BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums PENNSYLVANIA LACROSSE PENNSYLVANIA FORUM Boys 2022

Real Talk. 2 kids not going. One has Aug 04 birthday and couldn't come to the qualifier round so he isn't allowed to play in Denver. Other kid is only one on team who can't qualify since late July 03 birthday. That kid is newer to team and not a starting player. satisfied?

Big 4HHH made playoffs in their own tournament. Play Mustangs in 1st game. Hawks and Edge in other playoff game.

Watched HHH in that semi game
Went to OT
Def easier bracket but they looked decent
Got shelled by Hawks 15 yr olds in champ game but then again, who doesn't?
Who won Meltdown?
How'd Freedom do down south?

Mesa was a non-factor this weekend.

False. Hawks take lacrosse too seriously and you see the results. Not bigger or older than any other club. Other teams don't spend as much time practicing, playing, and recruiting. Mustangs,Big 4H, and Edge definitely had size advantage and Hawks still won. Accept your loss, get to work, and don't make excuses.

Prime Time may have been the 2nd best team at Big4HHH but was placed in a bracket with Hawks so you didn't see them in playoffs. Their fogo is exceptional.

what about BBL 3-1

I saw the Hawks v PrimeTime game. It was heck of a game. At the time, I would have said those were the 2 best I had seen over the weekend. The Hawks had too much in the end but the defensive side of PT challenged everything hard. Hawks just made big plays, some incredibly difficult.

Didn't know much about BBL (NJ). I spoke to a parent who said this squad went 18-1 last summer, only losing to Laxachusetts in their final game. It seemed like they played mostly A-level competition. Parent said they are stepping up and doing all AA level stuff this year and so far they are fairing well. Was told they lost to Igloo Arctic Blast in the Adrenaline Cup final the previous week (8-5) but the game was 6-5 until the final few minutes of the game.

From what I saw, they were a very good team. On the attack side, they were talented. The glimpses I saw of their game against the Crabs, the face-off guy didn't lose once. They picked the crabs apart with a 4-on-3 fast break on multiple face-offs (beat Crabs 12-7). In all, I thought all of the teams that went 3-0 or 2-1 in pool play were solid, good teams that will compete hard. But the Hawks were definitely the class of the field. PrimeTime and Edge were also solid on defense but didn't have the offensive fire power of the Hawks.

gee, I wonder why you're so invested in the grade based tournament instead of the age based tournament?

Agree! Hawk team was very talented and was one of the smaller teams these past 2 weekends. You certainly can not judge size either when the smallest kids this weekend on the field where the best out there. Every team that loses to Hawks call them cheaters but reality is the are very good and have very good coaches. In the finalgame Big 4 looked bigger all over the field . Hawks play ally of very small kids but also Jane a few bigger- no bigger than the players defending them.

Just look at the line ups. Do you want to win a tournament poorly attended by top teams or win a tournament where the best of the best are playing?

Nice wins over Mustangs, PBR, and Crabs. A little surprised they lost to Diamondbacks who were blown out by Mustangs and Prime Time.

Just looked at tourney machine results, and that is surprising. Perhaps match-up issues? BBL beat Crabs by a similar margin as Prime Time. Then again, these are 12-13 year old boys.

Club Lacrosse at the Middle School level is the biggest waste of time, with the new rules in place club lacrosse brings nothing but unnecessary money spent on tournaments that don't mean anything because you cannot be recruited. Our township programs are suffering because of Club Lacrosse and parents are dishing out to much money for poor coaching and big ego's. Club Lacrosse is for profit now and it needs to change. Kids are being burnt out because they're playing for 2-3 different club teams and it is noticeable.

WSYL schedules out. https://goo.gl/ewgzEy

South Jersey has a shot at their division since the 3 Elite Long Island teams are in other divisions.

All of the LI teams are good but beatable.

At the Millon Championship (http://youthlaxchampionship.com/index.html), there are no Philly area teams. Interesting?

Freedom should be there. Lots of reasons though for teams not to be.
Big 4 HHH definitely should not be. Stacking team to try and win own tournament last week. Sad

How did they stack it? It seemed to be the same team that was at NLF.

I think this guy is referring to the pool HHH had for the weekend.
I don't think it was a cupcake draw by any means: Sweetlax, 3D New England, Ninety One MD. Def not as stacked as some of the others but respectable. But hey, if you run the tourney you can do what you want with the pools.
Beating the TX team was a great win for them in OT. Got shelled by Hawks who is now the top of the heap at '22s, IMO.
I just think there's a lot of hate out there for the NLF events that aren't inclusive of all teams. It's pretty simple: If you're in it, you'll get to play in their events. Other teams can get into the events, at a premium, I would think. For example, Rising Sons took their '21s to the HHH event.
Why wasn't Freedom in the tourney? Who knows? Maybe they didn't attempt to get in. Maybe Billy doesn't want them in as they could be considered competition for his kids. Don't know. Don't care.
Our boys are all taking different routes. Where they end up, who knows.
I know my son is having a blast and I am as well.
Good luck to all the Philly teams in the coming weeks.
Frankly, I'm proud when any of them do well in real tourneys.

T9-1 was a lock to take that division if they had their TX kids. I doubt Big 3 HHH knew they wouldn't have them when they made up the brackets. Big 3 HHH just played well also.

Is any team going to come within 10 goals of Igloo this weekend at Summer Slam?

Weak competition at 2022

It's igoo B team playing. They are very good though also. Beat express this spring

Looks like Mesa is in the drivers seat. Good win over fca. Igloo not looking too good with loss to chaos.

Chaos gets revenge in championship game against Mesa and wins it.

Young guns has turned into the mid Atlantic championships since none of the great mid Atlantic teams are doing wsyl.

How will Freedom do?

Young Guns...the end is nearing in regards to relevance. They have FIVE teams coming at 2024 and SIX coming at 2025 doesn't bode well for the future. I don't call that a tournament I call that Pool A and Pool B

There are no good mid Atlantic teams

Freedom is not committed. You can't be a real program if you play some times as Dukes Nationals.

You are misinformed.

Freedom is legit. Dukie National is a joke.

OK serious question for BL parents. Has the WSYL been worth it? The lacrosse itself seems like you could do that without traveling to Denver. Is all the other stuff worth the time/money? Will your 2023 team do it next year? 3 of 4 semi-finalists from NY, last one from MD. Seems like NY, MD and NJ dominated....seems like they should move the event out east till the Central and West teams catch-up?

I mean Colorado is gorgeous, but much rather do a trip there in the winter....

Genuinely looking for input from those in attendance

Fair question. As a 2023 parent, I'd like to know. Thanks.

Lots of perks but you pay for it. $6k entry fee plus travel, hotels, rentals etc. Kids have a blast like they would at Disneyland. There are much better tournaments competition wise (Millon, NLF, Young Guns, others) but the final is on one of the espns. (Basically an infomercial paid by your excessive entry fees). There is a skills competition / field day and they give out awards for every little thing which the kids love. It also can tear some teams apart because they change the cut off date year to year and kids are cut or added to account for it. (Last year was 5/1, this year was 9/1, possible move to 1/1 next year)

Young guns is not as good the 23/24 divisions were weak

All tournaments are getting weaker there as just too many now that claim they are the best.

Freedom 2022 is starting to lose more often - got smacked down at Young Guns..

Think what the poster was saying is the kids are starting to play on other things as well - like Dukes Nationals - and that is starting to hurt Freedom. THink that is true - started with a bunch on HHH last year, now 2-3 on Dukes Young Guns, 3-4 on Dukes Nationals, etc.