World Lacrosse Championships 33- Everything (Final Posted)

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National Team in transition
by Sandra Gerrard
The Post Staff Correspondent

Ahead of the World Championship, the Commonwealth National Lacrosse Team is forging a new identity leading into to their fifth consecutive appearance.

University of Belle Haven Head Coach Rob Petrucelli will be in charge of this squad, and has been tasked with replacing nearly half of the roster, as nine veterans from previous national teams chose to retire from international competition, including his older daughter Chiara, who had developed into a formidable face-off specialist since the team's debut in WLC XXIX.

That team, as well the subsequent iterations who have represented the nation, were composed entirely of females, but this squad will represent a change of direction.

There has been a significant rise in the number of club teams on college campuses for young men to participate in the sport, and although there are not yet enough schools for the UAC to begin to organize competition on a varsity level, the quality of individual athletes has shown the longtime boss of the Bullets Laxers that he can confidently rely on a few additions to begin the process of gender integration of the sport.

"We've had a men's club at UBH for several years, as has UBP. But I'll tell you who the experts are at spotting the male talent, it's Jacie (Wilson, Head Coach at Oceana City College) and Shannon (Fries, former NT player and UBH assistant coach). They did a lot of scouting on the men we invited to the initial camp and I think their genius speaks for itself."

Another change has been on the staff itself, as former head coach Hal Covington stepped aside after WLC 32, and his spot has been taken up by Mark Ellis, coach at University of St Leon for the last 7 seasons.

"As far back as the first team, Brittany (Franklin, former NT head coach) had been interested in bringing him (Ellis) onto the staff. He seemed like a natural fit to take up Hal's particular area of expertise."

Asked about the retirement of his elder daughter now that he had gotten the top job, he laughed. "She only retired because she knew I would have replaced her as one of the captains. (laughter) No, she'd made that decision long before the job discussion came along because she was ready to move on. She got married, which we as a family are thrilled about. Same with several other of the ladies who called it quits. They are our pioneers and the players the next generation will aspire to. We started out as an afterthought in the first WLC we entered, and here we are today, ranked just outside the top 5, a previous host and a respected squad internationally. Those players who shocked the establishment and got us into the knockouts our first time entered will be famous forever."

The National Team got an unexpected pre-World Championship tune-up when they participated in the Moravica Invitational in Herzegovina City against Sarzonia, Qasden, and Banija. Only a final day 10-8 loss to the hosts at the Kizza II Stadium prevented Baker Park from claiming the title.
"We were not unhappy with the results, although, yes we would've loved to win. It was a really good run-out to see how all of the new players picked up on the things we've worked on."

by **St Saratoga** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:02 am

Rogerbei Times - Sports
"The most reliable news source in Saratoga."

Saints Continue To Roll In Group 5

Cost: K$ 1.50

WLC 33 -- Dominic Fitzgerald continues to lead the Saints as defense struggles. With another three goal match day, Fitzgerald continues to be one of the leading goal scorers in the World Lacrosse Classic 33. The defense on the other hand is averaging 11 goals against per game.

For Fitzgerald, this was a performance that he's been training for since hoisting the trophy in WLC 31.

"Frankly I was disappointed with myself, seeing Mickey [Wright] come in and basically carry with this team with Alex [Atkins] I felt like I didn't do my part to bring a championship to Saratoga. Over the off-season I trained with Mickey and Archie [Riley] on my game. They pushed me hard both on the field and in the gym but that's what teammates are for." Fitzgerald explained.

One things you can see as a difference from WLC 31 is the chemistry. Previously these guys would each have their own warm-up routine. Now they're doing it in groups, they are having fun which is different than the business professional they maintained last WLC. You can see the chemistry payoff in their passing as they are looking for the pass more than the shot which is having mixed results but spreading the goals out among.

In today match day, they warmed up looking like a collegiate team. Small keep away games, hooting and hollering, goofy antics and plenty of communication. Once Head Coach Will Toivonen called them all over, they got their game face on with the starters taking the field looking very determined to beat the curse that has been hanging over this team.

The Saints have struggled against the unranked. A 16 to 13 loss in the debut of Bolgano, 6 to 11 lost to Cheergirl (twice), 6 to 18 loss to Clonka Magus and three more losses to unranked teams. These are the losses that are still on the mind of a lot of the team veterans. The Saints, before today, sat 2-1-3 (.333) against those teams but the captains made it there mission to turn over that leaf.

The Saints would win the opening draw. Sporting their navy tops and white bottoms the Saratogans came out with the forecheck. Normally the Saints are the ones to throw it back after having a guy or two taken out but the strategy tonight was to beat the opponent into submission. Throwing his weight around is Defensemen Luke Lee who returned to the team about 20 lbs heavier in muscle mass. Forward Mickey Wright would also get in on the physicality with landing three big hits before getting leveled in return. Wright however would return the favor by tossing back two goals to open the scoring.

"I'm still feeling that hit from the 1st. Man I kinda regret that doing it." Wright would explain in the post-game press conference as he dawned a nasty bruise on his left shoulder.

The defense would continue to struggle through. The Saints have shifted away from a press-style defense but the team has been struggling to adjust to the zone-style that Toivonen formulated and practiced for most of the off-season. The goaltending has paid as a results as Atkin and Zachary Williamson breaking personal records for saves. During half time, Atkins made sure to let his team know that this was not sustainable. Not allowed to quote what he actually said.

The Saints would top unranked Joyea in a last five minute shootout which resulted in five goals between the two teams. The Saints would celebrate not rhyming history as they improve their Vs. Unranked record to 3-1-3 (.500). The Saints would extend their world lacrosse classic 11 game win-streak and move to 2-0 in the 33rd edition.

Looking around Group 5, 17th ranked Bolgano would take on 8th ranked Qasden. Bolgano would come into the match day 0-1 after a close loss to the Saints in match day one. Qasden would come in 1 - 0 after taking of business against Joyea on their debut of the WLC. After a very close defensive siege, Bolgano would upset Qasden in a 11-3 loss embarrassing loss to the Red-Blues. With that loss and the Saints victory, St. Saratoga would take control of their own destiny in Group 5. Below is the current standings for Group 5:
Group 5
Bolgano 11–3 Qasden
St. Saratoga 14–10 Joyea

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga             2    2  0   34  22 +12   6
2 Bolgano                  2    1  1   23  23   0   3
3 Qasden                   2    1  1   15  15   0   3
4 Joyea                    2    0  2   14  26 −12   0
Looking ahead to Match day three, the Saints are locked in for a top 10 battle against the 8th ranked Qasden. Qasden will be looking to avenge their upset loss to Bolgano by upsetting the 3rd Ranked Saints. The Saints will need to clean up their defensive flaws as Qasden's offense without-a-doubt take advantage to stay alive in Group 5. 17th ranked Bolgano take on unranked Joyea as they continue to impress the whole WLC and try to avoid giving the newcomers their first victory.

Outside of Group 5, 1st ranked Abanhfleft continues to show a strong defensive hold on Group 4 as the rest of the group struggles to get one past the goaltender. In Group 2, 2nd ranked Vangaziland (2-0) holds the lead over Cheergirl (1-1). 4th ranked Wrexwic (1-1) would lose in overtime to 9th ranked Cassadaigua (2-0) as those two battle for the top of the group.
Remaining Group Stage Schedule:
MD3: Saints at Qasden
MD4: Saints at Bolgano
MD5: Saints at Joyea
MD6: Qasden at Saints
Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Rogerbei Times - Sports

by **Banija** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 7:55 am

The Banijans improve to 2-0 at the 33rd World Lacrosse Championships

Banijan fans at Kizza I Field in their 10-9 win over Cardo

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- The Banijans always wanted to take the first two games here at the World Lacrosse Championships. It wasn't going to be an easy task to do so, but the scheduling nearly demanded that the Banijans go 2 for 2. With their first two games at home, and then not returning to Herzegovina City until Matchday 6. if they were in a hole after two games, they''d have 3 of their last 4 games away from home. It'd put them in a very tough position in terms of making the knockout stages. And when you start out behind the 8 ball on things like this, it will be that much harder to get back to where you want to be.

So the Banijan win against Sarzonia was important. Important for record, for ensuring that this team would be in front of where they needed to be, not behind, and to give us some breathing room as we start a series of 3 consecutive away games. But in a group play, one win, by itself, means nothing. Don't get me wrong, opening tournament wins are important, beating regional foes are important. But unless it is combined with other strong wins, it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. And so they came out against an unranked Cardo.

And this game, maybe surprisingly, was as tight as it gets. Cardo coming in unranked, on the road, many thought that they would be no match for their Banijan hosts. But yet, they came out here, fearlessly, in a stadium that is quickly becoming one of the most storied in international lacrosse, and brought the game to the Banijans. They took an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, and many worried- could they pull the upset? But Ogunsola's players were gritty, and dug deep.

They may have been shell shocked at Cardo's energy. But it's not unreasonable to think they would have gotten off to a fast start. The Banijans were following a big game against a big-time opponent, in which they earned an emotionally taxing win. A letdown in their next game, a team many took for granted, isn't the most unexpected thing you'd ever seen. And, of course, for Cardo- their first big game, trying to avoid starting 0-2. But the Banijans slowly climbed back. Cardo led 5-3 at half. The Banijans tied it up at the end of the third, 8-8. And Israel Bayissa scored twice in the first 90 seconds of the 4th quarter, giving his side a 10-8 lead that they would never relinquish in a 10-9 victory.

2 home games. Two victories. 2-0. That's where we wanted to be at this point. And the next game at the World Lacrosse Championships will be our first road game of this tournament, paying a visit to 1-1 Geektopia. Geektopia beat Cardo 17-12, while losing to Sarzonia 15-2. It will be an interesting matchup. Notable, of course, is the opponent that is looming after them- a trip to Franz Braddock Stadium in Woodstock, Sarzonia. That is the next big game for the Banijans- but of course, it's only a big game if we win our others.

