42nd World Lacrosse Championships--Everything Thread

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Banner generously created by Lisander

The Commonwealth of Baker Park will host the World Lacrosse Championships for the third time, welcoming seventeen nations to compete for the title. This post shall serve as the place to post your rosters and RP storylines for the duration of the event.
WLC 41 Everything Thread

FORMAT
There will be three groups consisting of six teams each, where the competitors will face their other group opponents once, followed by an eight team elimination phase that will include the top 2 finishers in each group plus the best two of the three third placed sides.
The groups will be drawn based on the rankings here with six pots of three to be used.

The group stage will take place completely within the Commonwealth, as will the knockout stage.
All matches in the WLC shall be played to a conclusion where a winner is determined. Teams shall earn two (2) points for a regulation time win, one (1) point for an overtime loss and zero (0) points for a regulation loss.

Tiebreakers used to determine the ranking of teams within their groups shall be as follows:
--Head to Head result
--Goal Differential
--Goals Scored
--coin flip (OOC--additional xkorinated match)
Tiebreakers used to determine the ranking of teams for the knockout stage shall be as follows:
--group stage table position
--total wins vs bonus points (e.g., Team A and Team B each have 8 points, but Team A has 4 wins and one regulation loss while Team B has 3 wins and two OT losses--Team A has the advantage)
--Goal Differential
--Goals Allowed
--overall W-L record of other teams in respective group less bonus points.

All nations that have signed up in the official WLC 42 Signup Thread may begin to post here.

POTS--
Pot 1
Banija
Abanhfleft
Sarzonia

Pot 2
Baker Park
HUElavia
Cassadaigua

Pot 3
The Cordian Isles
South Jeolerina
Natanians & Nosts

Pot 4
StrayaRoos
Hannasea
Quebec & Shgingoryeo

Pot 5
Melbergia
Northwest Kalactin
TJUN-ia*

Pot 6
Sky Reavers
Depivik
Captina Island

*placed in Pot 5 by random assignment

GROUPS
Group A
Northwest Kalactin
Hannasea
Cassadaigua
Captina Island
Abanhfleft
The Cordian Isles

Group B
Melbergia
Quebec & Shingoryeo
Baker Park
Sarzonia
Natanians & Nosts
SkyReavers

Group C
South Jeolerina
StrayaRoos
Depivik
HUElavia
Banija
TJUN-ia



CALENDAR
Groups Drawn--March 9
MD 1--March 14 (1v6, 2v5, 3v4)
MD 2--March 16 (6v4, 5v3, 1v2)
MD 3--March 18 (2v6, 3v1, 4v5)
MD 4--March 20 (6v5, 1v4, 2v3)
MD 5--March 22 (3v6, 4v2, 5v1)

Quarterfinal round--March 24
Semi-Final round--March 26
3PPO--March 27
WLC Final--March 28

CUTOFFS WILL BE NO EARLIER THAN 12 Midnight EDT (0400 UTC)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Welcome to Baker Park!

Head of State Timothy M Wentworth, Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlein, and all of the citizens of the Commonwealth welcome the 17 teams and their fans from across the multiverse for the 42nd World Lacrosse Championships. This will be the third time we've hosted the event and we strive to make the experience as memorable as possible for everyone.

Located on the southern tip of the Calanian landmass within Atlantian Oceana—at nearly the geographic center of the region--Baker Park is one of the top tourist destinations in the region and the multiverse, welcoming nearly 2.1 million visitors per year; we have a mostly temperate climate, with autumn and early winter the times of the year when precipitation is heaviest. Outdoor enthusiasts have a wide choice of activities and adventures to choose, as do folks who appreciate the arts, culture and sightseeing.

Baker Park was formally established in 1892, and has from its inception been open and inclusive of all people seeking to establish settled lives here; more recently, the country has seen a rise in the number of immigrants from other AO nations and has worked to provide wider access & accommodation to sentient non-human species who have made their home within our borders.

The nation consists of seven constituent states—the State of Baker Park, Endover, Osheana, Ezra, Midalia, St Leon, and Lynchana—each with their own unicameral legislative body, united as a federal parliamentary democracy; the Parliament consists of the 231 member House of Assembly and the 56 member Council of State.
The engine has driven the country's economy through most on history is the industrial conglomerate that was founded by the family that established the nation, the Baker International Corporation. Known by citizens as "The Company", “The International” or simply BI, at one time it was responsible for close to 50% of the nation's GDP; the past 40 years has seen divestment from many of the sectors of the economy, resulting in a solidified base that has seen unprecedented levels of growth.

One of the unusual things you'll have a hard time overlooking is that we have a bit of a national Victoriana fetish; we have places, parks, buildings, bars, restaurants, streets and anything else you can think that has a referential connection to late 19th century life. But make no mistake, we are at the forefront of cutting edge technology, education, environmental action and proactive social policy.

Travel in Baker Park is easy and safe due to the modern mass transportation infrastructure that the country has built over the last 60 years. Connections to major cities are available via rail, road, plane or ferry. Rental cars are available at relatively modest prices as competition is fierce among rental firms; almost any type of vehicle you might wish to hire is available, as the Commonwealth automobile market is made up of about 35% imports, so you'll find about any make or model you could imagine.

Belle Haven International Airport (BHX) serves 41 foreign & domestic carriers and accommodates over 900 takeoffs and departures per day. The airport is approximately 18 miles south of the city center, and there are numerous ground transportation options for arriving visitors at Belle Haven International. There are also international standard airports that have direct connection from many nations both within AO and beyond. (see map)

Belle Haven has the largest and best developed subway/commuter rail system in the country (and possibly in the multiverse!). CARTA (Capital Area Rapid Transit Authority) operates underground, above ground & light rail trains and trolleys, connected to a major bus network, all meticulously time coordinated to allow anyone the ease of traveling from one side of the Metro to the other at nearly any time of the day or night; free transfer across platforms, along with connections to the airport, central train station and passenger river ferry terminals makes Belle Haven one of the most hassle free places to get around in anywhere.

Host Cities
Belle Haven is the national capital of the Commonwealth; with a metro area population of over 5.6 million, it is also the largest city, the financial, entertainment, and cultural center of the country, and more than likely your first stop on your trip to Baker Park. There is no shortage of things to keep one occupied or entertained here; “boring”, “dull”, or “not interesting” come up so rarely on comment cards left at the many public buildings, museums, galleries and exhibits that draw visitors (almost all free of charge) that it nearly causes an investigation when it does occur.

Endborough is the Commonwealth's Second City in almost every sense. A population of 1.7 million live in the city itself, with nearly another 2 million packed into the surrounding suburbs (and we're only half joking—it's the most densely populated county in Baker Park by a long shot).
Located in the northeastern part of the country, at the confluence of the Belle Haven and White River, it's the state capital of Endover and the home of the two of the nation's top institutions of higher education, the University of Endover, and Endborough College.

Oceana is the capital of Osheana, and the third largest city. It has always had a reputation as being the "anti-Belle Haven", due to its more conservative outlook and tradition. About 3 million people live in the metropolitan region, nearly 45% of the entire population of the state.

