I can't believe this isn't April Fool's...

http://www.hemplax.com/index.php

I would like to see a stick actually strung up with this "mesh" and hear a review of how it works.
Hemplax man, send me a stringing kit and I will review it for you and get your name out there if it is a decent product or better.

That is all.

PotD - RIT v. Wick

RIT and Hartwick both got Riddell Helmets this year and I must say they look pretty good. The most important feature of the helmet though is its safety factor. Supposedly kids who are concussion prone will benefit from a Riddell helmet... looking good is just an added bonus!

PotD - NEW Maverik Neon Juice - custom string job

PotD - New Nike Jerseys

Wesleyan [top] and Skidmore [bottom] both have new away jerseys by Nike in 2009 and both programs are now rocking Brine helmets. Wesleyan is back in black after a few years with red jerseys.

NEW Nike Unis...

Chapman already broke these uniforms out[http://laxmagazine.com/multimedia/photos/2008-09/030209_michiganchapman_dirkdewachter] in their MCLA #1-#2 tilt with UMichigan but the new jersey style probably won't get any real hype until Gtown busts out with these bad boys at some point this season:

Bryant proving they belong immediately

Bryant has done a great job early on this season after making the jump from Division 2 to Division 1. They have started the season at 2-1 by losing to UVA, crushing Sacred Heart and with a win over Dartmouth in NH. Mike Pressler has obviously done a great job at Bryant and he is an outstanding coach but the real man behind Bryant's early success is Zach Greer. He will only play there for one year but it is the most important; the first year as a Division 1 team.

Now, Pressler will lead the team for years to come and is leading the team now but the impact that a player like Greer can have on a team can not be underestimated. When Greer practices, he practices hard and sets an example as to what a Division 1 practice should look like and how high the intensity level has to be. He showcases what kind of athlete you need to be, he has experienced the best the college lacrosse world has to offer and knows what it takes to reach that level. Coaches always say to lead by example and Pressler has to be thrilled to have a guy like Greer doing just that.

ZG is putting up points when the team needs them most [as evidenced by his run-squelching goals against Dartmouth], keeping Bryant competitive in big games while being unselfish [against Virginia] or lighting it up [against Sacred Heart] when playing an opponent Bryant feels it should best. http://insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=198213

Bryant won't make the tourney this year no matter what because of their D1 probationary period but Greer has to be in the running for PoY regardless because without him, I sincerely doubt Bryant would be doing nearly as well as they are now. On a side note, it seems like Greer is still using the Gait Triton even with Bryant Lacrosse being sponsored by Brine.

the death of the Bag.

In recent years there was an epidemic hitting lacrosse fields all over the country: bagged out pockets [as a d-man, I actually used one myself for a little while! it is a little embarrassing but I wasn't exactly a "finesse" guy...].

The use of draw strings had become prevalent in the club, college and high school levels. The college game in particular was really suffering because [more so than high school or club] the college game is one of possession evidenced best by Princeton and Hopkins' respective styles of play. Obvious exceptions that jump to mind are UVA and 'Cuse who like to run n' gun, however, the majority of teams outside the top tier will slow it down when they play competitive games. The drawstring-aided bags and pinched heads came together with this slow-down style of play and when combined with the refs' inability to check for violations to create a perfect storm involving REALLY deep pockets and lots of them.

The rules were changed and now refs do a lot of stick checks throughout the course of the game. Drawstrings were made illegal and touching your pocket after a ref asks to see it is being watched carefully as well and will result in an infraction. These new rules have really improved the quality of the game.

I have seen better passing, more takeaway checks dislodging the ball, more turnovers, more excitement and better shooting and I give all of the credit to the new rules and the refs as well as the Rules Committee for making the changes. Next year, the pinched heads will fall by the wayside [to a certain extent, at least] and I think we can expect to again see even better passing, more accurate shooting, great takeaway checks and a lot of up and down due to turnovers. This will increase the pace of the game as possession is never assured.

Will these moves increase scoring? I don't know that yet and think it could go either way but I would much rather see an up and down style of play that results in a 8-6 game than a 13-10 game where a couple of the top players just held the ball until they weaved through 4 players and scored from 7 yards out because no one could knock the ball out of their stick.

We don't need to get back to the days of wooden sticks and short shorts but we have gone too far away from what made the game great: passing, lots of running, back and forth battles, ground balls and a certain amount of uncertainty. The rules will reward the better players the most by allowing the game to be one of creativity and not technology but we will all reap the benefits because the product on the field will be that much sweeter.