Ogunsola said that they could not take Geektopia for granted. "There was a small letdown after the Sarzonia game." He told reporters. "That's not what we want. We need to focus all of our energies on our upcoming opponent, only, and we were fortunate to come out with a win here today. You can't take anyone for granted here at the World Lacrosse Championships- the teams are too talented, there is too much at stake. This is as big as it gets in our sport. We saw what happened here when we are not focused. And now, we go away from home. Geektopia may have just had a bad loss in Woodstock, but that will only make them that much more motivated to knock us down a peg. The media will want to talk about Matchday 4, but we need to block everyone out and focus on our trip to Geektopia."

by **Bolgano** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 10:16 am

Bolgano 11-3 Qasden
Important triumph to continue dreaming about the classification, 1-1 record

Bolgano City, Bolgano
As locals and the stadium completely full as expected, Bolgano finally has to play a key confrontation to pass the round, his rival is nothing more and nothing less than Qasden, ranked 8th and only 9 places ahead of us, In a very tough group, each victory is key to passing the round, Bolgano comes from losing 20-12 to St. Saratoga and Qasden managed to beat Joyea 12-4, by chance they both have the number of goals, although the difference was the teams and their defense, there were 48 goals in those 2 games, another coincidence is that Qasden finished with a +8 unlike Bolgano who is only -8, Bolgano returns to play at home since WLC 31.

The Bolgano players managed to start defending so as not to repeat the same as against the Saints, The Vans are a strong team in attack, to begin with Qasden did not have many chances to score a goal in the whole match, they only managed to score three goals, nothing more, We had several scorers, important was Christian Güerssen who supported himself with 3 goals from the 11 of our team, Zack Vissker and Lacrossinho managed to score by 2, it was an 11-3 victory to the surprise of us, or rather for everyone, this victory puts us in second place in Group 5, even with many matches between Qasden and us, the score was 8 goals difference and both teams are with a differential of 0, 23-23 for Bolgano and 15-15 for Qasden, also 23 minus 15 gives 8, so the number 8 joins us to both teams something that we must be attentive to this number, for the next Matchday the Saint face Qasden and Bolgano will play against Joyea, Bolgano expects a victory from the Sain Ts against Qasden and we have to beat Joyea, so we will have 3-0 records (St. Saratoga) 2-1 (Bolgano) and 1-2 (Qasden) if possible a Qasden victory would place all teams with 2 victories where they would leave the last 3 games with more success, we have to wait for the following results.

by **Sarzonia** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:43 pm

The players on Sarzonia's national lacrosse team heard the whispers and, to a player, they were all pissed off.

The team was rankled each time a reporter drilled them with questions about Carter Whitlock's future as national team manager. Attack Matt Archer barely kept from blowing a gasket during a pregame interview with a television reporter on the sidelines, telling him, "we have a job to do and he's doing a damn good job at what he has to do."

Goaltender Marla Wynne bristled at questions, including her own performance in the team's 13-9 opening loss to Banija, tersely reminding the reporter that Banija was the sixth ranked team in the world and the Stars were playing away. When she was asked about Whitlock, however, she flipped out.

"He's doing a great fucking job for this team," she snapped. "You're pissed off that we haven't won a world title since we returned to international lacrosse," she said. "Look, we all are. But we're not going to right this ship with a new captain. We're doing well, but we've got our work cut out for us against some strong lacrosse-playing countries. It's not like the old days when there weren't as many lacrosse-playing nations and we had the run of the field. If we're going to win our sixth title, we're going to have to fight for it."

That fight started last night against Geektopia, as the Stars offence finally got off the schneid and scored 15 goals. More importantly, Wynne made 13 saves and only conceded goals in the first and third quarters en route to a 15-2 romp. The Stars held Geektopia scoreless for a stretch of 34 minutes, 12 seconds, then didn't allow another goal for the final 19 minutes, 39 seconds of the match.

The victory improved Sarzonia to 1-1 on the campaign, a full game behind Banija in Group 4. The Stars will face a Cardo team that nearly pulled off an upset against Banija before ultimately falling 10-9. Whitlock told reporters the team couldn't afford to take Cardo for granted.

"They built up a 3-0 lead on Banija," he said. "They led at halftime and were in front during the third quarter. That team proved they can play lacrosse. We're going to have to bring it."

Wynne said the team would be wary against what some Sarzonian media are describing as "a trap match" against Cardo with Banija set to invade Franz Braddock Stadium in Woodstock for the second match between the two highest ranked teams in Group 4.

"We're going to have to bring all the energy in these next matches if we want to make the knockout round and have a favourable position there," Archer said. "We can't afford to let up."

by **Vangaziland** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:54 pm

It was moments before the home game in Imperial Hills, Vangaziland. The event was to be a night match. Music played loudly, Vannish hip hop. Each region had its own flair. He sounds resembled rap closer to the 90s and early 2000s. The Vannish had never progressed much past this musically.

“Okay, listen up”, said Coach Hootsen to the many players surrounding him. “Today we have to give it our all. We may be up two-oh and standings. But Soldera has trained hard. I promise. If we don’t give it our all, they’ll catch us by surprise.”

“Tell ‘em, Coach”, Tate James shouted. He was surrounded by midfielders Rico and Stella, both resting their hands on his shoulder. The starting attackers were nearby, with Lizzie Borhanson standing next to the coach in the center of the huddle.

“Let’s give them our all”, Hootsen continued. “It’s easy to feel tired from the fast pace. Just step up to bat... One more time. Time and time again. No sweat, actually scratch that. Sweat a lot. Give the fans what they want.”

Lizzie looked to the coach who nodded. It was her time to speak. “Okay, you heard the coach”, she said. “Tempo is the order of the day. Run it. Control it. Push it. This is what we do. Are you ready?”

“Let’s go”, the team shouted in reply.

“Are you ready?” Lizzie called out only to have the team answer on two more occasions. This was their pregame ritual. They heard the music stop. This could only mean one thing.

They could hear the announcer over the stadium’s loudspeakers outside. “And now, lacrosse fans... Put your hands together... For the Vangaziland Royals!”

Lizzie sprinted towards the exit to the field. The others followed, the sounds of their cleats clapping on the hard ground until they met the grass. The applause was loud, drowning out most sounds save for a handful of boos from the opponents fans. Bright lights illuminated the field as the bright red jerseys made their way onto it. The Royals wore their purple and white camo shorts with a red slash bisecting them diagonally.

They lined up to shake hands with the other team, pumped and ready for the match.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:27 pm

Matchday 3:

Group 1
Cassadaigua 11–7 Terre Septentrionale
Wrexwic 17–9 HUElavia

  Group 1                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               3   3  0   33  27  +6    9
2 Wrexwic                   3   2  1   37  25 +12    6
3 Terre Septentrionale      3   1  2   26  29  −3    3
4 HUElavia                  3   0  3   27  42 −15    0

Group 2
Vangaziland 18–7 Soldera
Cheergirls 7–14 Union Of Quincy

  Group 2                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland               3   3  0   49  30 +19    9
2 Union Of Quincy           3   1  2   34  34   0    3
3 Soldera                   3   1  2   31  43 −12    3
4 Cheergirls                3   1  2   35  42  −7    3

Group 3
Cardo 10–20 Sarzonia
Geektopia 7–14 Banija

  Group 3                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                    3   3  0   37  25 +12    9
2 Sarzonia                  3   2  1   44  25 +19    6
3 Geektopia                 3   1  2   26  41 −15    3
4 Cardo                     3   0  3   31  47 −16    0

Group 4
Baker Park 3–9 Abanhfleft
Aimena 16–4 Havynwilde

  Group 4                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                3   3  0   37  13 +24    9
2 Aimena                    3   1  2   29  24  +5    3
3 Baker Park                3   1  2   20  27  −7    3
4 Havynwilde                3   1  2   19  41 −22    3

Group 5
Joyea 9–10 Bolgano
Qasden 4–13 St. Saratoga

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga              3   3  0   47  26 +21    9
2 Bolgano                   3   2  1   33  32  +1    6
3 Qasden                    3   1  2   19  28  −9    3
4 Joyea                     3   0  3   23  36 −13    0

by **St Saratoga** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 12:23 am

Rogerbei Times - Sports
"The most reliable news source in Saratoga."

Saints defense shows up to improve to 3-0

Cost: K$ 1.50

WLC 33 -- The St Saratoga Saints improve to 3-0 after a 13-4 win over the 8th ranked Qasden Red-Blues as Defensemen Bailey Curtis leads the defense to a team record in blocked shots. After facing a fresh wave of criticism after averaging 11 goals against per game, the Saints defense spent most of the morning practice working on their defensive strategy including a shift back to the press-system.

"We knew we had to clean it up. In our post-game meeting we brought it with with Coach [William Toivonen] that we wanted to take sometime before taking on Qasden to work out this system. Will was very supportive and heard us out that his system wasn't working. Couldn't ask for a better coach than one who actually hears out his squad." Curtis explained.

The Red-Blues and Saints would meet for the second time in the World Lacrosse Classic. The last meeting, WLC 31st, the Saints would eliminate the Red-Blues in the quarterfinals by a score of 19-2 while on their path to the championship. The Qasden national team would be coming into match day three looking to avoid rhyming history. The Saints whereas are looking at their defense and goaltending to make a repeat performance, interestingly it would be match day three in WLC 31 that would end up benching Goalkeeper Zachary Williamson for WLC 33 starter Alexander Atkins.

Looking at match day three for the 8th ranked Qasden (1-1), the Vans would be coming in with a big win on Joyea followed by a rough loss to rising Bolgano. They currently are sitting three points back of first place in Group 5 which a win against the Saints would tie them with the Saints for first place in the group. Qasden starters for the day are Brändon Mèyerre in net, Julian Perre, Wyatt Delano and Traylor Droi in defense. Occupying the midfield is Kurt Hernin, Blake Alder and Dale Rui then looking to ruin Atkins day is Brutis Adièrre, Kacy Wallback and Nigel Brüdder.

