The 25th World Lacrosse Championships (Everything Thread)

by **Alkoul** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:20 pm

Alkoul Eagles

Lacrosse in Alkoul is a very unknown sport, with less than 100 people nationwide participating or playing the sport, so it does come to a great shock that we have decided to field a team for the 25th World Lacrosse Championships. These men who will be playing under the Alkoulian banner themselves have never played the sport much or at all, many of them have however played association football.

Starting Ten
Mike Floures': Goalie: Age 26:
Adam Vison: Defender: Age 29:
Nik Kozy: Defender: Age 30:
Donnell Corv: Defender: Age 28:
Phillip Moises: Midfielder: Age 27:
Jackson Calderon: Midfielder: Age 25:
Zack Florence: Midfielder: Age 33:
Chris Lenardo: Midfielder: Age 31:
Francis Karzi: Attacker: Age 27:
Bernard Hison: Attacker: Age 36:

Manager: Jack Jackson

Premissions: What ever you wish, but no killing or Carrier ending injuries.
Style: -1.3
Home Stadium Stadia Monta (Capacity: 3,000)

by **New Reuss-Gera** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:22 am

Der Unsinn
New Reuss-Gera's Cheapest Rag
What is Lacrosse?

So, as it turns out, New Reuss-Gera is being entered into it's first ever professional sport's tournament, and it turns out that it is in a sport that the vast majority of the country doesn't really know anything about it. Lacrosse arrived in New Reuss-Gera only 20 years ago with the foundation of a fairly poor quality amateur league and the occasional PE class, since that time it hasn't really taken off as a sport and has remained the domain mostly of amateurs. As a consequence, the team that has been fielded is only able to play with kind permission from their employers. Overall, this whole tournament seems a worrying prospect for a team so obviously ill-prepared.

The manager of the side, Hugo Schauble reflects the ethos of the rest of the team, the 75 year old believes in defense, strong defense, defense so strong it borders on the violent (rumor has it he used to be involved with organised crime). When pressed on his tactical approach he was keen to emphasize the importance of ruthless defense saying "most teams are used to only having to face a handful of players in defense, we'll throw men back and defend in force, the idea is to be impossible to breakdown." When ask about the teams chances he was more vague, but put forward that "with no expectations on our backs, we can perform to our best. I expect other teams to underestimate us from time to time and we will make them pay." After the press conference details on the squad were announced:

The Starting Ten

Goalie
Dean Vincent, Age 28, Works in a call centre

Defensemen
Hanna Erhard, Age 23, Works in sales
Alistair Back, Age 33, Works as a bodybuilder
Johann Koch, Age 31, Works as a builder

Middies
Helena Kuhn, Age 25, Works as a taxi driver
Polly Wolf, Age 21, Unemployed
Damian Brikker, Age 17, Student

Attackmen
Laura Sommer, Age 19, Student
Enola Gay, Age 25, Works in finance
Nora Haas, Age 29, Works as a window cleaner

Reserves
Alan Borton, Age 20, Student
Ben Kraus, Age 29, Unemployed
Lucy Lorenz, Age 40, In the Army
Jane Fuchs, Age 37, Works as a police officer
Boris Alan, Age 22, Works as an engineer
Hans Becker, Age 16, Student
David Hoffman, Age 25, Works as a pilot
Hanna Spitz, Age 15, Student
John Horicks, Age 18, Student

Style Mod: -5
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
Suspend my players: Yes
Godmod suspension events: No
Godmod other events: No

Overall this team of misfits and amateurs seems well prepared for an ultra-defensive game, of the three defenders Back is the most muscular man in NR-G and Koch was once sent to prison for beating a man with a stick, perfect prep for the game of Lacrosse.

by **Mahrcain** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:59 pm

Mahrcain
Population: 54,260,000 || Terranea, Rushmore || Time Zone: Endemien (EnT +5)
Primary Languages: English, Norman French || Capital: City-Bartholomé (Bartholomé City)
Demonym: Mahrci || Royal Family: The VanMayors || Primary Colors: Wine, Lime, Black

Program for the World Lacrosse Championships XXV
Corcra, Tamriel Region || Time Zone: Outerregional (OrT +6)

** Presented by CleanXcel Gear - High-quality, long-lasting lacrosse gear. Feel fresh before the game and after it. **
** Paria - The Official Shoe of the Royal Mahrci National Lacrosse Team

25-Man Roster presented by Paria

Projected Lineup
G / R. Challenge
D / S. Betantagraan
D / M. Cormelade
D / T. Gras
M / A. Masson
M / J. Rensselade
M / R. Schenectade
A / D. Avery
A / M. Southriver
A / B. VanBret
#1 / Durant Avery / A / 25 / Donaldam Grenadiers
#2 / Isidore Bernard / G / 24 / Wyhnhardt Rivermen
#3 / Spencer Betantagraan / D / 22 / Gwynedd Owls
#4 / Juie Blays / M / 26 / Precussonade Explorers
#5 / Raoul Challenge / G / 32 / Bartholomé City Skylords
#6 / Alan Charles / A / 26 / Arcymore Great Eagles
#7 / Michi Cormelade / D / 27 / Cairnville Rams
#8 / Nicolade Craon / A / 23 / Princiville Seasiders
#9 / Thomas Gras / D / 28 / Cairnville Rams
#10 / Adrien Hue / M / 27 / Masterdam Terriers
#11 / Rollon Levett / D / 24 / Challeshire Jacks
#12 / Victor Lexis / M / 24 / VanMayor Great Danes
#13 / Jon Louet / D / 24 / Bartholomé City Skylords
#14 / Alan Masson / M / 25 / VanMayor Red Danes
#15 / George Pesantade / D / 25 / Challeshire Jacks
#16 / Jonnie Rensselade / M / 28 / Palisades Flames
#17 / Gerart Revier / D / 31 / Carrimore Hurricanes
#18 / Marc Rome / G / 27 / Princiville Seasiders
#19 / Colas Roussel / A / 22 / Gwynedd Owls
#20 / Raimbalt Roussel / M / 24 / Arcymore Great Eagles
#21 / Raimen Schenectade / M / 25 / Inverrshire Lancers
#22 / Jaose Segusso / A / 24 / Wharwick Express
#23 / Marin Southriver / A / 25 / VanMayor Red Danes
#24 / Bounot VanBret / A / 24 / Arcymore Great Eagles
#25 / Guian VanCherollade / G / 24 / Carrimore Hurricanes

Coaching Staff

Additional Staff
General Manager: Lamber Brevedent
61 years old; senior executive, RPCLF
Assistant Coach: Guido Gillane
53 years old; head coach, Precussonade Explorers
Assistant Coach: Adam Maignart
45 years old; head coach, Université de Dubrine
Assistant Coach: Teduin VanVilleigh
39 years old; head coach, Cairnville Rams
Head Coach
Raven Balloude
The 43-year-old is the skipper for the Danes Rouges de City-VanMayor, a dynamic powerhouse in the RCPLF sporting three selections to the national team. Selected to lead Mahrcain's young team in its first international lacrosse appearance.

by **Vangaziland** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:02 pm

Lacrosse is a fairly popular sport in Vangaziland. They don't earn quite as much as basketball players. The salaries of some can get closer to Gridiron or Soccer stars in the Empire. They draw full crowds in stadiums of 35,000 - 48,000 people. It was more popular than sports like baseball and Futsal.

Technically lacrosse was the national sport of Vangaziland. High school leagues were a big thing, as were youth camps. There was talent in Vangaziland, mostly a product of the culture's focus on it. Collecting lacrosse sticks is a habit, with several Vannish companies producing them. Lacrosse gear is a popular birthday or Christmas present, for boys and girls.

Women's lacrosse also is fairly popular. There is even a variant of women's lacrosse that follows men's rules complete with tackles, stick checks and shoulder pads. It's an amateur club league that has popped up, so it doesn't have many players. It's fairly popular though.

The main reason basketball has eclipsed lacrosse is because it's cheaper to get involved with and easier to find games. Smart athletes also realized it was the highest paying sport in Vangaziland and focused on it. Whereas most Vangazi have played lacrosse, almost all Vangazi interested in sports have played basketball.

The Federation of Vannish Lacrosse was not giving up on winning more fans. They've talked with investors about building a 60,000 fan stadium in Emeros for their team, the Buzz. A bigger stadium would earn more revenue and thus higher salaries. The Federation raised the salary cap, also hoping to draw the next generation into the game.

Vangaziland missed the last edition of the World Lacrosse Championships, but sent a strong team forward for the most recent edition. The Vangazi took the last edition off and focused on training. In the edition before that, Vangaziland did quite well. In fact, many nations rotate in and out of WLC competition. It's just a nuance of the league. Many new teams would test their mettle against the Vangaziland Royals.

There are a few players to watch out for.

6'6" Lars Swenson is the big man on defense, playing center. Many teams try to bring tall attackmen into the fray. Lars is there to keep the pressure on them, usually playing center spot or playing man on a tall player. He's the kind of athlete that would have played basketball or gridiron in other countries. But he made his life's focus playing lacrosse and it's worked out for him. He's one of the highest paid Vannish Lacrosse players.

Jake Carrs is only 5'9", but he is one of the best facilitators on the team. He organizes the offense and calls plays, moving the others around like chess pieces. He has good timing and knows how to set people up. He's got a pretty good long range bounce shot as well.

Will Rubey is another short player, but he's got a really fast shot. He knows how to paint the corners and has terrific aim on his shots. He's joined on attack by Tony Tute. Tute is fairly big and knows how to use his size to post up, like basketball. He's good at setting picks and doing things off the ball. Like a center in basketball, he's worked on going back to goal, turning and shooting.

