WROCLAW, Poland – Team USA’s All-World goalie Devon Wills pulls goggles over her head, picks up a field stick and steps to the 12-meter. With the ball in her stick, she squares up with three-time Tewaaraton winner and All-American Maryland midfielder Taylor Cummings, drives hard to the right and fires a shot into the back of the net just two steps into the 8-meter. She then jogs jubilantly to the back of the line, ready for another look to goal.

Lacrosse made its debut in The World Games, a non-Olympic multi-sport event hosted by the International World Games Association, as the U.S. women’s national team blanked Poland 20-0 in the opener Thursday in Wroclaw, Poland.

Attacker Alyssa Murray (Syracuse ’14) wasted no time making her presence felt. An alternate on the U.S. team that locked up its eighth FIL Women’s World Cup title just five days ago, Murray was activated for The World Games and led Team USA with 12 points on three goals and nine assists.

Donnie Howard sat with his scooter in the middle of Red Square in Moscow, Russia, with one hand clamped onto the scooter and the other on his lacrosse stick that he took everywhere. Howard and his family were visiting Russia, the country where his mother, Ioulia, was born.

Howard was 10 at the time. He and his family were interested in seeing the Kremlin. But the locals were fixated on the stick.

We are proud to recognize those individuals and teams who have made substantial contributions to the growth and sustainability of the tournament. Our Legends of Lake Placid Lax truly represents both the spirit and the substance of Lake Placid Lacrosse. We are excited and proud to welcome Greg Gebhardt and Anthony Ortolano as Legends of Lake Placid Lax.

Read more about Greg and Anthony here.

John Keller is well known to lacrosse fans in the Capital District and beyond as one of the game’s elite players. A native of Castleton, NY, Keller led Columbia High School to a NYSPHSAA Section 2 championship while earning All-America recognition in 1986.

Skaneateles, NY -- Reggie Buell graduated from Skaneateles High School last month with impeccable credentials and a unique decision. He was in the Top 20 of his class academically. As a senior, he also earned first-team All-CNY honors in three separate sports: soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse.

Here is Episode 4 of our series, Off-Hand! This time we followed #StringKingPro and Atlanta Blaze attackman Kevin Rice as he prepared for MLL All-Star Weekend in Sacramento.

The FIL Women’s World Cup drew a record 25 nations to Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, England. We followed the U.S. closely as it won eight games in 10 days, securing its third straight gold medal in the quadrennial event. But the fanfare did not solely surround Team USA. Photographers Ady Kerry and Adam Scott shot 73 games, plus opening and closing ceremonies.

Connor Fletcher head upfield this spring in his freshman campaign for the Cornell University men’s lacrosse team. Former Princeton Day School standout Fletcher enjoyed a big debut season for the Big Red, tallying 32 points on 22 goals and 10 assists.

Playing lacrosse has always been a passion of mine and playing in the NLL is a childhood dream come true. This being said, I played every sport I could get my hands on growing up, with the big three being hockey, basketball, and, of course, lacrosse.

(Pittsford, NY ) Kevin Martin, founder and Director of College placement at Sweetlax Lacrosse, one of the top Club programs in the country has been named a Coach on the first ever Team Jamaica for the World Championships. Martin has established himself as one of the top high school club coaches in the country and will play an integral role as a member of the Team Jamaica staff.

Last week, US Lacrosse announced the launch of pilot qualification criteria and an associated website for our 2018 US Lacrosse Nationals event. Understandably, the announcement generated a great amount of discussion on social media because the information released was poorly-worded and misleading.

Boston Cannons midfielder Max Seibald tallied his 200 th career point against the New York Lizards last Thursday when he scored 7:41 into the first quarter. Seibald caught a pass from Sergio Perkovic outside of the two-point arc, beat Lizards defenseman Kyle Hartzell as he charged the goal, and fired a clean shot through Drew Adams into the back of the net.

[Lucas] Quinn, set to play next spring for Syracuse University, led Niskayuna to a Section II Class B championship during his senior season. One of the top players in Section II history, the midfielder registered 68 goals and 44 assists in the final season of a high school career which saw Quinn score a program-record 342 points.