West Chester is an emerging town of nearly 150,000 that is home to the aerospace industry of our nation. Osheana Aerospace and Technology University is one of the leading research schools in the Commonwealth.

Jacksonville is the nation's northernmost city, and is one of the fastest growing areas in Baker Park. Like West Chester, it is major center for the tech industry, especially microchip production and ICB manufacturing.

Kellerville was a sleepy, rural county seat until the early 1960's, when the expressway came through, which spurred growth in industry and led to the elevation of Kellerville State University from agricultural extension college to full 4 year status in 1973. The town and surrounding area is home to around 180,000 people.

Hannover's loss was Springfield's gain when the Northern States Railway chose a more northerly route for the cross-country main line. Prior to then, it had been a hub for the farming and agriculture sector. It still continues to be a player in the agri-business model, as the town's 98,000 residents maintain a relatively high standard of living. Another hotbed of the sport in this country, 'the Fritz' had sellouts for every match played there in both WLC 31 & 37.

Northfield Borough and its "twin" community, Ridgedale comprise one of Baker Park's anomalous political units, the loosely defined "big borough".
If you love fields of corn as far as the eye can see, you've come to the right place. Since WLC 31, there has been a concerted effort at improving the number available hotel rooms throughout the county and now they even have a Visitors & Tourist Bureau that has worked hard to build an impressive day-trip experience; the recent WGP2 race at the Drummond Vale Circuit (approx 25 min drive southwest) brought some more attention to the area.

Hamilton is the Commonwealth's 11th largest city, situated about halfway between Belle Haven and Ezriquay and has more in common with the latter as an industrial metropolis. Home furnishings and household goods are two of the major sectors of the economy that are produced in the area.


Yesses & Noes—Do's and Don'ts
The word almost every child learns when they reach a point where multi-syllable vocabulary becomes a part of speech is “propriety”; understanding proper respect & behavior isn't limited to grandparents lecturing youngsters.

We, as a society, don't believe we make a lot of rules or restrict things arbitrarily; but we expect everyone to follow those rules and restrictions.
Drink—18 years old for consumption/purchase
Bars/Pubs/Clubs have closing time at 3:00 am. Only establishments that serve a full menu of food are allowed to serve alcohol prior to 11:15 am on any day.

Cannabis—same as above, although NO importation of any kind is permitted; your stash will be seized and you'll be moved along.
There are legal dispensaries for cannabis and related products in almost every city and town—you'll need to present your passport or a photo ID-- with the amount you are permitted to purchase set by local ordinance; ask ahead of time what restrictions are in force.

Other Narcotics—stay at home. Don't come. The discovery of any drug on your person or in your physical possession that is not dispensed by a Medical Doctor, or not recognized as a legitimate OTC medicine in Your Nation, is ipso facto smuggling, regardless if the amount is so small that it clearly is for your own private use. 1st Degree Misdemeanor, 5.5 months minimum or some lesser sentence + monetary punishment.
It only gets uglier from there.

Prostitution—the grayest of legal gray areas in this country. It is not illegal to pay for or accept money for 'services'; yet it's not technically legal as a federal standard everywhere. Some local jurisdictions may have ordinances that confine the practice to certain places or certain degrees of "offense", but NO legal entity is permitted to make prostitution or solicitation more than a minor misdemeanor, i.e., what is called a “summary crime”, a 4th degree offense that results in a citation and a fine.

Gambling—we have legal casino gambling in Baker Park; there is a modern casino downtown in Belle Haven as well as casinos in East Liverpool (just south of Endborough) and suburban Oceana. We have para-mutual wagering on thoroughbred horse racing (flat/chase} and video poker/slot centers at several other race tracks.

Violent crime is extremely rare in the Commonwealth. There is a higher chance you will fall off a subway platform than be assaulted or robbed with a firearm, and we take pride in the safety of our subways systems.

Venues
Times are as follows:
Afternoon--2:00 pm (or earlier)
Evening--5:00
Night--8:30

Jacksonville—Tolbert Stadium (13,000)

WLC 42 will mark the first time the city will be part of an international sporting event and is long past due for recognition. One of the Commonwealth's fastest growing metro areas and its most northerly major population center, Jacksonville welcomes the multiverse with open arms.
MD1: Group B--Melbergia v Sky Reavers (Afternoon)/Quebec & Shingoryeo v Natanians & Nosts (Night)
MD3: Group A--Hannasea v The Cordian Isles (Evening)
MD4: Group A--Northwest Kalactin vs Captina Island (Afternoon)
MD5: Group C--Banija v South Jeolerina (Evening)

Endborough—Ludlow Road Ground (14,000)

A venue in both WLC 31 and 37, Ludlow Road has been the home of East Endborough FC and the University of Endborough for close to 80 years.
MD1: Group B--Baker Park v Sarzonia (Evening)
MD2: Group C--Banija v Depivik (Afternoon)/TJUN-ia v HUElavia (Night)
MD3: Group A--Abanhfleft v Captina Island (Afternoon)
MD4: Group A--Hannasea v Cassadaigua (Evening)
MD5: Group B--Natanians & Nosts v Melbergia (Afternoon)

Oceana—Selvey Commons (12,000/15,500)

Selvey Commons is the something close to the spiritual home of lacrosse in Baker Park; the University of Oceana's athletic teams call it home and the school has won more UAC titles in the sport (14) than any other university. Another venue that will be a host for the third time.
MD1: Group A--Cassadaigua v Captina Island (Afternoon)/Hannasea v Abanhfleft (Night)
MD2: Group B--Melbergia v Quebec & Shingoryeo (Afternoon)/Sky Reavers v Sarzonia (Night)
MD3: Group C--HUElavia v Banija (Evening)
MD4: Group C: South Jeolerina v HUElavia (Night)
MD5: Group A--Cassadaigua v The Cordinan Isles (Afternoon)

West Chester--Boundary Station Ground (10,200)

Fun fact: the railway station in the name—which sat very near the state boundary between Osheana & Baker Park on the town's eastern edge—doesn't exist anymore. The smallest stadium to be used in this competition is the home ground of BPNT Head Coach Shannon Fries's Osheana A&T University side, and the National Team will play one of their group fixtures here.
MD2: Group A--Northwest Kalactin v Hannasea (Evening)
MD4: Group C: StrayaRoos vs Depivik (Afternoon)
MD5: Group B--Baker Park v Sky Reavers (Evening)

Hannover—Fritz Schafer Stadium (14,000)

The 'Fritz' was a no-brainer choice, as it was in both previous editions. The east-central region of the Commonwealth is one of the hotbeds of the sport and WLC matches here have usually been one of the toughest tickets to get.
MD1: Group C--StrayaRoos v Banija (Evening)
MD2: Group B--Natanians & Nosts v Baker Park (Evening)
MD3: Group A--Cassadaigua v Northwest Kalactin (Night)
MD4: Group A--The Cordian Isles v Abanhfleft (Night)
MD5: Group A--Hannasea v Captina Island (Afternoon)

Kellerville—Princess Helena Sports Park (12,350/14,000)