Just like many other Vannish teams, the focus is on the fundamentals. Defense should tackle and clear. The middies should win ground balls and create chances. The attackmen should move and shoot.

There is also a bit of a flair to this team. Every once and awhile, you'll see a flip pass. Sometimes, players might get too creative. For example, Tute can get carried away with his back to the goal play, when he really could just face the goal and shoot.

The coach would try to keep these pros focused on the basics. He'd try to dissuade that sort of thing, but it was bound to happen. Hopefully it wouldn't cost the Vangazi any games.

Stevie Jacob is the goalie. Some would say he's fairly mediocre as far as international goalkeepers are concerned. He would look to improve his reputation. Honestly, it would most likely be good play from defense that would control the score. But Jacob was fairly talented, winning a championship in the pro league.

Vangaziland had secured a spot in the Silver Edition of the World Lacrosse Championship and were poised to make a run.

by **Qasden** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 11:21 am

Qasden
Athletic News

WLC25 Report- Preview

The groups have been drawn. The players and equipment have been sent. It's nearly time for the start of WLC25, held in Corcra. With the Vans drawn into Group K, let's see their first three opponents and how they'll perform against them—

Qasden v Ontorisa

Ontorisa, the only ranked nation in the group, will probably be the Vans toughest adversary in the group. Having won their group in WLC24 as an unranked nation, the Ontorisans took a powerful #2 seed in the playoffs. Though they were eventually stopped, Ontorisa is currently ranked 13th. Our prediction? Qasden will probably lose this one, but an upset isn't completely out of the picture here.

Qasden v Nephara

A big name in the soccer world, the Hawks should be quite an interesting battle with the Vans. If this were soccer, Nephara would pound us out of the park. Since we're both unranked in lacrosse, however, it's safe to say that it could go either way for the Hawks and Vans. Hopefully, luck will be on our side and we'll take the victory.

Qasden v Western Jarwel

Though not as big of a name as Ontorisa and Nephara, WJ do happen to be one of the few countries to have previously competed in other events with Qasden. In the QO, the Jarwelians happen to be currently above the Vans, but in ES3, that's when the Vans powered over them. Now, with both countries nearing another face off in another sport, will Qasden be able stop their friendly opponents? Or will the Vans fall horrifically? Our guess, a tight game with the Qads nudging a win. But it could still lean either way.

There you have it, the previews of the next three opponents of Qasden in the 25th WLC. Will Qasden be able to handle Ontorisa, Nephara and Western Jarwel? Will my partner ever stop eating my spaghetti? Stay alert and find out in the day 1 report, here at the WLC in Corcra.

by **New West Guiana** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 3:48 pm

Sports TV interviews with West Guiana's first National Team

This week the West Guiana National Lacrosse team will be headed to the 25th World Lacrosse Championships, for our part during this silver edition, we will be documenting some of the historic teams to play for West Guiana and they'll recall the events of what made them into heroes. We also will interview those who made lacrosse the national sport once again, and brought the National Lacrosse League from the depths of failure into the bright star that it is today.

The first part in our series will cover the first national team that headed to the now desolate nation of Civil Citizenry for the 12th World Lacrosse Championships.

Ali Muhammad Age of WLC 12, 25. Age now 51.

Before the 12th championships and before Coach La Heuy contacted me, I was out of a job and need of any money. I played for the Jasper City Bobcats of the NLL, before the league went into their money problems Jasper City was one of the first franchisee to be suspended. I thought that any of the remaining teams would sign me, but two weeks before off-season trading started I rolled my car near Port Salem and broke my foot. Man that emotionally killed me, after that no team wanted me, citing that accident. I was forced to sell my home and car, and I moved into a low rent apartment in Salem Heights. Rough place to live and I hated it, everyday. I watched the 11th lacrosse championship finals and wished that I could some day be like those guys.

Then a few days after the NLL suspended operations, I got a call from Hini La Huey he was the head coach form the storied Gemsbrook Eagles, he won five titles with them. And he told me he and a few NLL officials were looking to form a national team, the players he was looking for would otherwise had not searched internationally as they couldn't afford it. I said yes with out thinking, he promised W5,000 for a sign-on and a week latter I was in Gemsbrook with about twenty other guys who played in the NLL.

The first day of pratice La Huey said he and the other coaches were paying to send us to the 12th World Lacrosse Championships out of their own pocket. They said as there was no national organization for lacrosse other than the NLL, which meant for us little to no money. That was until the owner of the Eagles promised to donate us W2.8 million and after a meeting with the coaches they together quickly formed WG Lacrosse.

Matt Ute Age of WLC 12, 31. Age now 57

Hmm I remember the first days of WG Lacrosse, man they had no money other than to pay us, Todd Glenn owner of the Eagles gave about three million dollars, but that was burnt through quick in pay and training equipment and rent for practice grounds. La Huey who wasn't very rich himself did his best for funding but with no luck. Two weeks before the 12th championship started we were in panic mode as we couldn't even afford plane tickets and we didn't even have Jerseys to wear. So La Huey fixed that on the cheap by buying some red shirts and blue shorts for us and he added our names and numbers. It was a sad state of affairs for WG lacrosse back then.

We only got to Civil Citizenry because of pure luck, Scott Yost the back-up goalie had his pilots license and flew us in a small old Boeing 707, we made it booked a cheap motel to stay in and on our first day of practice we looked rag tag compared to the other teams. I remember quite well how a Sean Barish the top attacker for Cosumar came up and mocked us, he shouted, "Hey look a walking yard sale!" Boy that made my blood boil and I wasn't alone. After that those watching us would often point and laugh. But I guess that made our determination stronger that we would do our best to shock the old guard, that these newbies, that's what you call it these days, aren't pushovers.

Sports TV Note: The first two legs of the 12th WLC were held at each nations home stadiums, the thrid leg and afterwards was held in Civil Citizenry

Matt La Huey Son of Hini La Huey, age at WLC 12, 18, age now 44.

I was just entering my Senior year in high school when dad got the news he was out of job after the NLL suspended their operations, mom and I were surprised that he didn't get depressed, instead he became determined to do something about it. He started this idea of a national team that would compete at the international level. Little did either of us know that he would get what he wanted. We traveled to the 12th WLC in the last leg when it headed to Civil Citizenry and we were shocked to see many fans come with us, I say that because the stadium for the first two legs were almost empty, maybe 5,000 people sowing up at best. Dad was none to happy, but players on his team had to remind him that was the reason for the NLL to suspend operations.

This year marks the Silver Edition, and I know dad would have loved to live this long to see it, and see the rise of the NLL and the professional organization that WG Lacrosse has become. Of course dads proudest day and moment in his coaching career was in WLC 18 when he lead the team to its first world title and year after coming up short and ending in second. In three months from today dad would have turned 93, he died one week before the start of the 22nd WLC, but he was so happy to know that the championship would be held in West Guiana and he said he felt it was time for another title. But like in the 17th edition we fell short again, however though dad would've been happy either way, finally we had a sport that we could succeed in and be proud of.

Tomorrow we will air part two of the story of the first national lacrosse team.

by **Mapletish** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:32 pm

Team Mapletish for World Lacrosse Championships XXV

Nation Name : The Mapletia Unida of Mapletish
Short Name : Mapletish Union,UM
Demonym: Maplish/Mapletian
Team Nickname: The Dragons
The Supporters: The Fierykop
TEAM KIT -

Notes: This World Lacrosse Championships will be the Dragons' fifth appearance in the multiverse lacrosse scene. Having debuted in the 14th WLC, the Dragons have so far won the championships once with a stellar performance in WLC 24 by overcoming familiar foes Ko-oren. This is the Dragons' best performance following a quarter final appearance in the 16th WLC. The lacrosse scene in Mapletish mostly consists of university, semi-professional and amateur teams due to the lack of popularity and interest in the sport.

Coaches
Head Coach: Jonjo Delsvic
Assistant Coach: Park Soon Ho

Starting X
Number - Name - Position - Age

#1 - Chuck Ernest - Goalkeeper - 24
#2 - Hyram Lacy - Defender - 24
#3 - Colton Domenic - Defender - 23
#4 - Jed Darius - Defender - 22
#5 - Rolo Marty - Midfielder - 25
#6 - Dennis Julian - Midfielder - 27
#7 - Ernie Brion - Midfielder - 25
#8 - Emil Lamont - Forward - 21
#9 - Tylar Daley - Forward - 20
# 10 - Everitt Barnabas - Forward - 24

Bench
#11 - Lawrence Tel - Goalkeeper - 20
#12 - Benjamin Greg - Defender - 20
#13 - Carey Raine - Midfielder - 20
#14 - Gregg Dayton - Midfielder - 19
#15 - Satchel Terance - Forward - 19

OOC Permissions
Do anything you want but please stop short of killing my players or crazy, extreme godmodding.

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:42 pm

Cosumar National Lacrosse Team - WLC XXV
Roster and Information

Basic Team Information

Nation - The Fiefdom of Cosumar

Team Name - Azure Dragons

Demonym - Cosumarite

Team Colors - Navy, Silver, Royal Blue, White

Headquarters - Centus, Gellano Fief, Cosumar

Home Stadium - Cosumaquest Stadium (68,000)

Team Style - Moderately Offensive (for IC purposes)

Experience - This is Cosumar's 18th WLC. We debuted in WLC 8 and have since built a reputation as one of the premier lacrosse nations in multiverse, due to our strong domestic league (the CLL) and seven WLC medals. Cosumar won back-to-back WLC titles in the 20th and 21st editions but crashed out early in WLC 22. We bounced back to claim a silver medal in WLC 23 and then a bronze in WLC 24. Cosumar has also hosted the tournament in the past. Lacrosse was an obscure sport in Cosumar 30 years ago, but has since risen rapidly to become the fourth most popular spectator sport here behind only basketball and association and gridiron football.