BOSTON (July 24, 2017) — Rochester Rattlers midfielder Jordan MacIntosh was named the Warrior Offensive Player of the Week for Week 13. MacIntosh helped the Rattlers sweep the season series with the Outlaws in an 18-12 win on Thursday night.

After a packed weekend of games, the MLL playoff picture is still as muddy as ever. Teams are lining up for the dreaded 8-6 finish. The games were awesome, with several going down to the last minute. Right now, let’s get into how the postseason is shaping up:

The LaFayette High School Booster Club announced the Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2017 at it’s annual Block L dinner in June. Athletes, coaches and contributors across all boys & girls sports were recognized for their high school achievements as part of this year’s induction into the Hall.

12 former Lancer boys lacrosse greats were named to the Hall, in addition to 1 former player selected in the Coaching category and 1 former player selected in the Contributor category.

BOSTON (July 25, 2017) – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier outdoor professional lacrosse league, announced today the rosters for the Legends Alumni Game at the Lake Placid Summit Classic (LPSC). The game will feature former MLL players split into two teams – Team Brine and Team Warrior.

All-time greats Gary Gait, Brendan Mundorf and Matt Striebel will play for Team Brine, while Casey Powell, Kevin Leveille and his brother Mike Leveille will star for Team Warrior. Full rosters for each team can be found below.

The National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s professional indoor lacrosse league in North America, today announced the schedule for its fifth annual Junior NLL Tournament, a weekend-long competition featuring youth clubs representing NLL teams across North America. Teams from three divisions will compete at the Toronto Rock Athletic Center and Glen Abbey Community Center in Oakville, Ontario from Friday, August 25 to Sunday August 27.

Chapter two of the U.S. women’s national team’s trip to Europe begins Thursday with lacrosse’s first foray into The World Games. Here’s a look at what’s ahead for Team USA:

Ithaca senior Nick Miller heads Section 4 selections on the New York State Sports Writers Association’s inaugural all-state boys lacrosse team.

Congratulations to the Section II boys named to the New York State Sports Writers Association All-State teams:

With more than 375 varsity boys lacrosse teams in New York State, earning All-State status doesn’t come easy. That’s what makes it all the more special for Victor’s Matt Gardner and Chayse Ierlan, who on Monday were named first team All-State for large schools by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Gardner, a senior defenseman, and Ierlan, a junior goalie, helped lead the Blue Devils to their third straight state championship. Twelve players were named to the first team for large schools. In small schools, Palmyra-Macedon senior defenseman Nate Arnold was named to the first team.

Horseheads Matt Gill was selected to the 6th overall team after helping the Blue Raiders to another solid year. Gill help guide the Blue Raiders to a Section IV Class B title in 2016. Gill will next take his talents to the College of Saint Rose next year.

To understand how the NLRB got to this decision you have to go back to 2015 when “a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board ruled that high school lacrosse referees in Districts Seven and Eight are employees of the PIAA rather than independent contractors.” The ruling opened the possibility that high school refs across Pennsylvania could unionize and collectively bargain for better compensation and benefits. Indeed, some of the concerns seemed very reasonable and had more to do with safety than getting a couple extra bucks from a game.

(July 24, 2017)… Rochester Knighthawks Owner and General Manager Curt Styres announced today that the team has named Duane Jacobs the Director of Player Development. The Knighthawks Hall of Famer will begin his new role immediately as the team prepares for the 2017 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft and the 2018 season.

The first-ever all-state boys lacrosse teams were released today by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Eight large-school (Class A and B) teams were selected and five small-school (Class C and D) teams were chosen. Following are the teams, with photos of the Section III players picked. Above are All-CNY players of the year Alex Calkins of Christian Brothers Academy and Ryan Archer of Jamesville-DeWitt, both first-team choices for small schools.