The Saints are coming into match day three with an overall record of 13-6-5 (W-T-L; .542) after their wins against Bolgano and Joyea in the first two days of WLC 33. Against ranked teams, the Saints are 13-0-6 (.684) so the pressure is on the Saints to come up with the win on today matchup. Looking at the lineup, there would be no major changes with Atkins in net with Mickey Wright and Dominic Fitzgerald leading the offense.

The Saints would lose the opening draw. Sporting their navy tops and white bottoms for the second game in a row. The Saints would be applying the pressure hard but reducing the use of the forecheck compared to the last match day. It wouldn't take long through for the scoring to get underway as by within the first ten minutes the Saints had five different goal scorers. Defensemen Luke Lee, Taylor Kemps, Archie Riley, Forward Dominic Fitzgerald and Wright would all net those goals with Qasden's Kacy Wallback being the sole player to answer back with a goal of their own.

Start the second half, the Saints would continue to dominate the field. Lee would lead this defense as he was always one of the first to start pressuring any sort of Red-Blue offensive push. Goalkeeping Atkins also looked more comfortable in the net he would rob the Qasden offensive of four extra goals. The Red-Blues would struggle to get any sort of offensive momentum and would end the game only netting three more goals bringing the final score to 13-4. The Saints would celebrate as their WLC win streak would improve to 12 games.

At the end of match day three for Group 5, the Saints (2-0) would continue to hold the number one spot with nine points in the group stage. 17th ranked Bolgano (1-1) would survive a near upset by unranked Joyea (0-2) by a score of 10-9 to stay in second place with six points in the group stage. Qasden (1-1) would stay in third with three points as the Vans are looking like they will be having a down year. That leaves unranked Joyea with zero points to stay in last place in group 5. Below is the current standings for Group 5:
Group 5
Joyea 9–10 Bolgano
Qasden 4–13 St. Saratoga

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga              3   3  0   47  26 +21    9
2 Bolgano                   3   2  1   33  32  +1    6
3 Qasden                    3   1  2   19  28  −9    3
4 Joyea                     3   0  3   23  36 −13    0
Looking ahead to Match day four, Bolgano (3-0) will be looking to close the gap as they take on the Saints (3-0) for the final match day meeting between the two top 20 teams. Winless Joyea will be looking for their first win in the World Lacrosse Classic with a win against the struggling Qasden offense. Looking towards the preliminary round, the Saints are two wins away from clinching Group 5 and the first round bye with Bolgano and Qasden fighting to claim that second playoff spot. The Saints are one win away from clinching one of the two playoffs seeds.

Elsewhere in WLC 33, 1st ranked Abanhfleft improves to 3-0 after topping Baker Park in a low-scoring match day, that defense continues to prove its the best in the Classic. 2nd ranked Vangaziland demolished Soldera (1-2) to improve to 3-0 in Group 2. Both teams have a six points lead in their groups and are one game away from clinching a playoff seed. 4th ranked Wrexwic (2-1) continues to chase 9th ranked Cassadaigue (3-0) in Group 1 after a lopsided win over winless HUElavia.
Remaining Group Stage Schedule:
MD4: Saints at Bolgano
MD5: Saints at Joyea
MD6: Qasden at Saints
Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Rogerbei Times - Sports

OCC: This will get interesting as I leave for a conference in Washington DC for a few days so my ability to post becomes questionable. Also, go Beavers.

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 8:00 am

The Banijan Lacrosse Community- What are, exactly, the origins of this sport in Banija?

Banijan players celebrate a goal in 14-7 road victory over Geektopia

WOODSTOCK, SARZONIA- First things first, naturally. How did the national lacrosse team do in Matchday 3 at the World Lacrosse Championships? Well, this team has already matched its win total from WLC 32, by earning a 14-7 road victory over the Geektopians in their first away match of the tournament. We've talked about how they needed to get off to a strong start- by winning their first 3 games, they've given themselves an excellent chance of making the knockout stages. A 4th win nearly guarantees a berth in the knockout stages in this group, and they will almost certainly get there. But they want to do more than that- they are trying to come out here and win this group outright.

Of course, that kind of stuff matters. it's the difference between playing in the Preliminary knockout round, for the Seeds 7-10, or being outright assured of a berth directly in the quarterfinals. YOu know what they say- earning a bye from a knockout round is essentially the same as winning a game in the knockout round. Why? Of course, because it accomplishes the goal in a much easier way than the actual winning would, as in getting the team to the next stage without putting anyone at risk for injury. And although it's the last 8, it will help in things like matchups. Want to ensure that you're avoiding Abanhfleft or Cassadaigua or Vangaziland in the first round? Once again, win your group.

That's why this upcoming game at Franz Braddock in Woodstock is so important. Assuming the two AO teams take care of business in Matchdays 5 and 6, as they will be heavily favored to do so, this game in Woodstock essentially decides the group. Sarzonia already has the significant advantage in overall goal differential, and if the Banijans lose by at least 4, it will be hard to close that gap. That could mean the 6th seed, and a quarterfinal matchup against the same Vannish team that knocked them out of the last WLCs, or even the co-hosts Cassadaigua or even Abanhfleft, Banija's archrivals in this sport. Of course, if we win, that'd put us in position for a top 4 seed, which would give us a much straighter path to the semifinals.

But we aren't here to preview the upcoming match in Woodstock. We're here to talk about the Banijan lacrosse community. At the halfway point in the group stages, it's a good time to talk about them. The WLCs every 3 years, of course, is their time to shine in the spotlight. But who is this community? How have they grown? Well, first we'll talk about the history of the game. Before the actual sport itself, like most international sports, were introduced during the 2nd Quebecois colonization, an ancient Kasanke game called Fimbo was played for sport among villagers, especially in what is now known as the Moravica Region.

The Kasanke, of course, are Banija's dominant ethnic group, comprising just around 75% of the population. Fimbo, while the origins are unclear, was a lot like lacrosse, though of course there were some crucial differences. Fimbo was only played six a side, for example. And, of course, people did not build goals- the object was to try and have the ball hit the trunk of a tree. But its origin is very similar to the sport of modern lacrosse, and it is credited for the reason why the Banijans were able to adjust so well when we finally started playing the sport on an international level. Basic Fimbo was extremely violent- you could wack people wherever you wanted, for example. As the Kasanke expanded beyond the present-day Moravica Region and into the rest of modern-day Banija, they took their sport with them.

During the 2nd colonization period(1841-1906), a shift was marked in the sports that people would play. As soccer was introduced to the Banijan people, the sport spread like wildfire throughout the country and essentially displaced Fimbo as the country's most popular sport. But in the Moravica Region, the spiritual homeland of the Kasanke, university elites took to preserve the roots of their culture. When they were introduced to lacrosse, they saw the similarities of the two games, and leaders at Northern Moravica encouraged 'heritage through modernity'- aka, playing a sport that was like Fimbo, but while still playing a sport that the rest of the world could recognize.

That marked the death knell for Fimbo, which is dead as a game in Banija. But lacrosse lives on. It is, of course, strongest in the Moravica REgion, as 8 of Banija's 16 professional teams hail from the Moravica Region, with its beating heart in Herzegovina City. The other place where it has really caught on is Busukuma, and the Bunyoro Region. Bunyoro RSC have established themselves as the multiverse's premier lacrosse cluh, with four consecutive BLL titles and a trio of IDLO trophies that they have in their trophy cabinets. Of course, many lacrosse traditionalists in the country chafe at that, as Bunyoro RSC have built themselves an unassailable position outside of the Banijan lacrosse heartland.

So the Banijan history in this game is absolutely rich. Early adopters of the sport of lacrosse, it is a link to the traditional Kasanke sports of the past. The more you know, eh?

by **Bolgano** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 11:14 am

Joyea 9-10 Bolgano
Second Victory of Bolgano in WLC 33

Lewis Madisson and Ryan McCaullin face a Joyea defender looking for the last score.

It is the MD3 in Joyea, a long-awaited game for Bolgano players to continue dreaming of their first classification to the second round, also the "Celestes" arrive at this game knowing that Qasden lost to St. Saratoga opportunity that Bolgano must take advantage of as it is the last thing they need to qualify, maybe getting St. Saratoga from the top of the group would be almost impossible or the most important game (depending on the results of MD4) would be Qasden - Bolgano, in Qasden, where The Vans has an advantage, Even so we have not mentioned our rival, Joyea, this unclassified team has not won any of the previous 2 games and with very little participation in the games.

The game in Joyea started with a surprise, the home team managed to open the scoreboard before the first minute and for Valdaso of cold water they managed to make the second one minute later, in 90 seconds they already had a 2-0 advantage, from where they got said strength? or it will be that we had the error, I think it was us, considering that despite the defensive improvements we had before Qasden this is not the same as that day in Bolgano City, Lewis Madisson manages to score the 2-1 discount and collect Joyea's net ball to hurry up, that it was a hurry if it was just 7 minutes, just a few minutes later showed us another good goal from Joyea and put things forward 3-1 and a minute later Victor Fridshaw stopped being the reason for many goals to be a hero with an incredible save, in that he threw the ball as far as possible where the counterattack was impossible for the defense of Joyea, Ryan McCaullin managed to score the second goal of Bolgano, after that 3 -3 arrived at the hands of Juan Parrés, surely the moral of Bolgano rose a little more compared to the start of the game with that imperfect start of the defense, Karl Vottak and again Lewis Madisson managed to score 2 more goals, in addition to a goal from Joyea that co crazy again the game closed before the break 4-5 in favor of Bolgano.

With several changes, among those Gregory Arthor was very helpful to score the 4-6 that placed them more and more calm, but 2 quick goals from Joyea were enough, wait, if they were 3 in a row it means that the score went up to 7-6 achieving a new comeback on the scoreboard, that is where Lacrossinho was able to draw with a great play of passes from our team, Kevin Fritz and Ryan McCaullin managed to score 2 more goals to have peace of mind since there were only 4 minutes left on the clock, but 1 error in the defense was used by Joyea to make the 8-9 and suspense, a 9-9 managed to reach the door, it was the last minute on the clock and there was an attack by Joyea where the lacing of his scorer who did not let's know his name was almost annotation, because Victor Fridshaw managed to save her where in a counterattack by Lewis Madisson and Ryan McCaullin for that launch of Fridshaw, he was very taken advantage of in order to see Madisson make the victory goal, final 9-10.