Starting X
Number - Name - Position - Age(Sex) - CLL Team
* Denotes a returning starter from previous WLC

88 - Jack Schmidt - Goalkeeper - 24m - Altamirano Apes

86 - Pip Townson - Defender - 25m - Centus Journeymen

43 - Jill Birdsong - Defender - 30f - Duversia Death *

38 - Nyder Voga - Defender - 27m - Samaj Samurai *

47 - Andrij Fetfazidis - Midfielder - 29m - Samaj Samurai *

02 - Sola Swensson - Midfielder - 22f - Cassandra City Coroners *

00 - Mitchell McCombs - Midfielder - 30m - Mallox Mayhem *

01 - Harvey Teclam-Still - Attacker - 23m - Duversia Death *

50 - Malik Nezhad - Attacker - 29m - Altamirano Apes *

11 - Jacques Archambault - Attacker (Captain) - 33m - Altamirano Apes *

Bench
Number - Name - Position - Age - CLL Team

44 - Harrell Garrison - Goalkeeper - 30m - Surpronuk Snowstorm *

45 - Tomislav Varukic - Goalkeeper - 30m - Klyde Guardians

17 - Andre Glik - Defender - 31m - Na'Ailee Neptunians *

05 - Oswald Va'Kounpo - Defender - 28m - Klyde Guardians

62 - Hollen Oakenfour - Defender - 24f - Klyde Guardians

74 - Sandia Sykora - Midfielder - 25f - Surpronuk Snowstorm

21 - Hermann Duggan - Midfielder - 30m - Hagenheim Elves

98 - Kjetil Kokorin - Midfielder - 20m - Pirankoper Musketeers

42 - Lainey Shalott - Attacker - 28f - Ramusok Rhinos

62 - Almin Alzidaleh - Attacker - 19m - Dawchire Doom

17 - Gharman Larfan - Attacker - 31m - Holmenkollen Wanderers

Coaches & Staff

Head Coach - Duke McDougle

Assistant Coach - Brett Pollard

Goalkeepers Coach - Tavil Pipperman

Defenders Coach - Mauricio Villanueva

Midfielders Coach - Austin Von Grisse

Attackers Coach - Tracy Sheppard

Strength and Fitness Coach - Benjamin Kim

Schedule

TBD

Team Uniform

Cosumar's uniform feautres an aesthetic design provided by Barrengaka Kits of Astograth and makes heavy use of the national colors of Blue and Silver. The goalie's kit feautres the colors of the Royal Family of Cosumar - Green and Gold. A silhouette of the iconic Cosumarite Azure Dragon takes the center of the uniform, reminding spectators of the natural beauty and magnificence of Cosumar while also striking fear into the hearts of the opposing team.

OOC Permissions

Essentially, I'll allow anything short of killing off my players or extreme godmodding. RPing is all about having fun, so use your imagination and RP however you like when playing Cosumar. However, I do ask that you telegram prior to seriously injuring my players.

by **Banija** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:03 pm

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banijan lacrosse team arrives in Old Corcra to fight for the ever-elusive World Lacrosse Championships

For the fifth time, Banija will compete for the World Lacrosse Championships. Can they finally bring home a trophy?

RIOGHACHD END- The Banijan national lacrosse team has arrived in Old Corcra for the silver edition of the World Lacrosse Championships. This special anniversary edition of the tournament sees 40 teams participating, which is the largest World Lacrosse Championship event that the Banijans have ever been a part of. While this is the 25th edition of the tournament, this is the 5th edition for the Banijan lacrosse team, which is a record for any Banijan national team's participation in a single tournament. They have developed into tournament mainstays, and true lacrosse powerhouses, but have yet to bring home what seems to be the most elusive of trophies for Banija.

Their history in this tournament is filled with ups and downs, with joys and pains. This country's first ever international championship sporting event, in any sport, was the 21st edition of the World Lacrosse Championships, hosted in the Star United States. The unranked Banijans were thrown into a group with then world powers Nassau-Hessen, as well as two other unranked sides making their debuts. The Banijans won their first two games before falling to Nassau-Hessen in group play. That was enough, however, to make it to the knockout stages of this tournament, where the team became the true Cinderella story.

They were able to win in the Round of 16 against New West Guiana, an experienced side, as well as pull off an upset against Nassau-Hessen, a team that had already beaten Banija once, before probably the highlight of the tournament, when they sent the hosts packing when they shellacked them by a score of 13-4. Fellow lacrosse powerhouses Cosumar, who at the time were the defending world champions, were able to stop the Cinderella story in the final. While it was a great run, Banija was confident that, with the experience gained, that they would be back. The ensuing years have just shown how hard it is to get to a tournament final.

What may have possibly been Banija's best-ever lacrosse team went into the 22nd WLCs full of confidence as well, fresh off of a 4th place finish at the World Multiverse Games. After a shock upset against Electrum, they were able to take care of business against many of the other teams, except for Abanhfleft. Abanhfleft was simply a team that would not be stopped in the 22nd WLCs, and were the reason that the Banijans didn't win gold in that tournament. Abanhfleft beat Banija 3 times in that tournament, twice in the group stage on Banijan soil, and once more in New West Guiana in the semifinals of that tournament. Banija did win 3rd place, but they were disappointed with the bronze medal finish.

Their next two tournaments saw Banija fall even farther down the totem pole. After cruising to the Round of 16 of the 23rd WLCs as the #3 overall seed, they were shocked by #14 overall seed Nassau-Hessen, as they finally got their revenge for their tournament elimination just 2 tournaments prior. The Banijans were shocked, and they expected to do better in the next tournament. They could not find a way to win their group, due to a shock upset loss to Frenline Delpha on the final day of the group stage, which put Banija back from the #1 overall seed in the knockout stages to the top-ranked group runner-up. While they beat allies Amazonesta in the Round of 16, Cosumar got revenge for their group stage loss and dispatched the Banijans in the quarterfinals, as Mapletish won the tournament.

If this tournament goes like any previous editions, Mapletish has to be the favorite to win this tournament, as Cosumar won 2 tournaments in a row, followed by Abanhfleft winning 2 in a row, and Mapletish winning the last one. However, teams like Banija will be chasing hard for that trophy, as well as Abanhfleft, whose shock elimination in the group stage in the last tournament was the surprise of the tournament, alongside Mapletish.

Banija, however, can do some real damage at this tournament. As one of the top ranked teams, they were seeded as the top ranked team in their group, and as the #6 team in all of lacrosse, they are surefire favorites to win their group. Winning their group will be essential in this tournament, as a one game playoff between 2nd place teams will determine which ones advance to the knockout stages, and which ones go home. Key players like veterans Alex Rod and Alexei Zitros will be the key to whether or not this team can go far in this tournament.

They open, of course, against the Republic of Kaboomlandia, not to be confused with Kaboomlandia, though the two nations are related. This is a game where Banija will be favorites, but after the last two tournaments, they can't take everything for granted. "Each and every team here knows what is at stake, and we know how important it is for our boys to get off to a good start." Said Head Coach Pavle Yankovich. "We want to attack early and often, as we are capable of beating anybody in this tournament. These tournaments are long, but you have to take them one game at a time. All of our attention is on the Republic of Kaboomlandia, and I have confidence that our boys can take one home tomorrow night."

by **Ferkas** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:37 pm

National Team Prepares for Debute

Lax Quarterly - Official Magazine of Lacrosse in Ferkas

(Coventry, CKF) The Ferkian National Lacrosse Team, the first of its kind, set out earlier this week for the 25th World Lacrosse Championships in The United Kingdom of Corcra. This will be the debut performance for Ferkas in international lacrosse, and the first step of the AFLC into what is unarguably high level competition.

The team has been placed into Group F along with New West Guiana, Amazonesta, and the hosts from Corca. The group stage promises to be a tough one - New West Guiana is currently ranked 7th and Amazonesta is 29th. The hosts, although unranked, will certainly provide a stout challenge as well, backed up by their home crowds. Without a history of international competition, or any real team competition, to draw on it borders on impossible to predict how Ferkas will perform. Speaking to the press this morning, Coach Scott McGauly was less than direct as to what would mark a successful trip for the team.

"Well, obviously our goal is to compete as well as we can. And when you're doing that, well of course you want to win. And in a group stage the obvious goal is to reach the elimination rounds, at the least. And when you get that far, well, I guess then the goal is just round by round. So in a dream world our goal would be to win the whole thing, and you've got to say that, don't you? You can't say that your goal is just to win a game or to do something small. I mean, that just doesn't seem right. But at the same time you have to consider what your team is capable of. Don't get me wrong, we've got a great team here. But it's hard to tell what we are capable of. Besides, uhh, well, being great. So, I guess our goal is to do well. And if we do well it will be a successful trip for us." - Coach Scott McGauly

While hard to dissect, one message from Coach McGauly's statement is clear - This is a team with mixed expectations at best. Unfortunately, it is also a team with high pressure. Documents leaked from the Ministry of Sport earlier this week show high expectations resting on the team, and by extension the AFLC bid for full accreditation. While both the AFLC and Ministry of Sport have refused to comment on the matter the documents, including emails between the Under-Minister for Development and the AFLC Board of Directors, show a mutual understanding that a poor performance here may result in a 'temporary' suspension of the accreditation process. Previously rumors had suggested that a strong performance may expedite the process, with no indication that a weak performance would have a negative impact. Fans have expressed concern that the team, lacking support from the Ministry of Sport as well as experience in competition, is being set up to fail, which by extension would threaten the entire future of the sport in Ferkas.