The stadium got a small permanent expansion after the last time the WLC was here, and it will once again have temporary seating to boost capacity.
MD1: Group C--Depivik v HUElavia (Afternoon)/South Jeolerina v TJUN-ia (Night)
MD3: Group B--Quebec & Shingoryeo v Sky Reavers (Night)
MD4: Group B--Melbergia v Sarzonia (Afternoon)
MD5: Group C--Depivik v TJUN-ia (Afternoon)

Hamilton—Hamilton City Stadium (22,000)

Will host the tournament for the first time, but is no stranger to high profile events. West Belle Haven County has been at the forefront of the growth of the sport among men.
MD2: Group A--The Cordian Isles v Captina Island (Afternoon)/Abanhfleft v Cassadaigua (Night)
MD3: Group C--StrayaRoos v TJUN-ia (Afternoon)/South Jeolerina v Depivik (Night)
MD4: Group C--Banija v TJUN-ia (Evening)
MD5: Group B--Sarzonia v Quebec & Shingoryeo (Evening)

Northfield—Abernathy Stadium (13,000)

Like Princess Helena Park, Abernathy Stadium is hosting for the third time and has gotten an expansion and renovation.
MD1: Group A-- Northwest Kalactin v The Cordian Isles (Evening)
MD2: Group C--South Jeolerina v StrayaRoos
MD3: Group B--Baker Park v Melbergia (Afternoon)
MD4: Group B--Sky Reavers v Natanians & Nosts (Night)
MD5: Group C--StrayRoos v HUElavia (Evening)

Belle Haven—The University Stadium (23,000)

The sixth group stage venue that will welcome fans for the third time, this historic stadium on the campus of University of Baker Park is arguably one of the most fan-friendly places in the Commonwealth.
MD3: Group B--Sarzonia v Natanians & Nosts (Evening)
MD4: Group B--Quebec & Shingoryeo v Baker Park (Night)
MD5: Group A--Abanhfleft v Northwest Kalactin (Night)

Belle Haven—Sportsmen's Park (39,000)

The oldest and most iconic stadium in Baker Park will play host to both semi-finals and the 3rd place & Championship games in the World Lacrosse Championships as it has in both previous editions hosted here.
Completed in 1923, it's been expanded & modernized on 3 occasions, has been the scene of nearly every major sporting first in the Commonwealth (first night sporting event, first nationally broadcast event, first nationally televised event, first home international soccer match) and hosted the most championship games across all sports by a large margin.

[Banija]

Official Banijan National Lacrosse Team roster for the 42nd World Lacrosse Championships

Head Coach: Owole Kalali. 56 years old. Former head coach of the Herzegovina City Kings. Coached the men's team to a demonstration championship at the XVI Summer Olympiad. WLC 41 was his first WLC in charge- and he coached the team to a world title. With the team reigning champions of lacrosse in both the Olympic and the world championships, he is looking, here in his second WLC, to try and build a dynasty for Banija in the sport.
Demonym: Banijan
Trigamme: BNJ
Governing Body: Olympic Committee of Banija(governing body for all professional sports in Banija besides soccer and ice hockey).

Silverware
Reigning World Champions- Winners of the 41st World Lacrosse Championships
Winner of the 4th AO Lacrosse Classic
Winner of the 1st Champions Challenge Cup
Winner of the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational(now considered the 1st AO Lacrosse Classic)'
Winner of the Men's Lacrosse Demonstration event at the XVI Summer Olympics
Winner of the Women's Lacrosse Demonstration event at the XVI Summer Olympics
2nd place finish at the 21st World Lacrosse Championships(International Debut)
2nd place finish at the 34th World Lacrosse Championships
2nd place finish at the 38th World Lacrosse Championships
2nd place finish at the 39th World Lacrosse Championships
2nd place finish at the 40th World Lacrosse Championships
2nd place finish at the 2nd AO Lacrosse Classic
2nd place finish at the 5th AO Lacrosse Classic
3rd place finish at the 22nd World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 25th World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 31st World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 36th World Lacrosse Championships
3rd place finish at the 37th World Lacrosse Championships
Host of the 28th World Lacrosse Championships
Co-Host of the 29th World Lacrosse Championships

Records & Statistics
Total Multiverse Games Record: 5-2
Total Champions Challenge Cup Record: 3-3
Total Men's Olympic Record: 12-2
Total AO Classic Record: 26-5
WLC Group Stage Record: 94-25
WLC Knockout Stage Record: 33-18
Total WLC record: 127-43
Overall Competitive Record: 173-55
World Ranking: #1

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

Starters are underlined
Players who are receiving their first WLC national team callups this cycle are italicized.
BLL is the Banijan Lacrosse League. All players are male unless otherwise specified.
Goalies
Samba Uster. #34, Age 31. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL. Fourth tournament on the roster; third as a starter.
Okoth Luwum. #35, age 29. Plays for the Hamilton Jackals in the BLL. Third tournament on the roster.
Joseph Omolo.#39, age 25. Plays for Northern Moravica University. Third tournament on the roster.

Defenders
Dembo Sonko. Left Side. #7, age 28. Plays for the Kitara Athletic Association in the BLL. Fourth tournament on the roster; third as a starter.
Alansana Gaye. Center. #2, age 31. Plays for the Jinja City Weasels in the BLL. Fourth tournament as a starter. Captain
Lydia Ochuka. Right Side. #13, age 29. Female. Plays for the Herzegovina City Kings in the BLL. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second WLC as a starter.
Apunda Angonga. #5, age 26. Female. Plays for the Luguyala Patriots in the BLL. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second WLC on the roster.
Catherine Jaira. #4, age 20. Female. Plays for Loyola-Istria at the college level. WLC debut.
Stephen Toita. #19, age 21. Plays for the Vidizi Bulls in the BLL. WLC debut.
Ruth Dalaya. #99, age 22. Female. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL. WLC debut.

Midfield
John Kotongo. Left Side. #50, age 22. Plays for the Hoima Gators in the BLL. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second tournament on WLC roster, first as a starter.
Kairaba Condé. #21, age 30.Center. Plays for the Taramazna Hawks in the BLL. Fourth tournament on the roster, second as a starter.
Aramata Sarr. #1. Age 31. Right Side. Female. Plays for the Iziarad Wildcats in the BLL. Fourth tournament on the roster, second as a starter.
Ozoro Mirtus. #27, age 26. Female. Plays for Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club in the BLL. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second tournament on WLC roster.
George Lollo. #6, age 21. Plays for the West Istria White Wings in the BLL. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second tournament on WLC roster..
Galabba Kisekulo. #53, age 25. Plays for the Kosactus Hammerheads in the BLL. Second tournament on WLC roster.
Dalasi Sanneh. Left Side. #24, age 19. Plays for the Herzegovina City ings in the BLL. WLC debut.

