World Lacrosse Championships 33- Everything (Final Posted)

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia's national lacrosse team enjoyed the break afforded them by the schedule.

Instead of facing a Baker Park or, even worse, Wrexwic just two days after the group stage finale, the Stars were watching four teams battle for the right to advance to the quarterfinals.

Of the six teams to earn that extra day of rest, the Stars were the only side that didn't celebrate a group title. Despite losing twice to their upcoming opponents Banija, the Stars had the best goal differential and were level for the best record among the group runners up.

Regardless, the Stars had an extra day to prepare for their group rivals. Faceoff specialist Jon Austin spent aa lottt oof time working on his technique at the X. At Coach Carter Whitlock's behest, he also spent time scooping up ground balls in the last team scrimmage before the fourth meeting between Sarzonia and Banija.

Goalkeeper Marla Wynne joked with her starting defence that the Stars were so familiar with Banija that they didn't need to look at film or even practice, but Whitlock wasn't going to leave anything to chance. They had too much to play for. A sixth title. Vindication for Whitlock and these players. The fans.

No player wanted to be the one to tell their friend they let him down. No one wanted to leave a microgram of effort unspent, only to come up short. No one wanted the questions about Whitlock to be asked again. Like how a great player could relate to a player who struggled to earn a spot on the bench.

The team's lack of a title in this return to lacrosse warranted the questions, as much as the team hated that inconvenient truth. It was a line of questioning that could only be dispelled by a different voice or by a world championship. The players all knew that.

For the Stars to turn back the clock to the halcyon days of their five titles, they knew they had to commit every measure of devotion.

"We know Banija's gonna bring it," attackman Matt Archer said. "We gotta do even more."

[Wrexwic]

Wrexwic Wasps Lacrosse



Head Coach: Jacob Daly
Assistant Coach: Kenton Pipps
Personal Trainer: Karl Ljungberg

Starting
G - #7 - Keyon Sowley - 5'11 -170 lbs (Quick Reactions)
D - #30 - Joe Lawrence - 6'1 - 200 lbs
D - #33 - Lamar Jameson - 6'3 - 205 lbs (Tackling Power)
D - #32 - Kenton Pipps - 6'2 - 200 lbs
M - #20 - Wayan Tyrill - 5'4 - 160 lbs (Speed)
M - #24 - Ollie Jacobsson - 6'1 - 190 lbs
M - #23 - Jaye Lindblom - 5'11 - 170 lbs
A - #10 - Darrian Webb -5'11 - 178 lbs
A - #15 - Deon McNight - 6'0 - 182 lbs
A - #8 - Glover Webb - 6'2 - 175 lbs (Shot Power)(Captain)

Reserve
G - #1 Raynard Eaton- 5'9 168 lbs

D - #35 - Eddie Larssen - 6'2 - 200 lbs (Enforcer)
D - #34 - Matt Jorstad - 6'0 - 204 lbs
D - #38 - Anton Bentson - 5'9 - 171 lbs

M - #21 - Calvin Slaughter - 5'10 - 170 lbs
M - #27 - Jarrick Craddock - 5'9 - 172 lbs
M - #22 - Kasen Palmer - 6'0 - 180 lbs

A - #12 - Glenn Agle - 5'9 - 170 lbs (Speed)
A - #18 - Raymond Brekke - 5'11 - 175 lbs

Home Stadium: Strawbridge Stadium
Capacity: 30,000
Location: Southline, Wrexwic

[Vangaziland]

Royals Watch Wasps Game

Many of the Vangaziland Royals National Lacrosse Team athletes traveled to watch Wrexwic play Cheergirls. It was a preliminary match with major playoff implications. The match would receive lots of media coverage in Vangaziland and her satellites. One reason for this was the fact that Vangaziland had an off day. A great deal of the Vannish fanbase tuned in to watch a potential cross-channel rival in Wrexwic fight to advance.

"It's great being on the other side of the stands", said Lizzie Borhanson. "I'm not sure if Wrexwic will make it too far this year." She later doubled back from her statement saying, "I'm not trying to be controversial. I just think their armor isn't quite as polished."