Unofficial comments from within the AFLC have tried to downplay these concerns. Speaking off the record a senior member of the AFLC leadership, familiar with the accreditation process, indicated that the Ministry of Sport is open to 'non-traditional metrics of success' in determining what constitutes a strong performance. Some analysts have taken this to mean that quality of play may be considered beyond a strict win-loss record, or that expectations will at least be scaled for the quality of competition. However, some fears remain that lacrosse will be held to expectations more befitting an established sport. These concerns are worsened by the fact that the Olympics are upcoming, and with them high expectations for sports throughout the Chancellery Kingdom.

Martin Refield, analyst for Ferkian Alternate Sports 1, commented on the matter saying: "There is a real concern, and I think a valid one, that Olympic expectations may carry over into lacrosse. For example, while it is more than fair to expect that the athletics team in the Olympics brings home medals, that isn't a fair expectation for our team in Corca. This problem could be especially true with regards to public perception. If people are hearing success stories from other competitions it will color how they see the lacrosse results by raising the expectations. And that is assuming the team can get the coverage it deserves in major outlets. So although the team has to be concerned with on-field issues of production and wins, the AFLC has to be considered with the equally difficult matters of public perception."

It certainly seems like the team is focusing on the field and not on the politics of accreditation. Speaking after leaving training camp, team captain William Hope effused about the quality of the team heading to Corca.

"Solid. That's how I would describe us, a solid team. Sure, we are young, but I think that's a strength. We are energetic, ready to prove ourselves. We've had some sharp attacks in scrimmages and our defense is stout, really willing to get rough and set-up when they need to. So yea, I think we will surprise some folks. And that's what is gonna make this fun." - William Hope, Team Captain

Our own Ashlyn Williams, who attended all of the teams open practices before they departed for Corca, was willing to agree with at least some of the optimism.

"I would say the midfield and attack are actually the strength of this team. While the defense is stout at times it's more of a big play thing, they can lack consistency at times. The offense and attacking midfield is strong though, and more consistent than the defense. It helps that several of the starters in both groups play together - you've got the Hope's who of course have a tight connection, but you've also got Dupoin and Smith who play together for University of Ferkas at Coventry LxC. So these guys are familiar with each other, they knew how to support each other and maximize some of their strengths. So this is certainly the best quality team to play in Ferkas. But it's hard to tell what that means internationally. We just don't know what the best of Ferkas looks like compared to everyone else."

That really sums up the whole of this trip - we don't know what our best looks like compared to everyone else. But over the coming days we will find out.

by **Old Corcra** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 6:54 pm

ACT 1, SCENE 1
Setting: ME 2016 ((OOC: the present day)), July 21st, 9:00 AM. Tir Trodaithian headquarters of the Tamrielese Sport Control Board, Flagayaret.

(The sun is fairly high in the sky in Flagayaret. In the head office, CHIEF MERKAD O'SINGLON is looking over World Lacrosse Championships files for the matches in the Tir Trodaithe sector. The phone rings. O'SINGLON picks it up.)

O'SINGLON: Hello, TSCB Office Tir Trodaithe, Chief O'Singlon speaking, how may I help you?

VOICE ON PHONE: (Fleurique¹ accent.) Hello, Chief. My name is not important, but my mission is. I represent the Fleurique Field Hockey Organisation. Why was I not included in this tournament?

O'SINGLON: (hesitates, then:) Um, sir, we're hosting the World Lacro--

VOICE ON PHONE: (clearly agitated) DID I STUTTER?

O'SINGLON: Well, sir, I did say the World Lacro--

VOICE ON PHONE: I DO NOT CARE what you said. You will put our national team in this tournament, or else.

O'SINGLON: Well, I can't do that, sir. The tournament bids are posted by the NSLacro--

VOICE ON PHONE: You have 24 hours to put us on that access list, or you will die. (click)

O'SINGLON: (stares at the phone, dumbstruck)

(O'SINGLON's secretary, JENNA, who also happens to be his wife of 10 years, walks in, knowing nothing of the phone call that just transpired.)

JENNA: Hey, honey.

O'SINGLON: (distant) Hi, honey.

(THEY kiss. JENNA sits down at her desk, ready to work. After about a minute, SHE notices her husband is still standing in the middle of the room, looking at his phone.)

JENNA: Honey?

O'SINGLON: (awakened from his stupor) Huh? Oh, hi. I'm sorry, I just, uh, received a strange phone call.

JENNA: From?

O'SINGLON: I -- don't know. He sounded like he was from Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs.

JENNA: Oh no, not them again... those renegades... what did he want?

O'SINGLON: He's put my life on the line to get their national field hockey team into the WLC.

JENNA: WHAT?!

O'SINGLON: That's right. Field hockey into lacrosse. Two completely different sports. And I have 24 hours to do it.

JENNA: (clearly disturbed) Well you can't just change the drawn groups! The matches start tomorrow!

O'SINGLON: I know. I'll think of something, dear. The meeting minutes are still sitting on your desk. Go through them please.

(As JENNA sits down to examine the meeting minutes, O'SINGLON has a confused expression on his face.)

O'SINGLON: (mutters) Something... but... what?

¹Fleurique: Of, or a citizen of, Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs, to the northwest of the Practical United Region of Tamriel. Corcra is in the southeast of the region.

by **Old Corcra** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 8:06 pm

Curaidheachd an t-Saoghail de Lacrosse
THE WORLD LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
25mh / 25th Edition - Corcra

MATCHDAY 1 RESULTS

GROUP A - King Alomar I Memorial Field, Meaghola

Abanhfleft 13–5 Cheongji
Kaboomlandia 13–16 Kep

  Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                 1   1  0  0   13   5  +8    3
2 Kep                        1   1  0  0   16  13  +3    3
3 Kaboomlandia               1   0  0  1   13  16  −3    0
4 Cheongji                   1   0  0  1    5  13  −8    0

GROUP B - TrackOne Stadium, Meaghola

Cosumar 25–2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
San Llera 9–6 Free Swiss States

  Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                    1   1  0  0   25   2 +23    3
2 San Llera                  1   1  0  0    9   6  +3    3
3 Free Swiss States          1   0  0  1    6   9  −3    0
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec    1   0  0  1    2  25 −23    0

GROUP C - Elbridge Nockt, Tansdale

Ko-oren 21–0 Jarwel
The Serbian Empire 8–8 Temeru

  Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                    1   1  0  0   21   0 +21    3
2 Temeru                     1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
3 The Serbian Empire         1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
4 Jarwel                     1   0  0  1    0  21 −21    0

GROUP D - Necker/Moore Field, Pensdale

United States of Devonta 11–9 Alkoul
Frenline Delpha 9–13 New Reuss-Gera

  Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Reuss-Gera             1   1  0  0   13   9  +4    3
2 United States of Devonta   1   1  0  0   11   9  +2    3
3 Alkoul                     1   0  0  1    9  11  −2    0
4 Frenline Delpha            1   0  0  1    9  13  −4    0

GROUP E - Caorach am Màrt, Rìoghachd End

Banija 8–2 Republic of Kaboomlandia
West Phoenicia 9–6 Celreostia

  Group E                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                     1   1  0  0    8   2  +6    3
2 West Phoenicia             1   1  0  0    9   6  +3    3
3 Celreostia                 1   0  0  1    6   9  −3    0
4 Republic of Kaboomlandia   1   0  0  1    2   8  −6    0

GROUP F - The Stadium of MacIlroy, Bort

New West Guiana 16–10 Corcra
Amazonesta 8–8 Ferkas

  Group F                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New West Guiana            1   1  0  0   16  10  +6    3
2 Ferkas                     1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
3 Amazonesta                 1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
4 Corcra                     1   0  0  1   10  16  −6    0

GROUP G - Trodaithe Indoor Stadium, Alomaria

Mapletish 15–8 Mahrcain
Levivania 11–14 Sasil Hangug

  Group G                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mapletish                  1   1  0  0   15   8  +7    3
2 Sasil Hangug               1   1  0  0   14  11  +3    3
3 Levivania                  1   0  0  1   11  14  −3    0
4 Mahrcain                   1   0  0  1    8  15  −7    0

GROUP H - St. Herridge's Stadium, Brask

Nassau-Hessen 14–2 Amouraland
Celtica Free State 12–26 Rardium

  Group H                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Rardium                    1   1  0  0   26  12 +14    3
2 Nassau-Hessen              1   1  0  0   14   2 +12    3
3 Amouraland                 1   0  0  1    2  14 −12    0
4 Celtica Free State         1   0  0  1   12  26 −14    0

GROUP J - Heston Brown Memorial Field, Nastan Mor

Vangaziland 17–7 Ilyseum
The Licentian Isles 18–4 Gregoryisgodistan

  Group J                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Licentian Isles        1   1  0  0   18   4 +14    3
2 Vangaziland                1   1  0  0   17   7 +10    3
3 Ilyseum                    1   0  0  1    7  17 −10    0
4 Gregoryisgodistan          1   0  0  1    4  18 −14    0

GROUP K - Díoltas Mhaighréide, Flagayaret

Ontorisa 12–3 Western Jarwel
Nephara 10–8 Qasden

  Group K                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ontorisa                   1   1  0  0   12   3  +9    3
2 Nephara                    1   1  0  0   10   8  +2    3
3 Qasden                     1   0  0  1    8  10  −2    0
4 Western Jarwel             1   0  0  1    3  12  −9    0

by **Banija** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:38 pm

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija wins WLC 25 opener with 8-2 victory over the Republic of Kaboomlandia

Team celebrates the game's opening goal against the Republic of Kaboomlandia

RIOGHACHD END- A massive first half from this team, where they raced out to a 7-0 lead against a team debuting in this tournament, was able to carry the favorites to victory as the Banijans scored an 8-2 victory to open the tournament. The first half was a great half of lacrosse for Banija, and quite frankly, probably the best half that the national team has played in an extremely long time. The attack, led by veteran Alexei Zitros, was electric in the first half, as some brilliant goalkeeping by the opposition prevented the score from being even more out of hand by halftime. But yet, 7-0 was a place where Pavle Yankovich felt comfortable enough to play the reserves for basically the entirety of the 2nd half.

