La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, CA), a perennial lacrosse powerhouse in Southern California won two early season games against top contenders to prove their continued strength in California. LCC met up with De La Salle High School (Concord, CA) earlier this month. LCC took control of the game from the start and held onto the game til the very end, defeating a strong De La Salle team, 11-5. Big performances came from Senior Middie Andrew Hayden and Sophomore Attack Brendan Gaughan and Senior Attack Timmy Andrews. See below for highlights of the game and be sure to visit the Lacrosse page at SportsForce.
Highlight Video courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
San Diego’s Summit Performance Group (SPG), a leading provider of conference planning, incentive travel, sports hospitality and event technology solutions announced the launch of PacificXPOSURE. SportsForce has partnered with PacificXPOSURE, which is a premier national lacrosse tournament and Southern California sports destination event, that will take place in North County San Diego at Del Norte High School (Headquarters), Rancho Bernardo High School, and West View High School. The event is scheduled for June 25th-27th 2010.
Doug Wheeler, co-owner and partner of SPG, said that his company decided to launch PacificXPOSURE because of the growth of lacrosse in the area and the need for quality travel tournaments for the sport. The company’s site (http://www.summitpg.com/pacificxposure/index.htm) explains that “the tournament is open to boys and girls and men and women Open Divisionlacrosse players from across the country and Canada. Attendees will come from as far as California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Canada and the East Coast. Divisions will be separated by age level including elementary and middle school youth U-11, U-13, U-15 groups, high school and club boys and girls teams, and Open Division Men’s and Women’s play (high school graduates and above).”
The tournament will be led by director Dennis Yeatman from Rancho Bernardo. Dennis was recently elected member of the US Lacrosse San Diego Hall of Fame and has been directly involved in the sport of lacrosse for over 40 years. In 1996 he founded Pacific Lacrosse and has been operating girls & boys, youth and High School programs since that time. Both he and his wife were recognized in 2006 as recipients of the A. Norman Webb Award for their volunteering efforts across the county on behalf of the sport of lacrosse.
There will be a PacificXPOSURE Vendor Village at Del Norte High School in 4S Ranch, which is located in Northern San Diego. The Vendor Village will showcase both youth and adult offerings, including lacrosse and sports products, entertainment and food and beverages. Other tournament locations will also offer exhibits and showcases. The event will offer coaches talks and parent/child meetings as well as evening events. PacificXPOSURE will also offer an exclusive boys and girls lacrosse combine June 25th at Del Norte High School.
Wheeler explained that with today’s tough economy, PacificXPOSURE will offer the chance to attend an exceptional lacrosse tournament and event close to home. Taking place in June in San Diego County, PacificXPOSURE will also prove to be a great destination event for those traveling from out of the area.
PacificXPOSURE is a chance to give back to the community as SPG and the event work with Outdoor Outreach, a non-profit whose mission is to empower at-risk and underprivileged youth through outdoor programming and the Wounded Warrior Project that works to provide aid to and empower wounded soldiers.
The tournament will be led by director Dennis Yeatman from Rancho Bernardo. Dennis was recently elected member of the US Lacrosse San Diego Hall of Fame and has been directly involved in the sport of lacrosse for over 40 years. In 1996 he founded Pacific Lacrosse and has been operating girls & boys, youth and High School programs since that time. Both he and his wife were recognized in 2006 as recipients of the A. Norman Webb Award for their volunteering efforts across the county on behalf of the sport of lacrosse.
LCC faced off against Coronado this week. The game was sure to be full of action as Coronado defeated LCC last season in the CIF Championship game. Arguably the two best teams in San Diego and among the top teams in the state, Coronado and LCC fought hard to establish each team’s dominance for the new season. LCC took an early lead with help from Andrew Hayden who helped secure possession for LCC in the majority of the game’s face-offs. Hayden scored a game high three goals in the match up that LCC won 8-5. Timmy Andrews had two goals and one assist, and Brendan Gaughan finished with goal and two assists. No. 2 ranked Coronado played strong with great performances from Kyle Runyon and Alex Bookout who each scored two goals. See below for highlights of the game and be sure to visit the Lacrosse page at SportsForce.
Highlight Video courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
SportsForce is excited to share the announcement of La Costa Canyon and NC Starz Elite player Alex Pardieu’s commitment to Florida State to play Men’s Lacrosse.
Florida State Men’s Lacrosse shared the news in a press release:
La Costa Canyon senior midfielder Alex Pardieu will attend Florida State University in the fall. LCC High School is located in Carlsbad, California.
The 5’10”, 165 pound Pardieu was a four year varsity letterman and as a junior, was named All-County and All-Conference in the highly competitive San Diego section. Most recently, he was invited to play at the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England on the U19 team.
“Alex can break down a defense and get his hands free for a shot or to get the offense moving”, said LCC Head Coach Dallas Hartley. “He plays team defense on and off the ball and is great in transition”. Added FSU Head Coach Bill Harkins, “We are excited to have Alex join the program”.