Reviewing the other groups, in 1 we can see Cassadaigua the host of this edition They lead their group with a 3-0 record with 33-27 and a +6 differential, shining their chances of being the favorites to win the title in their backyard, Vangaziland leads their group with a 3-0 record and 49-30 with a differential of +19 being another favorite to lift the trophy and comes from defeating Soldera by 18-7, Banija also shows to be one of the forts with Abanhfletf and our birth rivals, literally, St. Saratoga, All those already mentioned have a 3-0 record, the aforementioned Vangaziland has the highest number of goals, 49 in total in only 3 games leaving us with an average of 16.33 goals per game, which goes up for every game they play, Qasden and Havynwilde have the least number of goals in the first three games with only 19 goals and an average of 6.33 goals per game, Abanhfletf is the team with the best defense, I just let in 13 scores in three games, INCREDIBLE DEFENSE! his average of 4.33 goals per game shows us his good defense, that shows us why they are the current champions, Cardo received 47 goals being the team with the worst defense with an average of 15.66 goals received per game, in differential Abanfletf manages to have the best, +24 is a good number for them in addition to having a good defense, it is one of the teams with the most goals in the tournament, the worst differential is taken by Havynwilde with -22, at the moment Sarzonia is the best second where Classify the quarterfinals automatically, but they are only 3 games, we need 3 more to know what the Playoffs bring us in Cassadaigua, we are happy to see Bolgano there but we have to keep fighting, to finish the statistics, 637 goals in Total in 30 games played with an average of 21.23 goals per game, Good Night Bolgano.

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 12:08 pm

If Sarzonia's national lacrosse team is angry over the continued questions about the managerial status of Carter Whitlock, they're certainly taking out their frustrations on the competition at the 33rd World Lacrosse Championships.

Facing a team that only just dropped a heartbreaker to world No. 6 Banija, the Stars made quick work of Cardo, demolishing the unranked Group 3 side by a 20-10 scoreline that wasn't even as close as it suggests.

Four Sarzonia players scored three goals apiece, the defence forced 19 Cardo turnovers, and the Stars ran off the pitch following a convincing victory they were determined to use as a statement to the rest of the lacrosse world. However, the bravado that easily defeating Cardo provided quickly faded into memory once the team began to answer questions about the team's next opponent.

Banija.

The world's sixth ranked side and the other team competing for the Group 3 title was getting ready to face off against the Stars in arguably the most important match of the entire group stage. If Banija win, they sweep the two matches against the Stars and all but punch their ticket directly into the quarterfinals. If the Stars win, they draw level with Banija in the standings and have an edge in total goal differential that might push them into the group lead. A victory in front of a sold out Franz Braddock Stadium expected to be awash in navy and silver with some sprinklings of rainbow-coloured shirts thrown in for good measure by four goals or more would erase the bad taste in Sarzonian mouths from their opening defeat in Banija.

It would also go a long way toward dismissing concerns that Whitlock, who was Sarzonia's first Lacrosse Hall of Famer as a player, can't quite bring the same magic to the managerial sidelines that he brought as one of the greatest lacrosse players to ever play. It would be the sort of signature victory the Stars have lacked in this third time sending teams to the World Lacrosse Championships. It would also put to rest the naysayers who complain that Harold Price or even Mike Sandusky would not walk through the doors to the Stars dressing room and restore the magic that once led to five World Lacrosse Championship titles -- still the most ever -- and one second place finish.

But now, there are far simpler -- and much more difficult -- concerns, namely a newly-minted rival in sport for Sarzonia across a wide range of competitions. The Sarzonian Under 21 national football team certainly didn't embarrass itself in AOCAF against senior teams, including Banija. The senior national football team went into World Cup 84 expecting to be cannon fodder, and living up to the prediction for most of the first half of qualifying, but then started winning at enough of a clip where the Stars talked manager Kevin Connelly out of his plans to retire.

And now, the lacrosse team were getting set to add another chapter in the new, though one-sided rivalry that has thus far favoured Banija. They expect to run out onto the pitch at a sold out Franz Braddock Stadium with full-throated support from their fans seeking to write a more favourable ending than they've had in the two prior meetings with Banija this cycle.

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 2:19 pm

Terre Septentrionale loses two games in a row

Cassadaigua - Terre Septentrionale started off the WLC 33 on the good foot with a 14-8 win against HUElavia but then, the Patriotes lost 10-5 against Wrexwic and 11–7 against Cassadaigua. Terre Septentrionale took a 4-0 lead early against HUElavia, then they scored two unanswered goals to make the score at 4-2. The score was 8-3 at the halftime and the final score was 14-8. On matchday 2 against Wrexwic, we just weren't in the game. On matchday 3 against WLC 33 hosts, the Reprezentacja Nordycki was leading 5-4 at the halftime but then the Fillies scored 3 unanswered goals in the 3rd quarter and finally won 11-7 against Terre Septentrionale. Carson Maloney is actually the best goalscorer for the Northmen with 7 goals in 3 games. On matchday 4, Terre Septentrionale will recieve HUElavia at Gyertyatarto Park in Szentgyörgyvölgy. Gyertyatarto is the hungarian word for "Candlestick".

Patrick Simard,
La Tribune Septentrionale

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 4:09 pm

Matchday 4:

Group 1
Terre Septentrionale 12–9 HUElavia
Wrexwic 5–12 Cassadaigua

  Group 1                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               4   4  0   45  32 +13   12  Q
2 Wrexwic                   4   2  2   42  37  +5    6
3 Terre Septentrionale      4   2  2   38  38   0    6
4 HUElavia                  4   0  4   36  54 −18    0

Group 2
Soldera 4–6 Union Of Quincy
Cheergirls 3–14 Vangaziland

  Group 2                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland               4   4  0   63  33 +30   12  Q
2 Union Of Quincy           4   2  2   40  38  +2    6
3 Cheergirls                4   1  3   38  56 −18    3
4 Soldera                   4   1  3   35  49 −14    3

Group 3
Sarzonia 9–14 Banija
Geektopia 11–9 Cardo

  Group 3                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                    4   4  0   51  34 +17   12  Q
2 Sarzonia                  4   2  2   53  39 +14    6
3 Geektopia                 4   2  2   37  50 −13    6
4 Cardo                     4   0  4   40  58 −18    0

Group 4
Abanhfleft 12–7 Havynwilde
Aimena 8–12 Baker Park

  Group 4                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                4   4  0   49  20 +29   12  Q
2 Baker Park                4   2  2   32  35  −3    6
3 Aimena                    4   1  3   37  36  +1    3
4 Havynwilde                4   1  3   26  53 −27    3

Group 5
Bolgano 8–18 St. Saratoga
Qasden 11–10 Joyea

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga              4   4  0   65  34 +31   12  Q
2 Bolgano                   4   2  2   41  50  −9    6
3 Qasden                    4   2  2   30  38  −8    6
4 Joyea                     4   0  4   33  47 −14    0

Group 1: Wrexwic and Terre Septentrionale cannot both go 4-2, so Cassadaigua has qualified; same scenarios in Group 3 and 5 with Banija and St. Saratoga qualifying.

by **Banija** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:15 pm

Big-time road win in Sarzonia puts Banija in the knockout stages and a game away from winning their group

Banijan players celebrate a goal in 14-9 victory over the Stars in Woodstock

WOODSTOCK, SARZONIA- The eyes of the lacrosse world, or at least, Group 3, were all on Woodstock. The top two teams in Group 3, Sarzonia and Banija, were poised to square off at Franz Boddock Stadium, in front of a sold out, blue, white, and rainbow crowd here in Woodstock, Sarzonia. A win for either side would allow them to take pole position to win Group 3, and get not only that automatic berth in the knockout stages, but the chance to certainly skip a round and find themselves in the quarterfinals, with a favorable quarterfinals matchup at that. It's a big game. These two teams have already faced off twice this cycle, both in Herzegovina City at Kizza I Field, and both times, the men and women in orange have prevailed. The Banijans prevailed at the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational, the preseason AO tournament that the Olympic Committee put on as a warmup for the World Lacrosse Championships. The Banijan team pleased the home fans in that invitational tournament, defeating all 3 of their invited AO counterparts(Sarzonia, Baker Park, and Qasden) en route to lifting the minor trophy. And in Matchday 1 of the World Lacrosse Championships, we squared off against Sarzonia again, and once again emerged victorious.

But those two games, of course, were not on neutral territory. They were in Herzegovina City. Essentially, the lacrosse capitol of Banija. The Banijans had the home field advantage. Didn't have to adjust to customs, and had, of course, a big fan advantage. But the circumstances would now be different. The two teams had already met, twice, in competitive matches. The two teams were now familiar with each other. And setting has been flipped. Instead of playing in the friendly confines of Kizza I Field, it would now be the hostile environment of the five time world champions, the Stars of Sarzonia. It would be a tough game, a tough away game for this team. Considering they played 5 home games in a row, between the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational and their first two WLC matches, before last matchday's 14-7 gritty victory over Geektopia, five, they were not used to the hostile environment. And many thought that could throw them off.

But there was so much at stake here. If the Banijans lost by 4 goals or more, they'd almost certainly be ceding first place in Group 3 to the Stars. And that would not be good for their tournament chances. While they'd likely still rank as the top 2nd place team, that'd mean a matchup in the quarterfinals with the tournament's 'Big 3' of Abanhfleft, Vangaziland, and/or St. Saratoga- the three teams who have been absolutely dominant so far in this tournament, and who are, respectively, the last 3 champions of the World Lacrosse Championships(well, a Vannish colony won WLC 29 and 30, but Vangaziland won WLC 28- in Banija). They've shown on the field, so far, that they are a clear cut top 3. Avoiding one of them in the first round is absolutely paramount. And while nobody will ever say that, of course, as coach speak won't ever try to prioritize an opponent, everybody knows they're thinking it.

