[ HISTORICAL ] World Lacrosse Championships 29

[Wrexwic]

Wrexish Keeper Drove Vannish Race Car During Off-Season

Keyon Sowley is known for his reflexes in front of the Wrexish goal. He made spectacular saves last year to propel Wrexwic into the finals. The Wasps are a defensive team. Keyon is at the helm of that side of the field. He often calls out shifts to the team's defenders. His vision helps them succeed as a unit.

Most don't know Keyon raced in a top level go-kart series at a young age. He showed potential to be a racer some day. Keyon never made it to any stock car or pro-am series. By secondary school, he had committed to lacrosse.

Sowley is now the top goalkeeper in Wrexwic. He plays professionally in Vangaziland, earning a large salary in the domestically popular league. This has led to Sowley buying several sports cars, including a Vannish Motors Ghost. He has a great relationship with the car company. A Wrexish television network reached out to Vannish Motors about giving Keyon track time in one of their open wheeled race cars.

The company did not jump at the idea, but the network offered a substantial amount of cash to help schedule the event. The network hoped to film Sowley in the championship winning WGPC car. Vannish Motors declined. They tried for a different championship winning car, this time from the second tier level WGP2 league. That car is on display at the Maharaja Mall in Azadeshia in the region of India.

"The fact that Vannish Motors has so many championship cars and drivers is not something that's matter of fact", said the keeper. "World Grand Prix Organization events are THE top international motorsports events. They represent a great deal of effort on the part of the team and drivers."

Vannish Motors didn't want to put the keeper in the most powerful car. This left them with the 4th place finishing car of the WGP2, driven by Baroness Jenna Vandersen.

The test drive occured in Vangaziland's Esportivan territory of Barnicea. Heske Circuit is a simple track with two technical sections connected by twin straightaways. It would not be the easiest course, but it would give Sowley a full taste of the car's ability.

Sowley got to meet Vannish driver and WGP2 Champion Jang Xiaopeng. Jang posed for a few pictures and exchanged autographs with the goalkeeper. Then it was soon time for Keyon to strap into the driver's cabin.

The car crept along the track at first. "I had to learn the car and the course step by step", said Keyon. "I started by just figuring out the shifts and the handling. Then I started pushing the pace. Testing the breaking came next."

Eventually Sowley seemed to be getting the hang of it. He didn't push the car to its limit, but he did hit 155 mph. The purple and red chassis had a V-10 engine which gave off a high-pitched, almost ghostly howl. On the last few laps, he ran pretty fast along the straightaway, shifting with aggression. On one occasion, he locked up the tirescoming into the braking zone. It kicked up white smoke from the back wheels. Sowley smelt acrid burnt rubber as the team's engineer advised him to dial that down over a helmet mounted headset.

Sowley also almost spun out coming around a wide corner. He didn't trust the car and tried to correct. This caused the chassis to tilt to an angle, before he dug into it and corrected it.

"It was a blast", Keyon said after the drive. "Thanks to Vannish Motors for this once in a life oppurtunity. Their race teams represent more than just Vangaziland. They represent the Svennish Isles. New Gazi. Wrexwic too."

"He showed more skill than I expected", said Jang Xiaopeng. "If he had another session or two, he may have put up a competitive time."

Sowley has rented track time with his supercars before, so he isn't a stranger to driving on a track. "Even though the Ghost is so manueverable and light, it doesn't compare to the WGP2 car. It was almost like sitting under a motorcycle without all the weird tilting."

The segment aired right away in Wrexwic, but didn't reach Vannish audiences until the time of World Lacrosse Championships 29. The segment made a great lead in to the first Wrexish game shown on Vannish TV for the season.

"I don't have any plans to start racing", Sowley said laughing. "It was a good test of reflexes though."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

OOC: a few more chapters from my own Banija Civil War sub plot story. (only b/c my ego compels me to post them after I put the effort in)

https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1045794

https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1045801

Edit--apologies to the hosts for the byline error. Silly mistake

BP Lacrosse wins second straight
(CPA)Soruku, Razenthura--The National Team representing the Commonwealth at the 29th World Lacrosse Championships earned a second victory in their first three group matches with a 9-5 win over North Prairie here. Hayley Magditch and Mary McErnerney had two goals each while Kellyanne Poseluzny, Riley Etterman, Sydney Moyer, Melissa Farenby and Kasey Nielson each tallied a goal. Taryn St Louis made 9 saves and Chiara Petruccelli was successful at winning 8 of 18 faceoffs.
Following an off day, the Baker Park side will face the multiverse's 2nd ranked team, Qasden on the final matchday, with the hope that a fortunate series of events will put them in position to advance to the knockout phase.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Tom Dixon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was the first to speak up at the daily briefing.
"They just have the worst luck you can have there, don't they?"
The Prime Minister nodded. "First they have no rain for ages. Then they have rain, and then they have too much too fast. Which tends to be what happens after a drought."
They were discussing the situation in Banija, where the PM was scheduled to travel to meet the King, but the issues kept mounting, delaying the trip.
Dixon continued, "the power grid in Istria seems to be back to normal, but how many more people have been affected by not having electricity for 36-48 hours?"
Chris McGee chimed in. "Our people are saying that there was a lot of speculation on the street that the pro-Mutebi faction were the ones who sabotaged the grid, but that's not even remotely true. A lightning strike knocked out a switching station on the east side of the city, so it took them awhile to get the switching worked out to bypass that out of service one."

"So where do we stand on the naval equipment? I know we are right in between certain drop dead dates."

Dianne Howard, the Defense Minister had her info ready. "Isabelle is behind schedule. No one is sounding very confident. Juliana is about a week away, once we get it launched, we'll probably move about half the crew from Thames and a third from Tees to that ship. And Brigetta is maybe a month from launch. that's where we planned on moving the rest of those two crews."

"If the two surface ships are in port, lets get them stripped and ready for de-commissioning ASAP. We'll just have to take the hit and have 200-400 crew on a shore duty until we get ready for shaking down."

Hannah Delaney was next, as she was on the Equestria angle. "Hannah, I know you've felt optimistic..."

"The Foreign Minister and I are like two teenagers in a relationship, as much as we talk on the phone." (laughter from the others) "My husband and I don't talk to one another this much." (more laughter) Hannah smiled, because that wasn't true; her husband had been the one person she could always count on at any moment. And everyone in the room knew she adored her husband.
"Of course they are very jealous of everything they do. They don't want to share any credit or want it to look like they can't handle everything themselves. But we may actually be able to get a place on the islands in a peacekeeping or advisory role. And the Foreign Minister actually called and asked Razav, at my suggestion, if he would be willing to have a low key discussion with someone and he is absolutely on board. Now, if the Equestrians are still on board by the time we get to that point, who knows."

Dixon was quick to chime in on that point. "But it's going to have be something that goes on in the background of the state visit to Banija. We're going to bring the three men who attacked the ship back to Banija from Busoga and turn them over to the police and we want that to be a big splash in the media. I've had a detailed discussion with the Navy about how we are going to work that."

Dianne acknowledged this fact. "Yes, we have been working with Tom and with Fleet. As soon as the details on the trip are finalized, we have that part of the equation pretty well settled. We have the person chosen to meet Razav--who will be thoroughly briefed as what to say and not to say--and we will generate enough external buzz that it should escape notice."

Rebecca Schoenlein was satisfied on how everything was coming along. "OK. It sounds like everyone is on the same page. We don't need to push the Royals into anything that looks rushed or forced. We can work around their timing. Thank you everyone, that's all for now."

[Banija]

What a song

Eliminated
Clinch spot in knockout stages
Group Winner

Group B
Qasden 15–9 North Prarie
Wrexwic 13–5 Northwest Kalactin

Group B                          Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Wrexwic                         3   3  0  0   32  22 +10    9
2 Qasden                          3   2  0  1   46  36 +10    6
3 Commonwealth of Baker Park      3   2  0  1   24  20  +4    6
4 Northwest Kalactin              4   1  0  3   40  51 −11    3
5 North Prarie                    3   0  0  3   23  36 −13    0

Group D
Vangaziland 13–11 Frozen Forest
Razenthuria 9–7 Alpine Union

Group D                          Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland                     3   3  0  0   33  22 +11    9
2 Alpine Union                    4   2  0  2   32  29  +3    6
3 Maryloupe                       3   1  1  1   24  17  +7    4
4 Razenthuria                     3   1  1  1   21  25  −4    4
5 Frozen Forest                   3   0  0  3   24  41 −17    0

[Sarzonia]

A day off has done the Sarzonian national lacrosse team some good.