La Costa Canyon senior midfielder Alex Pardieu will attend Florida State University in the fall. LCC High School is located in Carlsbad, California.
The 5’10”, 165 pound Pardieu was a four year varsity letterman and as a junior, was named All-County and All-Conference in the highly competitive San Diego section. Most recently, he was invited to play at the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England on the U19 team.
“Alex can break down a defense and get his hands free for a shot or to get the offense moving”, said LCC Head Coach Dallas Hartley. “He plays team defense on and off the ball and is great in transition”. Added FSU Head Coach Bill Harkins, “We are excited to have Alex join the program”.
Chris Rotelli is co-founder of Golden State Lacrosse Academy in San Francisco, CA (http://www.gs-lax.com/). Golden State Lacrosse offers clinics, camps, workshops, and private lessons as well as community outreach programs to bring lacrosse to new people. SportsForce caught up with Chris to find out what it’s like to play professional lacrosse, share his story and much more. Chris is a three time MLL All Star, winner of the Tewaaraton Award, and was named ACC Male Athlete of the Year (2003) among other honors.
When did you start playing lax? How and why did you get started?
I started playing in 3rd grade. My dad gave me a stick and taught me how to throw, and I feel in love with it instantly.
What caused you to make lacrosse your sport? What do you love about it?
I love the speed of the game, and the teamwork. It is extremely fast, and a total adrenaline rush the whole time you are on the field. Unlike other sports where only a couple people are involved with each play; in lacrosse every person on the field is involved in the game at all times, and that keeps it mentally engaging. Since everyone is always involved, it makes teamwork and communication huge parts of the game, and I love it.
How has lacrosse impacted your life?
Lacrosse has completely shaped my life. It gave me focus growing up, and taught me how to pursue my goals. It helped me get into a great college and gave me a career working with a sport that I love. Through lacrosse I’ve met so many amazing people, and now I have friends all over the world that I have either played with or against at some time in my life. I’ve been able to travel the country, and now I get to teach young kids that same way my role models taught me how to play the game growing up. I feel pretty lucky, and lacrosse has definitely given me a lot.
What advice would you give to young lax players hoping to play in college or beyond?
Shoot on a goal, and pass on a wall as much as possible.
You were a highly decorated player in great programs in both high school and college. What advice would you have for athletes who are trying to make themselves stand out at schools without such great programs, or those just playing club?
I came from Rhode Island where lacrosse at the time was only played in five schools, so I understand what it is like coming from a ‘small pond.’ My advice is to use that as motivation and work harder than everyone. If you are coming from an area where lacrosse is young, but you want to play with the best, you have to keep raising the bar for yourself, and out-work not only your teammates, but also every kid playing in Baltimore, Long Island, etc.
You were drafted first overall in the MLL college draft, tell us what that experience was like.
That was very exciting. We had just won the National Championship four days earlier, so it was truly an amazing week for me, and actually very humbling.
What is the life of a professional lacrosse player like?
It is very fun. We’re fortunate to get paid to play a game we love, and do it with our friends. I love it.
When did you start to think about “going pro?” What was that decision process like?
I honestly didn’t think about it much until after the National Championship. I was in my senior season in 2003 at UVA, and was only focused on winning a championship. Fortunately we did, and then I could think about the MLL. But the draft was three days after that game, so I really didn’t have much time to think about the MLL until I was in it. I played my first game six days later.
Explain a little bit about the mission of Golden State Lax Academy. Could you highlight some of the programs you offer?
Our mission is to create better players, and increase their enjoyment of the game. We teach them the right way to play, but also keep it as fun as possible. For us, practice was always fun because we loved lacrosse. So we really try to show kids that hard work not only can be fun, but should be fun. We do day camps, overnight camps, and clinics throughout the year. www.gs-lax.com
What is your favorite part about working with young and up and coming lacrosse players?
Seeing their excitement, and making a positive difference in their lives.
What do you think about lacrosse being the fastest growing sport in the country? Why do you think it is growing so fast?
I love that the sport is taking off. Lacrosse is addictive, and the most fun team sport you will ever play. In my humble opinion, it will not stop growing.
How did you land in California?
My favorite activities have always been lacrosse, surfing, and skiing. I moved to CA so that I could have easier access to surf and snow. In the northeast, you have to drop everything you’re doing to get the small windows of good surf or good snow, and I wanted to live somewhere it would be easier to work those into my daily routine. When I got here, I fell in love with all of it. San Francisco is the friendliest city you’ll ever see. People here are so fun and cool; it’s hard not to love living here.
A little rain didn’t disrupt the action at the Surfside Cup at Rancho Bernardo High School this weekend, and SportsForce was there to catch all the action including the defending Women’s Lacrosse National Champion Northwestern Wildcats . High school teams were treated to great weather on Sunday, but both days afforded great play, especially by the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday, February 6th.
The Wildcats had an explosive opening half against the University of Massachusetts, leading 14-3 before the break. The first half contained the most action, though Northwestern easily outperformed the UMass Minutewomen in every facet, finishing the game with an 18-6 win.
