World Lacrosse Championships 34 - Everything Thread

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Laxxers confident heading to second half
by Sandra Gerrard
The Post Staff Correspondent

The National Lacrosse Team begin the second half of the group stage at the World Lacrosse Championships in Byton, Jeckland with a change of venue and clear understanding of what they'll need to do advance to the knockout rounds.

The reverse matches of Group B will occur at the Tantley Lacrosse Stadium, a 17,500 seat facility where BP will square off against The Maccian, Devonta, and Kohnhead over the course of the second week of competition; Head Coach Brittany Franklin spoke about the current standings, and what will be required from her team if they hope to make their fifth straight quarterfinal appearance in the WLC.

"We were able to work around the issues of inconsistency and mental breakdowns in the first two games, but Kohnhead punished us for mistakes we made, (in the 11-6 defeat on the third match day) so now we have to bear down and cut out the undisciplined errors. If you look at the other group tables, it's not going to take long to figure out this a pretty low scoring section. We need to draw upon our experience and technique to give us a bit more margin for error that we can deal with."

The competition preceding the start of the WLC, the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic--won by Northwest Kalactin--allowed the staff to develop an understanding of the current roster; no players remain from Franklin's initial roster in WLC 29, and the addition of men prior to the last tournament in Cassadaigua has brought a different element of tactical thinking to Franklin's approach to mapping out a course into the playoffs.

"This field is stronger across the board from the previous tourneys I coached in. No one is sleeping on unranked teams like maybe they did when first came through. it's up to us to meet the challenge and get the job done."

[HUElavia]

Random Facts of HUElavia

-HUElavia is home to 15+1 Different Cultural Groups- Hueti (Quechua), Portuzian (Portuguese), Astellian (Spanish), Eskadi (Basque), Franc (French), Tallian (Italian), Rus (Russian), Breitzen (German), Ibo (Nigerian), Yamoto (Japanese), Guantzu (Cantonese), Jeong (Korean), Pinoy (Filipino), Cog (Vietnamese), and Quhah (Arabic). The "+1" is a mix of Astellian and Portuzian known as Galegian (Galician).

-Almost all HUElavians are raised bilingual from a young age, and tend to know 4 languages by the time they graduate college. Multilingualism is something that is taken seriously and with pride in HUElavian culture, even if it can make the kids slow learners when they're young.

-While Christianity is the majority religion, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are the main two Christian religions, accounting for over 400 Million HUElavians, and the reach of religious influence takes up over 2.7 million square miles (about 83% of the total area of HUElavia)

-The modern day HUElavian comes from parents of two different cultural backgrounds, regardless of racial background. Although, interracial couples is common to see and it is generally viewed positively by HUElavians.

-HUElavians tend to be very healthy in terms of body shape and size. Obesity is very, very rare to find due to the healthy diet that HUElavians eat, plus the constant amount of exercise HUElavians partake in.

-The average height for an adult HUElavian Male is 1.80 m (5'10"), while the average height for an adult HUElavian Female is 1.62 (5'3").

-Many cities have Carnaval taking place at different times of the year, which tends to involve one for the general HUElavian people and one mainly for a certain ethnic or cultural group.

-HUElavians love to watch Sports due to the country enjoying exercise and being healthy. Football (Soccer) is the most popular sport, where citizens tend to be supportive of new stadiums being built in order to support their local team. Futsal follows right after, along with Ice Hockey, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Gridiron Football, Basketball, and Lacrosse.

-Racing events tend to be held mainly in street circuits, but there are some Speedways and Superspeedways, as well as Rally Events tend to be very popular out in the countryside.

[Sarzonia]

Sitting at the halfway point of the group stage of the World Lacrosse Championships, the Sarzonian national lacrosse team were right where they expected to be, first in the Group F table, owners of a plus-17 goal differential that kept them ahead of unranked Sylestone even though they defeated the Stars on Matchday 2.

The Stars returned to their winning form with an easy 10-4 victory over Lovisa behind a four-goal outing from attackman Colin Grassley and a nine-game effort from Matt Henning. Carter Whitlock had advised his team to remember the lessons but forget the Sylestone loss.

However, his message to the team was different heading into the rematch against No. 15 Aimena.

"We've got to remain focused and be aggressive out there," he told the assembled, socially distanced media when he talked about his advice to his players. "We have to be consistent at winning faceoffs and finishing checks.

As the Stars look at the rest of the tournament, their eyes collectively widened when they saw host nation Jeckland dominating the Group A table at 3-0 with the previous finalists Cassadaigua sitting at 1-2. Baker Park sitting in the Group B lead surprised no one, but their 2-1 record and being level in win-loss mark with newcomers Kohnhead after they flattened Baker Park 11-6 was a shock.

Vangaziland being 3-0 in Group C was expected, but HUElavia being 3-0 in Group D ahead of lacrosse heavyweights Banija was anything but. In Group E, Terre Septentrionale were ahead of traditional powers St. Saratoga on goal differential despite losing to Sarzonia's Cyanea neighbours Delaclava in the Phoenixes' first win of this World Lacrosse Championships.

Group G sees Lochario, Squidroidia, and West Phoenicia all level at 2-1 in what Henning described as "a clusterfuck." Abanhfleft lead Group H with a 3-0 record.

All that Whitlock said he's focused on is getting the Stars back where they expect to be every time they place up the boots: On the medal stand with gold medals gleaming from their necks.

"We're long overdue," he said. "And we've gotta fight like hell to make it happen."

[Squidroidia]

The Journal of Rokuro "Rokit" Minami

---

Previous parts: 1 2 3
Squidroidia's score: 10-9 loss over #11 West Phoenicia

---

April 12th, 2017
1 month and 6 days after showtime

For some strange reason these Squid Sister robots haven't seemed to go away. It is been a month since the incident began, and they seem to have overpowered the entire Inkhallan army and even resisted shells dropped from above. No nukes have been dropped because of the human and Inkling destruction they cause, but over this meantime everyone found out about their glaring strength, and that was... Shields. Ever since this whole ordeal began they have gotten shields wrapped all over their bodies, stopping them from attacks. In a way that makes them impossible to beat, and over time they have got more people under control. I fear just thinking about them.

But someone else feared them, and that was my partner Suzuka. After that encounter on the 2nd day of the performance we have gotten closer together. We would find whatever empty space was left of the crumbling city to just lay low and talk about our hardships. Today wasn't an exception, it was a rule. As we sat just a stones throw away from my burnt down house, just one of several that lined the neighborhood like ashes to legacies, my Suzuka told me about the struggles of losing a home.

"Rokuro... Back when I was just an elementary school kid in Inkopolis, I was hit by the worst disaster in my young childhood. One day when we were supposed to go shopping at the s-supermarket I smelt something... Burning. Burning long into the day and spreading all over the house."