“We’re in a situation where we needed to get the ball back. We had an aggressive ride put in,” Karalunas said. “It’s one of things where you get caught in a moment and you see an opportunity for a check…it’s a chess game for a D-man against an offensive player. I had to try something a little creative to get the ball back.”

The Buffalo Bandits have announced the signing of transition player Kevin Brownell to a two-year contract and forward Craig England.

The first ever Boys All-State Teams.

Pull out a world atlas, or Google a map of Canada. Go ahead; I’ll wait. Then find Halifax, Nova Scotia. I’ll give you a hint – it’s over there in the northeast – so far over there, it’s in a different time zone. Atlantic Time is an hour ahead of Eastern Time. Imagine watching Jeopardy at 8:30!

People of all ages came to the Canandaigua Academy over the weekend for non-stop lacrosse. The "Shootout for Soldiers" tournament wrapped up Sunday night. Although it wrapped up a little earlier than expected due to the weather, the event surpassed its $50,000 fundraising goal.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- Shootout for Soldiers, which raises money in support of American veterans, started Saturday at 6 p.m. and wrapped up Sunday night. The organization hosts 24 lacrosse games over a one-day span at the Canandaigua Academy each year. (Additional Video 2:02)

Congratulations to “Buffalo Storm 2019-20”, for an outstanding Summer Travel Tourney Season, being named Champion of the 2019-20 division in 2 of their 3 travel tourneys. Storm won the Great Bay Lacrosse Classic - Rising Stars Division ( Saginaw, MI, 6/24-25 ). Then Traveling to Philly to play the Patriot Games (7/15-16) and after losing only in a Braveheart to the eventual champs, went on to win the 2nd place groupings. This past weekend they were named 2019-20A Champs of the Cherry Bomb tourney in Traverse City, MI. As Champs of GBLC & Cherry Bomb, Storm received 2 invitations to the Dick’s “Lacrosse Tournament of Champions” in Tampa FL, in December.

Atsap knew that his forward-thinking audience required a few slides of Moneyball-type compelling information. The lifelong, self-described “feel and gut more than numbers guy” traced his team’s patterns of offensive and defensive effectiveness before and after the NCAA rules changes that took effect for the 2013 season. He wanted to discover whether playing faster really did equate with improved performance.

An event called "Shootout for Soldiers" came to Upstate New York on Saturday, as Canandaigua High School played host to a 24-hour lacrosse tournament to benefit veterans and their families.

CANANDAIGUA — Twenty-four non-stop hours of lacrosse at Braves Stadium began with flags and a fanfare Saturday night, and by Sunday morning, it will still be going strong. (Opening ceremony video)

As the rain came pouring down on Pitch 1 at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, England, the U.S. national team was possessing the ball in the final seconds of play with a 10-5 lead over a Team Canada team that had battled relentlessly throughout. As the ball made its way downfield, Becca Block caught a pass, and immediately turned to hand the ball off – unsurprisingly – to team captain Devon Wills.

GUILDFORD, England – Niagara women's lacrosse head coach Wendy Stone and assistant coach Alice Mercer earned gold medals with Team USA women's lacrosse, which defeated Team Canada 10-5 in the final game of the 2017 FIL Rathbones Women's Lacrosse World Cup on Saturday.

So this came from the Rivals.com section for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights . . . I don’t think I’ve ever seen parts of a schedule leak out publicly for lacrosse, or at least this early, but this is very interesting.

On Thursday July 20, 2017, three players with local connections – UAlbany alum Matt Bertrams, Siena alum Casey Dowd, and Niskayuna (and UNC) alum Luke Goldstock each played in their first game with the Boston Cannons.

Former Westhill standout Laura Zimmerman buried a pair of goals to help the United States capture the 2017 Federation of Lacrosse women's World Cup with a 10-5 win over Canada on Saturday in England.

The United States withstood its toughest test of the last 10 days, defeating Canada 10-5 in the gold medal game of the FIL Women’s World Cup on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, England.

It’s somewhat intriguing that John Johnson, who will forever be remembered as a coach, doesn’t really see himself as one. At least not at his core.