Instead of the stress of finishing checks, winning at the faceoff X and scooping up ground balls, and instead of making sure passes on the offensive end found their marks in match conditions, the Stars players donned sweatpants and T-shirts and practiced against each other.

They weren't sure whom their next opponents were just yet. Based on the postseason format that was just handed out to the players after their practice session was done, the Stars were likely to qualify for the quarterfinal round without having to play in the Round of 12. The Stars had clinched the Group E title. That much was a given after their romp through four group stage matches. Observers would likely fill in the rest by looking closely at the results of the rest of the tournament.

Group A
This is the group that features world No. 1 Cosumar, the only team currently level with the Stars for the most medals (eight) in World Lacrosse Championship history. They'd clearly punched their ticket through to the postseason, and were in strong position to get into the quarterfinals without playing in the wild card round. Their lone test was against unranked Locahrio, whom they defeated 11-9 in their most recent contest. Locahrio currently sits in second place, and most likely will play in the wild card round. West Phoenicia and Camerania are still mathematically alive for one of the two berths reserved for third place sides. Juvencus cannot advance. Projected to qualify: Cosumar (group winners) and Locahrio.

Group B
Wrexwic may be the 12th ranked team in the world, but they shocked No. 2 Qasden, defeating them in a 13-12 thriller on Matchday 2. They've thus far proven their run through WLC 28, which saw them take silver, was no fluke. Meanwhile, Qasden still are in position to challenge for either the Group B title or a spot in the Round of 12 as a second place finisher. However, the story of the group might well be the debutants from the Commonwealth of Baker Park, whose only blemish thus far was a 6-5 defeat to Wrexwic. For a team adjusting to the men's game with women's players, they've taken to the tournament like ducks to water, and have shown impressive lacrosse pedigree. Northwest Kalactin finish up with a 1-3 record. Meanwhile, North Prarie are just trying to get a win to salvage their trip to Razenthuria. Projected to qualify: Wrexwic (group winners), Qasden, and Commonwealth of Baker Park.

Group C
Like the Stars, New West Guiana are top of the table after playing all of their matches. Unlike the Stars, they still have to sweat out the results of the final matches, as they're just one standings point clear of world No. 3 Abanhfleft. They have the edge over New West Guiana in the head-to-head result. with a 13-8 victory in Matchday 3. South St. Maarten are still nominally alive after a draw against current group leader new West Guiana with just three standings points separating them. Co-hosts Banija and LikeWyomingButWorse will need a lot of help. Projected to qualify: Abanhfleft(group winners), New West Guiana

Group D
Vangaziland have already qualified for the postseason and have already sent Frozen Forest into the Land of the Eliminated. As for the rest of the teams, Alpine Union have wrapped up their group play and currently sit second. Co-hosts Razenthuria are level with Maryloupe two points behind Alpine Union, and Razenthuria already have defeated Alpine Union on Matchday Four. Projected to qualify: Vangaziland(group winners), Razenthuria.

Group E
Sarzonia may be unranked coming into the tournament, but their play has resembled the championship-winning pedigree of Stars teams past. Plus, the Stars (4-0) have seemingly gotten stronger as they've continued through the tournament. Their signature effort may have been their 11-3 shellacking of world No. 5 The United States of Devonta on Matchday 3. They get to sit out Matchday 5 with a group title well in hand. Devonta will likely join the Stars in the knockout rounds since their Matchday 5 opponents are group whipping boys Maywood Oaks. Xabia will face world No. 15 Corcra and Tir Trodaithe hoping to build upon momentum from an unlikely 9-9 draw against Devonta. Projected to qualify: Sarzonia (group winners), Devonta, and Corcra and Tir Trodaithe.

[Wrexwic]

Webb Brothers Combine For Eight Goals

Wrexwic earned their spot in the finals last year as an unranked team. No team expected them to get that far, some even challenged them. Coach Jacob Daly showed international sports articles to his team for motivation that year. "Their media said they will bulldoze us", Daly said about an a team ranked in the top 20 during WLC 28. "Stand your ground!"

Wrexwic went on to beat that team in both the group and the playoffs en route to their silver place finish. "Our team wants to redeem ourselves", Coach Daly said between games. "We want to beat Vangaziland in the playoffs. Whether that's in the finals or not doesn't matter. This is a rivalry we have to win."

Before the Wasps' game against Northwest Kalactin, Jacob Daly showed his team a news article where Kalactin analysts predicted their team to finish ahead of Wrexwic in the group. "They say we're third best in the group", Daly said. "Are you gunna take that? They think you're soft. You can't score on Northwest Kalactin."

By the end of the coach's speech, the team was in an aggressive mindset. Daly has been an excellent motivator and leader. Earlier in the year, he gave a rousing speech to pump his team up enough to beat the #2 ranked team in the multiverse.

Wrexwic brough a few different looks on offense. Center attackman Deon McNight played up and to the right of the field. The team's formation was slanted almost diagonal, bringing plays from entirely different angles than head on offenses. The Webb brothers spent much of the game setting and moving on attack. They ran back and forth on diagonal lines, keeping with the new angles.

The result was an offene that confused the Northwest Kalactin defense. Glover Webb scored 4 goals. Two of them came from runs up from behind the net. One was a bouncing longshot off space from a screen. Glover also scored in a 1-on-1 situation.

His brother Darrian also scored 4 goals. The brothers ran pretty much a mirrored offense of each other. With their speed and cradling ability, they were able to carry the ball into a threatening position time and time again. The midfielders did a great job of moving the ball around, catching passes and fighting for ground balls. Darrian fought for his goals. Three of them came from recovered ground balls.The fourth was a late game fast break.

"We came out to set the pace", Darrian said after the game. "Our team likes the attackmen to push hard in front of goal. We take a lot of shots." Compared to Vangaziland, the front 3 players are a lot more involved. Vangaziland puts the ball in the hands of the midfielders more often, though Tony Tute is an excellent finisher. The Webb brothers are the engine in the way Carrs is for Vangaziland. This means the attackmen have a big say on much of the passing and playcalling. The unorthodox field shift was a way to get the attackmen spaced differently.

Ollie Jacobssen had a big day in his second game back from the injured reserve. He scored 2 goals and dished out 2 assists. Ollie played the role of pivot man, feeding passes to set up plays. The midfielders weaved through the slanted line of attackmen.

Slaughter, Agle and Craddock added 1 goal each. All 3 players subbed in from the bench and had an effect on the game. "It feels good to be a contributor", said Glenn Agle. "I watched Glover enough to be ready to take that role."

The Wrexish defense also stepped up. They worked together well as a unit, keeping Northwest Kalactin off kilter. Keyon Sowley had a big night in goal with 7 saves. "Defense put a lot of pressure on the shooters", Sowley said post game. "It caused the other team to force their shots. They were easier to catch. Lamar Jameson looked extra aggressive for today's match. He threw his shoulder into full tackles, stopping several runs with timely hits.

Wrexwic's next game will determine whether the Wasps will win the group. Despite some success, the team seems to still hope for an easier route through the kockout round. "We definitely want the benefits of progressing at the top of the group", said Coach Daly.

[Razenthuria]

_{Discussion Thread | Bid | Signup Thread | Rankings | Friendlies}

The Razen Lacrosse Federation [Razenthuria] and Banija Lacrosse Association [Banija] welcome you respectively to Razenthuria and Banija for the twenty-ninth incarnation of the renowned World Lacrosse Championships where national teams from all over the world will battle it out to be crowned best in the world. Who made it out of the perilious group stages?