That, of course, was the rag in the kitchen. The fabric of the cloth was burnt easily by an unattended stovetop, catching fire and soon afterwards spreading throughout the house. Alarms sounded, the fire department were called, and Suzuka would pack away her most valuable possessions. One thing wasn't safe from the fire.

"M-my mom... My mommy said not to take my beloved teddy bear. I had no choice but to let it burn. I wish I was h-here to give it to you..." The Inkling would tear up, her blue tentacles laying down on the rubble. She could feel the moment the fire was too much. She could only look at the blaze, how much it crippled their house, the teddy bear crying for help, knowing that it couldn't be saved... It was too much for her to handle, and I was crying too. A human to Inkling bond more special than love.

"B-but Rokuro... I have something to share." Suzuka would give me a small, black button. 4 holes, as small as a penny coin, you know the drill at this point. But to the Inkling it symbolized something more special.

"T-that's my Lucky Button. It popped off of my teddy bear when I was 3, and ever since it I dodged the worst of luck..." She would put it in my pocket with a smile as bright as the Sun, which had to oversee the Squidroid Sisters and their reign of terror for some reason. "It's yours to keep now. Remember me after this whole ordeal ends, and keep that button for yourself."

"Thanks my Suzuka..." I would look at the button again before placing it in my pocket. It really felt good to have. Probably with this, I would survive the road that was ahead...

[Tikariot]

The studios of Tikariot Sports Gazette TV, with the hosts of 'Lacrosse Night in Tikariot' Spencer Canmore and Trudy den Bakker are ready again, but the looks on their faces are a lot more sombre than in the past few editions.

Spencer Canmore: Good evening folks and game day three at the 34th World Lacrosse Championships in Jeckland hurt. A lot!

Trudy den Bakker: After winning their first two games of the group stage, the third game against Abanhfleft very firmly brought the Devil's Rejects back to earth with a sobering 5 to 18 defeat that pretty much annihilated their goal difference in one fell swoop.

Canmore: Coach Karzalka looked like she was going to blow a gasket or three throughout the game, where our team never saw even a ghost of a chance to get to Abanhfleft. Now one could say in our defence that they are a much decorated team, and third ranked overall, and there is no shame in losing, but let's be honest, it's not a problem to lose, but how they lost.

den Bakker: Yes, it was a sobering experience for sure, but that being said, this might actually have done them good.

Canmore: You might have to clarify this statement, Trudy.

den Bakker: Haha. You see, the first two games were outstanding and they became confident. Likely too confident, so I think that it might have been the right time to wake them up and make clear that this is NOT a done deal yet, so I am very hopeful that our team will be able to approach the next games with more focus and also hope that it will help us advance to the playoffs. We will be facing The Jovannic and I am sure that Coach Karzalka is not the only one hoping that we will turn this ship around again.

Canmore: We had reached out to our coach for a statement, but someone said that she might regret it, if she answered right now, which is understandable. So let's see tomorrow if the ship is back on course, of course we will cover the whole game and more live tomorrow, so you better be there! This is Spencer Canmore and Trudy den Bakker for for TSG TV.

[Natanians and Nosts]

3rd position,half the matches

Natanians and Nosts sits at the third position in group C of the 34th World Lacrosse Championships,wuth three of the six group-stage matches played.
The team defeated Geektopia at the first matchday,by 14x10.Bruno Caeso North scored 6 of the teams' goals,Gabriel Martin Moura scored 4.José Túpac Tupsiak and Carolus Ioannis Cherokee scored two each.On the Geektopian side,Ivanhoe scored 5,Grimminger and Rocisano scored two each and Smario scored a single goal;highlight goes to Motan who assisted 7 of Geektopia's goals.The match was really rough on the beginning,with both teams trying their maximum to outspeed or soutstrength the other,on the first period, 16 of the goals were scored,with the end of the period being an 8x8 tie.On the rest of the game Natanians and Nosts had clear dominance and score an extra of 6 goals while Geektopia scored only two.
The second game was a defeat to Vangaziland.The Vannish Team dominated the whole game,leaving few space for Natanians and Nosts to breathe.Although with 1/3 of Vanganziland1s scoring opportunities,the team was much more effective,scoring seven time against Vanganziland's 10.Bruno Caeso North scored three times,including the first goal of the match,leaving goalkeeper Janet Reesdottir "mindblown" with his great technique,Gabriel Martin Moura scored once,Ion Álvarus Tibiriçá scored twice and Nacto Notoário Pompílio scored the last goal of Natanians and Nosts.
The third match was against the United Civil Republics,to whom the team lost to 20x9.The team commited fool mistakes and United Civil Republics had a stochastic sudden happening of favourable events (what most would call luck) that led them to achieve a big margin,and when Natanians and Nosts were able to more-or-less properly play again,it was already too late.Bruno Caeso North scored 3 of the games' goals,Gabriel Martin Moura scored two,Ion Álvarus Tibiriçá,Carolus Ioannis Cherokee,José Túpac Tupsiak and Caio Júnio Bijelo scored once each.Near the end of the game Márcus Probus Lênin felt a small muscular discomfort and was exchanged for João Victor Ospina,now is known that it was nothing but a scare/fright(?)*,he may not play the next match out of saffety concerns.

*I don't know which word to use Exactly,I was thinking of an equivalent to the Portuguese word susto,Wiktionary lists its meanings as being either fright/care or fear/terror,in this case it was surely not fear/terrror (I don't even remember it used in this way,at least not in my dialect),but either fright or scare sound weird.Susto is the act of someone is scared,not necessarily out of fear,usually when one is surprised.
I don't know if this note was necessary,I hope it has cleared any doubts that may ahve appeared.I am sorry if I used the incorrect word.

[Jeckland]

Some teams are on the brink, but who'll be able to avoid crashing out of the tournament? This is your MD4 cutoff!