Attack
Abihail Apiyo. #8, age 26. Left Side. Plays college lacrosse at Loyola-Istria. Female. Third cycle on roster, first as a starter.
Lula Bullo. #16. Age 30. Center. Plays for Bunyoro RSC in the BLL. (Female). Fourth cycle on roster, third as a starter.
Wassa Jassey. #9, age 23. Right Side. Plays for the University of Aksum. NT debut at the XVI Summer Olympiad. Second cycle on the roster, first as a starter.
Agatha Kayode. #20. Age 20. Plays for the Busukuma Flyers in the BLL. Female. WLC debut.
Sonya Mboob. #23, age 20. Plays for the Istria Thunder in the BLL. Female. WLC debut.
Isabel Kavuma. #11, age 19. Right Side. Plays in college for Northern Moravica University. Female. WLC debut.
Janice Basiiso. #15. Age 19. Left Side. Plays for the Iziarad Wildcats in the BLL. Female. WLC debut.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes(please specify injury and its length- no deaths please!)
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes(please specify injury and its length- no deaths please!)
Suspend my players: Yes
Godmod suspension events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes (Although no Banijan is allowed to catch a pandemic, nor can one be introduced into Banija).
Style Modifier: +3

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

This, of course, happened before the 30th WLCs, in Cassadaigua. The Banijans were able to escape the group stage, once again, but fell to an ancient power in this sport- Sarzonia, by a score of 10-9, in the Round of 16. It was followed by a disappointing entry at the Champions Challengers Cup, where they fell to both Baker Park and Sarzonia in West Guiana, to finish 0-2. In the 31st WLCs, the Banijans finally overcame recent struggles by geting back to where they felt they belonged, the semifinals, though they fell at that stage in Baker Park. While they regressed at WLC 32, only going .500 in the group stage and getting knocked out in the Round of 16 by the tournament's top seed, they've restructured the squad. While they kept the defense and goalies, they made big changes up top, replacing all 7 midfielders on the roster, as well as changing out a number of attacking players. The WLC 33 cycle began strongly, with the team winning the Moravica Lacrosse Invitational en route to going 6-0 in group play. However, they were downed by Sarzonia in the quarterfinals, once again giving the Banijans an early exit from lacrosse's premier tournament.

WLC 34 was the most success this team has had in quite a while. While the team only got 2nd place in their group, their 4-2 finish put them into the knockout stages. They hit their stride in the knockout stages, beating a trio of lacrosse giants- West Phoenicia, then Sarzonia, and then the Commonwealth of Baker Park, en route to their first final since WLC 21. While they were favored in the Final, HUElavia was one better, downing the Banijans by a score of 14-9, as they came out of nowhere, in their first ever WLCs, and found themselves crowned champions of the world. After a quarterfinal elimination WLC 35, Banija was back at it in WLC 36, going undefeated in the group stages, including an upset victory over longtime rival Abanhfleft, who have delivered Banija so much pain in this sport while we have failed to return the favor.

They reached the semifinals, before playing their dreaded Fleftic opponents. There was a sense of optimism in the camp brought to them by their AO championship that preceded this tournament. But an Abanhfleft team that looked down and out brought the high-flying Banijans down to Earth, reminding us exactly who was the boss in this sport as they eliminated us once again in the late stages of this tournament, en route to their record sixth title. To follow it up with more pain, we played our other chief rival in this sport, Sarzonia, in the WLC 37 Semifinal. Once again, a high-flying Banijan team was brought down to Earth by an archrival, and Banija simply watched from the sidelines as our fierce regional rivals won their sixth ever WLC title, while Banija went on to pick up our record fifth third place finish at this tournament.

The Banijans, particularly in recent years, have been on the brink of glory in this tournament. They have been to the WLC Semifinals for four consecutive tournaments- and despite finishing on the medal podium all four times, they have yet to lift the big one. The sport's dominant power, Sarzonia, has been a particular thorn in their side. In the last three consecutive WLCs, Banija has found themselves eliminated by the world champions, Sarzonia. WLC 37 Semifinals, Sarzonia rocked them by a score of 15-8. WLC 38 Final, Sarzonia rocked them again to win their second straight title. And in the re-match at WLC 39, a tournament where the Fleftic demons were excised, Sarzonia earned a close, 13-10 victory, to complete the threepeat and leave Banijans salivating.

This most recent cycle has been a knife in the gut of Banijan fans- and then, hope. With the WLCs brought to home soil last time, we thought we could achieve a different result. But Sarzonia proved exactly how much better they are than the rest of the field, by defeating us in a final in Herzegovina City, for our fifth straight podium finish and our third straight second place finish(all lost finals to Sarzonia). That caused the head coach, Allen Budaye, who was 70 years old, to declare it quits. But then, hope galore at the XVI Summer Olympiad.

A big fat asterisk there for the sport being a demonstration event. But still- the Olympics aren't known for their consistency, and yet, here they were. Both Banija's men's and women's teams went to the Olympics, and dominated. Neither lost a game as they both had undefeated runs, celebrating with each other as they each took home victories at the demonstration events. While they weren't Olympic gold medalists- still, champions of an Olympic tournament. And with a new coach in tow for the unified team, there is hope galore.

It turned out, yes- the Olympic titles were indeed a foreshadowing of Banija's greatest moment in this sport. WLC 41 saw Banija face down both of their archnemisi in this sport- the Sarzonians(modern), and Abanhfleft(historic). The Banijans shocked many by overcoming both. Sarzonia had eliminated Banija from the last four WLCs, including three finals in a row. The Banijans triumphed in the WLC 41 Quarterfinals, beating them in overtime to end their championship streak at 4. Then, a massive contest against Abanhfleft- where we scored one of our greatest wins in history, to knock them out of a tournament.

First time defeating Sarzonia and Abanhfleft in the same tournament. But one more hurdle remained- an undefeated, top seeded Delaclava. But were simply going to be denied no longer, as we finally excised our demons and won our first ever WLC title. The hunt is over. Reigning double Olympic champions- and reigning world champions to boot. Now- will the team's long, desperate search for this piece of silverware be satisfied? Or can we do like our rivals in this sport, and try to build a dynasty?

Group Schedule
TBA

[Sarzonia]

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

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

Manager Jordan Helms, 48
Helms was a compromise choice as Stars manager after the Incorporated Lacrosse Federation couldn't come to terms with any of their prospective choices. Helms agreed to retain former manager Carter Whitlock's coaching staff and roster, saying he wanted to give the team a chance to become "[his] guys."

Defensive Coordinator: Makeeyah Brantley (43 years old)
Brantley is stepping in as defensive coordinator after the Stars fired longtime defensive boss Bill Harbour following his intemperate comments about Cassadaigua's national team. She served as a defensive coordinator at the collegiate and pro levels for eight years.
Offensive Coordinator: Tyler Pawlenty (51 years old)
Pawlenty helped mold offenses in college, in particular Rypien State College during a four-year period when that school won three collegiate national titles. His teams emphasise possession and patience, often including multiple passes before taking the perfect shot.
Assistant Coach: George Tomlin (35 years old)
Tomlin recently retired as a faceoff specialist after a collegiate career that saw him win 78 percent of his faceoffs. During his professional career in Sarzonia, he won 69 percent of his faceoffs. He can coach multiple styles of faceoffs, taking into account multiple fogos.
Assistant Coach: Bradley Morse (55 years old)
Serves as goalie coach. He helped several Sarzonian World Lacrosse Championship winning teams with goalies in an informal capacity. Now, he's coming out of retirement to provide assistance as a paid full-time coach after Whitlock convinced him to do so.

