BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Boys 2026 Grads - Mid Atlantic Region

Majority. But thats not unusual, as many teams with prep school players are loaded with holdbacks/prefirst/reclass. 8th grade seems to have the most .

Predictions:

NLF winner: Laxachusetts or Mohicans

NAL winner: Hawks or Sweetlax upstate

*Maybe LI Express can win one or the other

It seems like every good 2026 in DC metro area will be trying out for DC Express in August. Will the other teams have anybody left?

Laxachusetts Is not that good. Don’t see how they would win any tournaments.

Its a Dad who wants it. This is an off year for LaxH. To many holes to fill

Completely fabricated post. Most kids are staying where they are. But for you, you should leave. I am sure DCE wants someone on their team who puts himself above others and not a true team player. I suspect your son probably plays selfishly - doesn’t pass the ball and tries to run through people. Am I correct? I don’t think a new team and coach is going to fix that problem.

Don't kid yourself.

LI Express and Tigers are the favorites to win the NLF

Hawks, LI Express and Tigers are the favorites to win the NAL

Anybody who says otherwise clearly does not follow this age group.

Well that certainly struck a nerve.

Just a troll. DC Express doesn't have a 2026 team. Bethesda Lacrosse Club: "After 7th grade, players will enter into our High School Program, DC Express." Any 2026 trying out is not trying out for DCE.

From his post, its obvious that his son is one of the lower tier players on DCE. Knows competition will spell the end of his sons time on DCE.

You know it is coming. Go Hit The Wall !!

Hard to follow what you are saying, but BLC ends in 7th grade, and its teams transition to DCE in 8th grade. The 2026 class is wrapping up 7th grade right now, so that class will be trying out for DCE this coming August. The 2026 DCE team that will form in August will be loaded, because the incumbent 7th grade BLC team is already strong, plus players from MadLax, NextLevel, and VLC will be trying out. If your son is on the bottom half of the current BLC roster, you should be thinking ahead about options. Hope this helps.

Fake news on VLC most of the better players live in Loudoun and Stafford. In HS HOCO does not matter so no reason to drive two hours each way for marginally better lacrosse

I don’t see the mass exodus flocking to DCE as some here are predicting. Seems like wishful thinking by one or two people. Also is the idea that a bunch of highly skilled players show up and take spots of lower skilled kids? What happens when DCE takes a larger roster? I suspect less playing time for all…. At the end of day DCE 2026 will be same talent level as BLC 2026.

Yes, a few more will be on the roster, but they’ll definitely drop their lower 4-6 players. They do most years… loyalty isn’t exactly DCE’s strong point. They look more at who is better at this point in time rather than long-term player development.

Come fall DCE 2026 will have a 24-25 kid roster. Most kids on BLC are good enough going forward to earn a spot. Bigger team less playing time.

Sounds exactly like a team that the top players from established Elite teams will be eager to tryout for.

How will BLC 2026 fair at NAL? I assume no shot to beat Tigers but a possible 2-1 pool play record to hopefully get a wildcard?

1-2, they will lose to True too.

I think 0-3 is likely, BLC is solid but assuming PA Roughriders is as good or better than last summer, True doesn’t lose any players from Spring and the Tigers don’t get in an accident on the way to the tourney, then I see BLC as the 4th team in that pool. Tigers are clear favorite, other 3 teams are probably close.

Agreed. As a BLC parent doubt we when a game in that tournament. May not score.

Tigers have a good team but unless they are greatly improved since the fall, I do not see them as the “clear favorite” at NAL. NLF will be a good preview

They are not a “clear favorite”. Hawks, Tigers or LI Epxress will most likely win the event. Those have been the top three teams since the start of the spring season.

F
Trolling yourself, now that’s something new.

PA RR went 2-6 in the NXT Mid-Atlantic Spring League

Express beat the Hawks Tigers beat Express and Hawks beat Tigers all just in March, Laxachussets will beat them all!

Who has Laxachussets beat recently that's noteworthy? I'll wait

They are still hanging their hats on the ot win over the Hawks in 2018 when the kids were in 4th grade.

No one.

In March Hawks won Hogan Spring Thaw and WSYL East Qualifier - in what March tournament did Express beat Hawks?

a Play day. Then Express tied True

New US Club Lacrosse rankings have the Hawks at #7, Express #1,Tigers #3, Sweetlax #2 so they were impressed with Express beating Hawks!

What version of True did Express tie?

Didn't LI Express also lose to Jersey Express at that play day?

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It's a new system on the website based on a computer algorithm. Takes into consideration score, differential, strength of schedule and opponents strength of schedule. Similar to myhockeyrankings.com which has been around for a while and is the gold standard for youth hockey rankings. Relies on scores being imputed and being correct. The more scores are imputed, the better the results.

That list is a mess. This Express-Hawks game you mention isnt even on there. Shows the Hawks as 17-2, but then lists no losses in their game log. No mention of the True-Express tie which would certainly move them out of the top ten and Sweetlax to #1 where they belong!

Here is your list of Hawks losses to Express, Tigers, Edge, LXC, Looneys, Madlax and will be a lot more this summer

NLF ranking much more accurate

Factor in the Express tie to #30 True, and loss to #18 Jersey Express (if true) and they certainly drop.

FCA Upstate ranked #9 when they were punted from the world series qualifier?

Not true. NLF is all "eye test" and subjective. This one is based on the algorithm. However, it is only as good as the data going in. But it is definitely a truer test of a team's ranking. AGD (average goal differential) and strength of schedule are the two main components. That gives you the rating. You can go up and down not even playing a game as the rating changes as the teams you played in the past, win or lose, close or blowouts.