---

_{Banijan Half [A, C, E]}

Group A

West Phoenicia (10) [17] Lochario (UR) [0]
Cosumar (1) [20] Camerania (UR) [3]

Group C

Abanhfleft (3) [21] LikeWyomingButWorse (UR) [7]
Banija (11) [9] South St. Maarten (UR) [8]

Group D

Corcra and Tir Trodaithe (15) [7] Xabia (UR) [4]
Maywood Oaks (UR) [12] United States of Devonta (5) [3]

--Banijazen 29 | Group A [in Banija]  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
-1 Cosumar                              4    4   0   0    72   27  +45    12 Group winner, adv. to Quarterfinals-------
-2 Locahrio                             4    2   0   2    53   36  +17     6 Adv. to Round of 12-----------------------
-3 West Phoenicia                       4    2   0   2    44   44    0     6 Adv. to Round of 12-----------------------
-4 Juvencus                             4    1   0   3    34   64  −30     3 Eliminated--------------------------------
 5 Camerania                            4    1   0   3    30   62  −32     3 Eliminated--------------------------------

-
-

--Banijazen 29 | Group C [in Banija]  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
-1 Abanhfleft                           4    3   0   1    62   37  +25     9 Group winner, adv. to QF or  Round of 12--
-2 New West Guiana                      4    2   1   1    43   33  +10     7 Adv. to Round of 12-----------------------
-3 Banija                               4    2   0   2    35   42   −7     6 Eliminated--------------------------------
 4 South St. Maarten                    4    1   1   2    30   39   −9     4 Eliminated--------------------------------
 5 LikeWyomingButWorse                  4    1   0   3    34   53  −19     3 Eliminated--------------------------------

-
-

--Banijazen 29 | Group C [in Banija]  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
-1 Sarzonia                             4    4   0   0    67   30  +37    12 Group winner, adv. to Quarterfinals-------
-2 Corcra and Tir Trodaithe             4    2   0   2    39   38   +1     6 Adv. to Round of 12-----------------------
-3 Xabia                                4    1   1   2    44   50   −6     4 Eliminated--------------------------------
 4 United States of Devonta             4    1   1   2    28   44  −16     4 Eliminated--------------------------------
 5 Maywood Oaks                         4    1   0   3    45   61  −16     3 Eliminated--------------------------------

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2018
Final Match Day will decide BP's WLC Fate
by Kristen Shephard
Special Correspondent

The Commonwealth National Lacrosse team took advantage of their day off from competition with a sightseeing tour of Soroku and the surrounding area. They saw an excellent cross section of Razenthuria's cultural offerings and had an unexpected welcome from the local neighborhood residents as they stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant recommended to them by the RLF escort who has been a constant presence since the first day.
The residents greeted the team with warm embraces and good luck messages, and the squad were treated to a traditional Razen visitors welcome. Team Captain Alexis Haney thanked the gathered crowd for their hospitality and expressions of goodwill and said that she hoped that this would be the start of a great relationship between Baker Park and Razenthuria in the future.

Following on from their meal, the squad returned to the hotel ahead of the final match in Group B against the Multiverse's number two ranked side from Qasden. The match will mark the second time the two nations will square off to decide the team who will advance in an international tournament; the Commonwealth National Soccer Team of course defeated Qasden in the 2 legged playoff to qualify for the World Cup Finals.

Head Coach Brittany Franklin didn't think the previous encounter in soccer would impact the match here. "On a short term emotional connection, I guess it could be something. I was glued to the TV and I'm sure most of the team were as well (during the 2nd leg of the playoff). But we're not kicking the ball here and we're not in a place where the advantages are in our favor. Without a lot of luck, losing on the day is not going to get us anything but a pat on the back and some nice praise for what we achieved."

As things stand currently, Baker Park would need to upset Qasden to ensure a place as the second placed side in the group, or would need both the hosts Razenthuria and Maryloupe--tied with 4 points each in Group D--to either lose or draw in order to qualify as one of the two best third placed sides. A draw versus Qasden might also see BP get into the wild card spots, but Franklin is not basing her preparation on ifs, ands, or buts. "We're going to play to win. We're going to play like beating the second best team is possible and necessary. I sound like a broken record, but I would be stupid if I didn't take the advice my mom offers, and she reminded me of the difference of the being the hunter and being the chased. I just don't think anyone gets the idea that your mom, who has experienced every kind of situation as an athlete and as a coach, probably has pretty good advice, if you're willing to consider it. And I have the counsel of the best coaches in this sport in the Commonwealth of Baker Park staying in the hotel rooms around me. How bad can that be?"

[Sarzonia]

The scene at the bar saw several navy-clad Sarzonia supporters watching with only half interest. Their Stars had, after all, punched their tickets into the knockout rounds. They had most likely also clinched a spot in the quarterfinals as well.

All of a sudden, that changed when they saw the final score of the match between world No. 5 Devonta and the heretofore hapless unranked Maywood Oaks, a team the Stars had throttled 25-9.

Maywood Oaks 12, United States of Devonta 3. Corcra and Tir Trodaithe had already knocked off Xabia 7-4 in a contest between two stingy goalkeepers and stout defenses. Thus, it would be the 15th ranked Corcra and Tir Trodaithe side that would join the Stars out of Group E, and it would be Devonta who would be sent packing along with Xabia and Maywood Oaks.

The Stars supporters shook their heads in shock. They'd witnessed the worst team in the group knock off the team widely expected to be the group winners before the tournament began. They'd seen the other ranked team in their bracket need a win in the final match of the group stage to sneak in, when a loss would have sent two unranked teams out of Group E into the knockout rounds. They'd also seen some of the other groups shake out in unexpected fashion. Besides world No. 1 Cosumar punching its ticket into the quarterfinals with a performance that most observers would have expected from the outset, unranked Lochario qualified for the Round of 12 along with West Phoenicia in spite of an extremely rare shutout in a 17-0 loss in Group A.

Group C almost had even more interesting theatre when the graphic showed Abanhfleft scoring 121 goals against unranked LikeWyomingButWorse, but a correction flashed on the screen to change it to 21 goals. Either way, Abanhfleft were in as group winners. The matches in Groups B and D would determine whether Abanhfleft would have to play in the Round of 12, but two of the more dominant first place sides already punched their tickets into the quarterfinals. The two teams that already knew they would be playing in the quarterfinals sound like an honour roll of lacrosse past, even though one team had been conspicuously absent for 12 World Lacrosse Championships.

That meant Sarzonia would not have to face a wild card round match. That would give the Stars a little bit more rest. It meant that the Stars would not know their opponents for a few days.

For Carter Whitlock, that could mean a much easier time of getting his team ready or it could be more difficult. If the Stars knew their opponents from break, they could spend extra time preparing for a specific team's tendencies. Their scout team could concentrate on mimicking the moves of one particular player rather than try to scout all potential quarterfinals opponents. As for Whitlock, he decided he'd focus on improving the areas that he saw as Sarzonia's weaker points, such as reducing potential faceoff violations and their man down defence.

Plus, there was one weakness he realised a four-match group stage didn't give him much time to address: Depth. Outside their second midfield and their top four attackmen, the Stars didn't have a whole lot of scoring. They also struggled a bit with players outside perhaps their top five defenders and their top two long stick midfielders. He'd even donned a practice kit along with defensive coordinator Bill Harbour in an effort to help address some of the deficiencies of the team's depth during training sessions. Fortunately, those sessions were closed to the public and the security detail around the Stars knew what they were doing.

The problems of lack of depth would wait a couple of days to rear themselves, though. For one or two more nights, at least, the Stars would rest. And enjoy their visit to the bars.

[Banija]

Now watch me do my cutoff!

Group B
North Prarie 9–14 Wrexwic
Commonwealth of Baker Park 12–5 Qasden

Group winner- directly to quarterfinals
Advances to Round of 12
Eliminated

Group B                        Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Wrexwic                       4    4   0   0    46   31  +15    12
2 Commonwealth of Baker Park    4    3   0   1    36   25  +11     9
3 Qasden                        4    2   0   2    51   48   +3     6
4 Northwest Kalactin            4    1   0   3    40   51  −11     3
5 North Prarie                  4    0   0   4    32   50  −18     0

Group D
Frozen Forest 9–15 Razenthuria
Maryloupe 2–13 Vangaziland

Group D                  Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland             4    4   0   0    46   24  +22    12
2 Razenthuria             4    2   1   1    36   34   +2     7
3 Alpine Union            4    2   0   2    32   29   +3     6
4 Maryloupe               4    1   1   2    26   30   −4     4
5 Frozen Forest           4    0   0   4    33   56  −23     0

[Banija]

Ranking of Playoff-Eligible Teams     Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                              4    4   0   0    72   27  +45    12 
1 Sarzonia                             4    4   0   0    67   30  +37    12
1 Vangaziland                          4    4   0   0    46   24  +22    12
1 Wrexwic                              4    4   0   0    46   31  +15    12
1 Abanhfleft                           4    3   0   1    62   37  +25     9
2 Commonwealth of Baker Park           4    3   0   1    36   25  +11     9
2 New West Guiana                      4    2   1   1    43   33  +10     7 
2 Razenthuria                          4    2   1   1    36   34   +2     7
2 Corcra and Tir Trodaithe             4    2   0   2    39   38   +1     6 
2 Locahrio                             4    2   0   2    53   36  +17     6
3 Qasden                               4    2   0   2    51   48   +3     6
3 Alpine Union                         4    2   0   2    32   29   +3     6

3 West Phoenicia                       4    2   0   2    44   44    0     6 
3 Banija                               4    2   0   2    35   42   −7     6 
3 Xabia                                4    1   1   2    44   50   −6     4

Bracket
Match #1
Razenthuria v. Corcra and Tir Trodaithe @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria
Winner will play Cosumar in Quarterfinal #1 in next round at same stadium

Match #2
Abanhfleft vs. Alpine Union @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria
Winner will play Wrexwic in Quarterfinal #2 in next round at same stadium

Winner of Quarterfinal #1 and Quarterfinal #2 shall play in semifinal #1 at Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria. Match #1, Match #2, Quarterfinal #1, Quarterfinal #2, and Semifinal #1 shall all be scorinated by Banija.

