AO Lacrosse Classic--Everything (FINALS Complete)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

As a successor to the Moravica Lacrosse Invitation hosted in Banija prior to the World Lacrosse Championship XXXIII, the Commonwealth of Baker Park has invited 5 of its regional rivals for a jamboree classic, to take place in Oceana (of course), the state capital of Osheana.

The participating nations are:
Baker Park
Banija
Delaclava
Northwest Kalactin
Qasden
Sarzonia

The venues used are as follows:
Selvey Commons--on campus home of the University of Oceana football, mens & womens soccer, rugby, field hockey and lacrosse teams. As it was during WLC XXXI, the capacity will be supplemented by temporary stands bringing the seating up to 15,000.
Camden Park--located northeast of downtown, the ground is shared by Pembroke St David's Soccer Club and the Oceana City College mens & womens soccer, track & field, lacrosse and field hockey teams. Capacity is 14,000.
Collins Park--the city's largest outdoor venue will host the Championship, Third, and Fifth Place matches on the final day of the tournament. It has previously hosted the Semi-Finals of World Cup 84 and the Quarterfinals of AOCAF LVIII.

The six nations will be split into two groups of 3, who will face off in a round robin, with the top 4 advancing to the semi-final. The winner will be awarded the Atalanta Trophy, named for the Greek heroine of mythology.


design by Barunia

Group A
Qasden
Northwest Kalactin
Banija

Group B
Delaclava
Baker Park
Sarzonia

Schedule:
6/28
MD1--(2 v 3)
Baker Park v Sarzonia @ Selvey Commons
Northwest Kalactin v Banija @ Camden Park

MD2--(1 v 2)
Delaclava v Baker Park @ Camden Park
Qasden v Northwest Kalactin @ Selvey Commons

6/29
MD3--6/30 (1 v 3)
Qasden v Banija @ Camden Park
Delaclava v Sarzonia @ Selvey Commons

Semi Final (@ Selvey Commons)
A1 vs B2
B1 vs A1

6/30
Finals (@ Collins Park)
A3 vs B3--5th Place
Semi Final losers--3rd Place
Semi Final winners--Championship

[Northwest Kalactin]

Northwest Kalactin national lax team

Coaches
Head coach: Tyrone Lawrence
Assistant coach: Boyd King
Trainer: Brian Walker

Roster

Goalies

#1 Roy Moore, age 28*
#31 Kevin James, age 22
#99 Dennis Lopez, age 31
The goalie unit for the team is a very versatile one, being able to play anyone of them at any time in the game. Roy is a the main starter, as he has been since WLC 29. Kevin however, has been receiving increasing playing time from coach Tyrone, as he starts to exceed the skill of Roy. Dennis on the other hand, is a new, athletic goalie, who hails from a small town in eastern Kalactin.

Defense

#6 Gary Woodson, age 27* (Left D)
#2 Adam Alexander, age 21* (Center D)
#3 Jack Martin, age 35
#98 Joshua Long, age 17* (Right D)
#66 Randy white, age 24
#43 John Price, age 23
#9 Sean Collins, age 20
The defense is the youngest unit on the team. The core players in this area of the field are Gary Woodson, Adam Alexander and Joshua Long. Joshua is the youngest player on the team, at 17 years old. Gary is also the team vice-captain and has great Lacrosse IQ.


Midfield

#45 Ryan Rivera , age 26* (Left Mid)
#31 Jason Gonzalez, age 24* (Centre Mid)
#23 Scott Long, age 26* (Right Mid)
#97 Jack Russell, age 22* (Right Forward)
#28 Carl Roberts, age 21
#56 Todd grey, age 35
#23 Edward Johnson, age 29
The midfield, spearheaded by team captain Ryan Rivera, is the heart and soul of the team. Ryan and Jason are both top 3 players on the team who can get a goal whenever the team needs one. The competition for a starting midfield spot will likely take place between the 2 youngsters, Jack Russel and Carl Roberts.