Some saw her statement as a knock against the Wrexish defense. While the Royals are a heavily offensive team, Wrexwic is known for it's defense.

"The reason Wrexwic defense faces criticism", said defensemen Wilhelmina Steinbeck. "Is because our line does more with less. It's not just that we allowed one less goal than them. Our score lines show we have tighter control of our games." Steinbeck could be seen drinking local beer. On one occasion she shouted loudly in support of the Wrexish defense. She could also be heard criticizing the referees for several penalty calls.

The game between Wrexwic and Cheergirls took off to a sluggish start. Both teams went back and forth in runs. Glover Webb opened things up with two goals. The Cheergirls put together 3 quick goals from there. Wrexwic looked caught off guard. That was until they stepped up their intensity in midfield coverage.

Defense also switched from man to zone, setting up in a more tactical formation. This turned the tide slowly towards Vangaziland's favor. "It started to seem as if Wrexwic scored two or three, just for Cassadaigua to score one or two", said Vannish Attackman Samuel Perry. Perry's role on the bench has been integral to early Vannish success.

"I'd love a start", Perry continued. "If nothing else, my day will come in the future. This is a time for me to learn from the veterans and improve my game."

Wrexwic found themselves down by 3 with 6 minutes remaining. Moving from plays based more towards a large set of passes and tactical movement, Wrexwic pushed more towards fast break runs. Wayan Tyrill scored two goals back-to-back. The 5'4 midfielder got heavy into his cradle and shook off several stick checks and a body blow or two on the way to cap off what was now a 5 goal performance.

"A lot of bigger, or taller defenders get the drop step on me enough to force me to pass usually", Tyrill said. "I felt more like a powerback today. But you know, I can always be effective."

Glover Webb would finish with 3 goals. His final goal was the last of the match, cutting from behind the net into a Tyrill pass. Jacobsson, Lindblom and McNight each added a single goal. "It was a kick to play a game for the Vangazi", McNight sarcastically told reporters. "I hope they were entertained. Just like they'll be when we progress farther than them in this tournament. They can watch us then too."

Vannish defenseman Gary Reef downplayed the words saying, "He's just trying to keep his team relevant."

He continued at the post game press conference when questioned on them. "I hope we get to topple Wrexwic again. We need to stamp our authority on the Empire."

[Banija]

Banija v. Sarzonia- A History


A Banijan player celebrates a goal in the group stages of the 33rd World Lacrosse Championships

GRANDE MOUNTAIN, CASSADAIGUA- Sarzonia has a much, much longer history playing here at the highest level of international lacrosse than we do. The five titles and the silver medal added to that makes that much obvious to the clearest observer. But their return to the sport has seen us intersect with them in more ways than one, in more ways than what you'd expect. We've played them a lot recently, even in other sports- namely, and only, soccer. We played them twice in AOCAF LIX, even though they sent their U21 team to the major tournament. We also played them in World Cup 84 Qualifying, where the Banijans beat them twice, once in Woodstock and once in Banija, en route to our Quarterfinals berth.

Of course, both teams are very far from each other in that sport- the Banijans find themselves in the Top 10, and Sarzonia just started its return. But our paths intersect greatly in this sport, lacrosse, and this group stage, alongside this quarterfinal matchup, have the makings of a strong rivalry in this sport for the Kingdom of Banija. Let's go all the way back to the 29th World Lacrosse Championships. Now, the Banijans and Sarzonians did not meet on the field in this tournament. However, this tournament marked Sarzonia's long-awaited return to the World Lacrosse Championships. And they were excellent, going 4-0 in all four games played in Banija. Of course, this is much more famous in Banija for being known as the only edition of this tournament where we were knocked out in the group stages. But they went 4-0, earning a top seed, and then were promptly upset, 9 goals to 1, in the first knockout round. The talent was there- but they weren't quite ready. That knockout game, of course, was also played in Banija.