Match #3
Commonwealth of Baker Park vs. Qasden @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija.
Winner will play Vangaziland in Quarterfinal #3 at Dodomo City Stadium.

Match #4
New West Guiana vs. Lochario @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija.
Winner will play Sarzonia in Quarterfinal #4 at the same stadium.

Winner of Quarterfinal #3 and Quarterfinal #4 shall play in semifinal #2 at Eastern Stadium in Rukunbi District, Istria, Moravica, Banija.
Match #3, Match #4, Quarterfinal #3, Quarterfinal #4, and semifinal #2 shall all be scorinated by Razenthuria.

Losers of semifinal #1 and semifinal #2 shall play at Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Razenthuria, for the third place game. Razenthuria shall scorinate that said third place game. The winners of semifinal #1 and semifinal #2 shall play in final at Kizza I Field, in Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija. Match shall be scorinated by Banija.

[Sarzonia]

Woodstock Daily Mail

Playoff Preview

By Sarah Roundtree
@SarahRoundreeWDailyMail

Busukuma, National Capital Region, Banija -- Four group stage matches have come and gone for each of the 25 teams involved in the 29th World Lacrosse Championships, hosted by Banija and Razenthuria. Twelve teams remain and will battle it out for supremacy in world lacrosse.

The Stars (4-0) are not only still alive in the tournament, but have clinched a bye into the quarterfinals following a dominant performance in Group E. They are joined by world No. 15 Corcra and Tir Trodaithe out of Group E, while the world's fifth ranked team the United States of Devonta have already punched their tickets home.

The winner of wild card match 4 between New West Guiana and fellow unranked darlings Lochario will play the Stars in a quarterfinal match at Mugisha III Memorial Stadium. Here's a look at the 12 remaining teams, how they got here, and storylines to look out for. The number on the left corresponds with the team's playoff seeding. The number to the right of the team is the team's rank entering the tournament.

1. Cosumar (1), Group A champions: With the extended absence of Sarzonia from the world sporting stage, Cosumar took the Stars place as the preeminent lacrosse programme in the world with three world championship titles and eight medals overall. The latter number is level with Sarzonia's overall medal haul, while the Stars still have the most gold medals with five. They lapped up Group A with a 4-0 record, including a dominant 20-3 performance over unranked Camerania in the group stage finale, ensuring that Cosumar would score the most goals of any tournament team. Cosumar entered the tournament looking to seize the overall medal count from the Stars, but may end up having to battle it out with Sarzonia for that honour.

2. Sarzonia (UR), Group E champions: The Stars may have entered the tournament unranked, but the World Lacrosse Championships have always been friendly to first time participants and unranked sides, as the Stars from way back in WLC 3 could attest. Sarzonia (4-0) certainly haven't looked like an unranked side, as they convincingly beat the two ranked teams in Group E, throttling Devonta 11-3 and crushing Corcra and Tir Trodaithe 15-8. The concern for Sarzonia is that their performance will keep them from being able to sneak up on foes in the knockout rounds.

3. Vangaziland (4), Group D champions: Larry Hootsen's team had a deceptively difficult time of it in Group D, including a harder than expected 13-11 victory over group doormats Frozen Forest, but they earned their playoff bye with a dominating 13-2 win over Maryloupe in the group stage finale. Defence is the defending champions' calling card, as they have only conceded 24 goals in four matches, an average of six per game. The question is if a team can solve their defence, will their offence be able to step up?

4. Wrexwic (12), Group B champions): A very defensive minded Wasps squad made it out of arguably the best group in the tournament with an unblemished record. For Jacob Daly's team, that was no easy task considering world No. 2 Qasden and another unranked darling Baker Park were also in the group with them. The tough group stage may well help the Wasps return to the medal stand, even with the competition looking fiercer than ever.

5. Abanhfleft (3), Group C champions): The only group stage winner to have a defeat during the group stage, Abanhfleft are the lone side to have a wild card matchup on its hands, and they will face Group D third place Alpine Union in Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia. Even though the Amazons are expected to win their wild card match fairly easily, their concern might be that Alpine Union might beat them up enough to make a potential quarterfinal match against Wrexwic a test of survival.

6. Commonwealth of Baker Park (UR), Group B runners up: Sarzonia aren't the only unranked side to draw attention in this edition of the World Lacrosse Championships. Baker Park's only defeat was a 6-5 loss to open the tournament to defending world runners up Wrexwic. Otherwise, they impressed the rest of the group, including a convincing 12-5 upset of world No. 2 Qasden in the group stage finale. The two teams face each other in a wild card round, and may well begin the newest lacrosse rivalry considering their sudden familiarity.

7. New West Guiana (T-34), Group C runners up: They finished their group stage matches with the Group C lead, but Abanhfleft wrested the crown away from them on the last matchday with New West Guiana idle. Now, they face the third unranked side to make noise in this tournament, Locahrio in a wild card round matchup, even though Locahrio's goal differential theoretically should have them in a higher seed than Corcra and Tir Trodaithe. Either way, Jim Ule's young squad will face a stern test in their wild card matchup. The winner faces Sarzonia.

8. Razenthuria (16), Group D runners up: The co-hosts join Vangaziland in the knockout rounds with an opening tilt against Corcra and Tir Trodaithe, even if Lochario might have earned the spot with a better goal differential. Either way, the 8 v. 9 matchup between the 15th and 16th teams in the world looks to be a very even battle between two nearly equal opponents. The winner will face Cosumar in the quarterfinals.

9. Corcra and Tir Trodaithe (15), Group E runners up: A 13-12 loss to Devonta may not have surprised anyone considering the fact that the United States came in with the world No. 5 ranking, but their defeat at the hands of an unranked Sarzonian side might have caused consternation. Regardless, their wins over the other two unranked sides were strong enough to propel them into a match against the co-hosts. Even though the stats have the two teams fairly evenly matched, the match amounts to an away fixture for Corcra and Tir Trodaithe against Razenthuria.

10. Locahrio (UR), Group A runners up: They caught attention with an impressive group stage opening 18-4 drubbing of a Juvencus side that came in tied for the 19th ranking in the world and a 17-4 shellacking of fellow unranked side Camerania, then kept eyes on them with a surprisingly close 11-9 loss to the Azure Dragons of Cosumar. A 17-0 loss to world No. 10 West Phoenicia did little to dampen their standing as one of the darlings of the tournament. If they pull off a win against New West Guiana, they'll face another unranked side in Sarzonia.

11. Qasden (2), Group B third place: They may have entered the tournament with the pedigree of a world No. 2, but struggled through a group that contained the defending runners up and one of the unranked darlings Baker Park. Thus, they will face Baker Park in a match that may very well provide future storylines in the world of lacrosse. Qasden will have revenge on their minds as the playoffs begin after losing to Baker Park 12-5 in the group stage finale.

12. Alpine Union (T-38), Group D third place: With the strong performance of Vangaziland and co-hosts Razenthuria, Alpine Union might be considered fortunate to make it among the final 12 teams in this tournament. Their reward: A matchup with the Wrexwic Wasps in the first round. They limited Vangaziland to six goals (even though they only scored three), and finished the group stage allowing 29 goals, better than all but three teams in the last 12.

Round of 12 predictions:
Abanhfleft 12, Alpine Union 7
Qasden 10, Baker Park 9
New West Guiana 11, Lochario 10
Razenthuria 14, Corcra and Tir Trodaithe 8

[Vangaziland]

Jake Carrs Leads Vannish Victory

The Vangaziland Royals faced up against the team from Maryloupe. Maryloupe is ranked 19th in the world, though they were placed in Group D in an unranked position. This gave Vangaziland a slightly tougher group than most opponents. "I don't think this group will be anything we can't handle", Coach Hootsen said in the weeks leading up to season 29's start. "At the end of the day, we're the top team in the group. We'll just have to step up and stick to that."