Attack

#54 John Peterson, age 23* (Right Inner)
#47 Aaron Jones, age 31* (Centre)
#39 Aaron Campbell, age 36* (Left Inner)
#92 John miller, age 20
#13 Russell Nelson, age 40
#25 Martin Turner, age 22* (Left Forward)
The attack of the Kalactanian team is made up of some very athletic players. John Peterson is the best athlete on the team, running a 4.6 40 yard dash, the fastest on the team. Other good players in this group include Aaron Jones and Aaron Campbell. John Miller is and outsider for a spot in the lineup but has a chance.


RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Suspend my players: Y ( 1 game only )
Godmod suspension events: N
Godmod other events: N

[Banija]

Official Banijan National Lacrosse Team roster for the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic

Head Coach: Bala Ogunsola. 79 years old. Former Head Coach of the Herzegovina City Kings. Fifth and final cycle coaching the national team.
Demonym: Banijan
Trigamme: BNJ
Style Modifier: +5
Governing Body: Olympic Committee of Banija(governing body for all professional sports in Banija besides soccer and ice hockey).

2nd place finish at the 21st World Lacrosse Championships(International Debut)
3rd place finish at the 22nd World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 25th World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 31st World Lacrosse Championships
4th place finish at the 1st Multiverse Games for Men's Lacrosse
Winner of the 1st Champions Challenge Cup
Winner of the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational
Host of the 28th World Lacrosse Championships
Co-Host of the 29th World Lacrosse Championships
Total WLC record: 66-30
Total Overall Record: 77-35
World Ranking: #6

Home jerseys: Orange
Away: White
Alternate: Green
Alternate #2: Black

Starters are underlined
Players who are receiving their first national team callups this cycle are italicized.
BLL is the Banijan Lacrosse League. All players are male unless otherwise specified.
Goalies
Filije Ogunsola. #35, age 34. Plays for the Herzegovina City Kings in the BLL. No relation to the head coach.
Einku Mulu. #29, age 29. Plays for the Hamilton Jackals in the BLL.
Malick Guissé. #34, Age 21. Plays for Bunyoro RSc in the BLL>

Defenders
FIlijie Sarr., Left Side. #5, age 24. Plays for the Vidizi Bulls in the BLL.
Jalang Mendy. #4, age 34. Central. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL. Captain.
Yakuba Coote. #13, age 25. Right Side. Plays for the Istria Thunder in the BLL.
Yafet Anom. #7, age 33. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL. Starter in WLC 33.
Karaobo Ogoo. #2, age 23. Plays for the Iziarad Wildcats in the BLL.
Addo Joof. #19, age 33. Plays for the Busukuma Flyers in the BLL. Starter in WLC 33.
Lamin Fadika. #99, age 32. Play for the Kosactus Hammerheads in the BLL.

Midfield
Sherif Mboob. #24, age 25. Left Side. Plays collegiate lacrosse at the University of Loyola-Istria.
Bunama Ogunsola. #47, age 33. Central. Plays for the Luguyala Patriots in the BLL. Grandson of the team's head coach.
Arsa Bobbicevic III. #1, age 23. Right Side. Plays collegiate lacrosse at Northern Moravica University. Grandson of Arsa Bobbicevic, a starting attacker on the WLC 21 and WLC 22 teams.
Ismaela Sey. #50, age 30. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL.
Bango Jawo. #27, age 27. Plays for the Istria Thunder in the BLL.
Masane Colley. #6, age 29. Plays for the Herzegovina City Kings in the BLL.
Manlafi Darboe. #21, age 30. Plays for the Busukuma Flyers in the BLL.

Attack
Alanso Niang. #11, age 25. Left Side. Plays for the Hoima Gators in the BLL.
Israel Bayissa. #23, age 30. Central. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL.
Mariama Jallow. #9, age 24. Right Side. Plays for the Herzegovina City Kings in the BLL. (Female)
Piretta Jagne. #15, age 30. Plays for the Istria Thunder in the BLL. (Female)
Ida Kinteh. #8, age 30. Plays for the Vidizi Bulls in the BLL. (Female)
Sisay Vintay. #16, age 32. Plays for the Vidizi Bulls in the BLL. Starter in WLC 33.
Rada Atatafi. #20, age 34. Plays for the Iziarad Wildcats in the BLL. Starter in WLC 33.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes(please specify injury and its length- no deaths please!)
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes(please specify injury and its length- no deaths please!)
Suspend my players: Yes
Godmod suspension events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes (Although no Banijan is allowed to catch a pandemic, nor can one be introduced into Banija).