And then, naturally, came the 30th World Lacrosse Championships. The 12 game group stage was a long one, and a taxing one, and an entertaining one- the Banijan national team, completely replaced from top to bottom after the WLC 29 debacle, was able to make it, just barely, to the knockout stages. And who did we play? None other than the Stars of Sarzonia, right here in Cassadaigua. In fact, we played them in the exact same stadium that we will play them in tonight- at Peak’n’Break Stadium in Grande Mountain(though of course, back in WLC 30, the name was not sponsored, and it was just called Grande Mountain Stadium). The two teams battled to the very death, with the Stars overturning a 9-8 deficit in the final minute, scoring the equalizer with 46 seconds and scoring the game winner with just 11 seconds left on the clock. A stunning loss for the Banijans, that one was.

But that's what makes a rivalry, right? Great finishes, dramatic finishes, when the stakes are high. And can you have higher stakes in this sport than the knockout stages of the World Lacrosse Championships? And of course, the Banijans have tried to deliver their vengeance for that matchup, all in this cycle. We won at the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational shortly before the tournament started, and then we beat them twice in the group stages of this tournament, defeating the Stars both at Kizza I Field and in Woodstock, at Franz Braddock in front of around 35,000. You would have thought that would be the last time these teams would face, but no- Banija's original rival in lacrosse, Abanhfleft, messed it all up when they lost on Matchday 6. It bumped Banija up a spot, and we are now playing Sarzonia.

Ogunsola, Banija's head coach, repeatedly told reporters that he wasn't worried about the opponent. "If you're in the quarterfinals of this tournament, all the opponents are tough- there's no such thing as a 'preferred' draw this deep into the Championships. Trying to beat the same team three times in the tournament is extremely tough, but we'll come at them in new ways, in different ways- we're doomed if nothing changes, and we'll have wrinkles out there." But many are deeming this to be a big match. Players are talking about how they want Sarzonia for a third time. Fans are talking about how they are equating Sarzonia with Abanhfleft in terms of Banijan lacrosse rivalries. It's a quarterfinal, so it's a big game. But the fact that it's Sarzonia who is the opponent? Regional rival, team with a lot of familiarity, who eliminated Banija in such heartbreaking fashion just a few tournaments ago? The fact that it's at the exact same stadium as their WLC 30 game is just another added bonus.

We've been trying to climb this mountain for too long. This team can't play with fear. Don't let anyone get in your way in your march to the top. Don't feel the nerves, don't feel the occasion- if these players can focus solely on the task ahead of them, then this team can do what it takes to put Sarzonia's chase for six to rest, at least for this tournament, and earn a trip to the semifinals.

[Cassadaigua]

Quarterfinals:

@ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland
Vangaziland 12-10 Baker Park

@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
Cassadaigua 8-7 Abanhfleft (3rd Party Scorination provided by Zwangzug)

@ Peak'n'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain
Banija 11-13 Sarzonia

@ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville
St. Saratoga 15-9 Wrexwic

Semifinals:
(1) Vangaziland vs (4) Cassadaigua @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
(2) St. Saratoga vs (6) Sarzonia @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro

[Sarzonia]

With just over two minutes to go in the quarterfinal matchup between Banija and Sarzonia, the Navy and Silver were trailing 11-10 and faceoff specialist Jon Austin limped to the X.

He suffered a contusion on his left knee, forcing Manager Carter Whitlock to turn to a rookie at the X. Clyde Rossiter won three of eight draws before Austin convinced Whitlock to send him back out there in a desperate attempt to regain momentum.

Austin managed to force a faceoff violation against the Banijan FOGO and found Brett Hedrick streaking down the left side of the pitch. He fired a shot falling to the ground with a burly defender draped over him and somehow scored the equaliser as the fourth quarter clock just slipped under two minutes remaining.

The goal not only leveled the score at 11, it breathed new life into a team that was beginning to hang their heads as visions of heartbreaking fourth loss to Banija began to creep into their heads. Austin walked back to the X still slightly favouring his knee, then used a slightly stand up style instead of the more popular stance on one knee. At the referee's whistle, Austin won another faceoff, then passed the ball to a middle and ran off. Soon, Hedrick hit paydirt once again and gave the Stars a 12-11 lead with 73 ticks left.