Qualified as group winner
Qualified for Ro16
Cannot win group
Cannot qualify

Group A
Cassadaigua 13–6 Jeckland
Northwest Kalactin 9–10 Havynwilde

  Group A                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Jeckland                      4   3  1   42  39  +3    9
2 Cassadaigua                   4   2  2   36  27  +9    6
3 Havynwilde                    4   2  2   40  47  −7    6
4 Northwest Kalactin            4   1  3   35  40  −5    3

Group B
Commonwealth of Baker Park 18–10 Maccian
United States of Devonta 11–15 Kohnhead

  Group B                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Commonwealth of Baker Park    4   3  1   43  31 +12    9
2 Kohnhead                      4   3  1   40  35  +5    9
3 Maccian                       4   1  3   36  39  −3    3
4 United States of Devonta      4   1  3   33  47 −14    3

Group C
Geektopia 9–2 Natanians and Nosts
United Civil Republic 9–13 Vangaziland

  Group C                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland                   4   4  0   60  30 +30   12
2 United Civil Republic         4   2  2   42  41  +1    6
3 Geektopia                     4   1  3   41  55 −14    3
4 Natanians and Nosts           4   1  3   32  49 −17    3

Group D
Mathuvan Union 12–5 Banija
The Sarian 9–13 HUElavia

  Group D                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia                      4   4  0   57  34 +23   12
2 Banija                        4   2  2   34  39  −5    6
3 Mathuvan Union                4   1  3   44  52  −8    3
4 The Sarian                    4   1  3   38  48 −10    3

Group E
Delaclava 5–17 St Saratoga
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 8–18 Terre Septentrionale

  Group E                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St Saratoga                   4   3  1   51  35 +16    9
2 Terre Septentrionale          4   3  1   51  36 +15    9
3 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   4   1  3   42  52 −10    3
4 Delaclava                     4   1  3   39  60 −21    3

Group F
Sylestone 11–15 Lovisa
Sarzonia 14–12 Aimena

  Group F                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                      4   3  1   53  34 +19    9
2 Lovisa                        4   2  2   40  34  +6    6
3 Sylestone                     4   2  2   33  43 −10    6
4 Aimena                        4   1  3   37  52 −15    3

Group G
Miltwell 11–9 West Phoenicia
Squidroidia 7–15 Lochario

  Group G                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                      4   3  1   71  48 +23    9
2 West Phoenicia                4   2  2   52  47  +5    6
3 Squidroidia                   4   2  2   48  48   0    6
4 Miltwell                      4   1  3   32  60 −28    3

Group H
Xanneria 6–9 Abanhfleft
Tikariot 10–13 The Jovannic

  Group H                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    4   4  0   52  32 +20   12
2 Tikariot                      4   2  2   43  45  −2    6
3 The Jovannic                  4   1  3   42  48  −6    3
4 Xanneria                      4   1  3   23  35 −12    3

[Tikariot]

Instead of the studios of Tikariot Sports Gazette TV, we are on the roof of the building with the hosts of 'Lacrosse Night in Tikariot' Spencer Canmore and Trudy den Bakker sitting behind their usual desks.

Spencer Canmore: Good evening folks and welcome to Lacrosse Night in Tikariot with game day four at the 34th World Lacrosse Championships in Jeckland.

Trudy den Bakker: Some people might be inclined to say 'Mooseton, we have a problem' after Tikariot's second loss in a row, with a close 10-13 defeat by The Jovannic, which now puts us into a precarious position.

Canmore: With Abanhfleft still being undefeated and already qualified for the playoff stage, all three of the other teams still vy for that second spot and, and this is where our position gets its precariousness from, we still have to play Abanhfleft. So our next game tomorrow against Xanneria is of the utmost importance for us to retain our chances to stay in contention for the next round.

den Bakker: In today's game nerves clearly began to show, the huge boost of self-confidence after their first two games evaporated into the thin Jeckland air and we managed to get Coach Karzalka in front of the mic, thankfully in a slightly less abrasive mood than yesterday. Here's James Palladonia.

The picture switches to James, who is standing next to clearly very unhappy Coach Karzalka.

Palladonia: Coach Karzalka, the euphoria has taken a serious hit with the two last games, how is the mood in the changing room?

Karzalka: Well, obviously the guys and gals are not in a good place right now, but it comes with the territory. Some of them also are a little tired and have some little injuries, so against Xanneria I'll be making some changes to the starting line-up, maybe some fresh legs can help.

Palladonia: So which changes can we expect for tomorrow?

Karzalka: We'll have Raymond Dembe start in goal, Clarissa picked up a snag in her shoulder, so I figured to give her a rest and have her back against Abanhfleft. Also Thomas Carrington, Alan Servar and Megan Douglas are going to sit out, Jameson St-Pierre, Sidney Anderson and Julia Sanford are going to start for them, especially after Sidney and Julia had looked good coming off the bench so far.

Palladonia: Aren't you worried that the benched players might be unhappy about being singled out?

Karzalka: Well, if they are, too bad. One, I'm the coach, two, the other players have been nominated for a reason, three, I'm the coach and four, the last two games have clearly shown that we have to try something different, so there you go.

Palladonia: Thank you very much, Coach Karzalka, I can see that you're itching to get back with the team, good luck tomorrow!

They cut back to the roof of the studios, the setting sun casting its light on the few wispy clouds in the skies.

Canmore: I wouldn't want to be in their shoes tomorrow, the pressure must be tremendous!

den Bakker: Oh, it is. Especially because there are so many variables and mathematically anything is still possible. Sure, we still have the better goal difference, but that 5-18 defeat against Abanhfleft really cut it down a lot, so even from that perspective we don't have much buffer. The only advantage is that we still are three points ahead.

Canmore: So realistically we have to calculate with a second defeat against Abanhfleft, who hopefully will also win against The Jovannic, so there's no real way around it, we have to win against Xanneria tomorrow, plain and simple. Anyways, we're out of time tonight, I hope we will be able to welcome you to again tomorrow, hopefully with better news than today, I'm Spencer Canmore.

den Bakker: And I'm Trudy den Bakker for TSG TV.

[Natanians and Nosts]

A punch in the face!

Natanians and Nosts was defeated by Geetopia,by a seven-point difference at the 34th World Lacrosse Championships.The game,whose score was 9x2,was a failure for the team that let Geektopia have their avenge after the first-round defeat by Natanians and Nosts.
For safety reasons,Victor Júnio Constantinescu was the goalkeeper for the match.Bruno Caeso North,the sole scorer for Natanians and Nosts at this match,openend the match with a beautiful goal,this,then,caused a series of negative happenings for Natanians and Nosts during the match.He only scored after a slip of Geektopia's deffence.Motan was exceptionally happy for scoring four of his teams goals,and giving assistance to other three.
The next match will be against Vangaziland.At a post-match interview the team was excited for the next match,with the possibility of defeating one of the best teams currently and easing the qualification process.
Unless Natanians and Nosts defeats Vanganziland the next match,qualification will become next to impossible,specially if Geektopia gets to lose to United Civil Republics.If Natanians and Nosts wins the next two matches,it will depend only on the goal difference to surpass United Civil Republics.

[Sylestone]

“OK, so we played badly. We lost, 11-15. However, we must bounce back. We’ve got to. We beat both Sarzonia and Aimena last time ‘round, why can’t we do it again? It will be difficult, but we can. We must. I want you all out there training as hard as possible because Sarzonia will never, ever be easy. But we can and we know it”.
Will Lax after the game against Lovisa.
Enfield had another bad game but King, Cox and Lax all played supremely.

