lot.
One other interesting thing to me was the presence in the Boys game of referee Hannah Gottlieb, one of the few women who is reffing Boys’ games. Hannah is a second-generation referee, and well on her way. I met her at last year’s Referee Clinic in Boca, along with two other women seeking to handle Boys games, and it’s a welcome addition to a pool that needs expanding. At some point I will interview her about the experience.
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During the game, I remembered that the Brevard Sports Network, mostly a Facebook-broadcast platform, was broadcasting what was possibly the biggest game on paper on Opening Night . . . the Viera Hawks Girls hosting the 3x defending state champs in 2A, the Bartram Trail Bears, on their YouTube channel.
I noted on the YT page that this was likely the biggest game Viera has ever hosted, Boys or Girls (with last year’s Lake Highland Boys game a close second). It was a close 1st half score, but BT pulled away in the 2nd half for a comfortable margin and a 17-9 win. Emily Barnette scored 7 goals and Ava Allamon added 6G in the win. Bartram keeps producing high-end talent and Emily now is ‘The Man’ this year as Ryann Frechette has moved on to UF. Ava and last year’s super frosh Esa Brenneman also are looking to continue the streak of state titles. Replacing Maddy Stevens in goal is the biggest item on BT’s list.
Viera’s 1st half performance both indicates potential, but also reveals the next step for them, in consistency in playing a top program. We’ll monitor their progress as they look to continue their progression.
Brevard does a great job with broadcasting games, and you should always pay attention to their broadcast schedule.
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A Few Scores That Caught My Attention Last Night:
Holy Trinity Boys 9-6 over Merritt Island
I need to see if that one is more Holy Trinity falling off some, Merritt Island being on the way back up, or a combo of both. HT was 15-5 last year and made the regional semifinal in 1A/Reg 2, with a big playoff win over Bishop Moore, while Merritt Island was 5-9 last year. Last year’s game was not really a blow out, with HT winning 9-2, so it might be a bit more of a matchup reason. Something to focus on as the season goes.
Sickles Boys 18-12 over Steinbrenner
Sickles sends a message to the team that lost by one goal to Plant in last year’s FHSAA bracket. Last year it was Steinbrenner in 2 OT’s over a 12-6 Sickles team that had a few bad games last year.
Northside Christian Boys 8-7 over Lakewood Ranch
Both had excellent records last year, but did not play each other. Lakewood made the regional semifinal last year and played Newsome competitively in that round. 1A vs 2A. This is the type of game result that could determine a seed or whether a school makes the bracket or not. Either way, a very nice win for Northside.
Steinbrenner Girls 13-9 over Sickles
That rivalry continues to progress, as Steinbrenner revenges last year’s upset loss to the Gryphons. This is one where playing home and away might make a lot of sense!
Vero Beach Girls 18-6 over Jupiter
Same exact score as last year’s game, when I was wondering if Jupiter would narrow the margin this year. They didn’t, so now you have to consider that Vero is a little tired of falling just shy of another state title.
Seminole Girls 14-12 over Boone
Last year, Seminole went 5-11, while Boone was 10-6. They didn’t play last year. Will Seminole show throughout the year?