After the failures of the 28th and 29th World Lacrosse Championships, and especially the 29th edition where Banija got eliminated in the group stages of the WLCs for the first time ever, everything was torn down. The Olympic Committee of Banija seized control, and voted the sport's independent governing body(a rarity in Banija) out of existence. Various reforms were introduced. Chief among them- rid themselves of those who failed. The entire coaching staff was purged, and with it, not a single player who was on the WLC 28 or 29 roster was invited back to form the WLC 30 roster. Those high up in Banija called the WLC 29 group stage elimination, on home soil, of a nation that considered themselves an international lacrosse powerhouse an 'absolute embarassment to the country' and vowed for deep reforms to ensure that this did not ever happen again.

This, of course, happened before the 30th WLCs, in Cassadaigua. The Banijans were able to escape the group stage, once again, but fell to an ancient power in this sport- Sarzonia, by a score of 10-9, in the Round of 16. It was followed by a disappointing entry at the Champions Challengers Cup, where they fell to both Baker Park and Sarzonia in West Guiana, to finish 0-2. In the 31st WLCs, the Banijans finally overcame recent struggles by geting back to where they felt they belonged, the semifinals, though they fell at that stage in Baker Park. While they regressed at WLC 32, only going .500 in the group stage and getting knocked out in the Round of 16 by the tournament's top seed, they've restructured the squad. While they kept the defense and goalies, they made big changes up top, replacing all 7 midfielders on the roster, as well as changing out a number of attacking players. The last cycle started strongly, with the team winning the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational en route to going 6-0 in group play. However, they were downed by Sarzonia in the quarterfinals, once again giving the Banijans an early exit from lacrosse's premier tournament.

Group X Schedule
TBA

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

whoops!

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia Stars
If you RP first, you may/may not do the following:
Choose my goalscorers/goalscoring events
Everything else (Godmoding/injuries/ejections
/suspensions/violence
/pandemics) is a no-go

Style: 0 (balanced between attack-minded and defensive)
Home grounds: Franz Braddock Stadium in Woodstock, capacity 35,000.
Please note: This team is renowned for its fair play. If you attack first, it will retaliate, but it will not initiate a fight.

Manager Carter Whitlock, 39
Whitlock is a hall of fame calibre player after leading Sarzonia to five World Lacrosse Championship gold medals as a player. He has yet to approach that level of success as a manager. He has decided to completely shake up the roster for the AO Lacrosse Classic and the WLC.
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Harbour (37 years old)
A teammate of Whitlock’s, Harbour’s defence was critical for the Stars in their last WLC final, when they defeated Delaclava 14-8 in Licentiapacisterra nearly five years ago. He signed on as an assistant coach after his playing career came to an end.
Offensive Coordinator: Tyler Pawlenty (51 years old)
Pawlenty helped mold offenses in college, in particular Rypien State College during a four-year period when that school won three collegiate national titles. His teams emphasise possession and patience, often including multiple passes before taking the perfect shot.
Assistant Coach: George Tomlin (35 years old)
Tomlin recently retired as a faceoff specialist after a collegiate career that saw him win 78 percent of his faceoffs. During his professional career in Sarzonia, he won 69 percent of his faceoffs. He can coach multiple styles of faceoffs, taking into account multiple fogos.
Assistant Coach: Bradley Morse (55 years old)
Serves as goalie coach. He helped several Sarzonian World Lacrosse Championship winning teams with goalies in an informal capacity. Now, he's coming out of retirement to provide assistance as a paid full-time coach after Whitlock convinced him to do so.