While other high ranked teams have been knocked off of their perch as group winners, Vangaziland clinched their spot after their third match. "There isn't a team in this tournament that would have stopped us from winning our group", said 6'6 defender Lars Swenson. "We don't underestimate teams. We also put up enough of an effort to match upstart programs."

"Lacrosse is a game of inches", said midfielder Jake Carrs. "You have to fight for your space. It's a battle to keep the other team in check."

Both players were integral to Vangaziland's 13-2 victory over Maryloupe. Swenson fought for more ground balls, made more tackles and had more clearance passes than anyone else on the defensive line. He was a loud prescence, calling out shifts and picks. At one point he barreled through a screen designed to slow him down. He still extended his stick to check an opposing player who got a shot off.

Jake Carrs was the clear offensive player of the game. He finished with 5 goals and had 2 assists. He was all over the field. His first two goals were part of the 5 Vangaziland scored in the first quarter. That initial barrage may have taken the wind out of Maryloupe, who may not have seen a way back into this match. Carrs also scored 2 goals in the 3rd and 1 in the 4th.

"We all feel like we carry Vannish lacrosse on our back", Jake said after the game. "I'm just doing my part to help with that. The team needs me to have games like this. I'm a cog in the offense, but the team has lots of gears. We all played a part tonight."

Vangaziland's other big name offensive star is Tony Tute. He has the most aggressive role in the attackman slot, constantly cutting to 'X' behind the goal. Tute finished with 4 goals and 1 assist. His pass came from behind the net to streaking midfielder Taye James, for his single goal of the match.

Erik Schotta added 2 goals. The plays were all the result of timely movements and screens. The line substitution strategy kept the midfield fresh and ready to run, with Carrs getting a breather in the 2nd quarter.

Big defender Mike Swythe found himself man up, swapping for a midfielder as he sprinted a fast break up the field. He had excellent control with his titanium alloy long stick. At one point, he cradled the big stick with one hand and pushed a shoulder into his defender as he cut inward towards the goal.

He found himself in position more from a timely screen by Tony Tute, than by his ball handling. With luck on his side, he skipped a low bounce shot at a tricky angle for the running stick check to meet. Swythe became the first Vannish defenseman to score a goal.

"The tempo was still pushing from the fast break", Swythe said of the play. "I didn't have time to swap back. It would have almost made us man down." Swythe started playing youth lacrosse as an attackman and is no stranger to shooting the ball. "I practice my shot throughout the season. We all have to be prepared for that sort of situation. As members of the national team, standards are high. We're expected to master our roles on the team."

The Royals weighed in on how they thought the match between Baker Park and Qasden would go. "I wouldn't underestimate Baker Park", said Tony Tute. "We saw what Wrexwic could do last year. It's clear Baker Park has put in more than the typical effort over the season, rank aside. That's going to translate into goals. Lacrosse is all about heart. They have it."

Attackman James Brick seemed to support Qasden instead. "Qasden is a tougher team. They should be able to get through. Baker Park can pull an upset, but this might be Qasden's year."

Mike Swythe spoke on which team he would rather face. "We're always going to pick the unranked program, no matter how high flying. Our defensive line is really hoping to face one or two of these unranked teams on our path. Granted, the ones that progressed have shown a great level of readiness. Still."

Vangaziland's sole female player also spoke on the matchup. Keeper Janet Reesedottir said, "I think Baker Park shows themselves to be a major threat. The fact the they've made the transition into the men's game so well shows how advanced they are."

Vannish sports analysts seem split on their predictions on whether Qasden or Baker Park will advance to face the Vannish. Qasden has better odds, which has seemed to lead even more people to bet on Baker Park and risk the higher payout. The odds are still fairly close considering the ranking differences.

"Our team will be ready to face whoever shows up in the playoffs", said Coach Hootsen. "It won't be an easy path, but our team will be prepared."

[Razenthuria]

_{Discussion Thread | Bid | Signup Thread | Rankings | Friendlies}

The Razen Lacrosse Federation [Razenthuria] and Banija Lacrosse Association [Banija] welcome you respectively to Razenthuria and Banija for the twenty-ninth incarnation of the renowned World Lacrosse Championships where national teams from all over the world will battle it out to be crowned best in the world. Who made it out of the perilious group stages?

---

_{Banijan Half [Matches #3 and #4]}

Round of 12 - Wild Card

Qasden (2) [24] Commonwealth of Baker Park (UR) [3]
New West Guiana (T-34) [20] Lochario (UR) [19]

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia's lacrosse team gathered in Matt Archer's hotel room to watch the feed of the game between Lochario and New West Guiana, knowing that they would play the winner.

Let's revise that. The team plus their 40-something "teammate" Tim Lakes gathered in Archer's hotel room. The players passed around bottles of beer to each other until reserve midfielder Joel Roberson noticed that Lakes didn't take one. He grabbed a beer and handed it to Lakes, who thanked him with a surprised smile.

The match went back and forth with the teams seemingly trading goals at a blistering pace. Meanwhile, the coaches gathered in Carter Whitlock's room to watch the match between Qasden and The Commonwealth of Baker Park. That match was extremely one-sided, and it wasn't long before the coaches walked into Archer's room with a few more cases of beer.

"Looks like the slipper no longer fits," a sombre-looking Bill Harbour said. He was rooting for Baker Park to pull off another upset against Qasden. Some skeptical fans would say it was because it would give the Stars an easier time later in the tournament, but Harbour loved a good story as much as any layman. And he knew Baker Park was a great story.

Again, the bottles of beer began to make the rounds. This time, Roberson grabbed two bottles and made sure Lakes got one before the rest of the team drank theirs.

The match went down to the wire, but it was the more experienced New West Guiana who pulled out the one-goal victory. Coupled with Qasden's overwhelming result, it meant only Sarzonia remained among the three unranked sides. And with the second overall seed, not too many people were fit to referring to the Stars as Cinderella.

"We're in for a fight tomorrow," Whitlock told the press crew who gathered in the hotel conference room for an impromptu presser.

"We're going to do the best scouting job we can in less than a day.

"We expect to be ready."

[Banija]

Night... And the spirit of life... Calls for the cutoff

Round of 12
Razenthuria 12–6 Corcra and Tir Trodaithe
Abanhfleft 12–2 Alpine Union

Quarterfinal #1
Cosumar vs. Razenthuria @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria

Quarterfinal #2
Wrexwic vs. Abanhfleft @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria

Winners of Quarterfinal #1 and Quarterfinal #2 will play in semifinal #1 @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria. Quarterfinal #1, Quarterfinal #2, and Semifinal #1 shall all be scorinated by Banija.

Quarterfinal #3
Vangaziland vs. Qasden @ Dodomo City Stadium, in Dodomo, Bunyoro, Banija.

Quarterfinal #4
Sarzonia vs. New West Guiana @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija.

Winners of Quarterfinal #3 & Quarterfinal #4 will play in semifinal #2 @ at Eastern Stadium in Rukunbi District, Istria, Moravica, Banija. Quarterfinal #3, Quarterfinal #4, and Semifinal #2 shall all be scorinated by Razenthuria.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2018
BP Lax out of WLC after normal service resumed
by Kristen Shephard
Special Correspondent

There was not much emotion for the Commonwealth National side at the final buzzer of their first ever Wild Card match in the World Championships.

After stunning many in the lacrosse world by defeating Qasden--ranked number 2 in the multiverse coming in to the tourney-- by a score of 12-5 on the final group match day to guarantee advancement to the knockout stages, the Baker Park side were faced with the reality that they would have to do it all over again; through the results from other groups, BP had claimed the top spot among the runners up in group play, which unfortunately meant they would face the 11th seeded side in the Wild Card playoff--the Qasden side they had just beaten over 60 minutes.

Head Coach Brittany Franklin was sanguine both prior to and following the match at the Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, the capital of Banija. "I'm more popular today in Belle Haven than the PM, I think. (laughter) I had to turn off the ringtone for my texts, because it just got overwhelming. The PM, the Head, and several others who I know are politicians, but I'm not able to tell you who they are off the top of my head. Trevor (Richmond, National Soccer Team Manager), Pam Scott, and David Carlson (National Women's Team Manager and FAC Executive Director, respectively) also sent me congratulations and all three of them told me to take a few minutes to enjoy the accomplishment; I've never had the chance to meet any of them, but that they would take time to pass along their wishes means a lot to me personally, and the ladies as well."