Austin went back out for the draw, won it, then rushed into the offensive end. He saw attack Matt Archer just barely open and rifled a pass to the burly player. Archer barreled his way through the defence and bounced a shot between the legs of the Banijan goalieas the clock ticked down to 17 seconds.

Austin lost the next draw and hobbled off but the Stars weathered a desperate shot attempt from the Banijans and rushed the pitch in exultation as the final whistle sounded. The Stars finally defeated Banija for the first time in four tries in this cycle. More importantly, they did so by never giving up. They did it when the stakes were highest.

The Stars made a statement with the victory, dealing Banija their lone defeat of these World Lacrosse Championships. They will face the second seeded St. Saratoga, which just sent home another Stars archrival Wrexwic home with a 15-9 win.

Top seed Vangaziland had a tough 12-10 victory over Baker Park while host Cassadaigua edged out defending champion Abanhfleft 8-7 to set up the other semifinal.

The time to prepare for their outing as the remaining underdog would dawn quickly for these plucky Stars, but for one night, they could look back at this match as being one that saw them slay a large demon. And, quite possibly add some spice to a rivalry that was suddenly much less one-sided.

[St Saratoga]

OOC: Remember when I said I was going to a conference in DC? Well..... also stopped by the House and Senate office buildings which included being in proximity of a few Congresspeople whooooooooo self-quarantined a few days later (Thanks Rep. Doug Collins and Sen. Maria Cantwell/Staff) so feel free to enjoy Saints Lacrosse, Self-Quarantine Edition!

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

Saints Top Wrexwic In Top 5 Quarterfinal Clash

Cost: K$ 1.50

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WLC 33 -- The (3) St Saratoga Saints, lead by forward Mickey Wright, squash (4) Wrexwic Wasps in the Quarterfinals of the World Lacrosse Classic 33. Clear way to a semi-final battle against the (6) Sarzonia at Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro.

With the Saints clinching Group 5 and receiving the 2nd seed plus a first round bye. With having the bye round, the Saint held practice nearly every day lead by the captains. Working on all part of their game as they prepared for whoever their quarterfinals opponent turned out to be. On the match day of the Preliminary Round, The Saints elected to go to a local pub in Brattleboro and watch the games, much to the displeasure of some opposing team fans. The Saints internally were pretty divided but the biggest cheering always came for a Bolgano goal.

The Saratogan's also watched the Wrexwic Vs Cheergirl matchup knowning they would be taking the field against one of the two. It was an intense match up between the two teams. This match would also get the attention of another bye week team. The Vangaziland Royal traveled to Dagan Airways Stadium to watch the Wrexwic/Cheergirl match up. The Vannish national team was keen to rematch against Wrexwic, Vannish defenseman Gary Reef controversially said about the Wasps, "He's just trying to keep his team relevant." after some interesting comments coming from Wrexwic's McNight.

Wrexwic would top Cheergirl after a last minute comeback which had the Saints riled in the pub, the crowd in the room ate it up. Wayan Tyrill would be the player to secure the sixth seed team to a quarterfinal appearance against the Saints. The Vannish would take on WLC 31 host Baker Park, to their teams disappointment.

Coming into the Quarterfinals, the Saints canceled morning practice. Instead the Saints attended a religious ceremony by His Holiness, High Saint Gregory the X. St Saratoga is home to Providence (similar to Roman Catholic) which has strong ties to Saratogans after its near obliteration by the Gresk Empire's genocide against religious people. This would led to a civil war, lead by Saint Martin Saratoga, which would establish the country of St Saratoga, the name not chosen by Saint Martin. "Our faith is in our blood, faith is what it means to be Saratogan and we use our faith to keep pushing." Defensemen Henry Clark would stat when asked during the pre-game press conference.