Pavle Yankovich was extremely pleased with the team's performance, especially in the first half. "We opened this game extremely strong, and took it to our opponents from the beginning. When we go out with the intent to win, and win from the get go, we are capable of doing great things, which is exactly what happened in this game. The fact that Alexei Zitros was able to score on the game's first shot, however, set the tone for the rest of the game. Our attackers were able to gain confidence after that, and we simply kept on shooting. While their goalie made save after save, eventually if you keep shooting you will score, and as we dominated possession, there was no way they would score in the first half." Said the Head Coach.

He continued on, talking about the importance of his team being able to maintain possession. "We are a team that is built on attacking, and that is built on scoring. The fact that we were able to dominate possession for an entire half meant that we were going to be able to score our fair share of goals, and that is why we took such a huge lead so early in the game. Players like Alex Rod, and KeAndre Wright, have been at this for a very long time, and they are very capable of controlling and maintaining possession for a team such as ours. Seasoned veterans who do not get intimidated by the bright lights of the World Lacrosse Championships, especially with this being the silver edition of the tournament. Those guys can lead the guys who haven't played on this stage, or at least these kind of minutes on this kind of stage, and make it less of an intimidating experience to play under these bright lights." He took a few other questions, then said his team would be focused on their upcoming opponents, as an opening day win 'meant nothing' unless it could be followed up with more victories.

Banija's next opponents are West Phoenicia. This team is ranked 33rd in the world, and are the other favorites to get out of this group, and the team that is seen as the most likely to challenge Banija for the top spot in Group E. They won their opening game as well, with a 9-6 victory over unranked Celreostia to put them even on points with Banija heading into their showdown. This team is easily the toughest team that Banija will face in the group stages, so the performances against a team like West Phoenicia could be seen as a benchmarker for how well this squad can do against the other ranked teams in this tournament, who they will undoubtedly be facing in the knockout stages.

This heavily anticipated matchup will probably be one of the best that Group E has to offer, with Banija and West Phoenicia both heavy favorites to take 4 wins each from both the Republic of Kaboomlandia and Celreostia. These teams have arrived within the United Kingdom of Corcra with expectations to both at least get to the knockout stages, and both with expectations to win their group. The expectations are high for both teams, but with both teams definitely capable of meeting them, we are looking forward to a fantastic game between these two sides on Matchday 2.

by **Ferkas** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 4:18 am

Ferkas Upsets Amazonesta

Wins by Not Losing - Draw in International Opener

LaxQuarterly.com - Official (Online) Magazine of Lacrosse in Ferkas

(Bort, Tir Trodaithe, United Kingdom of Corcra) The men from Ferkas have already proven themselves here at the World Lacrosse Championships, playing 29th ranked Amazonesta to a draw in the opening match of the group stage. The team was knocked down hard at first, falling to a 7-1 deficit by the end of the first half, the defense obviously struggling against a strong attack and the Ferkian attackers unable to get any traction. The only upside in the first half was a strong series of play by Derek Hope and Brandon Clyde - Derek making a break and getting a moments clearance over the Amazonesta defense before firing off a quick assist to Clyde who drove it into the back of the net with a snap shot.

Despite that bit of excitement the team went into half far behind and seemingly out of the match. The few Ferkian fans who have traveled to Bort for the tournament (encountering unexpected challenges in finding lodging in the process) were growing restless. While expectations were low there was always an unspoken goal of avoiding humiliation. With the team apparently en route to a blowout defeat it seemed like those expectations would not be met. But the team proved the doubters wrong, rallying back quickly in the second half.

First it was the tandem of Alec Smiths and Derek Hope, driving two into the net alternating assists and scores. William Hope contributed two of his own, assisted by Gregory Cerker who came in during the second half to offer some relief to a tired Timothy Hope. But it was Brandon Clyde, the unaffiliated player who was a surprise inclusion on the starting line, who came through strongest driving home three more in the second half. Meanwhile goalkeeper Evan McAdams, who had struggled in the first half behind some weak defensive play, made several impressive blocks and allowed only a single Amazonesta goal in the second half.

Following the game both coaches and athletes were excited with the result and with the potential for the rest of the tournament. Assistant Coach John Hope commented that "We really showed what sort of team we are in the second half. If we continue playing like that I think we will continue to see some surprising, and really positive, results. I keep telling the men that they have the skills to succeed here, even if we don't have the history. And that this is our chance to build that history, which I think is what we started to do here today and will continue to do in the coming games."

Breakout star Brandon Clyde, with four goals in today's match refused to comment on his own performance but did speak out the team, saying "We have a group of skilled athletes who are really willing to work together and understand the how we can support each other as much as possible. And we don't freak out. We've got some great leaders on the team who help keep us all in perspective. So even if we are having a rough period like at the start today we don't get worked up about it. We are able to pull together and stay focused on playing high quality lacrosse."

The team will next play hosts Corca, who lost their opener against 7th ranked New West Guiana, who currently lead Group F. Head Coach Scott McGauly wouldn't comment on the plan for that match, or the 16-10 result of the Corca-New West Guiana match other than to say "Well, you can bet we will be watching as much tape of that game as we can tonight. Other than that, well, I guess you'll just have to show up at the stadium and see what our plan is, won't you?"

Whatever that plan may be, Ferkian fans certainly hope that it is at least as successful as today's match. But with that said, the team can't continue with draws forever, eventually they will have to start winning out if they want to advance beyond the group stage. And why not start tomorrow against Corca?

by **Kep** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:10 am

World Lacrosse Championships XXV

Offense Shines

- By Baldvin Þorkelsson

Kep thoroughly stunned today it its inaugural multiverse game, defeating No. 16th-ranked Kaboomlandia 16-13 at King Alomar I Memorial Field. Kep used a strong and potent offense to take an early lead and never look back. While the defense suffered, offense proved to be the best defense as it held its lead. The Estongs relied on 6'4 Martin Foss who scores eight of their sixteen goals and out muscled his opponents in Kaboomlandia.
The offense terrorized Kaboomlandia's defense man, setting up each other en route to a 16-13 win. The Estongs were able to successfully contain KLL all-star Hugh Marks of Kaboomlandia, solving the puzzle of scoring on the Kaboomlandian offense, ranked in the top 20 of the multiverse. Kaboomlandia underestimated Martin Foss, he had a field day against the Kaboomlandian offense, 8 goals and 4 assists in the game, along with playing a little defense in preventing late goals from the Kaboomlandian team.
The defense proved to be the weak link in todays game, wildly terrorized by Hugh Marks and Kaboomlandian company, they gave up five goals on Hugh Marks along with three a piece to Tim MacDonald and Julio Mercer, midfielders too. Toward the end, the defense started to find its stride, tough checks and thoroughly challenging their counterparts for the ball. While much improvement needs to be made, it was a successful outing as a win is a win for Kep.
A tougher approach at midfield took affect early in the game as the midfield contained and eventually locked down the Kaboomlandian offense from advancing. The midfield, relying on its short stature was able to successfully confuse its opponents who gave up the ball many times as the midfield forces strategic turnovers and whatnot. The midfield should look to build on that moving forward.
Kep plays Cheongji next.

by **Qasden** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:39 am

Qasden
Athletic News

WLC25 Report- Day 1

After much anticipation, the silver anniversary World Lacrosse Championships have begun! Unfortunately for Qasden, it didn't begin so well. Due to our newbie status to, well, NS Sports in general, the Vans were ultimately defeated by Nephara, 10-8, in Flagayaret. Though suffering the loss, Qad spirits look onwards past this slip-up, as Assistant Coach Bræser had announced longer and more intense practice days for the Vans Lacrosse team. Hernin and Adièrre each scored 2 goals, along with the second set of points going to names such as Alder, Rui, Wallback, and Brüdder.

Currently placed in third with a GD of -2, the Vans look to get back up from their loss to Nephara against their next opponent, Western Jarwel. WJ lost their previous match to Ontorisa, 12-3, plopping them right with Qasden at the group's caboose. Both teams look to win this game, but Qasden's hopes are as high as possible.

Can Qasden resurrect their lacrosse campaign against their Western Jarwel? Will the Jarwelians be able to backhand-slap the Vans hopes in the face? Stay alert for the Day 2 report, straight from Corcra.

by **New Reuss-Gera** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:09 pm

Der Unsinn
New Reuss-Gera's Cheapest Rag
Frenline Delpha 9–13 New Reuss-Gera

Frenline Delpha 0	2	1	6		9
New Reuss-Gera 	4	2	4	3		13

In their first ever competitive outing the Geran side managed to get the better of their ranked opponents from Frenline Delpha in their opening match at Necker/Moore Field, Pensdale. A couple of thousand Gerans were present to witness this historic win as a team of amateurs managed to put forward a performance as a statement of intent. Frenline Delpha have previous competed as a nation in the World Lacrosse Championships, having had a team present at the previous tournament, making the round of 16, as well three group stage exits.

The Geran side's performance got off with a bang after a near perfect first period, with any pressure exerted on the back mopped up by the Back-Koch partnership at the back, the pair carried out some borderline violent defense at time, but we able to keep on the right side of the match officials. Moreover, Gay and Haas scored two a piece to clear up the first quarter. After that, the lead stuck throughout the match, but things started to look a little more shaky come the final quarter, where Frenline Delpha put away 5 points on the bounce without a response in just 2 minutes.