ROSTER (STARTERS IN BOLD)
GOALIES
1 Matt Henning (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), 26 years old
28 Sam Carson (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), 28
34 Will Vasquez (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), 24

DEFENDERS
2 Xander Beaucamp (6-foot, 215 pounds), 28, close defence
11 Joyce Conner (5-foot-8, 160 pounds), 25
18 Howie Kaplan (6-foot-3, 215 pounds, 32
5 Joanne Bryant (6-foot, 170 pounds), 37
7 Uriel Ahmed (5-foot-9, 190 pounds), 31
17 Pete Billingsley (6-foot, 218 pounds), 28
22 Zach Fairfax (5-foot-11, 225 pounds), 24
29 Tyler Anson (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), 27
38 Ian Taylor (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 29

MIDFIELDERS
3 Carrie Quinlan (5-foot-9, 155 pounds), 25 (LSM)
10 Gio Guardio (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), 26
16 Harry Simon (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), 23
19 Trent Preston (5-foot-7, 175 pounds), 24
30 Joseph Lee (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), 30
35 Chad Andersen (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), 27
39 Jim Inmelt (6-foot, 190 pounds), 30
40 Kyle Christian (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), 25
46 Tom Vestal (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), 29

ATTACK
4 Colin Grassley (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 27
8 Martin Page (5-foot-10, 170 pounds), 30
12 Nick Loewen (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), 22
15 David Treseguet (6-foot, 200 pounds), 34
23 Adam Lannister (5-foot-9, 200 pounds), 35
24 Owen Clancy (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), 26
25 Gabriel Dixon (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), 27
26 Erynn Spencer (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), 33*
27 D'Rell Felton (6-foot-1, 195 pounds), 27

FACEOFF SPECIALISTS
13 Noah Ryanson (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), 29
14 Jeremy Harper (5-foot-10, 185 pounds), 24
36 Stephane Rideau (6-foot, 200 pounds), 32

*Gender nonconforming

[Sarzonia]

So much hasn't changed, and yet, so much has.

The Sarzonian national lacrosse team no longer bears the burden of four consecutive World Lacrosse Championships trophies or the WLC-record shattering 40 consecutive victories

The win streak ended during the group stage of WLC 41, but what maybe bothers Sarzonia more is the early elimination at the hands of eventual champions Banija.

The roster remains the same for the Stars heading into WLC 42, but their motivation is vastly different. Defensive coordinator Makeeyah Brantley said the team was now motivated by the hunger of a team chasing the title.

"We want to reclaim what's rightfully ours," she said. "Let Banija know they're running on borrowed time."

For the Stars, the idea that they were not on the sport's greatest stage was foreign to them.

"We have goals every time out to get to and win the final," faceoff specialist Noah Ryanson said. "Whether we get there undefeated or not is less of a focus to us than getting to the top of the platform at the end."

Defender Xander Beaucamp agreed.

"The [win] streak was nice, but nobody cares what your group stage record is as long as you win. We didn't win in the knockout rounds and that hurts."

One question the Stars face going into their first WLC without being the defending champions since WLC 37 was the status of manager Jordan Helms, who becomes the first active Hall of Famer to participate in a current edition. Helms quietly agreed to a three-Cup extension to continue guiding the team.

"I felt there was some unfinished business to take care of," Helms said. "I'm not thinking about walking away until the time comes when I can no longer do the job. I still feel like I can do my job well." Helms laughed off the idea that he wanted to surpass Harold Price with a fifth WLC trophy.

"No one's going to replace Harold Price," he said. "There's a reason he's part of the Hall of Fame display in Woodstock. Sarzonia has nine crowns right now. I want to see us get our 10th."

[Abanhfleft]

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
NATIONAL LACROSSE TEAM

This will be Abanhfleft's nineteenth time participating in the World Lacrosse Championship. Seventeen times Abanhfleft has taken part in the WLC, and in six of those times they have emerged as champions. For reasons that can be simply summed up as "it's the best thing we've done in a while," the Democratic Republic sent forth their women's national lacrosse team for their first seven appearances in the competition. The women's team, led by the "Fearsome Threesome" of Menan Alrisheb, Fatima Alsambis, and Cecilia Cuvimi, managed to win third place in their first ever tournament WLC XIX, beating the Serbian Empire to nab the bronze from under the veteran nation's noses. They went on to win back-to-back titles in WLC 22 and WLC 23 before a miserable performance in WLC 24 saw them eliminated in the group stage, but they have come back to win it all once again in WLC 25 to set history as the first nation to win three titles in four attempts. It was then decided that it was time to switch things up, and so for the first time in WLC history, Abanhfleft sent forth a mixed team of men and women to play international lacrosse in WLC 30. And they came close, but were still unable to snag the ultimate prize, losing to the eventual winners Wrexwic in the final. Eventually, finally, Abanhfleft did pick up another title on home soil in WLC 32; unfortunately they were unable to defend it in WLC 33, and were only able to collect the bronze in Jeckland. Victory was achieved yet again in WLC 35, and the objective of becoming a six-time lacrosse champion was achieved immediately afterwards, in WLC 36. Abanhfleft couldn't stop Sarzonia from picking up title number six in Baker Park, and then the repercussions of the Ripperidone scandal affected the team during WLC 38, forcing them out at an earlier time than usual. The team came close to bowing out of the group stage in Cassadaigua, but a late surge saw the Amazons sneak into the playoffs, only for Banija to finally get one over their eternal lacrosse rivals in the semifinals. Now Abanhfleft heads right back into the lion's den with a new coach and new team captain to attempt to put an end to Banija's potential rise as the new lacrosse superpower.

The history of lacrosse in Abanhfleft is both long and short, in that it has been in the country for a long time, but a concise summary of said history can be written down in just ten to fifteen sentences or maybe more. Lacross was introduced in Abanhfleft by vacationing Canadian college students and expatriates who missed playing the game. The first truly Fleftic lacrosse players came from association football and field hockey backgrounds, and these players played in seasonal lacrosse clubs to augment their salaries during their respective sports' offseasons. The first national lacrosse league in Abanhfleft was established in 1929, and was composed of 7 teams coming from the Capital Islands. The Fleftic national lacrosse league system adopted its current franchise format in 2001, with the National League (now called the Lacrosse League of Abanhfleft) separating itself from the pyramid and becoming an independent organization of its own right. The Fleftic Lacrosse Federation (Samahang Lakros ng Abanhfleft or SLA) was established in 1930 to manage the leagues, and to see to the creation of a national team. The Abanhfleft men's national lacrosse team played its first game in 1931, where they lost 1-0 to a team of Montreal college players.

1963 saw the first attempts to introduce women's lacrosse into Abanhfleft. Women's lacrosse had vastly different rules from men's lacrosse, and while these programs saw some success in the mid-sixties, Fleftic women decided that the rules of women's lacrosse were "too soft," and simply adopted the rules of men's lacrosse. When the women's national lacrosse team played its first games in 1969, they surprised many other teams with their extremely aggressive style of play, the likes of which were more usually seen in men's lacrosse games. This led to many incidents of broken legs, broken arms, broken ribs, broken jaws, and so on and so forth. Eventually, the SLA established another women's team, this one focusing on women's lacrosse rules. Teams playing Abanhfleft are well-advised to treat the women like men because the girls will certainly treat their opponents like Fleftic men.