[HUElavia]

HUElavia Clinch Knockout with Close Victory over The Sarian!

The Sarian 9-13 HUElavia

HUElavia has made history in the WLC, after earning a tight victory against The Sarian on Matchday 4. The match was played in front of a crowd that was overly Pro-HUElavia, as the team played that to their advantage. In the end of the match, HUElavia won 13-9, with the goals were scored by Hernandes (3), Nunes (3), Azumamaro (2), Moreno (2), Cunha (2), and Gomez (1) for the HUElavians, which throughout the match, the crowd celebrated the goals with passion, making Baker Street rumble from all the jumping and cheering of the crowd. For The Sarian, the goals were scored by Paak (3), Tuinman (2), Aghaven (2), Smid (1), and Vroom (1). Despite The Sarian getting in some goals, the HUElavian defense stood their ground, including a solid performance by Rodriguez to prevent any other goals from going in.

With the victory, HUElavia lock up their spot in the Round-of-16 for the first time, especially after having a surprising 4-0 start in the Group Stage. Their next match at Baker Park will be against Banija, who come off a shocking 12-5 defeat to unranked Mathuvan Union. Should HUElavia upset Banija once again, HUElavia will win Group D with a game left in the Group. HUElavians have hope and optimism in this team that has caught the eye of the nation.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia may be in a favourable position to qualify for the knockout rounds of the World Lacrosse Championships, but after a closer than expected 14-12 victory over Aimena dropped the only other ranked team in Group F to a 1-3 record, manager Carter Whitlock isn't exactly celebrating.

Sarzonia now have a 3-1 record and a one-game lead in the table over both Lovisa and their next opponents Sylestone, but the Stars suffered their only loss to Sylestone.

"We have to play this match with a sense of urgency, not just because we want to win the group, but if we're going to start talking about the knockout rounds, we don't have any margin for error," Whitlock said.

A victory over Sylestone and an Aimena win over Lovisa would give Sarzonia the group title outright and would start the scoreboard watching in earnest. However, Sarzonia goalkeeper Matt Henning said the Strategy would not make the same mistake they did in underestimating Sylestone on Matchday Two.

"We won our first match against a ranked side in dominating fashion, so I think we didn't expect them to put up the kind of fight they did," he said. "We're aware that they can beat us if we're not at our best."

[Banija]

Banijan training facility, Panbury Town, Jeckland

Bala Ogunsola threw his water bottle straight into the cement wall at the local high school the Banijans were using as their training. The old man was clearly frustrated. The group stages for the World Lacrosse Championships were supposed to be a breeze- but these were anything but. The Banijans were 2-1 at the halfway mark of the WLCs, a game ahead of The Sarian and two games ahead of Mathuvan Union, while a game behind HUElavia. The top two in the group would make the knockout stages- and Banija, being in Pot 1, ranked 5th in the multiverse, and a regular fixture in international lacrosse, were surely going to get there.

Right? The expectation in Banija for the national lacrosse was not to simply reach the knockout stages- it was to win games once you got there. That's where the last cycle was so disappointing. 3-0 at the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational, becoming the de facto champion of lacrosse in Atlantian Oceania. Going 6-0 in the group stages, getting a bye straight to the quarterfinals in Cassadaigua. And then falling to a team that they had beaten twice in group play, Sarzonia, in the quarterfinals.

So they were a game from the semifinal, and could not reach it. When the AO Lacrosse Classic happened to kick off this cycle, the Banijans again had a strong showing. 2-0 in group play, with a semifinal win over rivals Sarzonia, put the Banijans in position to become the de jure lacrosse champions of Atlantian Oceania. But it was not mean to be in Oceana, as Northwest Kalactin downed the Banijans on the final day to take the trophy. Still, silver medalists in their region, not too bad.

Once they got to Jeckland, something seemed off. Their first game would be against an unranked Mathuvan Union. Banija ranked 5th, Mathuvan Union being a nation and a squad nobody had ever heard of. And the Banijans had won- but barely. 14-13, winning just by one goal against inferior opposition, was not how the Banijans had wanted to start. But Ogunsola had told reporters there was nothing to worry about. The team was still reaching peak form, and even when they struggled, they had pulled off the victory.

A shocking loss to HUElavia put them behind the 8 ball. But then they beat The Sarian to at least be 2-1 at the midway point. But this loss, to an 0-3 Mathuvan Union, was unacceptable. That was what had gotten Ogunsola so frustrated. The Banijans didn't just lose. They got dominated. They were down 7-1 at halftime. To an unranked, 0-3 team!

"That was probably the most embarrassing match of my life." Said Ogunsola to an assistant.

"You know, I was pissed the Olympic Committee didn't pick our sport to be a demonstration event at the Olympiad. And now I'm glad they didn't." Said the Assistant. "This is embarassing. Imagine this happening at the Olympics?"

"Well, there's still plenty of tournament to go." Ogunsola replied. "We're still the favorites to reach the knockouts, although we are certainly no longer overwhelming favorites. HUelavia is beatable. And if we can't? We've got a winnable game against The Sarian after."

"Yea, but we can't win the group now." Said the assistant.

"Don't say anything more- let's not think too far ahead." Said Ogunsola. "WE take this one goal at a time. Winning the group is always a secondary goal. Getting to the knockouts is the most important part of this." And the two coaches began to watch film of HUElavia, trying to think of strategy changes they could make to take down the group leaders. If they could do so, it would bring a massive boost of confidence to the squad before the knockout stages...

[Jeckland]

It's time for the penultimate cutoff of the group stage! Some teams will go through and some will crash out, but will your side have no regrets about their performances?