Overall the game bodes well for a side that contains some players fairly new to the sport, it also does well for the side as it drew a fairly major audience, 15% of the domestic total, a record for any sporting event contained a side from NR-G. Hugo Schauble, the manager, commented that the benefit of this tournament might be to bring a new generation into the sport, and also said he thought after their first game "we can go all the way." Only time will tell if he is correct, but the next match is up against Alkoul who, also new to the tournament, were defeat by fourth seeds the United States of Devonta in a close match.

by **Vangaziland** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 2:09 pm

After Matchday One, one thing was certain. The WLC was a high scoring league. Vangaziland won 17-7 and they didn't even lead the 'Goals For' category in their group. Cosumar actually put up 25 goals in their game. Ko-oren won 21-0.

"Talent is high this year", said Coach Larry Hootsen. "If we want to make noise, we can't just be good. We have to go way above and beyond, just for the chance to compete." The coach had basically thrown down the gauntlet to his players. Now, only time would tell if they accept his challenge or fall to mediocrity.

The Royals enter the season ranked 12th off a good performance two editions ago. A snafu over funding and issues behind the scenes kept Vangaziland out of the last edition. But they were back and looking to make themselves known in the world of lacrosse.

The team started well, showing the offense's capacity to get hot.

6'1 Tony Tute was the first to score and the leading scorer of the night. He totaled 6 goals and picked up 3 assists. The attackman sat back at X for much of the game, as the center man. He was so quick off his cut from the back of the net, that he found himself open, just enough to get off a shot. For as many as he scored, he did rocket a few shots past the goal. One bounced off the top crossbar.

"It was a good night", Tute told reporters. "I wish I didn't miss so many shots though. I know my high school coach was yelling at his TV somewhere."

Some would argue that Jake Carrs had an even bigger night. He scored 5 goals but picked up 6 assists. He was the man responsible for running the offense. He set the offense and called the plays. His timely passing caught players at just the right spot to turn and shoot. A few times, the pass was timed so well, that the attackman caught and shot in the same motion.

"We were lucky to score so much tonight", Carrs told reporters. "My job is to set people up. My job is to make sure everyone has a purpose out there, and that everyone produces." The midfielder did a good job of spreading his passes throughout the offense.

Will Rubey found himself with a hat trick of 3 goals. He timed his runs well and caught a few of Carrs's assists. He was in a good rhythm with the midfielder, as was the other winger, Andie Verrando. Verrando picked up 2 goals. He did well to set up more screens than any other attackman. His play off the ball also helped contribute to the score-line.

The Vangazi looked to pick apart the defense with screens and movement behind the lines. The Royals also did a good job winning many of the face-offs and ground balls.

"Lacrosse is all about the fundamentals", said defender Lars Swenson. "The only way a team can put up such a number, is if they focus on the little things."

The 6'6 center defender had a clean game with no penalties. He had a few timely stick checks that knocked the ball free and also had a few big clearances, getting the ball out of the danger zone. He also kept a big body in the way of opposing movement. He made screens a bit harder for the opposing teams to set.

Chris Anderssen caught one of Swenson's clearances and brought it down the field on a fast break play. He juked his way into the center of the field and finished with a bounce shot that hit hard enough to bounce up over the goalkeeper's shoulder and into the net.

Anderssen also picked up an assist. "I was glad to have my presence known out there", he told reporters. "It's going to be a long season. My night in the spotlight will come eventually."

Vince Heart had a tough night on defense. He found himself getting burned on multiple occasions. Most of the goals came from a man Heart was supposed to be covering. "Offense and the other guys on D bailed me out tonight", Heart said. "I don't feel good about the way I played tonight, not at all. I need to learn from this and move on."

Heart would be one of the few Vangazi to be pessimistic after Matchday One.

"I'm looking forward to the season", said Tony Tute. "I hope this is the year that we define Vannish lacrosse. It's all about making a name for ourselves."

by **New West Guiana** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 6:26 pm

Tonight we continue our story from those who were part of the first national lacrosse team in World Lacrosse Championships 12.

Ali Muhammad
I still to this day remember our first international match, it was against another new team Crolacia. You could tell though how poorly ready we were, a few of us starters still had jelly in our legs and before we knew it we were down 8-0. We fought back but to little too late, losing 14-7. After the game we really were upset that we allowed it to get out of hand so early on. Coach said it was his fault, but we all maintained to him it was ours.

Our next game was against long time and experienced Mangolana, oh hell in the locker room before the game the mood was that of a funeral, we were so sure we'd get slaughtered out there. Some bets were running up to a 20-2 loss. But some how we won by three, after that win we felt something in us we knew what we wanted. We wanted to win and that is what we did, all the way to the quarter-finals where we lost in a close battle to the eventual champions, and by the next edition we'd come in 3rd. third place in the whole world, that for us was something to be proud of, after everything that we had gone through, we reached our light at the end of that long dark tunnel.

Coach though throughout our first edition was proud at the progress we made and how to him how easy it was to get as far as we did. Well when he started talking like that we were sure he had gone mad, it wasn't easy but it was worth it at the end, but if I could do it again I would any day. Looking back the only thing I would have changed was nothing, we were laughed and mocked with our cheap shirts and shorts, but by the end of the day no one was laughing at us, but they gave us some respect. You asked before I went on air if I would be going to the 25th edition, well of course I am, I wouldn't miss it for nearly anything, rumors say that WG Lacrosse will do something to honor us and show how far we have come.

Matt Ute
That first game we had a lot of us were very nervous mostly because we either hadn't played a game in years or never had, many of us were the misfits of the NLL or considered old and washed up like Ali Muhammad. Ali first off wasn't old or washed up,he simply had a bout of bad luck that he seemed unable to shake. The first game which was a home game, only 900 people came out to see us play, 900 in a stadium that could hold 20,000. La Huey was pissed before the game started he went out to see how many people had come, thinking the place was packed full, but he shortly came back in and said exactly, "Fucking pathetic." and told us how many were out there. What ever our moral was dropped to almost nothing, it was safe to say before half time there might have been only 100 people left, but at the half La Huey told us to ignore those "Fucking bastards".

After the first game we wondered how many people would even come to see us play after that loss, for the second home game against Jamalon, we hoped for a few more people, after all we won one game. Well we did the announced crowd was 1,400, so it was an improvement but still sorely disappointing to see so many empty seats. Before the game started officials herded the crowd into four sections two on each side of the field to make it "Look better". Well the only thing that was better was our play, so much so we forced overtime, but ending up losing by one.

by **Old Corcra** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:07 pm

Curaidheachd an t-Saoghail de Lacrosse
THE WORLD LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
25mh / 25th Edition - Corcra

MATCHDAY 2 RESULTS

GROUP A - King Alomar I Memorial Field, Meaghola

Cheongji 8–9 Kep
Abanhfleft 21–6 Kaboomlandia

  Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                 2   2  0  0   34  11 +23    6
2 Kep                        2   2  0  0   25  21  +4    6
3 Cheongji                   2   0  0  2   13  22  −9    0
4 Kaboomlandia               2   0  0  2   19  37 −18    0

GROUP B - TrackOne Stadium, Meaghola

Royal Kingdom of Quebec 14–10 Free Swiss States
Cosumar 10–9 San Llera

  Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                    2   2  0  0   35  11 +24    6
2 San Llera                  2   1  0  1   18  16  +2    3
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec    2   1  0  1   16  35 −19    3
4 Free Swiss States          2   0  0  2   16  23  −7    0

GROUP C - Elbridge Nockt, Tansdale

Jarwel 5–5 Temeru
Ko-oren 15–8 The Serbian Empire

  Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                    2   2  0  0   36   8 +28    6
2 Temeru                     2   0  2  0   13  13   0    2
3 The Serbian Empire         2   0  1  1   16  23  −7    1
4 Jarwel                     2   0  1  1    5  26 −21    1

GROUP D - Necker/Moore Field, Pensdale

Alkoul 9–18 New Reuss-Gera
United States of Devonta 17–10 Frenline Delpha

  Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Reuss-Gera             2   2  0  0   31  18 +13    6
2 United States of Devonta   2   2  0  0   28  19  +9    6
3 Frenline Delpha            2   0  0  2   19  30 −11    0
4 Alkoul                     2   0  0  2   18  29 −11    0

GROUP E - Caorach am Màrt, Rìoghachd End

Republic of Kaboomlandia 5–9 Celreostia
Banija 15–7 West Phoenicia

  Group E                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                     2   2  0  0   23   9 +14    6
2 Celreostia                 2   1  0  1   15  14  +1    3
3 West Phoenicia             2   1  0  1   16  21  −5    3
4 Republic of Kaboomlandia   2   0  0  2    7  17 −10    0

GROUP F - The Stadium of MacIlroy, Bort

Corcra 14–10 Ferkas
New West Guiana 16–13 Amazonesta

  Group F                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New West Guiana            2   2  0  0   32  23  +9    6
2 Corcra                     2   1  0  1   24  26  −2    3
3 Amazonesta                 2   0  1  1   21  24  −3    1
4 Ferkas                     2   0  1  1   18  22  −4    1

GROUP G - Trodaithe Indoor Stadium, Alomaria

Mahrcain 10–5 Sasil Hangug
Mapletish 12–9 Levivania

  Group G                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mapletish                  2   2  0  0   27  17 +10    6
2 Sasil Hangug               2   1  0  1   19  21  −2    3
3 Mahrcain                   2   1  0  1   18  20  −2    3
4 Levivania                  2   0  0  2   20  26  −6    0