The Saints would take the field against Wrexwic dawning their all-pink uniforms. It's a tradition for all Saratogan national teams to dawn all-pink uniforms for one match per international tournaments. The team takes its cut of the revenue, as well as matches any donates 2:1, and donates it to cancer related-medical expenses patients within the hosting nation. The Saints would start the same roster with Mickey Wright and Dominic Fitzgerald leading the offense. The midfielders and defense would include Luke Lee and Riley Archer who is having a personal record breaking appearance. The goal would be tended by Saints prodigy Alexander Atkins who is averaging around 8 goals allowed a game.

The Wrexix Wasps would be coming off of a big win against Cheergirl, remaining in the tournament against the beats of certain Vannish players. The Waps own the series with the Saints after an 11 to 9 win against the Saints in World Lacrosse Classes 30. That loss would eliminate the Saints from any sort of elimination stage-appearance. The Wasps would emerge from a loopsided Group 5 shared by host (9) Cassadaigua, (24) Terre Septentrionale and (48) HUElavia. The Wasps would finish 2nd in Group 5 after getting upset in both appearances against Cassadaigua. The Wasps would dawn yellow and green uniforms.

The Wasps would dominate early. The Saints, even with being more rested looked slow to start as they would lose six straight draws. The Wasps would sink 2 goals pretty early with Atkins putting up little resistance. Head Coach Toivonen would not be having it, letting his captains know it on the sidelines. The Saints would response soon after with a slick tick-tac-toe goal by Mickey Wright, assisted by quiet Zak Boyles and setup by defensive star Archer Riley. The Wasps would sting back with two more goals making it 2-4 approaching halftime. The Saints would wake up, setting up a couple good offensive, peppering pushes which Wrexwic Goaltendy Keyon Sowley showing some good, quick flashes but allow three by the time half-time blew. The score would start 5-4 for the third.

Coming into the second half, the Saints had made some adjustments in their play. The defense and midfielders would be playing higher up, serving as the setup guys for the forwards to let'em have it. Saints Riley, Josh Davies, Josh Barber and Bailey Curtis would all rack up assists as Fitzgerald, Wilkens and Wright would just ruin the Wasps day. The Saints would pull away with the score at the half of the second half being 12 to 7. The Wasps would put up a fight in the last few minutes as they sink two goals past visibly frustrated Atkins before being finished off by Wright and Freddie Jones goals to have the final score being 15 to 9. Defeated, the Wasps would head back to the locker room as the Saints celebrated in the background.

"We started out slow, we should have practiced a little this morning but we got it together. They were really letting us have it before the half through. We got get going early and stay going, we are not a 60 minute team and that is going to cost us." - stated five goal scorer Mickey Wright. Fitzgerald would rack up three goals and the Saints defense would combine for 6 assists.

The WLC 33 Quarterfinals did not fail to be entertaining. Over in Dagan Airway Stadium, top seed (9) Vangaziland would advance to the semi-finals after tight game against 8th seed (T-6) Baker Park with a final score of 12-10. Third seed (T-6) Banija would be upset against sixth seed (12) Sarzonia for the first of two upsets of the stage. The biggest upset of the day would be forth seed (9) Cassadaigua toppling fifth seed (1) Abanhfleft to shock the lacrosse world after 8-7 final score. These results would setup an exciting, David vs Goliath type semi-finals. The final scores and semi-finals match up are below:

Quarterfinals:

@ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland 
Vangaziland 12-10 Baker Park

@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
Cassadaigua 8-7 Abanhfleft   (3rd Party Scorination provided by Zwangzug)

@ Peak'n'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain
Banija 11-13 Sarzonia 

@ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville
St. Saratoga 15-9 Wrexwic 

Semifinals:
(1) Vangaziland vs (4) Cassadaigua  @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
(2) St. Saratoga vs (6) Sarzonia @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro

This would be the third Semi-Final appearance of the Saints. The Saints will be taking on level-headed, balanced sixth seed Sarizonia who are coached by the great Carter Whitlock. Whitlock has five world lacrosse championships and is a member of the Sarizonia Hall of Fame, would be a member of the WLC Hall of Fame if it existed. The Saints have some history as they have never been able to defeat Sarzonia in the world lacrosse classic. Those Saints who played against Sarzonia back in WLC 30 have that in the back of their minds as they prepare. The other semi-final match is first seed Vangaziland vs forth seed Cassadaigua at Dagan Airways Stadium. Both teams are experienced in WLC elimination series which sets the stage for an exciting semi-finals and final competitions.