---

Qualified as group winners
Qualified for Round of 16
Cannot win group
Cannot qualify

Group A
Northwest Kalactin 9–20 Cassadaigua
Havynwilde 16–10 Jeckland

  Group A                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                   5   3  2   56  36 +20    9
2 Havynwilde                    5   3  2   56  57  −1    9
3 Jeckland                      5   3  2   52  55  −3    9
4 Northwest Kalactin            5   1  4   44  60 −16    3

Group B
United States of Devonta 9–11 Commonwealth of Baker Park
Kohnhead 10–4 Maccian

  Group B                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Commonwealth of Baker Park    5   4  1   54  40 +14   12
2 Kohnhead                      5   4  1   50  39 +11   12
3 Maccian                       5   1  4   40  49  −9    3
4 United States of Devonta      5   1  4   42  58 −16    3

Group C
United Civil Republic 12–4 Geektopia
Vangaziland 15–5 Natanians and Nosts

  Group C                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland                   5   5  0   75  35 +40   15
2 United Civil Republic         5   3  2   54  45  +9    9
3 Geektopia                     5   1  4   45  67 −22    3
4 Natanians and Nosts           5   1  4   37  64 −27    3

Group D
The Sarian 14–8 Mathuvan Union
HUElavia 7–13 Banija

  Group D                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia                      5   4  1   64  47 +17   12
2 Banija                        5   3  2   47  46  +1    9
3 The Sarian                    5   2  3   52  56  −4    6
4 Mathuvan Union                5   1  4   52  66 −14    3

Group E
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 8–11 Delaclava
Terre Septentrionale 5–10 St Saratoga

  Group E                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St Saratoga                   5   4  1   61  40 +21   12
2 Terre Septentrionale          5   3  2   56  46 +10    9
3 Delaclava                     5   2  3   50  68 −18    6
4 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   5   1  4   50  63 −13    3

Group F
Sarzonia 16–3 Sylestone
Aimena 8–15 Lovisa

  Group F                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                      5   4  1   69  37 +32   12
2 Lovisa                        5   3  2   55  42 +13    9
3 Sylestone                     5   2  3   36  59 −23    6
4 Aimena                        5   1  4   45  67 −22    3

Group G
Squidroidia 17–3 Miltwell
Lochario 8–16 West Phoenicia

  Group G                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                      5   3  2   79  64 +15    9
2 Squidroidia                   5   3  2   65  51 +14    9
3 West Phoenicia                5   3  2   68  55 +13    9
4 Miltwell                      5   1  4   35  77 −42    3

Group H
Tikariot 9–4 Xanneria
The Jovannic 7–14 Abanhfleft

  Group H                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    5   5  0   66  39 +27   15
2 Tikariot                      5   3  2   52  49  +3    9
3 The Jovannic                  5   1  4   49  62 −13    3
4 Xanneria                      5   1  4   27  44 −17    3

[Squidroidia]

The Journal of Rokuro "Rokit" Minami

---

Previous parts: 1 2 3 4
Squidroidia's score: 17-3 win over unranked Miltwell

---

July 7th, 2017
4 months and 1 day after showtime

The chaos didn't end after Suzuka gave me her Lucky Button. The whole nation was basically in the gutter. I had lost hope that someone would save it from the grasp of the Squidroids. Suzuka didn't message me after June. My friendship with a total stranger was gone. Sometimes I wonder if Suzuka had to do her own business to save herself from the mindless insanity of the Controlled. If she was still with me, I still would have to deal with a bunch of fighting, but at least I had her. At least she could save me.

But now she was nowhere. The last thing she gave me was this stick. Seemingly made of plastic. It had a catching net on one end, and it came with a ball. It seemed normal enough when I played with it, throwing it up into the sky as the net would catch it. I had no idea what sport it was tied to (For context the Squidroids controlled the internet ever since showtime began) but I knew it was something that I wanted to do.

Today seemed like any other ball-and-stick day. And that was, of course, until the fire nation attacked. Someone clearly not in control of themselves rushed in with a flamethrower. As my stick was made of plastic, he could easily melt it. Then I may as well be dead. Instead of being a coward, however, I would grab my stick and WHACK it on his face.

He went down easily.

As I grabbed his flamethrower, I realized the humanity in this guy. This wasn't some weirdo, this was a competent human being... But I didn't have any other headphones. It was either going to be a sacrifice of sanity or just leaving this monster as a monster. I sighed and took my stick away, letting him wake up still under the control of the robots.

It was the first time I learned one of the rules of lacrosse. Don't whack an opponent with your stick.

[Sylestone]

Sylestone are down. They are not necessarily out, but they effectively are. Sylestone’s hopes to make their first ever official knock-outs stage in a tournament are as far away as they have ever been. They need to beat Aimena, which is relatively likely, we will say. We also need Lovisa to lose to Sarzonia, which is also quite likely. So far, so good. The hitch comes next. Lovisa have a 36 goal lead on them. Yes. They need to make the addition of both Sylestone’s and Sarzonia’s win (if they get them) to add to 37 or higher. It will be hard, but not impossible. Can they do it? Join us for our next game to find out!

[Sarzonia]

Thus far, the Sarzonian national lacrosse team have hardly missed a beat after the crushing defeat at the hands of Baker Park in the opening match of the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic. Their two losses since then came by one goal each, one to world lacrosse power and recently minted rivals Banija.

The other defeat was against lacrosse debutant Sylestone in the second match of the group stage of the current 34th World Lacrosse Championships. They admitted after the fact that they were overconfident going in and were going to be more aggressive this time.

They did just that, getting a convincing 16-3 victory to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the tournament. They've wrapped up the de facto Group F title if not the de jure crown, as Lovisa are 3-2 and technically could outscore Sarzonia by enough goals to wrest the title by goal differential.

The so-called "silent assassins" would have to defeat the Stars by 10 goals to qualify for the knockout rounds as Group F winners, but Stars manager Carter Whitlock said the team would approach the match like it's a must-win game.

"We're in the best position of any of the one-loss teams right now," Whitlock said, pointing out that the Stars would be the No. 3 seed if qualifying ended right now. At plus-32, they have the second best goal differential of any team in the WLC other than 5-0 Vangaziland's plus-40. Abanhfleft are the other 5-0 side remaining and have a plus-27 goal differential.

Unlike the gridball Stars, who are struggling to a 2-5 record in a group of death in the World Bowl after a lengthy absence, the lax Stars are a highly ranked traditional powerhouse in the sport. In addition, Group F could hardly be considered a group of death with only No. 15 Aimena being a team expected to challenge the Stars on paper.

That led to the Stars being overconfident against Sylestone in their 9-8 defeat, according to goalkeeper Matt Henning. This time, he only had to make five saves and kept Sylestone off the scoreboard for 27:18 of the second half, not allowing them a goal after they'd make it 8-3.

"We have to remember that we can't afford to let up," Henning said. "At this point in the tournament, one mistake could cost everything."

In the other groups, Group A sees three teams including host nation Jeckland at 3-2 as Cassadaigua rebounded from an 0-2 beginning to post three consecutive wins. Jeckland have lost two straight after a 3-0 beginning. Havynwilde are also at 3-2, leaving only AOLC champions Northwest Kalactin eliminated at 1-4. We think Cassadaigua and Havynwilde will qualify.

In Group B, Baker Park and newcomers Kohnhead have both qualified for the knockout rounds. The No. 6 Baker Park side will face 1-4 Devonta whilst Kohnhead battle fellow newcomers Maccian. The latter match is expected to be more interesting because the teams went to overtime in the previous encounter. Kohnhead won that match 7-5.