GROUP H - St. Herridge's Stadium, Brask

Amouraland 5–10 Rardium
Nassau-Hessen 14–12 Celtica Free State

  Group H                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Rardium                    2   2  0  0   36  17 +19    6
2 Nassau-Hessen              2   2  0  0   28  14 +14    6
3 Celtica Free State         2   0  0  2   24  40 −16    0
4 Amouraland                 2   0  0  2    7  24 −17    0

GROUP J - Heston Brown Memorial Field, Nastan Mor

Ilyseum 10–8 Gregoryisgodistan
Vangaziland 7–9 The Licentian Isles

  Group J                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Licentian Isles        2   2  0  0   27  11 +16    6
2 Vangaziland                2   1  0  1   24  16  +8    3
3 Ilyseum                    2   1  0  1   17  25  −8    3
4 Gregoryisgodistan          2   0  0  2   12  28 −16    0

GROUP K - Díoltas Mhaighréide, Flagayaret

Western Jarwel 13–9 Qasden
Ontorisa 5–4 Nephara

  Group K                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ontorisa                   2   2  0  0   17   7 +10    6
2 Nephara                    2   1  0  1   14  13  +1    3
3 Western Jarwel             2   1  0  1   16  21  −5    3
4 Qasden                     2   0  0  2   17  23  −6    0

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:01 pm

Gregoryisgodistan "Lax Slaves" Roster

All players are three years old. They are three so they do not have positions except the goalies, marked with a "GK". Also, they are all slaves. The starters are determined by who can cry for their mommy the loudest the day of the game.

GK #1 - Youth Slave I83499SDF
GK #2 - Youth Slave 859ISDFHSIDHF9
#3 Youth Slave I09WU5I0FSNDF0SDG
#4 Youth Slave LLL9EWR9XXXE34
#5 Youth Slave 9W3508IS09DFHU9SDNF
#6 Youth Slave 3I095RUS0D8FUDSF
#7 Youth Slave LSDFLCIX
#8 Youth Slave KUVMCI8
#9 Youth Slave 98W408SDAAA90UD09FU0S9D8UF0S8UDF
#10 Youth Slave 8I5093UISDFIUHSDIFUHCCCCCCCHOOCHOOCHOMPERZ
#11 Youth Slave CHOMPEXU
#12 Youth Slave 90W8R09SIUD9F8USD9BCU
#13 Youth Slave OOCOCOCOCOCO
#14 Youth Slave FDIOUSD9FU98SDUF98
#15 Youth Slave LOPOPO
#16 Youth Slave U0DSF09SD8IF098SD98409
#17 Youth Slave HCCUCUCUCUCUC
#18 Youth Slave CVVVVVER
#19 Youth Slave LOSDF0IS0D9UF

by **Ferkas** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 4:06 am

Matching Expectations

Corca Slips By, Ferkas Drops to Bottom of Group

LaxQuarterly.com - Official (Online) Magazine of Lacrosse in Ferkas

(Bort, Tir Trodaithe, United Kingdom of Corcra) Fresh off their international opener against Amazonesta, the men were unable to match the tempo of the host nation, losing a 14-10 decision in the second Group F game. The team played a more consistent match than they did against Amazonesta, which required a rally in the second half to draw the match, but their consistency was consistently outdone by the men from Corcra.

William Hope was the clear leader of the team with four goals on the day, while Alec Smiths and Timothy Hope both netted two apiece. Gregory Cerker and Hank Torelli accounted for the last two Ferkian goals of the day, both playing in second string roles. Brandon Clyde, the Ferkian star of the first match, did not score today although he is credited with assists in five of today's goals. The young player continues to show his ability to contribute to the team. Meanwhile William Hope assisted in three more, demonstrating why he was selected as the team captain - excelling in leadership both on and off the field.

Defensively, much of the attention was on Victor La Rupa, who did not play in the first game due to some discomfort in his left ankle. Cleared for play today he broke up several threatening Corcan attacks, showing off his agile style of defense which earned him AFLC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice last season, en-route to making the 2015 All-AFLC team.

Highlights aside, the team will have to put forward a stronger product in their upcoming match against New West Guiana (7th), the current Group F leaders and only undefeated team in the group. They dispatched Amazonesta 16-13, the three goal difference relegating Ferkas to the bottom of the group on the basis of point differential.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 7:04 am

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen Part Eighteen Part Nineteen Part Twenty Part Twenty-one Part Twenty-two Part Twenty-three Part Twenty-four

No Place For Heroes, Part Twenty-five

Somewhere in Gharbambiyah

One would have most probably thought it impossible for a large group of rebels to hide themselves within the borders of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Gharbambiyah, what with the country occupying at most just over a thousand square kilometers of sandy Saharan desert, but it was due to the strange nature of the Gharbambiyan desert itself which allowed these rebels to congregate in secret behind the ever-shifting dunes of the Sahara. With the World Assembly Mission to Gharbambiyah now drawing an ever-tightening noose around the necks of the rebel warlords who had risen up against the coup d’etat of Isaiah Cabulovowino, the various rebel leaders who were still alive after three years of going up against the Gharbambiyan Army and peacekeeping troops from various World Assembly nations had decided that maybe it was time to set aside their differences and band together to bring down Cabulovowino’s regime.

The leader of the largest group of rebels still actively operating within Gharbambiyah, Edward Eskalumbuye, had taken his time in reaching the agreed-upon meeting place deep in the heart of the desert. The other rebels had already camped for the night and had lit cooking fires while waiting for the self-declared Emir of Al Jawal, which had most recently been captured by Gharbambiyan and World Assembly forces, when a guard who had been posted for night duty due to his newness heard the rumble of car engines in the distance. In the desert, sounds sometimes travelled huge distances, so hearing the engines wasn’t necessarily a sign that vehicles were indeed approaching their position. But the sentry still kept his eyes open in case the sounds were indeed not just a trick of the desert.

His vigilance was soon rewarded. Vehicle headlights soon appeared on the dunes approaching the rebel encampment, and although the jeeps and trucks flew no flags to identify them, the guard knew that they were the convoy of Edward Eskalumbuye’s forces, or at least a small minority of them whom he trusted with the secret of coming meeting between the rebel factions. As the first vehicle approached him, the guard held up his hand to command it to stop. The driver did so, and the guard walked up to the driver’s window and asked them, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“My brother in arms, do you not recognize me?” a scratchy, husky voice said from the back of the jeep. The guard shone his flashlight into the jeep and saw inside none other than Edward Eskalumbuye himself. The guard quickly turned off his flashlight and bowed his head. “Forgive my insolence, Your Eminence,” he said, referring to Eskalumbuye by a title afforded to him by his claiming of the Emirate of Al Jawal.

“You are forgiven, my young brother,” Eskalumbuye said. “You are only doing your job. Your vigilance shall be rewarded. Come, brother, and tell me your name.”

“I am Karim Qaboos al-Osman,” the guard replied.

“That does not sound Gharbambiyan,” Eskalumbuye observed. “Where are you from, brother?”

“I am from Abanhfleft, Your Eminence,” Karim said. “I have been recently converted to the One True Faith with the help of the Holy Legion of the Islamic Jihad.”

“The Holy Legion, eh?” Eskalumbuye rubbed the thin beard on his chin. “Very well. Ride with me, Brother Karim, and lead us to your camp. Aboubakar, take the young man’s post.” The rebel beside Eskalumbuye nodded his head silently and got out of the jeep and took up Karim’s sentry post. Karim them got into the jeep beside Eskalumbuye, and the rebel leader nodded his head at his driver, who stepped on the accelerator and continued deeper into the desert.

Through Karim’s guidance, Eskalumbuye’s small convoy into the rebel camp, where they were greeted with cheers and celebratory gunfire by the other rebel groups. The news of the fall of Al Jawal had spread to them by way of the camel telegraph, and they were somewhat concerned that Eskalumbuye, who had come up with the idea of trying to unite the various rebel groups in Gharbambiyah, had not managed to escape the Gharbambiyan and World Assembly dragnet around the city. “Do not be concerned with me, my friends,” Eskalumbuye told the gathered throng once he had been informed of their concern. “I am protected by Allah, peace be upon Him, and the spirits of my ancestors, the Emirs of Al Jawal. The infidels may have taken my kingdom away from me, but they shall never take me or my life!” This was followed by even louder cheering and even more gunfire going up into the night sky.

Eskalumbuye was finally able to make his way to the biggest tent in the middle of the camp, which was where the leader of the Holy Legion of the Islamic Jihad, a man known only by his nom de guerre “Omar Saud”, had turned in for the night. Saud was standing at the entrance of his tent, arms wide open. “Ah, Edward!” he said as the two men embraced and kissed each other on the cheeks as was custom. “Welcome back!”

“It is good to be back, Omar,” Eskalumbuye said. “No matter how hard Cabulovowino tries to kill me, I still survive.”

“I can only be very thankful to Allah, peace be upon Him, that He has kept you alive and well to bring our plan to fruition.”

“Indeed,” Eskalumbuye said. “But the time to celebrate my return and continue our plans is not tonight. I am tired, and I have barely survived a perfidious drone attack against my forces. It is time for me to get my rest, but tomorrow, we shall plot the downfall of the infidel Cabulovowino sitting in the Royal Palace of Gharbambiyah.”

“That we shall do, my fellow holy warrior,” Saud said. “But first, can I interest you in some of the faithful and patriotic women who have come with us in our God-blessed endeavor?”

“Why not?”

On the morning after Eskalumbuye’s arrival at the camp, the celebrations had gone full swing. Rebels and jihadis danced wildly while firing their weapons at the same time. They feasted on roasted camel and executed a handful of prisoners which some of the smaller rebel groups had taken to the camp with them. Finally, the celebrations ended, and the rebel leaders can finally get down to the real business at hand. They met at Omar Saud’s tent as it was the biggest and could easily accommodate the ten leaders.