That's why the Banijans came out so fast. If you come out fast, especially in the great environment the Sarzonians had, you can kind of take the crowd out of the game and dictate the game's flow. And that is exactly what the sixth ranked Banijans tried to do. Ogunsola's strategy was to try and put the Stars on their heels early, and force them to stay in comeback mode. So as the game began, the Banijans were aggressive for a large part of the first quarter. Just 2 minutes into the game, it would be Arsa Bobbicevic III, a legacy player(grandson of a WLC 21 & WLC 22 player), who would open the scoring for the Banijans. He did it from a decent distance, whipping the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards. An early goal put the Banijans ahead, but the crowd was still in the game, of course. There was a lot of noise from the Stars crowd, trying to urge their team into it. But the Banijans dominated possesion in the first quarter, and took a 4-0 lead by the end of the quarter. Bunama Ogunsola, the head coach's grandson, scored in the opening quarter, while Israel Bayissa scored two goals in the first quarter himself.

That strong start would define the rest of the game. The Stars had to try and come back, and they had to really push themselves on offense. The Banijans couldn't sit back, necessarily, but it could be played a little bit like protecting a lead in soccer- focus on defense, get numbers behind the ball, and then be ready to break up field when you have a chance. The Banijans were able to increase their stranglehold on the game, and never once relinquished their lead in this one. The score was 6-3 in favor of the Banijans at halftime, it was 10-6 at the end of the third quarter, and the final score was 14-9 in favor of the Banijans. It was a strong, all-around performance by the Banijans, who were out here to prove themselves. It is certainly a big-time win- winning a road game against the five-time champions, when the stakes are relatively high? It is the kind of win that can vault a serious title challenge.

Ogunsola spoke to reporters after the game. "We have been wanting to prove ourselves in this tournament, that we belong with the elites." He told reporters. "We believe that this team is not only good enough to win this group, but to compete for our first championship here at this tournament. Now, of course, people talked about scoring margins and what not- I don't really care about those things. A win, is a win. What's the difference if we're winning by 6 or 7, and Vangaziland or St. Saratoga are winning by 15 or 17? There isn't much of one. We both have strong wins, and we're 4-0. This is a good practice for when we get to Cassadaigua- the teams there are going to be tough to face. But we have not done the job yet. This is a big win for us, no doubt. Sarzonia is the nation who sets the standard in international lacrosse, with their five championships, and that is the standard we strive to hit. Big win for our boys."

And that is. They will play Cardo next. Of course, while Cardo is winless and unranked, they played an extremely tough game against Banija last time, falling just by one goal at Kizza I Field. With a chance for the Banijans to win the group with just a game to spare, the Banijans need to be focused for their third straight road game. With two games remaining, quite a bit has been clarified about who will be slotted where. Vangaziland, St. Saratoga, and Abanhfleft, are not only all 4-0, but have goal differentials of +30, +31, and +29, respectively. Those three teams, perhaps unsurprisingly, will be the top 3 seeds for the knockout stages, assuming they take care of business and win their final 2 games. They are too far for the Banijans, or Cassadagans, to try and catch.

And then, you have fourth and fifth. The Banijans are currently ranked fourth, with a goal differential of +17, and the Cassadagans are fifth, with a goal differential of +13. Them giving Pot 1 didn't matter in the end, now did it? Considering how dominant they'd have to be to catch one of the top 3, assuming, of course, no upsets in the top 3, the Banijans and Cassadaigua look set to take each other on in the 4v5 matchup. It is not an ideal matchup for the Banijans- Cassadaigua, of course, will be playing in front of their home fans as the host nation. But Banijan attentions can essentially drift there. It doesn't really matter whether they are fourth or fifth- Cassadaigua almost certainly will be the opponent, barring a Cassadaigua, or even a Banijan, collapse in their next two games. When Ogunsola was asked about it, however, he refused to talk about Cassadaigua as an opponent. "I'm not thinking of who we're playing all the way in the knockout stages. We still have a job to do- we haven't won the group yet. We have an important game to win against Cardo, who almost beat us on our own field. We all know they don't want to go 0-6, and for them, beating us would be an oh so sweet way to put a positive on this tournament. That's where my attention is- talk to me about the knockout stages when we get there."

Like we said- it doesn't really matter who is in the fourth or the fifth slot. Our own projections have over a 96% chance of the two teams meeting in the quarterfinals, and that will be a very intriguing matchup in and of itself, between two teams trying to win their first ever WLC title. And then, the sixth slot, will almost certainly be Sarzonia. They have been, by quite some distance, the best second place team in the tournament so far- they have a goal differential of +14, while the next best second place team has a goal differential of +5. Nothing is set in stone for Sarzonia- on Matchday 5, they must travel to 39th ranked Geektopia to decide their fate. If they win, they will be second in the group. If they lose... Well, they won't be eliminated, but they will seriously be on the ropes. Expect Whitlock to have his players focused, and a team ready to go and dominate in Geektopia.

They will likely get a bye as well. Unfortunately for them, however, being that sixth seed, they'll have to face one of Vangaziland, St. Saratoga, or Abanhfleft in the first round. Who will it be? That's anyone's guess. And then, as for the 7v10 and 8v9 matchups, it's anybody's guess. There are quite a few teams battling for those last four spots, and who gets them will get into the knockout stages. And that's all you have to do, right? Once you're there, you have as good of a chance as winning the whole thing as anybody else. It will certainly be an interesting finish to the group stages of the WLCs, to see where the seeding all plays out when the teams head to Cassadaigua.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:17 pm

The crowd at Franz Braddock Stadium was as predicted. Thirty-five thousand souls, the overwhelming majority of whom wore navy and silver with some mix of rainbow coloured thrown in with a smattering of orange packed the venue bringing noise and energy the likes of which few had seen.

It was the moment Carter Whitlock and the Sarzonian national lacrosse team had been waiting for since the preamble to the current World Lacrosse Championships. It was an opportunity for revenge after world No. 6 Banija destroyed the Stars in the inaugural Moravica Lacrosse Invitational saw the Stars lose to Banija 9-4 the day after Baker Park spanked them 11-4. The Stars were going to be motivated after a much closer loss in Banija to open the competition. They swore they were going to hit Banija with everything they had.

They brought all the intensity they could muster, but Stars supporters sullenly leaving the stadium after a 14-9 victory by the visitors wrapped up a Group 3 title for their orange-clad opponents came to an unpleasant realisation. Banija was damn good at lacrosse too. They saw it first hand with Banija jumping out to a 4-0 lead after the first quarter.

"We've GOT to do a better job on faceoffs!" Whitlock screamed as he turned away from the pitch in disgust after Jon Austin lost yet another one at the opening of the second quarter. It led to another prime goalscoring opportunity that the visitors put away cleanly to dig a larger 5-0 hole. Matt Archer would finally get the Stars on the board after Austin won the next draw and dished the ball to him to get the Stars attack some momentum, but with the Stars looking at a 5-1 deficit, they knew it would take a more aggressive defensive posture than they were used to. It would also take a better performance at the X from Austin, and he won the next two draws to give the Stars a shot. They would get another goal from Archer and one from Brett Hedrick to inch the Stars closer by a 5-3 margin. However, the Stars missed a clear opportunity to cut the Banijan lead to one with a shot from Archer that saw a Banijan defender closer to the ball than was an onrushing Hedrick. The possession turning over to Banija led to their sixth goal of the first half and a halftime score of 6-3 for the visitors.

"We've got to do a better job in all phases," Whitlock told his charges in the dressing room at halftime. He was right, of course. He also admitted to the team and to himself that he needed to do a better job of preparing the team. Perhaps the doubters are right, he allowed himself to think briefly as the team returned to the pitch, still basking in the full-throated enthusiasm of the Stars and Phoenixes faithful still cheering for the Sarzonian team. However, that enthusiasm waned when Banija came out and won both the third and fourth quarters by 4-3 margins, resulting in the final 14-9 scoreline.

The only thing the sombre Stars dressing room talked about was missed opportunities. The lost draws at the X. The shots that either edged wide of Malamin Faye or clanked off the net. The ground balls the Banijans were able to get to and the turnovers the Banijans forced to get the Stars out of their offence. They sat at 2-2 now with a key away match against a No. 39 Geektopia that was likely going to be out for blood after the Stars dominated the match in front of a much smaller crowd at Franz Braddock Stadium en route to a 15-2 victory. A match the Stars hoped at the beginning of the tournament would possibly be academic would now be a must-win. Even if a loss away to Geektopia didn't eliminate the Stars from knockout round contention, it would certainly make for a much more difficult journey in Cassadaigua.