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Monday Results
Boys
Jupiter Christian falls 15-5 to Palm Beach Central
Miami Palmetto 8-1 over Western
Sickles tops Steinbrenner 18-12
Wharton falls big to Alonso
Wesley Chapel edges Land O’ Lakes 9-8
Admiral Farragut falls 10-3 to Palm Harbor
Foundation Academy big over Okeechobee
Cooper City falls 16-3 to Cardinal Gibbons
Edgewood toppled 17-6 to Satellite
Pompano Beach loses 15-6 to West Broward
Olympia nips Seminole 7-6
St Augustine big over Flagler Palm Coast
Trinity Prep shuts out Melbourne 6-0
Montverde 18-4 over Hagerty
Oak Hall big over Leon
Horizon falls big to Windermere
Bishop Verot 10-4 over Aubrey Rogers
Matanzas falls 10-2 to Bartram Trail
Merritt Island falls 9-6 to Holy Trinity
Berkeley Prep falls 15-4 to Bishop Moore
Westminster Academy big over South Plantation
Ransom Everglades big over Miami Country Day
Benjamin big over Dwyer
Trinity Catholic shuts out Eastside
Angeline Academy falls in debut game to Lake Wales
Lakeland Christian 11-5 over Pasco
St Brendan 15-8 over Coral Reef
Osceola big over Sunlake
Lakewood Ranch nipped by Northside Christian 8-7
Fort Myers 14-3 over Riverdale
Girls
Venice 15-2 over Village School of Naples
Coral Reef hosts Keys Gate - game taken down
St Brendan falls big to Miami Palmetto
Pompano Beach falls 9-1 to West Broward
South Plantation hosts Northeast - no score yet
Osceola falls 8-3 to Sunlake
Dwyer falls 11-9 to Oxbridge
South Walton big over North Bay Haven
Sebastian River falls 13-2 to Martin County
Hagerty handles Winter Park 17-4
Gulf Breeze big over Tate
Jupiter topped by Vero Beach 18-6
Winter Springs big over Lyman
Trinity Prep 17-12 over Orangewood Christian
Calvary Christian Ft Laud hosts NSU University - no score yet
Pensacola Catholic shuts out Pensacola
Holy Trinity hosts St Edward’s - no score yet
Angeline Academy loses debut to Wiregrass Ranch
Okeechobee shut out by Palm Beach Central
Viera falls 17-9 to Bartram Trail
Sickles falls 13-9 to Steinbrenner
River Ridge shuts out Trinity Catholic
Wesley Chapel loses big to Cypress Creek
Wharton falls 16-5 to Alonso
Windermere loses big to Bishop Moore
Boone falls 14-12 to Seminole
Fort Myers shuts out Riverdale
Cardinal Gibbons big over Cooper City
Horizon and Boone - no score yet
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College Recap
We forgot to cover the ERAU Men’s game against Alabama-Huntsville in the College Recap yesterday, so here it is!
ERAU Men Take the 12-6 Win Over Alabama-Huntsville
Men’s Lacrosse Opens Home Slate with Win Over Chargers
Hagerty alum Christian Hofer with 3G for ERAU
Dwyer alum Reid Kerr 14 for 20 in goal, 70% for ERAU
AH-Delray alum Giacomo Comuzzi with 2A for ERAU
Game Recap LINK
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Webber Men 20-7 Over Taylor on Monday
Warriors Open Indiana Trip with 20-7 Drubbing of Taylor
Wiregrass Ranch alum Jeremiah Loo with 4G/1A for Webber
Game Recap LINK
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College Games Today:
Stetson Women travel to Oregon
USF Women travel to Mercer
Tampa Men hosts FSC
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Sunshine State Conference Weekly Awards
Dwyer alum Reid Kerr wins Men’s Defensive POTW
Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Max Armitage, Rollins
Graduate Student - Midfield - Anthem, Arizona
Armitage's performance led Rollins to road wins over Belmont Abbey (17-6) and No. 20 Anderson (14-13). The graduate student from Anthem, Arizona opened the road trip with two goals, both unassisted, and an assist against Belmont Abbey. Armitage followed with a game-high four goals, including the game-winner, in the victory at Anderson. His six goals came off of nine shots and eight shots on goal.
Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Reid Kerr, Embry-Riddle
Junior - Goalkeeper - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Kerr locked down Alabama-Huntsville during ERAU's 12-6 victory with his performance between the pipes. The junior from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, totaled 14 saves and allowed six goals for a .700 save percentage. Kerr earned the win while facing 37 total shots and picking up three ground balls.
Men's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week
Jacob Czyz - Florida Southern
Junior - FOS - Baldwinsville, New York - 6th SSC Weekly Award
Czyz repeats as Specialist of the Week for his performance in a narrow loss to No. 5 Wingate (12-11). The junior from Baldwinsville, New York, won a game-high 19 of 25 face-offs for a .760 win percentage. He also scored a goal and picked up a game-high 14 ground balls. Czyz's goal sparked a 4-0 run, giving FSC a late chance at the equalizer. This week's accolade is the sixth of his career.
Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Kristyn Johnson, Lynn
Graduate Student - Attack - Rochester, New York
Johnson averaged 6.5 goals, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 ground balls during Lynn's 2-0 road trip last week. The graduate student from Rochester, New York began the week with a game highs in points (7) and goals (5) as the Fighting Knights blasted Montevallo (21-6). Johnson then tallied game highs in points (10) and goals (8) in a win over Alabama-Huntsville (21-17). She also gave Lynn four ground balls, three draw controls, and two caused turnovers across the two games. Johnson's 13 goals came off 14 total shots, all of which were on goal. Her eight goals against UAH tie her for third most in SSC-single game history.
Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Jessica Harclerode, Saint Leo
Junior - Goalkeeper - Sayville, New York - 6th SSC Weekly Award
Harclerode opened the season with wins in goal on the road against Belmont Abbey (18-5) and No. 17 Limestone (14-11). The junior from Sayville, New York, began the 2025 season with four saves and five goals allowed in SLU's win at Belmont Abbey. She also picked up a ground ball in the victory. Against Limestone, Harclerode tallied 13 saves and allowed 11 goals while facing 33 total shots. She finished the week with a .515 save percentage and an 8.00 goals-against average during her 120 minutes in goal. The weekly award is the sixth of her career.
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American Athletic Conference Weekly Awards
Five Teams Represented In First Women's Lacrosse Weekly Honors Of 2025
Excerpt:
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MIDFIELDER OF THE WEEK
Bailey Morris • RFr. • South Florida • Dublin, Ohio
Morris scored a game-high four goals and added three draw controls to lead South Florida to a 19-6 win against Kennesaw State in the Bulls’ inaugural game in front of more than 2,300 fans at Corbett Stadium. Morris scored a pair of second-quarter goals to help stake the Bulls to a 12-3 halftime lead and she scored back-to-back goals spanning the third and fourth periods to help South Florida put the game out of reach.
HM - Sofia Chepenik • A • So. • South Florida • Palm Coast, Fla.
Scored four goals with two assists and two draw controls in a 19-6 win against Kennesaw State.
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Holy Trinity’s Jack Combs Wins Defensive POTW Award at Vermont
#AEMLAX Week 1: UMass Lowell Victorious as 2025 Season Begins
Excerpt:
Defensive Player of the Week
Jack Combs, Vermont - So., LSDM, Indialantic, Fla.
Had seven ground balls, two caused turnovers and scored a goal vs. #2 Syracuse.
This is Combs' first career #AEMLAX Defensive Player of the Week.
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Poll Roundups
Tampa Claims Unanimous No. 1 Spot in the 2025 IWLCA Division II Coaches Poll
FSC #4, Flagler #7, Lynn #12, Saint Leo #14, ERAU #15, Rollins #20, Florida Tech #21
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Boston College Claims Unanimous No. 1 Spot in the 2025 IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll
Gators #5
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KANE Women's DI Media Poll: Top 5 Teams Flex Their Might, Setting Up 1-2 Showdown
Gators #5 here too
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NLL Recap
Colorado 13-12 over Georgia on Friday
Calgary 15-12 over Vancouver on Friday
Halifax 14-10 over Philadelphia on Saturday
San Diego 11-10 over Toronto on Saturday
Buffalo 6-0
Saskatchewan 6-2
Calgary 6-3
Colorado 6-4
Connor Kelly with 26G
Mitch Jones with 50A
Joe Resetarits with 74 points
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PLL Update
Starts Tomorrow!
Championship Series Rules + Format
Round-Robin
February 11-15
Teams play a series of games to determine playoff seeding. The top 3 teams move on.
Semifinals
February 16
2nd place plays 3rd place
1st place gets a bye
Championship
February 17
Winner of #2 & #3 play #1 to be crowned Champion
Olympic Style Lacrosse
In October of 2023 the IOC announced that lacrosse will return to the Olympics in 2028 in a new 6-on-6 game format. In "Sixes," all runners carry short-sticks and move as midfielders, navigating the full length of the 70x36 meter field. Experience Sixes Lacrosse at the 2025 Championship Series.
No Shot Backup
In traditional field lacrosse, the ball goes to the player closest to where and when it went out of bounds. In Sixes, missed shots out of bounds always go to the defense, regardless of proximity.
:30-Second Shot Clock
The :30-second shot clock is the fastest in lacrosse – down from a full-field PLL game (:52), NCAA men’s (:80), NCAA women’s (:90), and the international game (no shot clock).
Quick Restarts After Goals
Sixes lacrosse emphasizes tempo by encouraging quick restarts. After a goal is scored, the goalie initiates play. Faceoffs only occur at the beginning of each quarter.