PotD - String it up with style II...

new Gait Triton with Neon Yellow mesh and sidewalls.

1 lacrosse - New guy on the block

1lacrosse is a new lacrosse company that so far produces shafts, stringing kits and a head called the Aon. they have been featured on e-lacrosse [http://www.e-lacrosse.com/despainint.html] and while they are similar to some of the big boy manufacturers, there are also many differences.

1lacrosse was not started by one of the Powells or Gaits. It was not started by an All-American who played at Princeton, Syracuse or Hopkins. It was started by a guynamed Brian DeSpain from Texas A&M's MCLA club team and the company seems to be more about spreading the game of lacrosse than making butt loads of money. I'm sure they are looking to turn a profit at 1lacrosse but it doesn't seem to be their sole motivation.

They are similar to the big boys like Warrior and STX in that they have their equipment produced in China. Beyond that, they are VERY different. Their head retails for about $60 strung as opposed to the $90+ many other companies charge. The offset is minimal and the head is strong and stiff. The plastic they use seems to be a little different than the shiny plastic many other munfacturers employ. I have one of their sticks and to me, it seems like a great wand for either a top-level FOGO or a feeder type player to use.

Check out the e-lacrosse article [as usual, they do a great job covering new lax gear!] and go to 1lacrosse's website: http://www.1lacrosse.com/affiliate/affiliate.php?id=128

Best Deals 2009!

Every year lacrosse heads and shafts seem to get more and more expensive. Considering that many people's pockets are running on empty right now and the fact that lacrosse sticks tend to break eventually, a cheap, high-quality lacrosse head has to be in high demand.

The best deal I have found so far is the Gait Triton. Gait has discontinued the head and that is the reason for its very modest prices, which hovers between $30 and $40 depending on where you go. I just ordered two of them and 2 new pieces of mesh from lax.com [http://www.lax.com/shop/item.phtml?page=product_2360_front.phtml] and it totalled [w/ shipping!] around $100.

The head is great in my opinion for the following reasons: it is lightweight, strong, provides endless stringing options, relatively narrow face and it is fully offset. It is a great stick for box lacrosse as well as being the weapon of choice for Bryant's Zach Greer when he was playing with Duke... so you know its good... and now its cheap!

On a side note, it will be interesting to see what kind of stick Greer uses this season as Bryant was sponsored by Gait but now seems to be sponsored by Brine. You often see players use heads from non-sponsoring companies like Greer did at Duke.

http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/mlax/2009/News/10-9Brine_on_Lax.com

the Gait Nuclear head

If you click on the following link you can see a new Gait head for 2009 called the Nuclear [or Nuke-u-lar if you are our 43rd President]:

http://debeerlacrosse.com/products/gait/heads/nuclear.html

At first it just looks like a newfangled Gait knock off inspired by the old STX Proton sidewall design but then I noticed the throat extension piece that extends down the shaft 2-3 inches with finger grooves on it. The intent is CLEARLY to have players grab the plastic for extra grip but that does not mesh with the rules as currently laid out by the NCAA:

Withholding Ball from Play SECTION 13.
When a loose ball is on the ground, a player may not lie on the ball, trap it with his crosse longer than is necessary for him to control the ball and pick it up with one continuous motion, or withhold the ball from play in any other manner. A player, players or team may not deliberately withhold the ball from play. Repeated actions of this nature may be ruled unsportsmanlike conduct. (See Rule 5-10-d.) Note: A player in possession of the ball who holds his crosse against any part of his body, thus preventing the normal dislodgment of the ball, is illegally withholding the ball from play. The glove hand cannot grasp any portionof the head of the crosse. This is intended to cover faceoffs and a player inpossession of the ball who is “thumbing” the ball or choking up and graspingthe plastic portion of the crosse.

I would love to try this stick out and see if the plastic extension makes any difference or is just another gimmick stick like these that came before it:

http://www.lax.com/shop/item.phtml?page=product_2749_front.phtml

http://www.laxshopper.com/index.htm?equipment/mens/heads/Brine_EdgeX.htm~laxmain

I have my doubts that this new "technology" would really help anyone's game, regardless of the fact that it seems to openly flaunt existing NCAA rules. Refs almost never make the call [hand touching the plastic] but it is technically in the rule book. Is this a moot point? Most likely yes. Do I still find it interesting? Yes, so I wrote about it.