In Group C, the aforementioned Vangaziland have the group title wrapped up and have the inside track on the top overall seed in the knockouts. Only Lochario's 79 goals scored prevent them from having the most potent offence in the tournament. Their 35 goals conceded are the fewest. United Civil Republic are the group runners up at 3-2.

In Group D, it's HUElavia who have already punched their ticket to the knockouts and not Banija, but Sarzonia's current rivals defeated the previously unbeaten HUElavians 13-7 to give themselves an outside chance to win the group. The Sarian are still in play for a knockout round spot.

Group E sees defending champion St. Saratoga leading the way at 4-1. Terre Septentrionale have the inside track at the other knockout round spot because of goal differential, but Delaclava are still at least nominally in the race.

Group G is much like Group A with three teams at 3-2. Lochario currently have the best goal difference at plus-15, but longtime power West Phoenicia are just two goals behind that margin with a plus-13. Newcomers Squidroidia have a plus-14. The best word for this group is clusterfuck.

That isn't the case for Group H, which sees Abanhfleft at 5-0 and already crowned as group winners. Tikariot have the second place finish wrapped up at 3-2.

Playoff analysis will begin after the final group stage match, but the Stars know that they can only control what's in front of them right now. And for right now, that's Lovisa.

"We're not taking our foot off the gas," Whitlock said.

[Natanians and Nosts]

Natanians and Nosts lost to Vanganziland by 15x5 and is eliminated from the competition.The team Tried but was not able to contain the Vannish team.With this defeat and the victory of United Civil Republics over Geektopia,the team cannot advance to the next phase;the next match,against United Civil Republics,can either provide a bittersweet vicotry or a rotting-bitter awfull sad defeat.

[Jeckland]

There is no meme for today's cutoff, this is serious business (and I couldn't find one). Who will make the Round of 16? MD6 results are on the way.

Group Winner
Group Runner Up

Group A
Cassadaigua 8–11 Havynwilde
Jeckland 9–8 Northwest Kalactin

  Group A                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Havynwilde                    6   4  2   67  65  +2   12
2 Jeckland                      6   4  2   61  63  −2   12
3 Cassadaigua                   6   3  3   64  47 +17    9
4 Northwest Kalactin            6   1  5   52  69 −17    3

Group B
Commonwealth of Baker Park 13–4 Kohnhead
Maccian 14–11 United States of Devonta

  Group B                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Commonwealth of Baker Park    6   5  1   67  44 +23   15
2 Kohnhead                      6   4  2   54  52  +2   12
3 Maccian                       6   2  4   54  60  −6    6
4 United States of Devonta      6   1  5   53  72 −19    3

Group C
Geektopia 15–7 Vangaziland
Natanians and Nosts 18–10 United Civil Republic

  Group C                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland                   6   5  1   82  50 +32   15
2 United Civil Republic         6   3  3   64  63  +1    9
3 Geektopia                     6   2  4   60  74 −14    6
4 Natanians and Nosts           6   2  4   55  74 −19    6

Group D
Mathuvan Union 13–19 HUElavia
Banija 15–1 The Sarian

  Group D                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia                      6   5  1   83  60 +23   15
2 Banija                        6   4  2   62  47 +15   12
3 The Sarian                    6   2  4   53  71 −18    6
4 Mathuvan Union                6   1  5   65  85 −20    3

Group E
Delaclava 19–13 Terre Septentrionale
St Saratoga 13–4 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

  Group E                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St Saratoga                   6   5  1   74  44 +30   15
2 Terre Septentrionale          6   3  3   69  65  +4    9
3 Delaclava                     6   3  3   69  81 −12    9
4 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   6   1  5   54  76 −22    3

Group F
Sylestone 13–9 Aimena
Lovisa 8–15 Sarzonia

  Group F                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                      6   5  1   84  45 +39   15
2 Lovisa                        6   3  3   63  57  +6    9
3 Sylestone                     6   3  3   49  68 −19    9
4 Aimena                        6   1  5   54  80 −26    3

Group G
Miltwell 12–12 Lochario (12–13 OT)
West Phoenicia 7–4 Squidroidia

  Group G                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                6   4  2   75  59 +16   12
2 Lochario                      6   4  2   92  76 +16   12
3 Squidroidia                   6   3  3   69  58 +11    9
4 Miltwell                      6   1  5   47  90 −43    3

Group H
Xanneria 14–4 The Jovannic
Abanhfleft 16–14 Tikariot

  Group H                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    6   6  0   82  53 +29   18
2 Tikariot                      6   3  3   66  65  +1    9
3 Xanneria                      6   2  4   41  48  −7    6
4 The Jovannic                  6   1  5   53  76 −23    3

Seeding Standings

1 Abanhfleft                    6   6  0   82  53 +29   18
1 Sarzonia                      6   5  1   84  45 +39   15
1 Vangaziland                   6   5  1   82  50 +32   15
1 St Saratoga                   6   5  1   74  44 +30   15
1 HUElavia                      6   5  1   83  60 +23   15
1 Commonwealth of Baker Park    6   5  1   67  44 +23   15
1 West Phoenicia                6   4  2   75  59 +16   12
1 Havynwilde                    6   4  2   67  65  +2   12
2 Lochario                      6   4  2   92  76 +16   12
2 Banija                        6   4  2   62  47 +15   12
2 Kohnhead                      6   4  2   54  52  +2   12
2 Jeckland                      6   4  2   61  63  −2   12
2 Lovisa                        6   3  3   63  57  +6    9
2 Terre Septentrionale          6   3  3   69  65  +4    9
2 Tikariot                      6   3  3   66  65  +1    9
2 United Civil Republic         6   3  3   64  63  +1    9

In order to avoid a group rematch in the Round of 16 in accordance with the host bid, Jeckland will assume 11th seed in the draw, with Kohnhead taking 12th seed.

Knockout Round Fixtures

Round of 16
Match 1: Abanhfleft vs. United Civil Republic (Jecken Stadium)
Match 2: Havynwilde vs. Lochario (Hillside)
Match 3: St Saratoga vs. Lovisa (Beachside)
Match 4: HUElavia vs. Kohnhead (Handurai)
Match 5: Sarzonia vs. Tikariot (Lingham Arena)
Match 6: West Phoenicia vs. Banija (Miurhill Road)
Match 7: Vangaziland vs. Terre Septentrionale (Peswick Park)
Match 8: Commonwealth of Baker Park vs. Jeckland (Baker Street)

Quarter-Finals
QF1: Match 1 vs. Match 2 (Hillside)
QF2: Match 3 vs. Match 4 (Handurai)
QF3: Match 5 vs. Match 6 (Miurhill Road)
QF4: Match 7 vs. Match 8 (Baker Street)

Semi-Finals
SF1: QF1 vs. QF2 (Lingham Arena)
SF2: QF3 vs. QF4 (Peswick Park)

3PPO and Final
3PPO: SF1 loser vs. SF2 loser (Beachside)
Final: SF1 winner vs. SF2 winner (Jecken Stadium)

Bracket

A reminder that cutoffs will now occur every two days, starting with the Round of 16 on the 10th of July. Good luck!