They have won six World Lacrosse Championships, winning in WLC 22, 23, 25, 32, 35 and 36. Starting in WLC 26, the team entered a rebuilding stage in which it maintained its ranking in the multiverse as much as possible without really challenging for the title. But in WLC 30, the SLA declared the rebuilding done, and the national team backed up this announcement with a deep playoff run that went all the way to the final, where they were unfortunately stopped by Wrexwic. Abanhfleft fell in the Round of 12 against hosts Baker Park in WLC 31, but the Amazons would come out on top of the lacrosse world once again after winning the championship on their home soil in WLC 32. Fortunes have been up and down in more recent times though; while the team crashed out of the quarterfinals in WLC 33, they were able to collect a third place finish in WLC 34. The team plowed through the tough schedule created by the Casaran format in WLC 35, proving the adage that "you can only beat the teams in front of you" true. One of those teams would be Vangaziland, a fellow serial winner in the competition, and in a final sure to go down as a classic, Abanhfleft emerged as 9-6 winners to lift their record-equaling fifth title. In WLC 36, the objective was to break the record and snatch it from Sarzonia, who were also planning to do the same. The Amazons defeated the Stars in the quarterfinals of WLC 36, and the team beat such giants as Banija and Cassadaigua to lift the World Lacrosse Championship for the sixth time. Now, the mission is simple: seven in 37.

STARTING X
GK - Goalkeeper
DF - Defender
MF - Midfielder
AT - Attacker

GK - #1 Valery Hickman (34, female) (vice captain)
DF - #2 Carlos Silva (30, male)
DF - #3 Kate Graves (31, female)
DF - #4 Vincent Ordoñez (28. male)
MF - #5 Lynette Welch (30, female)
MF - #6 Judith Devon (26, female)
MF - #7 Robyn Williamson (29, female) (captain)
AT - #8 Vanessa Kim (31, female)
AT - #9 Alejandro Santos Norris (30, male)
AT - #10 Helga Schuberth (27, female)

RESERVES
GK - #11 Cesar Mipa (26, male)
DF - #12 Blaine Black (29, male)
DF - #13 Garry Powell (32, male)
DF - #14 Adriana Batac (22, female)
MF - #15 Sarah Galvez (25, female)
MF - #16 Evan Marcelo (24, male)
MF - #17 Maite Ilaban (23, female)
AT - #18 Bella Cordoba (26, female)
AT - #19 Alfredo Carandang (23, male)
AT - #20 Sabrina Kimimoto (24, female)

STAFF
Head Coach: Armand Silverado (48, male)

Assistant Coach - Tactics: Burt Loza (65, male)

Assistant Coach - Training: Sabine Olesson (47, female)

Additional information
Nickname: The Amazons
Colors: All white with blue, orange, and green stripes on the waistline and yellow numbers in a red circle (home kit); all red with yellow letters and numbers (away kit)
Style: Abanhfleft is an attacking team. The legacy of football and hockey players dabbling in lacrosse in its early days in Abanhfleft has resulted in a playing style that emphasizes getting the ball up front for chances to score. This, however, leaves the defense a bit thin, as at least two midfielders join the attackers in forays up to the goal, leaving behind only the defenders and the keeper. The midfield makes up for this by rushing back to their positions as soon as the opponents have acquired the ball.

RP Permissions:
Everything except killing my players is fair game.

[TJUN-ia]

Name: TJUN-ia
Trigram: TJU
Lacrosse Association: Lacrosse TJUN-ia (LAX TJUN-ia/LAXT/LT)
Nickname: Jaguars (official)/Jags (short form)/Little War Jags (unofficial)

Lacrosse. The Medicine Game of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the people of the 6 Nations and beyond.
Now, TJUN-ia shall play this game internationally for the very first time as we make our debut at the 42nd World Lacrosse Championships.
We play this game knowing full well of its origins and of its importance to the Six Nations and those who hold it in such reverence.
Ty Halftown, one of the 5 Confederates in this setup, shall lead us as our 1st ever manager.
Another, Shonwahnonkon Sundown, shall be our 1st Captain.
Our aim? To promote the participation of American Indian athletes in TJUN-ian sports, especially for the Confederacy.
So much so, in fact, that at least one Haudenosaunee must start each game we play - by ruling of Lacrosse TJUN-ia.
This is to recognise the inventors of the sport while also ensuring a continued Native presence within our team.

A new era is beginning.
One which celebrates the old and encourages the new to play this medicine game.
Let the games begin.

---

TEAM
STARTERS
Manager: Ty Halftown (46, NAU)
Position: Number Name (Age, Current Region of Residence)
Purple indicates a member of the Haudenosaunee, based in Deganawidah, NAU Zone.
As it is their medicine game, at least one member of the Confederacy must start in a game.

GK: #1 Charlotte Colson (25. NAU) (VC)
DF: #2 Juuko Oyet (24, AU)
DF: #3 Orane Mangatal (26, CU)
DF: #4 Fantasy Bomberry (25, NAU)
MF: #5 Luke Teo'o (26, UO)
MF: #6 Ryland Leclaire (24, NAU)
MF: #7 Naylea Monterroso (25, UAC)
FW: #8 Nayu Ueno (24, CEA)
FW: #9 Shonwahnonkon Sundown (23, NAU) (C)
FW: #10 Nadin Qaraqra (25, ArU)

BENCH
GK: #11 Brendan Lazore (17, NAU)
DF: #12 Junior Egocheaga (16, UAS)
DF: #13 Lois Gill (18, NAU)
DF: #14 Mei Zhou Kavikiskaya (17, JB TJUN-ia)
MF: #15 Shayna Baxter (18, JB TJUN-ia)
MF: #16 Ri Bin-yong (17, CSTO)
MF: #17 Ri Un-jong (16, CSTO)
FW: #18 Douglas Higgins (17, NAU)
FW: #19 Jak Hardy (17, NAU)
FW: #20 Rachael Kwas (18, UO)

---

RP PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Godmod suspension events: Yes
Godmod other events: No

[Banija]

It's a new day at the WLCs- Pressure off as Banijans finally return as champions

ISTRIA, MORAVICA- The World Lacrosse Championships are a tough tournament to win at. Banija knows that, more than anybody. We went to the semifinals 10 times, between WLCs 21 and 40. That's over half of them- while we did not participate in WLC 27, meaning we went to at least the semis of this tournament 10 out of 19 tries. And the pain, recently. We've been to the semifinals every cycle besides one(WLC 35) since WLC 34. We've been to four finals since WLC 34, including the last three. The last three, of course, we lost to the exact same nation- the then four time defending world champions, Sarzonia, who beat us in three of those finals(and in the semis in the other).