ROSTER (STARTERS IN BOLD)
GOALIES
1 Matt Henning (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), 24 years old
28 Sam Carson (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), 28
34 Will Vasquez (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), 23

DEFENDERS
2 Xander Beaucamp (6-foot, 215 pounds), 27, close defence
11 Joyce Conner (5-foot-8, 160 pounds), 25
18 Howie Kaplan (6-foot-3, 215 pounds, 31
5 Joanne Bryant (6-foot, 170 pounds), 36
7 Uriel Ahmed (5-foot-9, 190 pounds), 30
17 Pete Billingsley (6-foot, 218 pounds), 28
22 Zach Fairfax (5-foot-11, 225 pounds), 24
29 Tyler Anson (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), 27
38 Ian Taylor (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 28

MIDFIELDERS
3 Carrie Quinlan (5-foot-9, 155 pounds), 24 (LSM)
10 Gio Guardio (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), 26
16 Harry Simon (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), 22
19 Trent Preston (5-foot-7, 175 pounds), 23
30 Joseph Lee (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), 29
35 Chad Andersen (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), 26
39 Jim Inmelt (6-foot, 190 pounds), 30
40 Kyle Christian (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), 25
46 Tom Vestal (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), 29

ATTACK
4 Colin Grassley (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 27
8 Martin Page (5-foot-10, 170 pounds), 29
12 Nick Loewen (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), 22
15 David Treseguet (6-foot, 200 pounds), 33
23 Adam Lannister (5-foot-9, 200 pounds), 35
24 Owen Clancy (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), 26
25 Gabriel Dixon (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 27
26 Erynn Spencer (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), 33*
27 D'Rell Felton (6-foot-1, 195 pounds), 27

FACEOFF SPECIALISTS
13 Noah Ryanson (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), 28
14 Jeremy Harper (5-foot-10, 185 pounds), 24
36 Stephane Rideau (6-foot, 200 pounds), 32

*Gender nonconforming

[Delaclava]

Delaclava national lacrosse team

WLC 16 finalists - Delaclava's last pre-isolation international podium.

RP permissions: Yes, but please be respectful.

Head Coach: Ron Carter, 38, Bosmond Stags
Assistant Coach: Jimmy Butler, 54, Wicks College
Offensive Assistant: Gunnar Joseph, 32, Dewitt University
Defensive Assistant: Morgan Sweet, 29, Kitsuartat University
Goaltender Coach: Jos van Karajan, 54, Pussonne Serpents
Strength/Conditioning Coach: Dan Jerkins, 40, Bosmond Stags

Players are listed largely in order of usage - i.e. #1-10 are on the field the most, #12-16 are used frequently in specialty roles, and #18-26 used less frequently.

#	Name	Position	Team	School	Age	Height	Weight
1	Paul van Karajan	G	Pussonne Serpents	St. James University	23	6-2	180
2	Jake Lilly	D	Carnstone Coyotes	Wicks College	22	6-3	185
3	Bert Salas	D	Pussonne Serpents	NUR Beliri	21	6-2	200
4	Tyler Thomas	D	Bosmond Stags	Wicks College	24	5-9	185
5	Ben Rosen	M	Pussonne Serpents	St. James University	26	6-3	210
6	Kyle Bachman	M	Manakula Bulldogs	Hatcher College	21	5-10	180
7	Riley Connors	A/M	Catherina LC	University of Catherina	23	5-11	185
8	Michael Querrey	A	Bosmond Stags	St. James University	23	6-3	190
9	Brad Muntean	A	Carnstone Coyotes	Quinniville Institute of Technology	21	5-11	180
10	Jimmy Manutin (C)	A	Bosmond Stags	St. James University	26	6-4	200
12	Johnny Kapp	FO	Manakula Bulldogs	Marramar College	23	5-9	175
13	Daniel Bruno	D/LSM	Pussonne Serpents	Ixtlajamo University	24	5-10	180
14	Vidal Ross	D/LSM	Carnstone Coyotes	Fanuk College	24	6-4	205
15	Julian Jacobs	M	Catherina LC	Sosuk University	21	5-10	175
16	Alex Safiullin	SSDM	Bosmond Stags	Quinniville Institute of Technology	25	6-4	200
18	Galen Wright	A	Manakula Bulldogs	Wicks College	25	6-4	190
19	Frankie Joseph	A/M	Catherina LC	Dewitt University	27	5-10	160
20	Brian Marshall	G	Bosmond Stags	CUR Corcorran	23	6-3	190
21	Grant Richards	LSM	Manakula Bulldogs	Dewitt University	24	5-10	190
22	Ant Davis	SSDM	Carnstone Coyotes	University of Catherina	26	6-3	190
23	Kaspar Schwantner	SSDM	Catherina LC	University of Catherina	22	6-3	195
24	Kris Bell	FO	Bosmond Stags	Dewitt University	25	6-0	180
25	Kimi Ruutu	M	Pussonne Serpents	Kitsuartat University	23	5-10	175
26	Hovannes Sarakian	M	Carnstone Coyotes	Marturak Azgiveratsum	24	6-3	200