Elimination Stage Schedule:
Semi-Finals: Saints Vs Sarizonia 
3rd Place: Vangaziland/Cassadaigua Vs Saints/Sarzonia
Finals: Vangaziland/Cassadaigua Vs Saints/Sarzonia

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Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Rogerbei Times - Sports

[Cassadaigua]

Semifinal Results:
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
Vangaziland 4-8 Cassadaigua (3rd Party Scorination provided by Equestrian States)

@ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro
St. Saratoga 13-12 Sarzonia


3rd Place Match- @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro (Scorinated Sunday)
Vangaziland vs Sarzonia

Championship @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights (Scorinated Monday)
Cassadaigua vs St. Saratoga

[Cassadaigua]

3rd Place Match- @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro
Vangaziland 8-15 Sarzonia

[Cassadaigua]

Cinderellas Doing Damage,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Fresh off the heels of the hockey team winning the 39th World Cup of Hockey, the lacrosse team has been on home turf and is now only one win away from becoming the first Cassadagan team to ever win a championship in a toournament we hosted. It has been a Cinderella run, with the team pulling off several close victories over the course of the group stage that saw them actually never lose. That has continued into the knockouts, where they were able to beat Abanhfleft, the same nation that just defeated in the finals of the World Cup of Hockey, and then knock off Vangaziland in the semifinals. They weren’t the favorite, but like the hockey team, they also would not really be considered an underdog or a longshot, either. They would just not be one of the teams commonly predicted to win the title, even if it meant playing at home.

The group stage began with the nation placing itself in pot 2, which the Banijan press noted as being a little unorthodox. Yeah, it is, but it’s been Cassadagan tradition in tournaments like this to not put ourselves in the first pot unless we had earned it by virtue of our rank. The Fillies had a tough groupmate in Wrexwic, but knocked them off both times Midfielder Katie Stewart, the captain of the team, told us, “You look at how things went for us in the group stage, and there were a few games that could have gone either way. (11-10 win over Wrexwic, 11-10 overtime win over HUElavia, 10-9 win over Terre Septentrionale) We pulled them out, and I think that just made us stronger and more confident.” The team pulled off another one goal win in the quarters, 8-7 over Abanhfleft, before the 8-4 win over Vangaziland. That is a testament to this team. While they a perfect 8-0 this campaign, four of their eight wins have been one goal wins. “Not doing it the easy way, that is for sure,” Stewart told me.

Things aligned a bit for the Fillies, too, don’t get me wrong. Sarzonia and Banija were two of the three most active nations when it came to fan support and overall media interest for this tournament, the other being St. Saratoga, but they spent so much time beating each other up, with three overall meetings, and Cassadaigua was clear of them. They have also been clear of St. Saratoga. Until now, anyway.

The Saints have been playing excellent lacrosse, and routed Wrexwic in the quarterfinals before knocking off the Stars of Sarzonia with a one goal win of their own. William Toivonen has put together an excellent roster, with a clear agenda of winning their second WLC in three tournaments. They are the only obstacle left, but this a big one. Cassadaigua may have defeated Abanhfleft and Vangaziland to get here, but neither of those teams had ever seemed as strong as the Saints this year. Maybe the home crowd will be enough. We are long overdue to finally win a tournament that we hosted, but St. Saratoga is a very formidable foe. The Fillies must be at their best.

[Sarzonia]

Time will tell if the questions resume for the Sarzonian national lacrosse team after a 13-12 semifinal defeat against currently undefeated St. Saratoga, even though the Stars battled back and forth against one of the current juggernauts of the sport, only just falling short of a six-goal comeback in the fourth quarter after starting the frame trailing 13-7.

The groans from the many navy-clad Stars supporters when Clyde Rossiter jogged out to the X for a faceoff with 51 seconds left were palpable, but Carter Whitlock had no choice. Starting FOGO Jon Austin suffered a hyperextended knee and was physically unable to get out to the pitch.