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Tuesday High School Games
Boys
NSU University hosts Pine Crest
Robinson hosts Plant
Martin County hosts South Fork
Freedom Tampa hosts Durant
Barron Collier hosts Estero
Newsome hosts Bloomingdale
Calvary Christian Ft Laud hosts Belen Jesuit
Dwyer hosts Jensen Beach
Jupiter hosts Spanish River
Milton hosts Lincoln
Stoneman Douglas hosts Saint Andrew’s
Windermere hosts Apopka
Cardinal Newman hosts Oxbridge
Freedom Orlando hosts Foundation
West Boca hosts Seminole Ridge
Sarasota hosts Canterbury
Winter Springs hosts Sebastian River
Cypress Lake hosts Village School of Naples
First Academy hosts Celebration
Menendez hosts ESJ
East Ridge hosts Lake Buena Vista
Gulf Breeze hosts Fort Walton Beach
Florida Christian hosts Key West
Montverde hosts Lake Brantley
Palmetto Ridge hosts Marco Island Academy
Oviedo hosts East River
East Lake hosts Tampa Catholic
St Thomas hosts Gulliver Prep
Nease hosts Fleming Island
St Edward’s hosts Cocoa Beach
Naples hosts Cypress Bay
Wiregrass Ranch hosts Forest
Western hosts Wellington
Calvary Christian Clearwater hosts Cardinal Mooney
Archbishop McCarthy hosts South Plantation
South Lake hosts St Cloud
North Broward Prep hosts Olympic Heights
IMG hosts Lakeland
Northeast hosts Manatee
Sandalwood hosts St Joseph
Riverside hosts Paxon
Boone hosts Lake Nona
Winter Park hosts Ponte Vedra
Providence hosts Atlantic Coast
Buchholz hosts Bolles
Navarre hosts Niceville
Dr Phillips hosts Timber Creek
Vero Beach hosts Viera
Girls
Saint Andrew’s hosts Stoneman Douglas
Aubrey Rogers hosts Canterbury
Cardinal Gibbons hosts Gulliver Prep
Jupiter Christian hosts Dr Joaquin Garcia
Miami Country Day hosts Pine Crest
East Lake hosts Tampa Catholic
Coral Glades hosts Western
Calvary Christian Clearwater hosts St Petersburg Catholic
Spanish River hosts North Broward Prep
St Stephen’s hosts Cardinal Mooney
Archbishop McCarthy hosts South Plantation
Countryside hosts Palm Harbor
Suncoast hosts Okeechobee
Wiregrass Ranch hosts Forest
Pompano Beach hosts Cooper City
Parrish Community hosts Venice
Clearwater Central Catholic hosts Northside Christian
Boca Raton hosts Dwyer
Riverside hosts Paxon
Sandalwood hosts St Joseph
Matanzas hosts Stanton
Barron Collier hosts AH-Plantation
Olympia hosts West Orange
Fleming Island hosts Atlantic Coast
Lake Minneola hosts Apopka
Niceville hosts Navarre
Wekiva hosts Edgewater
Tocoi Creek hosts Menendez
Largo hosts Osceola
South Lake hosts St Cloud
Timber Creek hosts East River
Wellington hosts Jensen Beach
Coral Shores hosts Palmer Trinity
Lakewood Ranch hosts Community School
Bartram Trail hosts Buchholz
Seacoast Collegiate hosts Fort Walton Beach
Lake Buena Vista hosts Colonial
Gateway hosts Cypress Lake
Ponte Vedra hosts ESJ
Beachside hosts Creekside
Freedom Tampa hosts Durant
Robinson hosts Plant
Cape Coral hosts Immokalee
Mitchell hosts Lakeland Christian
Winter Haven hosts Lake Wales
River Ridge hosts Cypress Creek
Newsome hosts Bloomingdale
West Boca hosts Seminole Ridge
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FHSAA Season Details:
January 20th is the first day of practice
February 3rd-8th for Preseason Classics
February 10th is the first day of the regular season
April 5th is the last day of the regular season
District Tournaments are Wednesday April 9th to Thursday April 17th
Regional Tournaments
Girls
Quarterfinals
Class 2A- Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Class 1A- Friday, April 25, 2025
Semifinals – Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Finals – Friday, May 2, 2025
Boys
Quarterfinals
Class 2A - Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Class 1A - Saturday, April 26, 2025
Semifinals – Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Finals – Saturday, May 3, 2025
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FHSAA State Championships
Thursday May 8th – Saturday May 10th
Paradise Sports Complex