“No. 1, I’m a teacher,” the 1967 graduate of Canandaigua Academy says. “Of all the 46 years I coached, I don’t remember one day I didn’t go out there and not try to be a teacher.”

Defend the crown or steal the crown. Remain dominant or continue the upsets. As the seven-time world champion, the undefeated United States has outscored its seven opponents 125-32 in pool play and playoffs, including its quarterfinal against Israel and semifinal against England. It could be third time’s the charm as Team USA aims for its third straight gold medal.

Arty Waugh has always been a Legend to me. He was one of the first lacrosse players that I ever met and uniquely, one of the first that I ever played with. During the summer months as a single-digit youngster, I'd always look forward to Sunday's and heading to Guilderland HS to "shoot on Arty" with my Dad.

It’s no secret that Paul Rabil is a workout machine given human form. The Red Bull sponsored athlete has been a proponent of weight training and intense workouts since he burst onto the scene at Johns Hopkins over a decade ago. IL Gear and Lifestyle editor Kyle Devitte sat down with 99 to get his thoughts on weight training, the importance of leg day and how he trains.

Prior to Alderson Broaddus, Moriarty spent two seasons playing for NCAA D-II Adelphi (N.Y.) at the faceoff and defensive midfield positions. Moriarty came to Adelphi after spending two seasons at Herkimer College, where he was a first team all-Region III selection and was the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year.

"USC is getting a great young mind in the game. Coach Moriarty's passion and innovation will help make USC's program take off to another level. Congrats to Dan and I am excited to see that program take off." - Chuck Wilbur, head coach at 10-time NJCAA National Champion Onondaga Community College

The change is intended to improve the pace and flow of the game by allowing players to continue moving after the official blows the whistle. Previously, all players had to stop on the whistle.

Under the new rule, players can keep moving after a foul or violation while the player possessing the ball restarts play. A 2-meter nonengagement area will be established around the player awarded possession of the ball.

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – Rochester bolted to a 7-0 halftime lead and rolled to a 9-2 victory today over Florida to win the boys’ High School championship at the Brine National Lacrosse Classic at the River City Sportsplex.

The United States used an eight-goal run in the second half to seal a 19-8 victory over host England in the semifinals of the FIL Women’s World Cup at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford. The U.S., a two-time defending World Cup champion, will face Canada in the gold medal game Saturday. Photos by Ady Kerry and Adam Scott.

PHILADELPHIA, July 21, 2017 – The National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s professional indoor lacrosse league in North America, has announced a series of dates for key transactions as teams build out their rosters leading up to the 2018 season.

GUILDFORD, England – Erin Francis '17 (Massena Central) recorded six points to lead the Haudenosaunee Nationals in their 18-17 loss to Italy on Friday, July 21 at the 2017 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup in Guildford, England. The Haudenosaunee finished in 12th place at the event.

Brendan Barren (West Seneca West) and Jake Giarrano (St. Francis), members of the Canisius Class of 2015, were part of the 55-member class of the Erie Community College's Law Enforcement Training Academy Basic Course for Police Officers that graduated in May.

I'm in my Long Island hotel bringing you this week's #AskPaul. In this episode we tell jokes, highlight my favorite Dude Perfect moments, and tell you if I can beat Kyle Hartzell in a one-on-one.

Months of planning and anticipation finally unfolds into reality this weekend for the Shootout for Soldiers lacrosse event at Canandaigua Academy.

Canada will play for gold at the women's lacrosse World Cup after downing Australia 8-6 in overtime in the semifinals on Thursday in Guildford, England.

Dana Dobbie, Erica Evans and Alie Jimerson each had a pair of goals for Canada while Crysti Foote and Megan Kinna added the others.

“If you’re going to get run over, you might as well get run over by a Rolls Royce,” [England Coach Phil] Collier said. “I think the U.S. team obviously has great athletes. … People like Kayla and Taylor Cummings, they are the next generation of lacrosse players. They had massive fans today, who loved seeing them play, and hopefully inspired those girls to move the sport into the future.”