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

13  	Darryl Dillion		21  MF
10   	Lynn Nash  		25  DF
8  	Sandra Jefferson	22  DF
4  	Greg Rose		20  MF
18  	Jacob Kohl		22  DF
17   	Dana Dillon 		24  DF
14  	Eddie Barnwell		25  DF
11  	Hayley Magditch	        25  AT
6  	Paige Cooper		24  AT
12	Scott Locksley		21  MF  	
19   	Andrea Middleton	25  GK	
3     	Grace Greene 		24  MF
2   	Elissa Kramer 		24  MF
9	Alex Brennan		22  DF  	
7  	Ben Appleman		21  AT
5	Morgan Bohmenstiehl	26  AT
1  	Rachel Baldwin		24  MF
16	Eric Lennox		21  MF
15	Danielle Grimaldi	20  AT
20	Mackenzie Parker	21  GK
Head Coach—Brittany Franklin
Assistants—Mark Ellis
	   Shannon Fries
	   Kevin Vargas

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Results from the first two matchdays of the tournament

Group A
Northwest Kalactin 3–9 Banija

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 1   1  0    9   3  +6    2
2 Northwest Kalactin     1   0  1    3   9  −6    0

Group B
Baker Park 17–4 Sarzonia

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             1   1  0   17   4 +13    2
2 Sarzonia               1   0  1    4  17 −13    0

Qasden 10–10 Northwest Kalactin (11–12 OT)

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 1   1  0    9   3  +6    2
2 Northwest Kalactin     2   1  1   15  20  −5    2
3 Qasden                 1   0  1   11  12  −1    1

Group B
Delaclava 8–13 Baker Park

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             2   2  0   30  12 +18    4
2 Delaclava              1   0  1    8  13  −5    0
3 Sarzonia               1   0  1    4  17 −13    0

Green--advanced to semi-finals

[Sarzonia]

Carter Whitlock enters the 34th World Lacrosse Championships with a mandate.

Gone was the rowdy partying of previous editions. This team was built to win lacrosse games. Toward that end, Whitlock only retained faceoff specialist Jon Austin from the bronze medalists of the previous World Lacrosse Championships.

Even though he kept the same coaching staff as before, it would be a completely different Stars team. This one had more depth. Much more. This one was also going to approach every match with more intense focus than the teams that returned Sarzonia from its long period of isolation.

They noted the return of Delaclava in their first lacrosse tournament since their team was the last Phoenixes side to stand on a medal platform after losing to the Stars in the World Lacrosse Championships XVI final.

"It's going to be great to see those guys competing again," Whitlock said, allowing himself a wistful smile. "I know I didn't play against any of them, but it's great to see them back in international competition."

Sarzonia will be competing in Group F as the top seeds with world No. 15 Aimena the only other ranked side. Sylestone and Lovisa are the two unranked sides.

Whitlock said the absence of newfound lacrosse rivals Banija in the group stage was "unfortunate," but added that the Stars would have to take care of business in the group stage.

"We can't afford to be complacent," he said. "We've got our work cut out for us. I said it when we came back as an unranked side. I'm saying it now."

After Sarzonia opened the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic with a 17-4 drubbing at the hands of Baker Park, the Stars watched the Phoenixes lose 13-8 to Baker Park in their return to international lacrosse. They battled the Phoenixes the next night for the right to qualify for the semifinals of the classic, which is a continuation of the Moravica Invitational which saw the Stars stumble to a 1-2 record against Baker Park and Banija.