“Today, my brothers in arms, we write a new chapter in the history books,” Edward Eskalumbuye said to his fellow rebel leaders to open the meeting. “For three years we have been fighting the infidel Isaiah Cabulovowino, but we have not been fighting as one group. No, for those three years we have been fighting against the infidels in the government separately, in groups big and small. We have not presented a united front against our enemies, which is why we have not been successful in removing the infidels from the halls of power of our country. But now we shall no longer be separated in our struggle. Today, we unite under the banners of the Emirate of Al Jawal and the Holy Legion of the Islamic Jihad in our struggle to remove the infidel from our great nation, Gharbambiyah. We are now no longer a collection of groups, but one single group united under one objective: the removal of the infidel Cabulovowino, and the return of the true believer Abdullah Sulaiman to the presidency.

“Let me remind you all once again of why we are fighting,” Eskalumbuye continued. “We are not fighting for our own personal and selfish aims. No, we are fighting to rid our beloved Gharbambiyah of the infidels, pagans, and non-believers who have stolen our nation from us, the true believers of the One Faith. And now that we fight together, we shall kick them out together. Allahu akbar!”

“Allahu akbar!” the rebels repeated.

“Now let us turn to the first blow that we shall strike against the infidel,” Saud said once their cheering had subsided. “Today, we shall welcome into our fold a new brother in the One True Faith. He is a recent convert, which makes him one of the best warriors that we have ever seen, for we all know that it is the new converts who are most ready to give their lives for the faith. Here he is.” A Caucasian man with curly red hair and a thin beard appeared at Saud’s side, and he nodded his head at the gathering. “This is Rafik Ahmed Quzwini,” Saud said to introduce the new arrival. “He is the brains behind our new plot to rid the Gharbambiyan nation of the infidel.”

“Good morning, my fellow holy warriors,” Quzwini said to the others. “I am a man of few words, so I shall make this quick. Our combined forces will attack the town of Betah, which is currently garrisoned by the 27th Division of the Gharbambiyan Army, supported by another division of World Assembly peacekeepers composed of three battalions, with a battalion each coming from Anglatia, Banija, New Gazi, and Oontaz. We will attack the town under the banner of the Holy Legion of the Islamic Jihad and, by attacking from three fronts at the same time, we will aim to envelop the town and its defenders, cut off their retreat, and wipe them out to a man. Betah will then be ours, and it will become the new headquarters of the unified rebellion against the infidel Isaiah Cabulovowino.”

“Is it not a good plan, Edward?” Omar Saud asked once Quzwini had finished his briefing.

“Indeed it is,” Eskalumbuye said with a mighty grin on his face. He then turned to Quzwini and laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Brother Rafik, for this, you are already assured of your place in heaven.”

“Allahu akbar, Your Eminence,” Quzwini said.

“Allahu akbar, Brother Rafik. Very well. We shall stay one more night at this camp, and then we shall congregate around Betah in preparation for the coming glorious battle against us and the infidel crusaders.”

Unknown to the rebel leaders, one of their men whom they thought to be a dedicated soldier and fighter had listened in on their planning and briefing, and he was determined to get this information out of here and into the hands of those who had the power to stop the rebels from seeing their plans come to fruition.

by **Vangaziland** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:36 am

"I have to give it to the team from the Licentian Isles", said Coach Larry Hootsen. "They're off to a good start at making a name for themselves."

The Licentian Isles bested Vangaziland's opening day score of 17-7 with a score of 18-4. They beat Vangaziland on Matchday 2 by a score of 9-7.

"We're playing catch up now", the coach told reporters after the game. They've got themselves a little lead right now." The coach smiled for the cameras during the press conference. "I still like our teams chances. There is still plenty of time left in the season."

Vangaziland picked up three of their goals on a play where the attackmen would spread to the wings before rushing in at the same time. This could do two things. Either it would create an opening in the lane that midfielders could exploit. Or one of the attackmen would get open for a short time while they all cut into the middle. It created a tricky situation for the middle defender who had to either stay up top, or go behind to X to watch Tute.

Of course, defense started switching to zone once they sniffed out that play. But again, 3 goals from the play wasn't bad. Tony Tute had another solid game playing at X, behind the goal. Tute led scoring once again with 4 goals. He is really good at going back to goal to set up a shot. For example, when he runs up from X, he is back to the goal. There are a few things he can do. He usually uses his size to push up against defenders, much like a center posting up in basketball.

Once he felt he was in the right spot, he'd turn and shoot a rocket of a shot. It worked often enough in the Vannish pro league to make him a star in his home country. It seemed to be working on the international stage as well.

But of course, to score from X, you need to be set up. Someone has to bring timely passing to complete the set up.

Jake Carrs was the setup man at midfield. He prided himself on running the offense, like a quarterback or point guard. He did this from the left side of midfield. When Vangaziland would win a face-off, the first pass often went left to Carrs. Of course, the midfielder often switched and brought his man into the middle of the field. This also took the defending left midfielder into the center, taking a weapon away from the left.

Carrs scored 2 goals and picked up 3 assists against the Licentian Isles. "Accolades and personal achievements don't mean anything if we don't get the win", Carrs said after the game. "Obviously, I didn't do enough tonight. We'll watch the tape and go over a few things in practice."

Rich Purdehar and Andie Verrando both scored 1 goal. It was a straightforward game for the Vangazi, who tried to push the ball forward and set the tempo.

"This can happen in lacrosse", said defender Mike Swythe. He led his team in tackles and clearances tonight, from the right side of the backfield. "On D, we did our part to stop the Isles from running up the score. We didn't want to end up giving away too many goals. We saw what they did to the last team."

"I still like our chances against them this season", said Coach Hootsen. "I think we can top them on the leaderboard soon. I challenged my team to accomplish this as soon as possible. But I reminded them that nothing can be taken for granted. If we want to progress, we have to go above and beyond. Competition is tough this year, even with unranked teams."

The Royals are ranked 12th in the world, but with the nature of the league, it wasn't too hard for new teams to make a splash. It was still a bit early to see who was having the best seasons. Both Vangaziland and the Licentian Isles were off to decent starts. The race had begun. Vangaziland looked to move on from the close loss.

by **Banija** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:43 am

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banijan lacrosse team lands solo spot atop Group E with 15-7 dispatching of West Phoenicia

The team celebrates the opening goal of the 2nd half

RIOGHACHD END- In the opening game of the 25th World Lacrosse Championships, the Kingdom of Banija rode an absolutely dominant first half, where they outscored their opponents 7-0, on their way to an 8-2 victory. They started strong, they started fast, and they started quickly, and they never really gave the Republic of Kaboomlandia a true chance to get into the game. That, of course, is the way that you want to start every game, especially against an inferior opponent, no disrespect intended, like the tournament debutants, the Republic of Kaboomlandia. If you start quickly and play well from the start, you quickly crush any hopes of an upset. As one of the tournament's seeds, and the 5th highest ranked side in this tournament, Banija is one of the hunted instead of one of the hunters, and the mentality is much different.

Of course, it is different when you play a team as good as West Phoenicia. You simply cannot overpower them due to difference in talent. While most observers agree that Banija is a better team than West Phoenicia, there is no massive man for man talent gap like there was for Banija's match against the Republic of Kaboomlandia. When you have two talented teams out there, you have to make sure that you stick to your game plan, and force the other team to diverge from theirs first. Once you do that, you can hit them where it hurts.

The first half was almost perfectly evenly matched between these two teams, as Banija led 7-6 at halftime. The second half, especially the third quarter, was all Banija. Instead of going out with Banija's starting lineup to begin the second half, they had 19 year old prodigy Beno Azizi, from Jinja City, walk onto the field in the place of left midfielder Levan Wesley. The youngster impressed in the second half against the Republic of Kaboomlandia, albeit when the game's conclusion was no longer in doubt. So this was his first chance to impress with the game on the line, and boy, did this move pay off.

Beno Azizi absolutely dazzled. The young prodigy was quick, strong, and ultimately was probably the best player in the second half for Banija. Behind Beno Azizi and his 3 3rd quarter assists, they outscored West Phoenicia 5-0 in the 3rd quarter alone to put the score at 12-6 going into the 4th quarter, with the result basically no longer in doubt. While the West Phoenicians opened the scoring in the 4th quarter, three more goals from Banija made the final score 15-7, and put them firmly, alone, in first place atop Group E, albeit with only two games played.

Pavle Yankovich was pleased with his team's second half performance. "We fought and we battled, and ultimately, the true quality of our team showed. I cannot speak enough about the play of Beno Azizi. There have been rumors about him for a long time, and he will be great for Banija in this tournament and many future tournaments to come. Of course, our team's veterans, like Alex Rod and KeAndre Wright, both stepped up big time, but this win was truly a team effort. We deserve to be 2-0, but we can't celebrate yet. We haven't won anything. We're only 1/3rd of the way through the group stage, and we must maintain this intensity and maintain our effort levels if we want to accomplish our goal of winning this group."

Banija's next game, of course, is against Celreostia, who is 1-1 after their 9-5 Matchday 2 victory over the Republic of Kaboomlandia. Celreostia is now 2nd place in the group, but as this is their debut tournament as well, it seems as if Banija will be the clear favorites to win this game. Beno Azizi doesn't figure to be in the starting lineup, but of course we'll see what kind of contribution the 19 year old can make, and if he gets on the field earlier now that he has proven himself in two straight games.

The 25th World Lacrosse Championships (Everything Thread)

Team Mapletish for the 25th WLC

[01] The Beginning

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