As for the rematch, a different venue and another day didn't change the approach, as the stakes were higher than before. The occasion was marked by a compliment of reinforcements in the stands as well; the naval task force that is still off the coast of Banija moved from Istria into the harbor at Busukuma and granted nearly one third of the crew--approximately 1100 sailors and National Guardsmen--4 hours of shore liberty if they attended the match first. It provided a colorful atmosphere as the contingent tried to figure out ways to support the players on the field.

In the end, Qasden showed their superior class, as they advanced easily to the quarterfinals with a 24-3 win; the score was a fair representation of the tone of the match, but it was the only time in the competition that the Commonwealth's ladies looked over-matched.

"First of all, congratulations to Qasden. They were absolutely deserved winners today. I think the real gap in experience and skill came home. They probably think they owed Baker Park one after the WC thing (laughter). But they were gracious in defeat and today respectful as victors; I know our players all got positive feedback from them during the handshakes. And we wanted to especially thank the Navy and the Guard who came out. That was a huge surprise and I'm sorry we couldn't give a better showing for what was probably for most of them the first lacrosse match they'd ever seen. We were happy as a team to go and give them special thanks, they deserved it."

The squad will stay on for an additional couple of days of sightseeing in Busukuma and will attend the quarterfinal between Sarzonia and New West Guiana. Franklin couldn't contain her enthusiasm at this development. "You know what is so great? We didn't come to this tournament with an unlimited budget. The Olympic Committee contributed, the UAC put in a lot of money. But since we arrived, apparently there have been donations made that have been directed for our use, and I mentioned the text messages of support from the FAC coaches. I guess they also sent along a grant that has allowed us to stay at a really nice hotel here in Busukuma for a few days. My heartfelt thanks go out to all the people at the Football Association of the Commonwealth, for having faith in a team from another sport. And they just told me that Baker Park Basketball fronted some money for us as well. I wonder who was part of that? (laughter) No. My mom would die a happy woman if she had that kind of influence at BPB. (more laughter) I appreciate all of you who have been with us and have written nice things about us, from home and from other nations. On behalf of the team, we thank you. Good night".

[Vangaziland]

Vannish Celebrity Couple Fly To Banija For WLC Playoffs

Jessica Franssen and Hectare Yulssen are one of Vangaziland's most famous couples. Hectare is the starting point guard for the Vangaziland Royals. The team is ranked 2nd in the multiverse among International Basketball Championship competitors. He also plays for the Emeros Zap in the Vannish Basketball Organization. Jessica Franssen is THE international motorsports superstar. She is a driver's champion in the World Grand Prix Championships, considered to be the top racing league in the multiverse. She also dominated and won the Cross Rally Championships, a regional tournament opened to the world. While acting as team manager and principal, Jessica led a tier two WGP2 team to cups in both the driver's and team standings.

"We always joked about who would win our big tournament first", Jessica said about her Hectare and the Royals IBC team. "I tried telling him I already won the rally series. He said that was more like his domestic rings with Emeros. Then I managed the team to two cups. He said that counted more like a coach and not a player." She laughed. "But now, he can't say s---."

"I was happy for Jess when she won the Championship", Hectare said. "I flew out to see her last race in Audioslavia where she clenched her title. She's always been good about traveling to see my games."

Things have not always been great between the couple. During her time as team principal with Vannish Motors Racing in the WGP2, there were rumors she had a fling with driver Jenna Vandersen. Baroness Vandersen was a Royal of the Central Vangaziland House. She was a pay driver who bought her way into the team spot with a financial donation similar to a corporate sponsor.

Jessica denied any hanky panky in the media. "If you get a chance to meet an Imperial Royal and get close to them, you do it." Jessica has always been called 'Racing Royalty' by the Vannish media since her father was a famous racer of the 1970s and 1980s. "We were just really good friends. We still are."

Hectare and Jess seem to have moved on from the drama. They have recently been seen more and more in public. Hectare was asked if marriage was on the cards. He laughed, saying, "It's something we talk about. We're both so focused on our careers. It's not really time for us to slow down yet."

Jessica seemed to echo the sentiment. "We're happy with the way things are now. We travel so much for our sports. It woud be hard to settle down for more than a few months."

Both Jessica and Hectare are rabid lacrosse fans. They were asked what Vangaziland's key to success has been. "It's been the on field leadership", said Hectare. "You have players like Jake Carrs that really take control of the field. He's the equivalent of a basketball floor general. There are other leaders like Tony on attack and Swenson on defense."

"It's the dynamic players that give Vangaziland an edge", said Jess. "The team has a lot of threats. There is also good play off the ball. Look at the screens Tony Tute sets."

Franssen was asked what she thinks of Vangaziland's close games. "The scores were close, but if anybody thinks Vangaziland was not in clear control of every game this season, then they don't know lacrosse", she said. "You don't have to drop 20 goals to win comfortably. The Royals go with a more physical approach. The midfielders fight hard on defense to help keep the opposing score down. You see the team fighting to win the battle of possesion."

Her words rang as a common analysis of Vannish lacrosse. The team's offense isn't the fastest because the use of screens and cuts slow down the game. The team often gets to a lead and plays a tactical game of keep away, as opposed to running up the score.

Hectare and Jessica plan to attend each of the next 3 playoff games, whether the Vangazi advance or not.

"There will be a lot of great lacrosse to watch", said Yulssen. "Jess and I are just glad for the vacation."

The Vannish national team will face the Qasden Vans. Vangaziland enters the match with underdog odds, though they are fairly close. "It's going to be a tough stretch for the Royals", said Jessica. Qasden and possibly Cosumar or Abanhfleft later will make for a tough road."

Of course, Wrexwic is facing Abanhfleft at the moment. They are even more of an underdog than the Vangazi, but hope to beat the odds once again. "It would be great to see another Channel Championship", said Hectare. "They look strong once again. If they get enough wind behind them, anything is possible."

The couple plans to stay for the rest of the tournament, even if the Vannish are eliminated.

[Sarzonia]

Woodstock Daily Mail

Quarterfinal Preview

By Sarah Roundtree
@SarahRoundreeWDailyMail

Now that the quarterfinal field is set, and the results largely went the way The Daily Mail projected them to, we will preview the four quarterfinal matchups and give predictions.

Our preview begins with the Stars, who face off against a New West Guiana side that edged out fellow unranked side Lochario 20-19 in their Round of 12 matchup, in Quarterfinal 4 at Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija. Sarzonia are the only remaining unranked team in the World Lacrosse Championships.

(2) Sarzonia (4-0-0, Group E champions, unranked) vs. (7) New West Guiana (3-1-1, Group C runners up, tied 34th)
The Stars path to the quarterfinals is well documented by now. Except for the first half against Xabia, the Stars have dominated their competition, even including two top-15 sides. Coach Carter Whitlock has seemingly made a smooth transition from being one of the greatest players in lacrosse history into a very effective head coach. He said the first half performance against Xabia was a "wake up call" and the Stars have played, well, woke ever since. Only Cosumar has scored more goals (72) in four matches than have the Stars (67). Meanwhile, four teams have conceded fewer goals than Sarzonia's 30.

For New West Guiana, the WLC 18 champions and two-time runners up didn't exactly breeze through the group stage, although they had to contend with an Abanhfleft side that brought their own pedigree into the tournament. They defeated co-hosts Banija and knocked them out of the tournament with a 10-3 result on Matchday 4 to momentarily grab the lead in the Group C table. Jim Ule's squad features a starting 10 that boasts two tall attackmen and a shiftier Bashir Al-Vish. Meanwhile, the defence features a good mix in experience with elder statesman Juan Calderan, 33, joining a youthful DuJuan Harris, 23, and 27-year-old Tim Wygle.

Prediction: Sarzonia haven't yet played a close match at any point in this tournament, whereas New West Guiana played to an opening 9-9 draw against unranked South St. Maarten. Form may favour the Stars, but things could get unpredictable if the margin's within a goal or two late. Sarzonia pulls out a 14-11 victory.

Quarterfinal 1
(1) Cosumar (4-0-0, Group A champions, 1) vs. (8) Razenthuria (3-1-1, Group D runners up, 16)
Needless to say, this is familiar territory for Cosumar, as the Azure Dragons are three-time champions and are level with the Stars for the most overall medals with eight. Cosumar are one of just two teams level for second place overall with three gold medals each, two behind Sarzonia's five golds. They finished with the most goals and the widest margin of victory of any team in this tournament. They face an interesting test in host nation Razenthuria, and the fact that the majority of people in the stands at Calix City Stadia will be rooting for the home country might propel the underdog hosts against a lacrosse juggernaut.

Prediction: Cosumar prove too much even for a hostile crowd and a spunky host country, beating them 16-9.