The action begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday with 16 varsity teams competing in games through 4 p.m.

Rochester also went 4-0 in pool play and was the No. 1 seed from Pool A. Rochester closed out its pool games with a 7-5 win over Michigan and a 5-2 conquest of California – also a playoff team. Rochester will meet Maryland at 9 a.m. in the quarterfinals.

The BRINE Northstar Invitational, one of the nation’s premier recruiting and development experiences, will return for its sixth consecutive year to the Northwood School in historic Lake Placid. Read more at https://laxallstars.com/northstar-premier-girls-lacrosse/#yBAgDiXDQZfBqZPV.99

I would be hard pressed to think of a better way to kick off the 4th of July weekend than to spend it in Saratoga, New York. The Battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the war for independence. Had it not been for those brave souls in 1777, it’s impossible to think that life as we know it would be the same as we have it today.

No matter the season he’s in, Matt Jeffries takes full advantage. It’s that attitude and work ethic that led to a Fed hockey 2016-17 New York State Championship, a standout 2017 lacrosse season, the 2017 Tom Borrelli “Ox” Award and Scholarship, and a place on the St. John Fisher College lacrosse roster next year for the Williamsville North dual-sport athlete.

I tracked Buczek down here in Ithaca on Monday, as the Big Red lacrosse camp got underway. I asked him to describe a typical, crazy week in the life of a 24 year-old pro athlete, and he said, “Well, my (MLL) job started on June 1st, in Florida (he plays for the Florida Launch) and on June 2nd, I was in New York. On June 3rd, I was in Dallas, and then at the end of the week I was in Seattle and Victoria.”

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (July 20, 2017) - The Rattlers completed the season sweep of the Outlaws with an 18-12 win on Thursday night at Capelli Sport Stadium. Rochester is the only team this season to beat the defending MLL Champs twice. The loss was Denver's third of the season and first on the road in 2017.

Sailing has never been a part of my life until my first trip out to the island in 2015. As a kid born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, I’m familiar with sailboats that cruise the Great Lakes. But there is something different about Victoria, where you have the ability to sail for months and years without being to the same place twice if you wanted to.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two years ago, Casey Rogers committed to Syracuse lacrosse. Then a sophomore at nearby Westhill Senior High School, Rogers was set on playing for his father -- assistant coach Lelan Rogers -- at SU. Enter Jamie Casullo, the son of ex-Orange assistant Bob Casullo, who was hired as Westhill's head coach in May 2014. His coaching led Rogers to realize he may be able to play at college football's highest level.

The United States is on to the gold medal game at the FIL Rathbones Women’s Lacrosse World Cup after beating England 19-8 on Thursday in Guildford, England. The U.S. will meet Canada on Saturday at 10 a.m. (Eastern time) in a rematch of the 2013 World Cup final.

Treanor led the U.S. offense with five goals and three assists to earn Player of the Match honors. It was the second time in the tournament that she was named the Player of the Match against England.

The first semifinal between Canada and Australia was close throughout as neither team could pull away. Rising senior Alie Jimerson scored a goal in the first half to help Canada to a 5-3 halftime lead.

GUILDFORD, England — Alie Jimerson (Lake Shore/Syracuse) had five goals and an assist and Dana Dobbie had three goals and three helpers as Canada downed New Zealand 16-1 on Wednesday in quarter-final play at the 2017 women's lacrosse World Cup.

The Canisius contingent both found the scoresheet, as Evans recorded her second hat trick of the tournament, while Morissette scored her first during the World Cup. Evans now has 15 goals in five contests since the tournament began.

In this pre-recorded episode, I take your questions from my podcast and #AskPaul Ep 42. From Monday to Wednesday, I was at Team USA Training Camp in Baltimore, played for the New York Lizards on Thursday, traveled to Charlotte on Friday, play the Hounds on Saturday, and host a Rabil Tour in Charlotte on Sunday.