Be that as it may, the Stars will still face questions after another defeat to Banija, and Whitlock would continue to search for answers that don't involve him turning in his coaching badge for a different voice at the top because, as the naysayers would point out, Harold Price isn't walking through the door anytime soon.

by **Cassadaigua** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:57 pm

Matchday 5:

Group 1
Wrexwic 12–4 Terre Septentrionale
Cassadaigua 15–7 HUElavia

  Group 1                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               5   5  0   60  39 +21   15 Q
2 Wrexwic                   5   3  2   54  41 +13    9 Q
3 Terre Septentrionale      5   2  3   42  50  −8    6
4 HUElavia                  5   0  5   43  69 −26    0

Group 2
Cheergirls 18–9 Soldera
Vangaziland 21–9 Union Of Quincy

  Group 2                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland               5   5  0   84  42 +42   15 Q
2 Union Of Quincy           5   2  3   49  59 −10    6
3 Cheergirls                5   2  3   56  65  −9    6
4 Soldera                   5   1  4   44  67 −23    3

Group 3
Geektopia 4–19 Sarzonia
Cardo 8–18 Banija

  Group 3                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                    5   5  0   69  42 +27   15 Q
2 Sarzonia                  5   3  2   72  43 +29    9 Q
3 Geektopia                 5   2  3   41  69 −28    6
4 Cardo                     5   0  5   48  76 −28    0

Group 4
Aimena 3–14 Abanhfleft
Baker Park 13–5 Havynwilde

  Group 4                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                5   5  0   63  23 +40   15 Q
2 Baker Park                5   3  2   45  40  +5    9 Q
3 Aimena                    5   1  4   40  50 −10    3
4 Havynwilde                5   1  4   31  66 −35    3

Group 5
Qasden 15–21 Bolgano
Joyea 9–9 St. Saratoga (10–12 OT)

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga              5   5  0   77  44 +33   15 Q
2 Bolgano                   5   3  2   62  65  −3    9 Q
3 Qasden                    5   2  3   45  59 −14    6
4 Joyea                     5   0  5   43  59 −16    0

Tiebreakers:
Group 1: Wrexwic is 2-0 vs Terre Septentrionale, so would win tiebreaker, if needed. Therefore, they have qualified.
Group 3: Same story with Sarzonia over Geektopia.
Game 5: Same story with Bolgano over Qasden.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:26 pm

Anger seems to be a powerful motivator for this Sarzonian national lacrosse team. Still smarting from being thoroughly outclassed again by Banija, the Stars went into their important match away to Geektopia with intentions of inflicting as much pain on the world's 39th ranked team as possible.

Mission accomplished. Not only did the Stars again batter Geektopia, this time by a dominating scoreline of 19-4. Coupled with their overwhelming 15-2 victory at Franz Braddock Stadium in their home debut, the Stars returned to a winning record by improving to 3-2. Of far greater importance for the Stars, they officially punched their ticket to Cassadaigua, as the Stars easily control the head-to-head tiebreaker against Geektopia.

For Carter Whitlock, it was a small measure of vindication. Sarzonia was not going to be sent home early from a tournament it once ruled. The problem he was already starting to face was how the team would respond to the teams that were the new powerhouses of lacrosse. He realised the team was no longer able to simply walk onto the pitch and be able to intimidate teams with the ghosts of Sarzonian lacrosse past helping them.

The five championships Whitlock won as a player were becoming a distant memory for fans who craved a sixth title. The "what have you done for me lately?" crowd would point out the team's lack of success against the likes of Banija, Wrexwic, and other countries that now claimed a place among the sport's elite. That place was one the Stars once held claim to without question was now one the Stars would have to earn once again. Beating up on Geektopia and routing winless Cardo in the finale, a result the Stars to a player will deny is a foregone conclusion, isn't going to cut it.

As for that final match, a home battle against 0-5 Cardo, Whitlock said the team still had "plenty to play for" even if the team could conceivably play depth players instead of starters and still win handily. As he pointed out, the best second place team among the final 10 teams would earn a bye directly into the quarterfinals, and he said "we're determined to be that team."

Looking at the other second place teams in the tournament, the next closest team to Sarzonia in the battle for the all important No. 6 seed is their aforementioned newly minted archrivals Wrexwic. Sarzonia currently hold a plus-29 goal differential that even exceeds group leaders and unbeaten Banija's plus-27. Wrexwic have a plus-13 differential and would earn the No. 7 seed and a preliminary round matchup if the results held to form. Fellow Atlantian Oceania lacrosse rivals Baker Park have a plus-five goal differential in Group 4; Group 5 runners up Bolgano currently sit with a minus-three. Union of Quincy and Cheergirls both have 2-3 records, and would not be in contention for the No. 6 seed.

So, the Stars still have work left to do. The question is whether they'd be able to get that work done under a coach who's still trying to translate his playing success into his efforts on the sidelines.

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:54 am

The Demise of the Banijan Lacrosse Federation- looking back at one of the Olympic Committee's most controversial decisions

A Banijan player handles the ball in the team's 18-8 road victory over Cardo, their third consecutive away from home

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- After what could be known as a defining win in Sarzonia, one that vaulted the Banijans from merely just extremely talented, to, in the eyes of many, legitimate contenders to take this whole damn trophy home for the first time, they still needed to go out and get that fifth win to put everything to bed. The group was not clinched yet- they'd need either a Sarzonia win in Geektopia, or a win themselves in Cardo, to finally put it to rest. While both results were likely, one of them had to happen, and the Banijans were in control of their own fate. They knew that Cardo was capable of getting off to a fast start, and the home side did so again, taking an early 2-0 lead. But the Banijans did come storming back, especially in the 2nd and the third quarters. While it was 3-3 after the first quarter, the Banijans were leading 9-4 at halftime, and after the 3rd quarter, the score was 15-6. Back to back 6 goal periods, where the true explosive potential of the Banijan attack was shown, was enough to put Cardo's hopes of upsetting the Banijans to bed, and for the Banijans to win their group at the World Lacrosse Championships.

Even though we're in Pot 1, it's been a heck of a long time since the national lacrosse team has actually won its group at this tournament. This is actually the first time in 15 years, or the first time since the 28th World Lacrosse Championships, which were held entirely in Banija, that we actually managed to win our group. And the last time we won our group in a tournament where all the games weren't played on home soil? You'll have to go back all the way to the 25th World Lacrosse Championships, when we went 6-0. We've had quite a few WLC wins, and have had quite a few WLC medals. But every time we've played in this tournament, it has been a group + knockout stage format. This is our 12th time participating in this tournament. This will be our 11th time participating in the knockout stages. And while we've got one silver medal, and three bronze medals, we've only won our group three times- WLC 23, WLC 25, and WLC 28. Even in the 'golden era' of Banijan lacrosse, from WLC 21-25, we only won the group twice. So it's actually a big, and rather rare, moment for this squad. It shows just how hard it is to compete at the highest levels in this sport, considering entering this tournament, we've literally medaled more times than we've won this group.

So it's an important day for Banijan lacrosse. With that win, we've also clinched a top 5 seed in the knockout stages, and a direct berth in the quarterfinals, getting a bye from the Preliminary Rounds- no matter what happens on Matchday 6. All important milestones. And now, of course, seems like a better time than any to look back at one of the most consequential, and controversial, decisions in the history of the sport in Banija- the Olympic Committee's decision to shutter the doors of the Banijan Lacrosse Federation, and do a complete reboot after the 29th World Lacrosse Championships. Of course, throughout this tournament, we've talked about how high the expectations are for this team, and how one might view them as a bit unreasonable, considering we've never won this tournament before. But how do those expectations effect decision making?

Let's take a walk back to the 29th World Lacrosse Championships. Let's set the scene for that tournament. The Banijans have had solid success in the World Lacrosse Championships so far. In WLC 21-25, this team enjoyed an unprecedented run of success. Their first 5 tournaments yielded 3 semifinal appearances(WLC 21, WLC 22, WLC 25), including an appearance in the final(WLC 21). That is naturally considered the golden generation of lacrosse in Banija. An unlucky loss in the WLC 23 Round of 16 ended Banijan hopes prematurely in that tournament, and a tough loss to Cosumar in the WLC 24 Quarterfinals did the same thing there. But Abanhfleft put its stamp on that generation's failures to be the very best in the world, as they beat us twice in Herzegovina City in WLC 22, then beat us again in the semifinals of the same tournament. They put an official end to that era of Banijan lacrosse when they beat us in the WLC 25 Semifinals.

WLC 26, the team never really did that well, trying to transition to a new generation of players, and lost in the Round of 16 to Devonta. We didn't even enter WLC 27. And then, in WLC 28, the Banijan Lacrosse Federation, back and ready to go, bid to bring the tournament back to Banija for the first time. Solo hosted, a short group stage. The Banijans did great- not only did they go 3-0 and were top of the group, but they were top of the table as well. #1 overall seed, knockout stages all in Banija, favored to bring it all home. And then, in the Round of 16, against an unranked, 1-2 Juvencus, the team fell, 9-6. A premature elimination. Easily the most embarassing elimination they had, to that point. But people chalked it up as bad luck- there was no reason the Banijans couldn't be back. It was just one game, right? They decided to co-host WLC 29 with Razenthuria. And that was worse. They went 2-2 in the group stages. To date, that is the only time they've ever been eliminated from the group stages of the World Lacrosse Championships- on home soil.

Back to back tournaments on home soil ended in their worst ever Round of 16 loss(a loss to an unranked team with a losing record), and their only ever group stage elimination. There were a lot of questions being asked by the Banijan lacrosse community, and nobody had answers. Why were things worse when they were playing at home? Why couldn't this generation of players meet the standards set by the last generation? And as the tournament continued, and eventually concluded, those questions got louder and louder. The Banijan Lacrosse Federation was struggling to answer those questions. They were meeting criticism from all kinds of corners, as the lacrosse community had grown too much into an 'old boys network', rather than making the squad via merit. They were too reliant on historical success. Everything was disastrous. Something needed to be done.

And then, the Olympic Committee of Banija(OCB) made a decision, and announced that they would have a vote to dissolve the Banijan Lacrosse Federation, and take over governing responsibilities of the sport directly. Now, of course, the Olympic Committee in Banija is different than their equivalents in most countries. To foreign readers, the Olympic Committee is more a combination of an Olympic Committee, plus a Ministry of Sport. They directly govern all professional sports in Banija, besides soccer and ice hockey. Before, it was originally soccer and lacrosse, before they spun off the ice hockey division to form the Banijan Hockey Federation, to great success. The Royal Banijan Soccer Association is truly independent- it is, indeed, almost 10 years older than the Olympic Committee. And, as the name implies, the Kabaka himself is the ceremonial head of the organization. They used to be funded directly by the Royal Family, out of their own allowance- although now, with the explosive growth of professional soccer in the country, they haven't taken taxpayer funds or Royal Allowance Funds in a while, outside of the direct administration of hosting international tournaments.