But finally, at long last- the monkey is off our backs. Without the insane pressure of trying to win a tournament we should have long ago, we showed what we could do without that mental pressure at the Olympiad- taking first place in both the men's and women's competitions in lacrosse. it showed we were not far away from a world title ,and that came true, in WLC 41- slaying the Sarzonian and Fleftic demons in one go, and then beating Delaclava for a world title on top of that. It's a different world. Abanhfleft and Sarzonia combine for 40% of the number of WLCs won. Eleventh semifinal trip, sixth ever trip to the WLC Final- that time's the charm.

The head coach, Owole Kalali, says it is time to stop dwelling on the past- and look forward. "Look, it was a fantastic moment three years ago." He told reporters. "For the players, the fans, the alumni.. .We did this for everybody, who suffered, who got their hopes up for this team, who suffered for this team. It was a highly emotional night in Cassadaigua. A joyous night. I've never seen so many tears shed. But look- each WLC is its own tournament. It's about the here and now." And there are plenty of nations hungry. Abanhfleft and Sarzonia are licking their chops, trying to get back to the top. Baker Parkk is waiting, menacingly in the wings, trying to lift this trophy for the first time on home soil.

This is an experienced, veteran team- returning 8 out of 10 starters, it is loaded with players with championship experience. "The WLCs have long been about dynasty building." Said a TV analyst. "Abanhfleft won their first won- and simply could not stop winning. How many do they have- 7? 8? Then after that, Sarzonia has around the same number. They've won the last four, of course, before we won one. Banija's struggles late in these tournaments are well-documented- we don't need to rehash that. But Banija has always counted themselves among the same level, historically, as an Abanhfleft or Sarzonia- even without championships. Without that pressure bearing down on them, can they start a dynasty build of their own?"

We'll see if that is, indeed, truly possible. HUElavia seems to be their most talented opponent in their group, although the players warn- 'any given day'. The goal will be simple- get back to the Final. As it always is. The execution? Far less simple. Teams like BP, Abanhfleft, or Sarzonia, are too good to simply roll over. Will one of those four favorites earn silverware in the Commonwealth? Or will it be an outsider who shocks everyone, like HUElavia at WLC 34, and earns a world championship of their own?

[Cassadaigua]

Team Cassadaigua- WLC 42

Team Nickname: Fillies and/or Dagans
Demonym: People from Cassadaigua are called Cassadagans, or simply, Dagans. However, if you call us something else like Cassadaiguans, I simply look at it as that is how your nation references us, and don’t get concerned about it.

Uniforms:
Home: Pink with black lettering and trim.
Away: Black with pink lettering and trim. (If clashes with an opponent- Will wear home uniform).

Roster:
(Regular Starters In Green)
(Bench Players In Red)

Goalkeepers:
#21- Lauren Parrett (25)
#1- Brittany DiNovo (30)
#20- Olivia Cabrera (26)

Defense:
#5- Nora Headley (25)
#7- Kristen Gratton (31)
#2- Krystine Douglas (30)
#3- Hayley Wright (24)
#4- Chelsea Rendon (22)
#5- Ryan O'Donnell (23)

Midfield:
#22- Jessica Chatfield (29)
#14- Brittney Tremont (32)
#16- Courtney Schulz (31) (Team Captain)
#17- Brianna Quick (28)
#13- Danielle Sullivan (20)
#24- Meghan Hoglund (27)

Attack:
#19- Jenna Matthews (31)
#8- Gabby Kempster (31)
#25- Amanda Nelson (21)
#10- Kimberly Munson (28)
#12- Sierra Pendleton (29)
#9- Lily Mitchell (22)

#11 is retired in honor of Jessica Crockett

Coach: Jessica Crockett (46)
Asst Coach: Michelle Eastwood (45)

Team Notes:
- Team is neutral in focus, both offensively and defensively, therefore we do not use a high modifier.
- Team is not looking to be excessively physical, and will shy away from any cheap actions. Physical play is kept within the rules. However, if others get cheap will us, they will respond accordingly. They are not afraid to throw punches (or receive them) from male players, but will only do so in response to an opponent's actions, they do not instigate it. Instigating something with Douglas is not advised unless your player is exceptionally good at fighting.
-- In general, this team is mostly the same as WLC 41, but has turnover in important places, such as in goal. Lauren Parrett was part of the team as the third string goalkeeper last time, but her play domestically has seen her elevated to the top spot. There is some concern about this becoming an older roster, especially in the midfield, so expect to see the reserves get a good amount of action.
-- Courtney Schulz is a speedster (even at her age), and can score goals but is primarily the type of player to get 2-3x as many assists than goals. Up front, balanced scoring is expected between the three starters, one of them is not more dangerous than the other two. Tremont is a sneaky reliable scorer, too.

Home Stadium for Group Stage: N/A in WLC 42

Style: +1

RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but only say they were hurt. I will determine the severity.
Godmod Injuries to my players: No
Suspend my players: Yes, but no more then one more then you suspend of your own.
Godmod suspension events: No
Godmod other events: Doubtful, but TG me if you have something interesting you think I might like, and I may go along.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Commonwealth of Baker Park National Lacrosse Team

Previously controlled by the Universities Athletics Coalition, the sport is now governed by the Baker Park Lacrosse Association (BPLA). BPLA Chairwoman Dawn Thornton was elected to the Presidency of the World Lacrosse Council following WLC 40.
Baker Park first entered a team in the 29th World Lacrosse Championship, co-hosted in Razenthuria & Banija; the all-female squad made up of college-aged players advanced from pool play to the knockout round.
The nation has hosted the 31st and 37th editions of the WLC, as well as the 2nd Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Classic, prior to WLC 34.
While the sport in BP was traditionally a female pursuit, males participated in intramural or recreational level competition; with the expansion of the men's game into official intercollegiate recognition, the National Team have adopted an all gender policy which has seen expansion of the player pool and driven participation levels upward at interscholastic level.

Shannon Fries returns to lead the National Team for the fourth time in the WLC. Currently the Head Coach at Osheana A&T University, the U of Endborough graduate and 3 year letterwinner for Brittany Franklin had been the top NT assistant in the four previous WLC squads prior to taking over the top job.

Head Coach: Shannon Fries
Asst Coaches: Megan Ostrander, Ted Yount, Victoria Grimshaw.

13	Rachel Ewing		24	MF
18	Jeremy Oliver		27	GK  Co-Captain
16	Mitch Carlson		23	DF
 4	Penny Rosewater	        26	DF
19	Rob Sullivan		23	AT
 7	Cole Snyder		27	DF
14	Ellie Mendevlovich	27	AT
11	Tricia Vanderpool	26	AT			  
 6	Alex Nelson		26	AT
12	Grace Marshall	        22	GK     
 3	Darcie Switzer		26	MF
10	Lance Davis		24	MF  
 2	David Konstantinis	23	MF
 9	Kerri Hubert		26	MF    
17	Bev Ammaker		22	DF
15	Cassie Hohman	        27	DF
 1	Clarissa Pohl		26 	MF
 8	Lana Figueroa		28	DF
 5	Danielle Grimaldi	28	AT  Co-Captain
20	Annie Rose		22	AT

In the event my opponent RPs first, they may...