Rossiter won the draw and fired a blistering pass to Brett Hedrick, who had found a seam in the St. Saratoga defence. He fired a shot that went just wide and was fortunate enough to see Matt Archer win the race to the end line, allowing Sarzonia to retain possession. However, the defence stiffened and prevented all but an awkward, off balance bid that had no chance of equalising the contest.

That left the question of how motivated a bitterly disappointed Stars team would be in a battle against Vangaziland for third place.

The answer: Extremely motivated. The Stars played like a team that was desperate to show they belonged on the medal stand once again, jumping out to a 4-0 lead nine minutes into the first quarter. They would lead 5-1 after one and 8-2 at halftime.

The team played one of its best all around games against a shellshocked Vannish team that only rallied for four fourth quarter goals after the Stars had long since put the competitive portion of the match to bed.

It wasn't the match the Stars wanted to win, but it was a return to the medal stand and it leveled the Stars with Cosumar once again for the most overall medals in lacrosse history.

Perhaps that fact might quell the scrutiny after all.

[St Saratoga]

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

Saints Advance to WLC 33 Championship

Cost: K$ 1.50

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WLC 33 -- The St Saratoga Saints are making their second consecutive appearance in the World Lacrosse Classic Championship game. The Saints are coming off of a narrow win over

The last time the Saints won the championship was World Lacrosse Classic 31 which they defeated West Pheonica in an over-time 15 to 14. The Saints are set to take on hosts Cassadaigua in what is expected to be an intense match up. The last time these two teams had competed against each other was during the Saints championship run in the WLC 31 Semi-Finals. The defensive battle resulted in the Saints winning 9 to 4 to advance to an eventual championship win.

The road to this point has been tough for the Saints:

The Saints were drawn into Group 5. The group was composed of upcoming contender Bolgano who was the last team to beat the Saints back in WLC 31. Then newcomer Joyea who almost nearly knocked of the Saints in overtime on the last matchday. Lastly, 8th ranked Qasden who is looking to make a deep run into the knockoff stages. The group on paper looks underrated but competed like it was the group of death.

The Saints had a few occasions where they were on upset alert, especially by newcomer Joyea. In both series against the unranked team, the Saints came to within a few goals of losing including the overtime winner which the Saints barely avoiding the upset of the classic. Bolgano was the same situation where every single goa the Saints score had to be fought for. The Saints continued to show their dominance against ranked teams we they made sure to shut down any chance the Red-Blues had get any moment to take the group crown away from them.

The Saints secured the first round bye and the second overall seed. The Saints would watch an exciting preliminary round from the safety of a downtown pub as they cheered for their group rival Bolgano but keenly watch the Wrexwic/Cheergirl match. The Saints would end up taking on Wrexwic in a WLC 30 revenge match in which Wrexwic would deny the Saints a knockoff stage bid. The Saints would end up getting their revenge after a 15-9 victory over Wrexwic, ending their season. This would bring the Saints to the biggest matchup of the classic with sixth seed Sarzonia. In a very hard fought, physical battle the Saints would top Sarzonia 13-12 with a late game-winning goal. That win would advance the Saints to the championship series against WLC juggernaut and current host Cassadaigua.

The last time these two teams have played was the Semi-Finals of the World Lacrosse Classic 31. The Saints would cut the Fillies championship hopes one game short as the Saints would top the Fillies 9-3. The Fillies would not make an appearance the next year as the Saint went on to win a 3rd place metal. Coming into Championship Monday for the World Lacrosse Classic 33, everything is set for the one hell of a match day with history, revenge, a true home team and a title on the line. Another item the Saints have on the line is their win streak which is extending to nine games.