"It's a good way for us to get our feet wet as a team before we compete in the WLC," midfielder Gio Guardio said. "We just don't seem to get off to strong starts there," he added.

[Delaclava]

K'NektIt

Jimmy Manutin
Yesterday at 10:07 PM

Wow, what a game. The boys and I are feeling really good about this one despite the outcome. First of all, great game to our opponents in Baker Park, and thanks for being great hosts so far. We were a little nervous at the prospect at trying to take on other national teams, let alone some of the best teams in the world. Oceana has been a great place to take in so far and we're just glad we got the opportunity to play - with some home fans coming along for the ride too.

We have a lot to take away from today's matches, both good and bad. Ultimately, this was a close one, 13-8. We buckled down on defense and kept their attackers under control for most of the game. We had our offensive chances too. Brad and I each had three goals, Riley added the other two. Ultimately, we lost because we didn't do enough of the right things, didn't exploit weaknesses when we saw them, but these are all things we'll have a better look at doing forward. It was a huge relief and a big honor for us just to take the field.

I'm really proud of this team for the way we've come together. The Delaclav Lacrosse League is fiercely competitive, and small, so we're frequently playing against each other. Coming together, we knew we had to avoid breaking into cliques with our league teammates, put aside egos and come together to focus our energy on defeating the new opposition. Coach Carter, Coach Butler and the whole staff have really set the tone for us, and I can honestly say we all had each other's backs for the whole match - even when it was clear that we weren't quite going to be able to pull this one out.

We hope we can continue to bring lacrosse to a wider audience in Delaclava with greater success. The last time a Delaclav team played international lacrosse, and the legacy we are trying to build on, is a runner-up at the 16th World Lacrosse Championships. Unfortunately, those are legends who never got a chance to get their revenge on the champions, Sarzonia, and the competition itself. We're going to try to take care of the first part tomorrow. We have nothing but respect for them, and these are even guys we've seen out and about back home. But in a small tournament, every match is high stakes. For this one, the winner is going to make the semifinals, and both teams badly want to be there.

This isn't just how we build on the legacy left for us - this is how we start our own.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Who is gonna head into the WLC with momentum???

Group A
Banija 20–4 Qasden

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 2   2  0   29   7 +22    4
2 Northwest Kalactin     2   1  1   15  20  −5    2
3 Qasden                 2   0  2   15  32 −17    0

Group B
Sarzonia 16–7 Delaclava

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             2   2  0   30  12 +18    4
2 Sarzonia               2   1  1   20  24  −4    2
3 Delaclava              2   0  2   15  29 −14    0

Banija 9–9 Sarzonia (10–9 OT)
Baker Park 9–16 Northwest Kalactin

Championship--Banija vs Northwest Kalactin
3nd Place--Baker Park vs Sarzonia
5th Place--Qasden vs Delaclava

[Banija]

Banijans one win away from declaring themselves back-to-back de facto lacrosse champions of Atlantian Oceania


A Banijan player handles the ball during their semifinal match against Sarzonia

OCEANA, OSHEANA, BAKER PARK- Banija v. Sarzonia. Abanhfleft is the early era chief rival of Banijan lacrosse. But it has been a number of tournaments since we played Abanfleft. We all know how that rivalry can spark up again. But it is clear, the chief rivalry for Banijan lacrosse in this modern era is no longer Abanhfleft. It is clearly the Stars of Sarzonia. Big games against each other, now two cycles in a row, and even big-time matchups in other sports(like at the freaking World Cup) show that, even if they are on the other side of Atlantian Oceania, the rivalry brews between these two nations.

The AO Lacrosse Classic this time around was to be hosted in the Commonwealth of Baker Park. Remember the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational? This is a successor competition to that, one that lacrosse nations in Atlantian Oceania are viewing with long-term potential. It is good for the development of the sport to have some sort of a regional championships. It gives AO lacrosse nations more opportunities to play, and most importantly, the opportunities to play against each other for something meaningful. Because that will develop rivalries, which will develop interest in the game. And, of course, it will improve quality of the sport within the region. We call ourselves the region of champions- and yet, we haven't won the tournament since WLC 27, when Qasden triumphed in the Natanians & Nosts.