Quarterfinal 2
(4) Wrexwic (4-0-0, Group B champions, 12) vs. (5) Abanhfleft (4-0-1, Group C champions, 3)
This should be an entertaining battle between the defending runner up Wasps against the third ranked team in the world. Wrexwic certainly proved their mettle with a come from behind victory over former world champions Qasden. The Wasps get impressive scoring from the Webb brothers, along with attack Deon McNight, who scored five goals against Qasden. Meanwhile, Abanhfleft's 62 goals are third among remaining teams, behind only Cosumar and Sarzonia. The match will also be played at Calix City Stadia.

Prediction: Wrexwic punches their tickets into the semifinals with an overtime win 11-10

Quarterfinal 3
(3) Vangaziland (4-0-0, Group D champions, 4) vs. (11) Qasden (3-0-2, Group B third place, 2)
The last two World Lacrosse Championship winners face each other in a quarterfinal tilt at Dodomo City Stadium in Banija. It's a shame that these teams are facing each other so early, but Qasden managed to slip in as one of two third place sides following a grueling group stage. They struck midnight on Baker Park's Cinderella run, but now face a team that dethroned them as World Lacrosse Champions in the previous edition. Jake Carrs and Lars Swenson are two players to look out for among the Vannish.

Prediction: Vangaziland advances to the semifinals with a 12-9 victory over Qasden.

[Wrexwic]

Wrexwic Advances To Quarterfinals

Wrexwic faced North Prairie in the final game of the group stage. The Wasps came in motivated to close out the season against an unranked opponent. Wrexwic had not yet clinched the group pennant, needing a win to skip the round of 12. The team came out shooting hard in the 1st quarter, controlling the pace of the match.

"This is one we can't lose", Glover Webb said before the game. "We can't let back on our steam or give them any room. We have to play as we would against a tougher team."

An early barrage saw Wrexwic take 7 shots in the 1st quarter. Of those, 4 were goals. The Wasps fought to win more ground balls. They lost the battle of possesion for the 1st and 2nd quarters. Part of this was because they ran a fast break style of a push offense for much of the game. This meant the ball was out of their hands quickly, as they shot often. The second quarter was Wrexwic's highest scoring. Here they managed 5 goals.

Wrexwic put up an early 9, but North Prairie was only down by 3 goals. In theory, the opponents still had a chance to beat the Wasps. Wrexwic clamped down on the second half in a way that made the lead feel insurmountable. "Our job on defense is to put the other team's attackmen through a path of heavy resistance", said defender Lamar Jameson after the game. "We try to give our offense room to breathe. They try to give us something to work with. It's the ride between that balance that has taken us this far."

Wrexwic came back with 3 goals in the 3rd quarter. North Prairie's defense had figured how to better guard their marks. There were also several missed shots and saves in the last half of the game. The Wasps scored a final 2 goals in the 4th quarter.

Wayan Tyrill led scoring with 4 goals from midfield. His speed was a little too much for North Prairie as he ran up and down the field. His most impressive goal came after taking a hard hit from a defender. Tyrill tucked his stick in and away from the defender as he cut left. With quick footwork, he spun back in the opposite direction and faced up to the goal. As the defender shifted, Tyrill shot overhead. The shot pegged the bottom right corner of the goal, sliding into the net.

Glover Webb scored 3 with another hat trick. Two of his goals came in the first, as he spent much of the early game sending shots at the keeper. Webb managed a big tackle on a defender, checking his stick hard enough to make the defender drop the ball. Webb scooped up the rebound and passed off to Ollie Jacobsson. Ollie caught, puled back and released for a goal. It was Webb's only assist of the match.

Jacobsson would finish the game with 2 goals. Calvin Slaughter and Jarrick Craddock also added 2 goals each from midfield. When added to Wayan Tyrill's total, this made for 10 goals from the Wrexish midfield. It showed how fluid and fast paced their game was off of fast break play.

Deon McNight scored 2 goals from the center attack position. He was the beneficiary of several set plays where he gained space from his defender. He took 3 other shots which missed the goal completely, struggling to stay on target for much of the game.

Darrian Webb, Glenn Agle and Raymond Brekke rounded out Wrexish scoring with 1 goal each.

"Our team missed a lot of shots today", said Wrexish coach Jacob Daly. "Considering that, we put up a decent score. North Prairie came out strong and defense had to work to keep them under 10 goals."

Keeper Keyon Sowley had a solid night in goal with 6 saves. "North Prairie brought some tricky shots today", the goalie said. "It's all about technique and reaction. There's a certain way I twist my wrists as I slide the net from corner to corner. Part of it comes down to anticipation as well. I try to get a read on shooters throughout a game.

Wrexwic skips the round of 12 with the 14-9 victory. They will face a tough opponent in world #3 Abanhfleft. "We just have to find our form", said team captain Glover Webb. "We need to stay motivated and fight to the last whistle. If we can do those things, we can progress."

"Abanhfleft will be the toughest team we've faced since last year", said defender Joe Lawrence. "Our defensive line will need to step up. This is the kind of challenge our team lives for."

Wrexwic still has underdog odds against Abanhfleft. Many see Wrexwic as the best underdog to bet on in the playsoffs. They're not as unpredictable as an unranked team, with a season of experience under their belt. They've also looked in strong form. Their chances to win it all are not great, but may be worth the odd bet. They at least make the best option to make money on an underdog, baed on the booking numbers.

[Vangaziland]

Vangaziland's National Lacrosse team toured Banija in a tall white bus. One bus was shipped to Razenthuria for the group stages. Another was sent to Banija for the playoffs, with the Vannish officials planning for their team to advance. The buses were extra large with six wheels and a tall, wide cabin. The large bus had room for 54 passengers, including the long back row. There were 12 rows of 2+2 seating and one 6 seat bench. This gave players enough room to have their own window seat.

The players load their gear and bags underneath the bus before each trip. They wear matching black track suits, with outline trim in the team's colors of indigo and red. Most of the season's bus trips so far have been from the hotel to Wizards Arena in Calix City, Razenthuria. The bus was currently on a trip from the airport closest to Dodomo City.

"The team bus is where it's at", Tony Tute once told reporters.

The team was in good spirits as they sat in their various groups of cliques and friends. Two players who always sat on opposite benches up front were Tony Tute and Peter Strom. Janet Reesedottir sat behind Strom, the other keeper, and often joked with both of them.

Janet took a roll of tape, paper and a pen out of a small drawstring bag she carried onto the bus. She scribbled on it quickly, looking up to see if Peter Strom heard anything. She scribbled 'Hug Me' on the jagged piece of paper before going for the tape. She tried to rip it as quietly as possible, keeping an eye on Peter the entire time. Finally she had a piece that she stuck to the paper.

Defender Merrill Andalay sat on the seat across from the mischievous female keeper. He watched while restraining laughter. Secretly, he had a crush on Janet. They both scrimmaged together as part of the reserve. He admired her skill in goal. Unfortunately, he was in the friend zone. There didn't seem to be a way out of that for him. But all was not lost. As a pro in his country's national sport and a defending international champion, his dating card was full. He'd just rather date another professional as opposed to a fan.

Janet managed to place the sign on the other goalie's back, as he had a habit of leaning forward. She turned to Merrill, covered her mouth and shared a silent laugh with him. He lowered his eyelids warmly as they made eye contact.

Another group hung out in the back of the bus. Jake Carrs was just as loud off the field as he was on it. Will Rubey and Lars Swenson flanked him on the back bench. Carrs could see the entire bus from the middle of the bench. He would often yell to the other players if he saw something interesting or funny.

"I saw that", he shouted a few minutes after Janet placed the sign. She looked over her shoulder with a guilty look to find Jake's hawkish eyes on her. He let off a wide grin as she nervously glanced back. She turned back and smiled. Lars Swenson had a small mp3 player and speaker dock plugged into the outlet on the wall. It rested on a fold down table similar to an airplane. The volume was low enough to mainly reach the back few rows. A Vannish rapper named Cannabinoid was spitting his latest hit.

*Keeping ish lit at night, like an old candle lantern,
Run quick through your field like, Jessica Franssen.
Yeah. Your girlfriend said I'm handsome,
One more word? Hold your best friend for ransom*

Lars sat listening to the lyrics, bopping his head angrily like a 6'6 monster. He stared out the dark tinted window lost in his thoughts. He thought the country was beautiful. Defensemen Swythe and Reef sat on the row in front of the last bench. They often joked about how defense had to sit in the back. They'd all become accoustomed to Lars and his speaker. In truth, the aggressive lyrics became a part of the defense's pre game ritual.