Hong Kong has run to a 2-3 start in the 2017 women's World Cup at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, England, grabbing wins over Switzerland, 7-3, and Colombia, 20-0. Katherine Barker (10G, 3A) and Alexandra Tsai (10G, 1A) currently lead the way for the Hong Kong, as they head into Wednesday evening action against Belgium.

Martin (5’11”, 185 lbs., 4/4/1995) made his NLL debut in 2017 after being selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 2016 NLL Draft. In 15 games during his rookie season, the Oakville, Ontario native recovered 30 loose balls and created seven turnovers.

The BRINE Northstar Invitational, one of the nation’s premier recruiting and development experiences, will return for its sixth consecutive year to the Northwood School in historic Lake Placid. Read more at https://laxallstars.com/northstar-premier-girls-lacrosse/#xgWojQLwbktgdcFB.99

Madden, 45, played high school lacrosse at F-M and was a captain his senior season. He went on to Georgetown, where he played in the midfield for legendary coach Dave Urick and was a two-time Hoyas captain as a junior and senior. We sat down with Madden this week to talk about his new position.

The Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s World Cup is underway in Guildford, England. Here are some of our favorite photos from the opening ceremony (including an appearance by Princess Anne) and Team USA’s first six games.

The United States marched one step closer towards its goal of winning a third straight Federation of International Lacrosse Women's World Cup with a 20-3 victory over Israel in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, England. It was the first meeting ever between the U.S. and Israel in the World Cup with Israel playing in the event for just the second time.

Brian Hobart, alng with Brice, Brett, and Sylvia Queener will be holding the annual Queener LAX Penn Yan Girl's and Boy's Lacrosse Day Camp July 31st - August 2nd at the Penn Yan Academy Upper Fields. All players, girls ages 7-18, and boys grades 3-12 are welcome.

This is the time of year when the spotlight really shines on every level of our sport. The many factors that influence team success — culture, personality, work ethic, field IQ and chemistry, to name a few — take the full course of a season to develop, and they collectively form the magic elixir that can culminate in a championship.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s lacrosse head coach Jeff Tambroni announced additions to the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff Wednesday morning, naming John Haus as Penn State’s new assistant coach and John Hogan (Cornell) the newest volunteer assistant coach.

Our Rabil Tour Denver goalies got the best of me. I was out for revenge in Charlotte. Special thanks to all who attended, including my Lizards teammate and Team 24/7 Founder, Ryan Flanagan. Join the Tour, here: live.paulrabil.com

Playing for one’s nation fosters a pride that is indescribable to many. But for the Haudenosaunee women’s national team, which opened the FIL Women’s World Cup with a 4-0 record before dropping its first game against New Zealand on Tuesday, simply being in Guildford, England, is more valuable than the wins themselves.

They flew here into the United Kingdom using their Haudenosaunee passports.

HAGERSVILLE, ONT.—It was like any other game at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Family and friends dotted the orange and purple stands. Fans pounded drums and whooped with every cross-check or goal. Impatient spectators shouted “shoot the damn thing!” if a player held on to the ball for too long.

But history was made as Ontario beat British Columbia 8-7 on Monday morning in the first-ever women’s box lacrosse game at the North American Indigenous Games, a youth multi-sport event.

GUILDFORD, United Kingdom — Taylor Gait (Cba-Syracuse) had a hat trick and was named game MVP as she led Canada past host England 8-6 on Tuesday to end pool play at the women's lacrosse World Cup.

Woke up this morning ready as ever to get back in the game-day routine with the best teammates in the world. Yesterday was our first "off day" since the start of the World Cup, so we were able to enjoy some low-key family time in the town of Guildford. We also wrapped up the day with a great team dinner at our favorite local spot, Turtle Bay in town. Good food and great company made for an enjoyable evening. But today is back to business and after just less then 24 hours away from the team, we were all excited to get back on the field with one another. As we head into our final day of "pool play" we are as focused as ever as we approach playoffs.

Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, a newly launched cable television network in the United States, will televise The World Games 2017 from Wroclaw, Poland, from 20-30 July. Coverage of The World Games on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will also be live streamed on OlympicChannel.com, the Olympic Channel app, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.