The Olympic Committee couldn't' make it fold. But every other professional sporting body, however, has a different story. The Banijan Lacrosse Federation was established at the same time as the Olympic Committee of Banija, just a few short years after independence. Many thought that'd be Banija's #2 sport- but of course, that was before gridiron and basketball were introduced to this country. And they've been there, proudly one of Banija's few truly independent sporting organizations. Although they were subject to oversight by the OCB as they were not under a Royal Charter, they were their own org. They had their own bylaws, their own elections, their own everything. But those two awful tournaments, on home soil, changed people's perspectives. The Banijan Lacrosse Federation sought to rally the community behind them. They had the history. They had the expertise. They had been unlucky.

But those results on the field were harsh. The RBSA even weighed in, and said that they supported the Lacrosse Federations' consolidation into the OCB. The OCB voted, and the vote was close- 47 votes in favor of consolidation, 43 votes against. Only a four vote margin, but a simple majority was all that was needed. The Banijan Lacrosse Federation, as of that day, was no more. Their flag was brought down from their building in Herzegovina City, and the Olympic Committee's flag was raised instead. And they took over Administration, and cleaned house. They fired basically everybody. Ahead of WLC 30, they got an entirely brand new roster, with anyone on the WLC 28 or WLC 29 rosters banned from the WLC 30 roster. They got an entirely new coaching staff. And the sport started to turn around. While WLC 30 they got back to the knockout stages, they clearly weren't in top-tier company yet.

WLC 31 are when dividends really started to pay off, earning a bronze medal in Baker Park. WLC 32, however, they took a step backwards. But they seem to be taking steps forward now- they'll be in the quarterfinals, for one, of this tournament. They've won their group for the first time for the better part of two decades. They've got a legitimate opportunity to go 6-0. Furthermore, the organization of tournaments like the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational help them appeal to the lacrosse community in Banija. While ultimately, it'll be results on the field that determine if the move was a success, right now we'll have to give a thumbs up- congratulations to the OCB for having the guts to do what was necessary, and right the ship in Banijan lacrosse when the Federation couldn't do it themselves.

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:25 pm

Matchday 6:

Group 1
Terre Septentrionale 9–10 Cassadaigua
HUElavia 8–15 Wrexwic

  Group 1                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               6   6  0   70  48 +22   18 Q
2 Wrexwic                   6   4  2   69  49 +20   12 Q
3 Terre Septentrionale      6   2  4   51  60  −9    6
4 HUElavia                  6   0  6   51  84 −33    0

Group 2
Soldera 6–17 Vangaziland
Union Of Quincy 5–15 Cheergirls

  Group 2                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland               6   6  0  101  48 +53   18 Q
2 Cheergirls                6   3  3   71  70  +1    9 Q
3 Union Of Quincy           6   2  4   54  74 −20    6
4 Soldera                   6   1  5   50  84 −34    3

Group 3
Sarzonia 9–4 Cardo
Banija 13–6 Geektopia

  Group 3                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                    6   6  0   82  48 +34   18 Q
2 Sarzonia                  6   4  2   81  47 +34   12 Q
3 Geektopia                 6   2  4   47  82 −35    6
4 Cardo                     6   0  6   52  85 −33    0

Group 4
Abanhfleft 3–9 Baker Park
Havynwilde 6–12 Aimena

  Group 4                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                6   5  1   66  32 +34   15 Q
2 Baker Park                6   4  2   54  43 +11   12 Q
3 Aimena                    6   2  4   52  56  −4    6
4 Havynwilde                6   1  5   37  78 −41    3

Group 5
Bolgano 11–9 Joyea
St. Saratoga 18–8 Qasden

  Group 5                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga              6   6  0   95  52 +43   18 Q
2 Bolgano                   6   4  2   73  74  −1   12 Q
3 Qasden                    6   2  4   53  77 −24    6
4 Joyea                     6   0  6   52  70 −18    0

Reminder: Wednesday, March 11 is an off day

1st Round: (Scorinated Thursday)
(7) Wrexwic vs (10) Cheergirls @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
(8) Baker Park vs (9) Bolgano @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro

2nd Round: (Scorinated Friday)- Straight seeding, so rematches can happen
(1) Vangaziland vs Baker Park/Bolgano winner @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland
(4) Cassadaigua vs (5) Abanhfleft @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
(3) Banija vs (6) Sarzonia @ Peak'n'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain
(2) St. Saratoga vs Wrexwic/Cheergirls winner @ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Mar 10, 2020 5:10 pm

It wasn't enough for Sarzonia to make quick work of Cardo. They had to make sure that they not only won their match and held serve against the unranked side in Group 3, but they also had to make sure they didn't cough up the advantage they'd built as the best second place side in the 33rd edition of the World Lacrosse Championships.

They accomplished that task, albeit by a closer margin than manager Carter Whitlock would have preferred, dispatching the lacrosse debutant nation 9-4 in front of 27,186 at Franz Braddock Stadium.

The Stars (4-2) accomplished their goal of earning the mark as the best second place team in the tournament, and earning with it the bye directly into the quarterfinals. However, any jubilation about that result was extremely short lived, as the team soon found out their reward would be a third battle with an all too familiar foe.

Banija.

Cassadagan organisers chose not to take a page from the Delaclav playbook and rearrange the matchups to avoid a third meeting between the two groupmates, so the Stars will get a third shot at Banija. Including the match between the Stars and Banija in the Moravica Invitational prior to the World Lacrosse Championships, and it will mark the fourth meeting between Sarzonia and Banija.

"We're very familiar with them," Whitlock said, stating the obvious. It's important to them to get off to a strong start and it's going to be important to us to improve our performance in faceoffs."

To a player, the Stars agreed, especially faceoff specialist Jon Austin, who said he let the rest of his teammates down with his poor performance at the X against Banija.

However, goalie Marla Wynne said she was confident the Stars would make up for any potential lack of effort or desire against their newfound archrivals.

"The stakes are much higher now," she said. "When we faced them at Braddock, we were gunning for the group title and a more favourable position in the knockout rounds. Now that we're in the knockout rounds, we're fighting for a chance to show back up on the medal stand."

She didn't say it in so many words, but her knowing glance at the veteran lacrosse reporter asking the question made crystal clear what her meaning was. Where we belong. It wasn't intended as a statement of arrogance or entitlement. It was merely an expression of intent to return the Stars to their familiar place among the elite lacrosse playing nations of the multiverse. A place previous Stars teams earned by winning five World Lacrosse Championships in six trips to the finals. A place previous Stars teams earned by appearing on the medal stand more than any other country save Cosumar even now. A place Sarzonia earned through hosting multiple World Lacrosse Championships and the Sarzonian Lacrosse Federation hoped to earn by seeking the presidency of the World Lacrosse Council.

The landscape of lacrosse had changed significantly from the olden days when Sarzonia were clearly head and shoulders above every other country that plied its trade on the lacrosse pitches of the multiverse. More than just a couple of countries challenged Sarzonian supremacy now. There were several countries now that had a psychological advantage against the Stars, a position that Sarzonian lacrosse was not familiar with. They were the ones used to holding that edge. They were the country that short circuited another lacrosse-playing wunderkind's potential to join Sarzonia at the top of the mountain. They were the country that still had the five gold medals.

Now the Stars had learned the hard way that getting their sixth title was much, much tougher than anything they'd tried since their return. That alone would ensure that if the Stars somehow pulled off three straight knockout round victories, beginning with slaying a huge orange hued ghost of the present, they would appreciate this title more than even the first time the Stars earned the glittery of gold around their necks.

Navy against orange. The Group 3 champions with a rematch against the runners up. A fourth different meeting between the Stars and Banija.

Writers were almost as drunk with story angles and prose as the players and one fortunate office worker got at the local bar near the stadium.

by **Bolgano** » Tue Mar 10, 2020 5:33 pm

Came the day! Bolgano goes round for the first time in its history.
They will face Baker Park in the preliminary round

Brattleboro, Cassadaigua
A long-awaited day for Lacrosse arrived in Bolgano, after the defeat against St. Saratoga and that historic victory against Qasden plus the last game against Joyea, I leave the national team with a 4-2 record being enough to advance round in WLC 33, now it is added that a team that also classified and played against Abanhfletf, the last champions, will be played in Cassadaigua, our record against Baker Park is 0-2 against, we play twice before them in WLC 31, although not we managed to beat them in their tournament, they had a home advantage but now it will be a neutral field game, Baker Park's performance was equal to ours with a 4-2 but they had a better goal differential, depending on how we both play we will meet the winner in a game "closed"

Watching other matches, we have with our game the confrontation between Wrexwic and Cheergirls, clearly the favorites are Wrexwic, although this was not a tournament to remember them, although their record was 4-2, they were second behind Cassadaigua, Wrexwic had a stumble where beating Cheergirls may be the most encouraging, Cheergirls had the worst record among the 4 teams in this round, although I say the worst does not mean it was bad, a 3-3 and qualifying in the last game against Union of Quincy defeating them by 5-15 of visitors, the winner of this duel will face St. Saratoga, in the other 2 duels already confirmed in the next round, the Quarter-Finals, Banija and Sarzonia, again, the results both teams gave him the opportunity to meet again for the third time in this edition, Banija won the last 2 duels where they clearly paint as favorites, although the stars never give up, we can see that this will be one of the du The most interesting in the Quarter-Finals, we close with the last confrontation of the Quarter-Finals, Cassadaigua and Abanhfletf, we mentioned it before, Cassadaigua finished 6-0 and the hosts have 100% victories and with that they must take advantage of getting the classification to the semifinals, which is not impossible, but it is difficult, why? Abanhfletf are the current champions and they are proving it very correct, he lost only one game against Baker Park, our rivals, it was 3-9 the result, obviously it is the most closed game since the hosts and the current champions is always an interesting duel, especially when both teams are of high level, we hope the results, 2 days from Bolgano - Baker Park in Battleboro, we wish them the best for the remaining 10 teams.

by **Banija** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:59 am

Kizza I Field, morning after Matchday 6

Bala Ogunsola had just arrived at the home and heart of Banijan lacrosse. After three straight away days, it had felt nice to be back in Banija. With the team earning a bye from the Preliminary Rounds, there was no need to get to Cassadaigua right away. While they'd need to get there early, of course, to adjust to the time zones, it wasn't like they needed to be there immediately. With the bye, Ogunsola had thought his players had earned the day off. He told players there would not be practice today- he didn't want to overstress them, or overwork them. These World Lacrosse Championships were an important one to the Banijan lacrosse community, and he wanted to be sure that he got this one right. Plus, anyways, he had a meeting with his own bosses- the men who ran the Lacrosse Division of the Olympic Committee of Banija.