Chancellor Jonathan Stewart and his family will be attending the game, flying in from St Saratoga just in time to watch the last half of the game where Sarzonia would dawn bronze metals. The Saints will be dawning their all-white with navy helmets with the starting lines for the Championship series below:

##    Name                 Age  
Forward:
10	Joseph Wilkens	   28
03	Mickey Wright	   19
17	Dominic Fitzgerald 25

Midfielders:
21	Josh Barder	   22
28	Luke Lee	   28
35	Brandon Todd	   26

Defenders:
36	Archie Riley	   26
43	Bailey Curtis	   24
40	Liam Fleming	   29

##   Name                 Age  
Goalkeepers
00 	Alexander Atkins   22

CEO/General Manager: Joseph Moore
Head Coach: William Toivonen
Attacking Coach: Martin Courtright
Defensive Coach: Paul Baker
Goalie Coach: William Malone

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Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Rogerbei Times - Sports

[Cassadaigua]

From Dagan Airways Stadium in Concord Heights, our final score is....

Cassadaigua 9-21 St. Saratoga

Thanks to Bolgano for the 3rd party scorination and to everyone who participated!

[St Saratoga]

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

CHAMPIONS

Cost: K$ 1.50

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WLC 33 -- The St Saratoga Saints are your World Lacrosse Champions 33 Champions! The Saints are crowned champs after a lopsided victory over Cassadaigua. This would be the Saints second championship and third top three finish in the last four WLCs. This win tonight establishes the Saints as a lacrosse powerhouse, making run for the top sports in St Saratoga which ice hockey has held previously.

"We knew we had it in us. This team has the fight and passion to win when we need to win. Coming into this game, all we had on our mind was the disappointing finish last year. We knew we could do better and we came here to prove it. Cassadaigua is a hell of a team though, look have they've done in the last few weeks, a World Cup of Hockey finals run and now an appearance in the WLC 33 finals? They're a powerhouse who will continue to have deep playoff runs. We got lucky." Forward Mickey Wright exasperated after turn to make the round with the trophy.

"St Saratoga is celebrating tonight but tomorrow we start preparing for World Lacrosse Classic 34. Only one team a classic gets to do what we did tonight and we are going make sure we get to do it again in the 34th. I'll let them celebrate tonight, later this week its the parade so these guys will have their fun but they know its business as usual. They have to re-earn their roster spots, we will be looking to crown new captains. It all starts over this week. One things I'd like to say is this game could have ended the other way. Like what Chelsea Dufresne said, Cassadaigua is a Cinderellas team. They have the talent and the coaching to have won this game. It just didn't happen for them tonight and I personally look forward to the next time we play them." said Head Coach William Toivonen in the post-game press conference.

Every World Lacrosse Classic, the team here at the Rogebei Times picks a few accolades for the Saints players who participated. This is a decision that we take very serious and it's always an intense discussion. This year, we are incorporating fan selections into our process. so without further ado, here are the Rogerbei Times accolades:

Staff Choice -
Most Improve Player: Archer Riley
Rookie Of The Classic: Taylor Kemp
Offensive Player Of The Classic: Mickey Wright
Defensive Player Of The Classic: Archer Riley
Goaltender Of The Classic: Alexander Atkins

Fan Choice -
Most Improve Player: Archer Riley
Rookie Of The Classic: Taylor Kemp
Offensive Player Of The Classic: Dominic Fitzgerald
Defensive Player Of The Classic: Luke Lee
Goaltender Of The Classic: Alexander Atkins

Lastly, we wanted to play out the full results of the path that the Saints had to win the World Lacrosse Classic 33rd Championship. Make sure to check out wwww.worldlacrosseassociation.com/saratoga/ for an updated breakdown of rosters and events.

MD1: St. Saratoga 20–12 Bolgano
MD2: St. Saratoga 14–10 Joyea
MD3: Qasden 4–13 St. Saratoga
MD4: Bolgano 8–18 St. Saratoga
MD5: Joyea 9–9 St. Saratoga (10–12 OT)
MD6: St. Saratoga 18–8 Qasden

Elimination Stage Schedule:
Preliminary Stage: Bye 
Quarterfinals: St. Saratoga 15-9 Wrexwic
Semi-Finals: St. Saratoga 13-12 Sarzonia
Finals: Cassadaigua 9-21 St. Saratoga

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Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Rogerbei Times - Sports