This time around, instead of Herzegovina City serving as the host city, the tournament would be played in the City of Oceana, the state capital city of Osheana. The Banijans would be placed in a group with Northwest Kalactin and Qasden. The other group consisted of Baker Park, Delaclava, and Sarzonia. Filled with enticing matchups. On Matchday 1, our team came out flying, winning by a score of 9 goals to 3 over Northwest Kalactin. While we had a bye on Matchday 2, on Matchday 3 we faced Qasden. And we came out in dominant fashion- we scored the first 9 goals of that match en route to an easy, 20-4 victory.

That brought us to our semifinal against Sarzonia. The task was simple. This was the team that had eliminated us from the 33rd World Lacrosse Championships, and ended a 9 game winning streak we had been on in all competitions. Two teams that are angling to win a title in the coming weeks in Jeckland. And they jostled with each other in what was certainly a tough competition. The game was close the whole way- physically demanding, mentally exhausting, the two teams left it all on the field as the familiar rivals battled for supremacy. In regular time, they could not be separated, as it was 9-9

It would be the Banijans who would seperate themselves in the extra period. Arsa Bobbicevic III, whose grandfather is a Banijan lacrosse legend, scored the only goal of the extra period, as he buried it home from point blank range for the Banijans to down their chief rivals and reach the AO Lacrosse Classic Final. They will battle for the Atalanta Trophy against Northwest Kalactin. The winner will earn the right to call themselves the de facto champions of Atlantian Oceania, and earn that extra, intangible, boost of confidence heading into what will surely be a competitive World Lacrosse Championships.

[Sarzonia]

With a day to stew about the 17-4 drubbing at the hands of Baker Park, the new look Sarzonian national lacrosse team wasn't in much mood for frivolity. Even the return of Sarzonia's most friendly rival across essentially every sport ever wasn't enough to cheer up the Stars.

Manager Carter Whitlock was well aware of the sombre mood of his team. The Stars were 0-1 after one of the worst drubbings in the proud, storied history of Sarzonian lacrosse. Not even two goalkeeper substitutions and playing everyone on the squad could do anything to quell the host nation's momentum.

It was a match Whitlock knew was best served forgetting about. Burn the tape, he recalled a grizzled old coach once saying many years prior. Admittedly, with all the advances in media, that would be impossible literally, but the figurative statement still applied.

The Stars still had a job to do if they wanted to bring home the new trophy for this Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic, and it would have to start by beating the shit out of their southern neighbours.

Whitlock winced slightly at the thought. Beat the shit out of our Delaclav neighbours, he thought. And not only that. He dated two different Delaclavs and both families were beyond hospitable. In fact, he still exchanged gifts with both exes and both sets of parents.

But the Stars had to avoid the fifth place match and had to beat the Phoenixes to do so. They would do just that in the first meeting between the Stars and the Phoenixes in lacrosse since Sarzonia's last championship victory came over Delaclava in WLC 16.

This time, the Stars dominated from the opening faceoff and won going away 16-7. That would set the stage for a team that was fast becoming an archrival in the sport: Banija.

The orange-clad regional foes got the best of the Stars three times out of four matches in the previous cycle, but Sarzonia's lone victory came in dramatic fashion in the knockouts as the Stars returned to the medal platform for the first time in 17 cycles.

The match would live up to its billing as 60 minutes of lacrosse wouldn't declare either team the victor. Instead, it would be overtime before Banija would finally exact a measure of revenge for the knockout round defeat.

Speaking of revenge, the Stars now have a shot at earning revenge against Baker Park for the opening day drubbing with a potential third place finish on the line. It certainly wasn't what the Stars were hoping for as they watched this tournament begin to earn prestige in the lacrosse world, but it would definitely give incentive for the Stars to play their best match against Baker Park.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Thanks to all who participated, it was great privilege to host the first AO Lacrosse Classic.
Now to final results from Collins Park, Oceana:

Qasden 11–14 Delaclava

Baker Park 8–18 Sarzonia

And the Atalanta Trophy goes to:

Banija 9–13 Northwest Kalactin

Congratulations to all the winners & Best of luck in the WLC