Santa Barbara also took on Claremont McKenna College, beating them 9-7.
Aside from the college action, the Surfside Cup offered a high school tournament. Ten teams from around Southern California and one team, Wildcat Elite, from Chicago participated in the tournament. Sunday also offered coaching seminars and youth and shooting clinics to the San Diego lacrosse community.
SportsForce has partnered with the Surfside Cup. WomensLax.com is hosting the event which will serve as the season opener for the 5-time defending national champion Northwestern Wildcats. The Wildcats will be facing off against Atlantic-10 Champion UMass Minutewomen. The event will take place Saturday, February 6th at 8pm at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego. The game will showcase some of the nation’s top women’s lacrosse players.
Sunday, February 7th will also feature a high school tournament, a coaching seminar, a youth clinic, and a high school shooting clinic. The clinics will be led by Northwestern Lacrosse Coaches, including 2009 World Cup Champion, Lindsey Munday, of Team USA. Tickets for the game can be purchased online at www.womenslax.com and also at the gate the day of the event. Gates for the Northwestern/ UMass game will open at 7pm.
WomensLax.com’s Ashley Gersuk said of the event, “The inaugural Surfside Cup was very well-received by an enthusiastic and growing San Diego Lacrosse community in 2009 and we look forward to building on this momentum in 2010. This weekend promises to be exciting for lacrosse players, coaches, and enthusiasts of every level.”
The SandStorm Lacrosse Festival returned to Indio, CA this past weekend for the third year in a row. This year’s festival brought top competition that made up 45 teams from all over the country, including Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Connecticut and New York to the Empire Polo Fields the showcase some great talent over the two days. Among the many teams Triple Threat, a San Francisco-based program in the Coachella Division and Denver based Team 180 for the Indio Division returned to defend their titles and with hopes of the 3rd consecutive year of wins in the Coachella and Indio divisions respectively.
The Coachella Semi-Finals were hotly contested between Team 180 12′ vs. Xteam Black and Triple Threat Green vs. West Coast Starz 11’ as the previous winner battled hard to keep their titles. Team Triple Threat Green held on to their reign, winning the championship for the 3rd consecutive year. Team 180 2013 also won the title for the 3rd year in a row for the Indio Division beating out Bear Lax Blue from the Bay Area. For the La Quinta Division, The Minnesota Storm defeated Bear Lax White in the finals to take top honors.
See below for highlights from the tournament. It is not too late to order a game DVD. Click here to visit our store and select your game(s).
Players whose games were filmed also have the option of selecting the Sand Storm Tournament college recruiting video package.
The Arizona Burn Program brought the heat to the beaches of San Diego, where there wasn’t anything that could cool them off. Arizona began the tournament as the no.7 seed in a field of twenty-four total teams in the Elite Division. Despite a tough loss early on, the team was able to gather itself and finish strong against the LaxDawgs Brown Elite of San Diego. It was a one-sided affair as the Arizona Burn Elite Orange captured an 8-1 victory, a game in which six different Burn players scored at least one goal. Goalie Brett Lawless (Desert Vista) had a strong showing Sunday as he only allowed seven total goals on the day.
Starting from a young age, Coach Chris Malone, of both MCLA’s Arizona State and the Arizona Burn teams, has instilled his players with a high level of lacrosse IQ.
In the South Swell High School Division, consisting of 9th and 10th grade students, yet another Arizona Burn team took home a trophy.
The Warrior Elite Division was taken by the Norcal Pups in a 7-4 defeat of the LaxDawgs Royal team. However the LaxDawgs Program did not go home empty-handed, their ladies team won the Women’s Elite Division in an 11-6 contest against the Coastal Cougars.
Watch out for these Arizona Burn players: Brock Ghelfi [M/So./Brophy Prep], Charlie Hushek [D/So./Brophy Prep], Rockne Repp [A/Jr./Saguaro], Brandon Moranz [M/Jr./Chandler], Ramie Arbid [D/Jr./Mesa Heat]
For the second consecutive year, SportsForce has partnered with Synapse Sports to offer video services at their Sand Storm tournament this weekend.
Annually hosted by Synapse at the elite Empire Polo Club, the 2010 Sand Storm tournament will showcase a wide array of girls’ lacrosse athletes from both the high school and middle school levels. Over 50 teams from across the country are scheduled to attend including, California, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas. SportsForce will be in the heart of the action, partnering with Synapse and providing video coverage.
The tournament is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to be recognized and recruited by college coaches, and this year over 20 coaches are scheduled to attend from universities and colleges across the nation. 2009 attendees included coaches from Yale, Stanford, Cal-Berkley, Cornell, U. Oregon, and Loyola.
SportsForce will be at Sand Storm to support athlete recruitment by providing video coverage of games, in addition to distributing helpful recruiting and game packages.
Take a look at Meghan Jordan’s Highlight Video which was created with footage from last years SandStorm Tournament below.