The pressure on him from within the community was immense. The Banijans had long felt that they were deserving of more success in this tournament than they had had to this point. Many Banijans had felt that there's no way their lack of success was disgraceful. But Ogunsola had done things that Banijans hadn't done in a while. He had won the group off of home soil for the first time since the 25th edition of this tournament. Heck, when he got here, he had to pick a team with absolutely zero international caps. And yet, he had done his job well. WLC 30, with the team essentially restarting, they did not do much and were easily and quickly eliminated, but he thought it was fine- his team had built good building block.

The World Lacrosse Championships in Baker Park were easily the team's best chance to come home with silverware. They were strong, beating good teams, but yet, could not get over the hump of the semifinals- getting a bronze medal. But still, that was a good tournament. And after the disappointment of the last tournament, this team had come out strong in this cycle. Dating back to the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational, the Banijan national team had won 9 games in a row in international lacrosse- a strong record. Much credit, of course, given to Ogunsola. But it's hard to prepare for the knockout stages. The closest thing they've had to a knockout stage match, was when a 2-0 Banija met a 2-0 Baker Park in the final game of the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational. and the Banijans pulled off a 2-0. It had a championship feel to it. Their game in Woodstock, on Matchday 4, had a big game feel to it as well. Helped by an incredible atmosphere put on by Sarzonian fans. The Banijans triumphed then too.

But this was a challenge he'd face unlike any other. Being asked to beat the same team four times in a row in the same cycle? It was a near impossible task. Not a team with the size and stature of Sarzonia. He remembered his reaction when he found out that Abanhfleft lost- cursing loudly in the locker room, just a couple of hours after the Banijan game. And now, he was talking with his coaching staff. "Gosh damnit." He told the Division's Executive Vice President when he walked in the room. Informal? Yes, but they got along very well. "Sarzonia again? We've had three great games against them, three close games- and the games are getting closer and closer. They're gonna beat us eventually."

"Well, let's hope that day isn't next week in Grande Mountain." The Executive Vice President replied. "Hell, plus- every sport needs a good rivalry. The animosity is still there with Abanhfleft, and of course, it's Abanhfleft who got us into this mess in the first place. But when was the last time we played them in lacrosse? Establishing a rival closer to home is good, is fresh. Just look at ratings!" And the Executive Vice President(EVP) was not wrong. TV and Radio ratings for Matchday 4's game in Woodstock were the highest for any Banijan match at the World Lacrosse Championships since their WLC 31 Semifinal loss, six years ago. In sports, familiarity breeds animosity, which breeds contempt. The stakes for their games have progressively grown. Not that high in the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational, higher in the opener of WLC 33, much higher in Woodstock on Matchday 4, and now, at their highest with this quarterfinal.

"This is the chance to put the sport in the spotlight in this country." The EVP continued. "Embrace it! Rivalries are a good thing. It'll help us sell out our batch of tickets for the Quarterfinal. It'll probably be the most anticipated WLC Quarterfinal in quite a while, to be honest- this is a match that could be a Final."

"And hey," Ogunsola replied. "You know what this means- they absolutely have to respect us. But here's the problem- if they eliminate us in a quarterfinal, nobody will remember the wins in Herzegovina City, or the win in Woodstock. What will be remembered? Strictly, the fact that they eliminated us en route to medaling for the first time in who knows how long." And the head coach was right. The Banijans had garnered respect from Sarzonia, who historically was the pre-eminent power in this sport. But yet, the second point proved true. A Banijan win would be huge for the country's psyche in this sport. But a win for Sarzonia would be almost storybook, a defining part of their rise. Banija had already been 'that' vanquished team in the stories of so many teams in this sport- Abanhfleft repeatedly knocking Banija around in WLC 22 and WLC 25, Cosumar beating us in the WLC 21 Final for their second straight title, and heck, we were already in Sarzonia's long-term story, us being the first team they beat in the knockout stages in their return to lacrosse, in WLC 30, also in, you guessed it, Cassadaigua. Ogunsola's goal was no longer for Banija to be part of somebody else's narrative- it was for Banija to be writing the story of the World Lacrosse Championships.

He went and began to watch film, after his meeting. He would try to find something to change in his game-plan to beat Sarzonia once again. To do this, he'd need to dig deep. It's why they were paying him, right? Be creative, do whatever it takes, to ensure that Banija's story of the 33rd World Lacrosse Championships would not have its final chapter written in Grande Mountain.

by **Vangaziland** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:09 pm

Vangaziland Steals First Seed

The Vangaziland Royals did not start the season looking as if they would be the first seed. After Game 3, they were the 3rd seed with a +19 goal differential. The Royals had a strong second half, scoring 52 goals in games 4-6. Vangaziland also stepped up it's defense, allowing only 18 goals in the last three games. This led to a +53 goal differential at the end of the group stage.

"I give a lot of credit to our defense", said Coach Larry Hootsen. "We spoke a lot about what I expected from them, in practice. About what Vangaziland expected from them. The country. The Empire. They stepped up to get us here. There's still a long way to go."

"There are some really good teams in this round", said defenseman Wilhelmina Steinbeck. The 6'4 woman is usually seen as the enforcer and backbone of Vangaziland's back three. She plays the center position and is known for her speed and shoulder checks. "Vangaziland has fallen out of the big game so regularly since we won our title. We need to get there and keep pressure up." Steinbeck made a big tackle against the Union of Quincy in Game 5.

UoC had kept things fairly close until a tough tackle from Steinbeck brought the team's stat attackman down hard. The hit led to a Vannish goal which turned into an 8-3 run. It was hard for their opponents to come back, leading to a 21-9 victory. Big Scott McLaughlin was the offensive star for Game 5. The 5'6, 200 lbs. attackman made himself a threat from behind the net with sneaky play.

"It was all about the X", Scott said about the term Vangaziland uses for behind the net play. He scored 6 goals and had 2 assists.

"We know we played well when we spread the ball around and get lots of shots", said Coach Hootsen. "Today things just seemed to go in." Other top scorers were Stella Dahl with 4 goals and Taye James with 3. Rico Wikström had two goals and 4 assists. He is known as a major facilitator, one who helps move the ball, call plays and get others into good position to score. Stevie Williams, Derrick Kensite and Sam Perry each added 2 goals from the bench.

"I always try to make my impact with my playing time", said Sam Perry. "I'd love to start and get that credit. Lacrosse is a game where lines off the bench mean just as much as those who start. We need to keep the tempo up when we get on the field."

Game 6 also went the way of the Royals, with VNG winning 17-6 against Soldera. This time Taye James found himself leading all scorers with 5 goals. "My speed helped me out today. I think it was a bit much for those set to guard me. Maybe the defense could have adapted better. They still showed a lot of heart."

This was another big defensive game for the Vangazi to close out. "We're a unit", defenseman Gary Keef said about the back line. "We take pride in what we do. We aren't the best ranked defensive outfit, but we play as if we are. It all comes down to heart. We wanted this spot going into the postseason.

James Brick added 4 goals from attack. This time the Royals utilized lots of cross attack cuts, another Vannish offensive tradition. There was less time at X, but Scott McLaughlin added 3 goals and 2 assists. Lizzie Borhanson joined the scorer's table with 2 goals. Troy Ingalsbe also scored 2, both from limited time off the bench.

Defenseman Avery Tantskii scored a goal in a 'middie back' fast break. Stella Dahl stayed back on defense after Avery got the drop on his defender and took off with the long stick. He flipped it to Rico but kept running upfield. He found himself with space, since the defenders doubted his shot with the long stick. Avery stepped up off a Borhanson pass to rocket a shot into the lower left corner.

"It felt great to contribute to both sides of the field", Tantskii said. "Coach isn't thrilled about my tendency to do that, but hey. The shot went in."

"The team is feeling motivated for the playoffs", said Coach Hootsen. "Let's see where the chips fall."

World Cup 81/82/83/84

BP Laxxers advance, will play-off to face top seed
by Sandra Gerrard
The Post Staff Correspondent

Brattleboro, Cassadaigua--The National Lacrosse Team are preparing here ahead of their opening knockout stage match at the 33rd World Championships, where they will face Bolgano at the Five Star Mobile Stadium.

It took a strong second half in qualifying to achieve a spot in the playoff round, including a final day win against defending champions Abanhfleft; the victory also shook up the seeding, forcing the Fleftics into a difficult matchup with the hosts and setting up a third meeting between Banija and Sarzonia.

As for the immediate opponent, this will mark the third meeting of the sides, both coming in the group stage of WLC XXI. This will be the first appearance in the knockout stage for Bolgano, who lost only to St Saratoga in Group 5, and had the fifth best offense through the tournament, scoring 73 goals.

Head Coach Rob Petruccelli is looking for the team to build upon it's three game winning streak, made possible by a more consistent attack as well as cutting down on number of penalties committed, which was a problem in the losses to Havynwilde and Abanhfleft.

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Mar 12, 2020 5:07 pm

Preliminary Round:
Wrexwic 11–9 Cheergirls
Baker Park 15–12 Bolgano

2nd Round: (Scorinated Friday)- Straight seeding, so rematches can happen
(1) Vangaziland vs (8) Baker Park @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland
(4) Cassadaigua vs (5) Abanhfleft @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
(3) Banija vs (6) Sarzonia @ Peak'n'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain
(2) St. Saratoga vs (7) Wrexwic @ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville

World Lacrosse Championships 33- Everything (Final Posted)

Saints continue to roll in Group 5

Saints defense shows up to improve to 3-0

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