Theo Scandrix and Erik Schotta were good friends and sat across from each other in the middle of the bus. They sat near the aisle and were often the center of attention. They had conversations with the back of the bus, the front of the bus and anyone else trying to be heard.

Schotta brought a big box of crackers at the airport and everybody spent much of the ride asking him for some. "These are my overpriced airport crackers", he started to tell them as he looked in the box. "Uh uhh, I'm almost out and I barely had any."

Jake Carrs cackled from his eagle's perch on the rear bench. He had two handfuls of those crackers. Erik shot him a seriously angry look.

Of course, some players would rather sleep on the bus. One of these players was the speedy Taye James. He tried to get as much rest as he could, drinking water before the bus ride to stay hydrated. He wore noise cancelling headphones every trip to tune out the craziness of the team.

"It's really interesting how much you can learn about each player, just by where they fit in on the bus", said Coach Larry Hootsen to a blogger earlier in the season. Larry, assistant coach Jon Vennet and trainer Sheila Hancourt ride behind the bus in an SUV. Things are a lot more quiet and reserved on the truck, though the group shares an occasional joke. They have a good time with their mature crowd. The truck's radio usually plays local sports channels.

"A lot of our team chemistry is formed on the bus", said Captain Tony Tute. "The atmosphere is really fun."

[Razenthuria]

_{Discussion Thread | Bid | Signup Thread | Rankings | Friendlies}

The Razen Lacrosse Federation [Razenthuria] and Banija Lacrosse Association [Banija] welcome you respectively to Razenthuria and Banija for the twenty-ninth incarnation of the renowned World Lacrosse Championships where national teams from all over the world will battle it out to be crowned best in the world. And, who's going to be one of the four left standing? There's one underdog in the Banijan bracket, and there's two top-ranked sides - all four teams left in the Banijan bracket are former World Champions. Who will get a chance at another title?

---

_{Banijan Half [Matches #3 and #4]}

Quarterfinals - The Exciting Eight

Qasden (2) [3] Vangaziland (4) [2]
New West Guiana (T-34) [9] Sarzonia (UR) [1]

[Banija]

It's up to you... And it's up to me... No one can say what we get to be...

Why don't we cutoff today! Maybe the trophy is ours....

Quarterfinals
Cosumar 9–7 Razenthuria
Wrexwic 13–9 Abanhfleft

Semifinal #1
Cosumar vs. Wrexwic @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria. Will be scorinated by Banija.

Semifinal #2
Qasden vs. New West Guiana @ at Eastern Stadium in Rukunbi District, Istria, Moravica, Banija. Will be scorinated by Razenthuria.

The above semifinals will be scorinated tomorrow. Losers will play in third place match @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria, which will be scorinated by Razenthuria on Thursday.
The day after, the winners will play in the Final @ Kizza I Field in Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija, which will be scorinated by Banija on Friday.

[Wrexwic]

Wrexwic Keeps Empire's Hope Alive

Wrexwic faced their toughest opponent of the season in #3 Abanhfleft. The Fleftics were in strong form and were not one of the teams which coasted through the season. "We knew their offense wasn't going to be stale", said Jacob Daly post match. "We game-planned for them to be tougher than last year's championship Vannish team. A lot of time was spent watching film to pull this win off."

Wrexwic came out shooting hard. They scored 4 in the first quarter while fighting to keep up the battle of possession. With many goals being exchanged early in the game, face offs at center field were important. It was here that Wrexwic made its mark. Ollie Jacobsson had a hand here, winning 62 percent of his faceoff attempts. Jarrick Craddock, who subbed in at center midfield several times, won 2 of his 4 faceoffs.

The Wrexish kept up the early barrage with another 4 goals in the 2nd quarter. Jacobsson showed himself to be contributing in more ways than just winning faceoffs. He was the field general, bringing the ball up the pitch and calling out plays. Wrexwic's defense also began to step up early, though the game remained close through halftime.

The Wasps slowed down a bit in the 3rd quarter. Here they only scored 2 goals. It looked as if Abanhfleft were getting their footing. The shots that Wrexish shooters did take here mostly either missed or were saved. The Fleftic defense brought an intensity that was hard to establish pace against.

Team Captain Glover Webb gave his team a rousing speech before the final quarter. "We have to take momentum. Seize every oppurtunity. Don't give them space to breathe. This is not for you or me. It's for Wrexwic. It's for the Empire! Dig deep!"

Webb led by example, scoring just 2 minutes into the 4th quarter. He lifted both his arms and held them high. His team surrounded him cheering. They had gotten their momentum back. Wrexwic would score another 2 goals in the final period to seal the deal. The Wrexish attackmen had a big night of scoring.

Glover Webb finished with 4 goals, including his late game stunner. He spent a good deal of the match playing behind the goal and rotating the ball around from that angle. His brother Darrian added 3 goals. He kept each of his shots low, with one bouncing high at the last minute. One of his goals came off a pass from a fast break. Defenseman Matt Jorstad's timely clearance pass set up the play.

Deon McNight also added 3 goals from the Attack position. Wrexwic spent the day pushing forward with the front three. The players went right at their defensemen. Wrexwic brought out a slightly different set of screens that they appeared to save for the playoffs. The screens were tight and almost weaving in the way the players cut out of them. Cuts and screens could also be timed so that one player may get space and draw attention, just for Glover to cut up from the behind the goal a few seconds later.

The result was an offense that looked different enought to fool Abanhfleft's defenders.

"We just needed to get our guys space", said Ollie Jacobsson. The midfielder finished with 1 goal and 3 assists. Ollie was the link between the defenders and the attack for much of the game, running the ball up the field time and time again.

Kasen Palmer and Wayan Tyrill each added 1 goal to Wrexwic's tally. The result was a convincing 13-9 victory in the Wasps' favor. The team now has to face #1 Cosumar for a possible play into the Championship round.

"Cosumar is a tall order, especially if we have to face Qasden after that", said Coach Daly. "If any team can beat them both, it could be Wrexwic. Our guys just have to stay true to their form. We have to take things one game at a time though."

Captain Glover Webb seemed excited about the future games. "This will be a great test for our program", said the attackman. "Experience we gain here will help us prepare for the future. The next time we face a tough team, there will be a lot more parity. It's great for Wrexwic."

Defenseman Joe Lawrence spoke on his feelings on the season. "It's great that we've progressed back into the final 4", he said. "I'm going to enjoy the experience. Not everybody gets to play on this stage. It's an honor to hit the field wearing the Wrexish flag."

The Wrexish will try their hardest to win and return back to the Championship. It would be a feat that even Vangaziland can't repeat at this point. Vannish celebrity couple Hectare Yulssen and Jessica Franssen are set to travel to Razenthuria to catch the momentous game against Cosumar. "Hectare and I both know what it's like to carry the weight of the Empire on our shoulders", said WGPC World Champion jessica Franssen. "Now the Empire will be tuning in, not for Vangazi, but for the Wrexish. It's great for the colony and for Vannish sports fans."

The couple also spoke on Vangaziland's early exit. "This just puts more pressure on the Vannish basketball team", said its starting PG Hectare Yulssen. "We'll take that challenge."

"The Vangazi should still fair well in the rankings after this season", Franssen continued. "A Wrexish upset on Cosumar could help with that."

Most Vannish (and Wrexish) analysts have the Wasps as heavy underdogs against the world's top team.

[Razenthuria]

_{Discussion Thread | Bid | Signup Thread | Rankings | Friendlies}

The Razen Lacrosse Federation [Razenthuria] and Banija Lacrosse Association [Banija] welcome you respectively to Razenthuria and Banija for the twenty-ninth incarnation of the renowned World Lacrosse Championships where national teams from all over the world will battle it out to be crowned best in the world. And, who's going to be one of the four left standing? There's one underdog in the Banijan bracket, and there's two top-ranked sides - all four teams left in the Banijan bracket are former World Champions. Who will get a chance at another title?

---

_{Banijan Half [Matches #2]}

Semifinals - The Fantastic Four

[b]Qasden (2) [9] New West Guiana (T-34) [16]

[Banija]

Semifinals
Cosumar 8–12 Wrexwic

Third Place Match
Qasden v. Cosumar @ Wizards Arena, Calix City Stadia, Calix City, Crown Republic of Razenthuria, which will be scorinated by Razenthuria on Thursday.

29th WLC Final
Wrexwic v. New West Guiana @ Kizza I Field in Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija, which will be scorinated by yours truly on Friday.