[HUElavia]

HUElavia earn a 1-1 Record in Remaining Matches to Win Group D!

HUElavia 7–13 Banija
Mathuvan Union 13–19 HUElavia

HUElavia has finally made history in another sport: Advancing past the Group Stage in the World Lacrosse Championship. This was achieved after starting 4-0 in Group D, being a surprise package from Pot 3. Going into Matchday 5, HUElavia needed just to win against Banija to secure Group D all to themselves. Unfortunately, Niang and Jallow each slotted 4 goals each in a relative route of 13-7 against Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. To boot, Cunha scored three goals herself, as well as great skills shown by Nunes. Despite the loss, HUElavia was still in control of their own destiny with winning the group, this time facing off against Mathuvan Union. Feeling confident, Head Coach Navia decided to start all of the backups instead of the regular starters, and it ended up paying off. While the match was won in a close call of 13-19, the Yamoto-HUElavian connection of Sato and Azumamaro was great, with both players getting 4 goals each, while Buonanotte and Torres each slotted in 3 goals. With the victory, HUElavia secured their first ever Group Stage victory, finishing in 1st Place with 15 Points after a 5-1 record.

HUElavia enter the Round-of-16 as a massive surprise package, being the lowest officially ranked team in the knockouts. Not to mention, out of the 16 qualified teams, HUElavia is the 5th best team that qualified, as well as having the 3rd highest amount of goals scored with 83 goals, right behind Lochario's 92 Goals, and Sarzonia's 84. HUElavia was seeded #5, and will face off against Kohnhead, who finished in 2nd Place in Group B with 12 points (4-2 record). The match will be played in Handurai, which has a capacity of 64,195 spectators, where it is expected that over 50% of fans will be HUElavians in the stadium to witness the historical match. The winner will play once again at Handurai against the winners of the St Saratoga-Lovisa match in the Quarter-Finals. Regardless of what happens, HUElavians are proud of this team for overachieving and making a strong name for themselves with their victories.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia may have only needed to avoid embarrassing themselves in the group stage finale against Lovisa to win the group, but Carter Whitlock wasn't having any of that.

He played his starters and showed the intensity he expected the Stars to play with as if they needed a win just to qualify for the knockout rounds. They won easily defeating Lovisa 15-8 to finish Group F play with a 5-1 record and with the best goal differential of any team in the World Lacrosse Championships at plus-39.

They will be the number two seeds overall in the Round of Sixteen behind only Abanhfleft, who finished as the lone unbeaten side in the group stage with a 16-14 victory over Tikariot in Group H. Tikariot will be Sarzonia's next opponents in the Round of Sixteen.

"We had to take care of business," Whitlock said in his post-match comments. "If we'd lost to Lovisa, even winning the group would have given us a more difficult rode through the knockout round."

Some Stars supporters expressed hope that they would face Abanhfleft in the final and wanted to keep the Fleftics from winning their fifth World Lacrosse Championship title before Sarzonia win their sixth. Goalkeeper Matt Henning said the team isn't focused on the history and is only concerned with Tikariot.

"We have to get there first," Henning said. "If we don't play well enough against Tikariot, we don't even make it past the Round of Sixteen. And a lot has changed since WLC 16," which was the last time the Stars won the title in the sport that saw them become the traditional powerhouse.

For one thing, Sarzonia's opponents in that final, Delaclava, were eliminated in the group stage with a 3-3 record in their first time back after a lengthy absence. The Phoenixes defeated Terre Septentrionale in their final match, but the Nordiques beat them out on overall goal differential.

For another thing, many of the countries that make up the elite laxxer nations were not competing when the Stars dominated the sport. Whitlock recognises that the lacrosse landscape is drastically different from the time when he played for the Stars.

"It's good for the growth of the sport overall," he said.

[Lovisa]

It is a big success for our Team said coach Alan Doole after advance to round of 16. We back to world competitions after long absence but returning for our team was excellent. No one believe for that. We are second in the group before 15th on the world Aimena and debutant Sylestone. we also won one match against Sarzonia so all team have a big morale now Doole said after. Now round of 16 against St Saratoga.
Be realistic to beat St Saratoga is like win a lotto but I strong believe we didint said our last word in this tournament and my boys make another surprise. - add Doole in the end.

[Banija]

Banijan lacrosse getting hot at the right time, wins last two games of group play to clinch berth in the knockout stages


The fanbase cheers on Banija during their 15-1 dominant victory over The Sarian

PANBURY TOWN, JECKLAND- It was a rough start to group play for the Banijans at the 34th World Lacrosse Championships. They had started slowly, and were seemingly never going to get off the ground. THey only beat the unranked Mathuvan Union by a singular goal to start off the tournament. And then, it continued to get worse. We lost to HUElavia, by a score of 9-6, on Matchday 2. We had a decent win in a must-win against The Sarian on Matchday 3, to prevent us from falling down to third place in this group. But Matchday 4 was disastrous- losing to an unranked and winless Mathuvan Union side on Matchday 4 put us at 2-2, and in danger of missing the knockouts altogether.

Banija's sporting fans know the expectations in lacrosse- compete for a championship, each and every time. We haven't exactly done that. But just barely making the group stages isn't enough, and missing the knockouts entirely, when you're ranked fifth in the multiverse- well, that'd be a massively embarassing moment for the Banijans. And in Ogunsola's final tournament as the head coach too. He's brought Banijan lacrosse back to respectability after a pair of atrocious performances in WLC 28 & WLC 29 on home soil. But to go out like this, a tournament with such high hopes, and get knocked out in group play? It would be unconscionable.

These are the moments where coaches make their money. The talent is there- but without the coaching staff to extract it, what good could the talent do? And Matchday 5 was a major moment, and opportunity. It wasn't a "must win", per say- unless the unranked Mathuvan Union were going to pull off another upset against The Sarian, Banija would still control their own destiny, win or lose, after the HUElavia game. But a lot was on the line. It was about respectability. It was about pride. We're in Pot 1. We consider ourselves a power in this sport, and have racked up quite a few medals, even if we've never won, in 13 tries, the sport's most coveted tournament- the World Lacrosse Championships. And even if the last time we went to the title game, one of our present player's grandfather was on the team.

