As we get ready to roll the calendar forward to 2012, BOTC wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the top lacrosse stories of 2011 for the New [lacrosse] area. If you have additional headlines, feel free to add them. However, these are the Top Ten Stories for 2011 as voted by the BOTC Editorial Staff.
[1] Bob Hartranft Takes First State Championship
Perhaps BOTC should be tipping our hat to the entire Farmingdale Lacrosse program in winning the Class A Boys championship (12-11 over Ithaca in Overtime), but we will turn the headline to Coach Hartranft for his forty years of leadership. Along the way, he was also named as the first NILCA Coach of the Year.
[2] Garden City Lacrosse : Girls Win, Boys Fall
Downing Yorktown convincingly, the Garden City girls defeated Brighton (Section 5) by a score of 12-6 in the Class B New [lacrosse] State Championship that was never in doubt. Meanwhile, the Garden City boys put up a classic match against favored Jamesville-DeWitt falling, 8-7.
[3] Northport Girls Win Class A Championship
Trailing by scores of 3-1 in the opening stanza and 8-6 after the break, Northport led 10-9 in overtime only to surrender a goal leading to sudden death. Shannon Gilroy scored the game and championship winner, 11-10, over Pittsford. The goal resulted in a knee injury for Florida-bound Gilroy who demonstrated the true meaning of "leaving it all on the field" this season.
[4] Stronger Oversight from US Lacrosse Needed
More publications are emerging calling for a governing structure overseeing lacrosse. US Lacrosse has rebuffed the calls for stronger oversight to date; meanwhile, costs are increasing, pricing players from the market. Calls for grass roots local leagues are increasing and has been discussed this year on BOTC.
[5] University of Virginia Men Win NCAA Division I Title
Virginia's men's program overcame so many negative highlights over the last two years that it is impossible to beleive that they achieved the Division I title. Shamel Bratton, a Huntington native who was released from the team on April 29th, ended his career banished from the team.
[6] Northwestern Defeats Maryland, 8-7, for Women's NCAA Division I Title
The game and weekend were incredible, but the host site, Stony Brook University, put on a first class operation and helped to add to the Long Island Lacrosse story. The final game itself saw Northwestern turn the tables on Maryland from the 2010 final. Northwestern has now taken the title in six of the last seven years.
[7] Adelphi Hosts Division II and III Championships
Do not forget that while Hofstra and Stony Brook take the Division I headlines, Adelphi has built a leadership role in the Division II program ranks.
[8] MLL Expansion, Lizards Impacted
The demise of the Boston Blazers has led to expansion in two cities. The draft proved very costly to the Lizards who lost named talent and their coach, Jimmy Mule, to resignation.
[9] Mount Sinai Falls in Class C Final, 9-8
Controversy reigned as CBA-Syracuse held off the girls from Mount Sinai in the Class C finale.
[10] Year-'Round Lacrosse
With the expansion of Fall and Winter lacrosse, a ten-to-eleven month season is starting to emerge with tryouts starting in September and tournaments closing in July.
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