The game against HUElavia would be decisive. We could still advance to the knockouts anyways even if we lost, but if we lost to HUElavia again, it'd show that we wouldn't belong. That the detractors were right, that we thought far too highly of ourselves, got caught up in our own hype. We came out with energy, and heavens, we came out firing. Against the then undefeated HUElavia, we came out and put on, easily, our best performance of the World Lacrosse Championships. We had a much deserved 13-7 win against the group leaders. For the first time all tournament, we looked like our rank. Maybe we had a long hangover after our loss to Northwest Kalactin in Oceana? Who knows? But still, the decisive victory brought confidence back to the squad.

All the marbles were out on Matchday 6. IF The Sarian won by a lot, they could get in over us. But we played our best WLC game that we've played in quite a while. Pot 1 v Pot 2 on matchday 6, battling for second place as HUElavia, the Pot 3 side, easily slides into first. We had no chance of winning the group, but we were going to emphatically make sure we'd get into the second round. This 15-1 victory was dominant in all aspects- 8-0 at the end of the first half, the opponent's only goal scored straight after halftime. Ogunsola was pumped when he spoke to reporters after the match.

"We were in a funk for our first four matchdays, there's no doubt about that." The head coach told the media. "But this is what we are supposed to look like. We are this good, we are this talented- this is the real Banija. We came here with goals, and we feel as if we are capable of achieving them. Even though we did not win our group, considering how strong we finished, I think this team is coming into form just at the right time, as the knockout stages roll around. Whoever we play and wherever we play them in the next round, I think, even though they are a group winner, will not want to face us."

And the head coach may be right. West Phoenicia is the opponent. An excellent team. Ranked 11th in the multiverse, they were in Pot 1 and won their group, finishing 4-2. The Daredevils are certainly a dangerous opponent. And the odds-keepers have it as a tossup, for now. We'll see how the betting lines move. But if the Banijans can maintain this form, they'll set up a tantilizing matchup in the quarterfinals against a nation who has quickly reached rival status in this sport- the Stars of Sarzonia.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves and blow it against West Phoenicia though. Banija. West Phoenicia. In Byton. Which team will win at Miurhill Road, and clinch a berth in the WLC Quarterfinals?

[Tikariot]

Just like Angelo Mori and Sarah Ladle that have travelled with the baseball team, Spencer Canmore and Trudy den Bakker also have followed the Devil's Rejects to the location of their first knockout game in the Lingham Arena.

Spencer Canmore: Welcome to Lingham, where the Tikariot Devil's Rejects are going to try to continue writing lacrosse history tonight.

Trudy den Bakker: After scraping by in the group stage and benefitting from Xanneria and The Jovannic stealing points from each other, we have reached the playoffs and given that we did not look good againste Abanhfleft, the signs for our game against Sarzonia do not necessarily scream "Automatic win."

Canmore: No, because Sarzonia is the number two seeded team in the playoffs and overall ranked sixth, so this is a lacrosse heavyweight we will be facing. However that being said this does not mean that all hope is lost, quite the contrary. Because with their status as clear favourites also comes the pressure of almost having to win, if you look at the premise of the game.

den Bakker: Absolutely. Where we scraped by with a 3-3 record, Sarzonia sailed through with five wins and only one loss and a +39 goal difference, so this is a completely different calibre compared to the group stage. Here's Tyler Carrington with Coach Veronica Karzalka.

Tyler Carrington: Coach Karzalka, the group stage was a bit of a mixed bag, with some clear losses to Abanhfleft.

Veronica Karzalka: Well, the main thing is that we made it through to the knockout stage. Sure, not all that glittered was gold, but what counts is that we made it through. Nobody should forget that this is the first tournament ever for our team, so to go from 0 to World Championships, this is a huge step and learning experience.

Carrington: Definitely. And it is a huge accomplishment to get past Xanneria and The Jovannic. Now looms Sarzonia and with them a completely different challenge. How do you approach them?

Karzalka: Sarzonia are big. Like Abanhfleft were big. So they are the big-time favourites here, but this is where I see a chance for us to play David to the Goliath. For one I definitely will not have to worry about motivation, the team is on a high right now, despite losing against Abanhfleft, because absolutely nobody had expected us to do anything at the Championships and look where we are now.

Sarzonia will be expected to perform and win. Are they a seasoned team that should be able to withstand the pressure? Sure. But - there always is this bit of doubt in the back of the head. Might they underestimate us? Definitely. And that's when we can pounce.

Carrington: Are you going to make any changes to the team?

Karzalka: No. We will build on the core of the Raiders and supplement with the best players we have on offer right now, because if we want to stand a chance, we have to bring our absolute A game.

Canmore: You heard it from the boss herself, she's not worried and let's be honest, even if we are swept off the field, we've accomplished a lot here in Jeckland, so it'll be a success no matter what. So I hope that we will be able to welcome you to our live coverage from Lingham later today and who knows, we might be witnessing a sensation. Or a slaughter. Well, either way it promises to be exciting!

den Bakker: See you tonight, I'm Trudy den Bakker and this is Spencer Canmore, reporting live for TSG TV!

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Lax to face hosts in playoff
by Sandra Gerrard
The Post Staff Correspondent

The Baker Park National Lacrosse team tied up unfinished business during the group stage, defeating Kohnhead 13-4 on the final match day of group play to make it a clean sweep of victories in the second half of the double round-robin event.

The offense finally found another gear in the return fixtures against The Maccian, Devonta and Kohnhead, outscoring the trio 42-23. Head coach Brittany Franklin had not suggested concern at the midway point of the campaign, but she clearly wanted to talk about the increased scoring heading into the knockout rounds.

"I talked about better discipline and cutting out errors, which as you can see provides a double boost--it doesn't put the defense under as much pressure, which allows for more time with the ball in the offensive end. We've got plenty of people who can score, but you need to have possession in order to do so."

When the final standings were tabulated, the overall table showed that a rematch against The Brains was in the offing, but the seeding was swapped to prevent a rematch, so now BP will look to extend their streak of quarterfinal appearances to five when they line up against the host side, Jeckland; although they are currently unranked, they have a pedigree in the sport and will have a home crowd advantage, although it might be correctly said not necessarily a 'home field' edge at the 50,000 seat Baker Street stadium, home of Panbury Town FC.

"Yes, that is a bit funny when you get down to it. I wonder if they'll cover up the signs or temporarily rename it for the game. Of course, they were supposed to be in the other half of the bracket under the original pairings, so maybe they are mad at the (WLC) right now. (laughter)
But seriously, we know they're a formidable side that we'll have to play our best against. There are no soft touches when you get to this point."

A victory would see the team remain for a second match at the Holmesian address, against the winner of Vangaziland versus Terre Septentrionale. Both Sarzonia & Banija loom in the other two brackets of the lower half, giving it the feel of an 'elimination group of death'.