Choose my goalscorers: YES
Godmod scoring events: YES
RP injuries to my players: YES, but those that would be for just the duration of the match (TG in advance would be appreciated as well)
Godmod injuries to my players: See Above
Hand out yellow cards to my players: YES
Hand out red cards to my players: YES, but again, a heads up in advance is appreciated, as I would do for you.
Godmod other events: TG what you have in mind, I'm easy to come to an understanding with

[Captina Island]

The Captina Company National Lacrosse Squad

The Captina Company has organized it's first ever team in the sport of lacrosse and have undergone a strenuous crash course in the fundamentals and subtilties of the sport. What they lack in polish and instinct they will make up for in effort and endeavour.

Who We Are
Captina Island is the southernmost nation in Rushmore, made up of 6.3 million people of which approximately 31% are ethnic Captini--the native people who occupied the island prior to discovery--and 42% Italini, descendants of the settlers who arrived after 1922, with about 20% identifying themselves as mixed. The remainder are of other ethnic backgrounds and nationalities.

Captina Island thrives in all aspects of life thanks to the rigorous discipline of “The Plan” (officially known as The Captina Island National Community Operation Master Plan [CINCOMP]) which organizes the priorities, agenda, and the day to day running of proper society within the Armed Republic.

All economic affairs are controlled by the five major privately owned corporations that operate under the provisions of The Plan, holding exclusive license to conduct the nationwide administration of the following areas:

Captina National Organization (CNO)--Defense/Health & Medical/Education
State Economic Corporation (SEC)--Retail/Banking/Transportation/Technology
Industrial & Manufacturing Alliance (IMA)--Production/Raw Materials/Wholesale
The Captina Company (TCC)--Social/Entertainment/Utilities
Brandstadter Corporation Authority (BCA)--Food/Agriculture/Construction

Any remaining areas that would be under the control of a constituted government are handled by The Burkett Group, which is owned in equal shares by the five main corporations and a public ownership scheme funded by a 50 crown (about NS$10) per week deduction from the wages of all citizens. TBG functions as a bureaucratic administrative body, coordinating inter-company affairs in addition to providing the personnel for things like police/fire protection, vital statistics record keeping, public spaces maintenance, and other public services.

TBG operates from the National Capital District of Big Flint which has a population of 84,000, while the other corporations each have their own headquarters city, although they have national operations; within each major city, the 'affiliated' companies have satellite offices to handle the daily business.

The Coaches
Head Coach--Bonaventure Ferretti
Bonaventure Ferretti is the Godfather of the sport of lacrosse on Captina Island, and was the natural choice to lead this first ever foray into the World Championships. He played collegiately in Banija and professionally in both Sarzonia and Abanhfleft, so he has experience at the highest level.
Assistants—Fabio Bernardi, Rico Mazzelli, Tyrus Goodwin
The remaining staff also have overseas playing experience and had they been a few years younger could've been included in the squad rather working with the new generation of laxxers.

1  Michaele Gatto		27	AT
2  Claudio Lucia		25	MF
3  Nicholson Quadrelli		24	DF
4  Andrea Tacchi		22	DF
5  Giorgio Vitale		26	AT
6  Tino Calabrese		24	MF
7  Clifton Rinaldi		21	MF
8  Rocco Costa		        27	GK
9  Carlo Palmieri		23	DF
10 Davide Martino		24	AT
11 Broderick Fiore		23	MF
12 Sebastian De Rosa		26	DF
13 Sandro Bellini		22	DF
14 Patrice Candelabra		26	MF
15 Zachariah Dickson		28	AT
16 Solomon Broaddus		24	DF
17 Delroy Whitechapel	        21	MF
18 Tommaso Padgett		25	AT
19 Lemuel Henderson		24	AT
20 Buchanan Maxwell		25	GK

In the event my opponent RPs first, they may...

Choose my goalscorers: YES
Godmod scoring events: YES
RP injuries to my players: YES, but those that would be for just the duration of the match (TG in advance would be appreciated as well)
Godmod injuries to my players: See Above
Hand out yellow cards to my players: YES
Hand out red cards to my players: YES, but again, a heads up in advance is appreciated, as I would do for you.
Godmod other events: TG what you have in mind, I'm easy to come to an understanding with

[Cassadaigua]

Lacrosse to begin in Baker Park,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

If you are tired of soccer getting all of the headlines and want to watch another sport, you are in luck! The 42nd World Lacrosse Championships is beginning in Baker Park, and our Fillies will be taking on Captina Island at Selvey Commons this afternoon. It's not an easy group, mainly because it also has Abanhfleft and The Cordian Isles in it. Other opponents that we will be contending with are Northwest Kalactin (Hey, they're back!), and Hannasea. I'm not really sure where any easy games are in that schedule, so we absolutely must take care of business here in the opener against Captina Island.

Our team does not have any major surprises, but it does leave us a couple of talking points. Lauren Parrett being moved into the starting role in goal was certainly earned by the 25-year old, but sometimes our teams can be a little stubborn about moving a younger players past a veteran if the older player did not do anything bad to lose their role. That has been the case here with Brittany DiNovo continuing to play well and put up similar individual numbers over the last couple years, but with Parrett having such a great season, manager Jessica Crockett is going with the hot hand, and that is Parrett. Any early struggles, especially if it were to happen in a game that we must win if we are going to contend with the likes of Abanhfleft in this group, and I would expect a switch to DiNovo to be pretty quick. Or, maybe not. Crockett told me an interview that, "We don't want anyone feeling that they have to look over their shoulder and potentially lose their starting spot. That is clearly the case with Lauren in goal. She is our starter, and we are going to run with her." Brittany DiNovo was completely supportive of the decision in her comments, "Of course I want to play, but if I were making the decision I would choose Lauren as well. Whatever I can do to help her, I will do without any hesitation!"

Another young player getting a chance to start right away is Amanda Nelson, who Jessica Crockett told me, "She checks all of the boxes of what you want a player to do but what I really like about her is how fearless she is for her age. Maybe that is because of her age, but even though she is not one the biggest players on the field, she does not shy away from any form of physical contact." Scoring is expected to be very balanced amongst this group, something that could be seen as a sign of weakness given that we do not have a true headliner that stands out from the rest of the pack on attack like Jessica Crockett. Courtney Schulz is the one that makes the plays, with excellent on-field vision to see where her attackers are setting up. She will rack up the assists significantly again, and while she will get a few goals too, she's really the player that opponents need to game plan around. No, I didn't just give them any top secret information: anyone who scouts us will realize that.

Hopefully, this goes well. If you don't want to watch so much soccer, here's your tournament! But, you can do both, too.

[South Jeolerina]

South Jeolerina squad for World Lacrosse Championships 42

Full Name: The Borderlands of South Jeolerina
Demonym: Jeoleri (for people of the country), Gothanitan (for people of TGI)
Team Nickname: Yellow Boulders

A 30-player squad will be named for WLC42. For the squad, it is defence first, and they would be much interested to keep out the points rather than push for a larger win. The 30 players are all players who play for the Jeolerina-Hallikshire Lacrosse league, the multiassociational domestic league between South Jeolerina and Hallikshire. All the players listed are males unless stated.

Goalkeepers
Emrik Seward, 30 (Poolside LC)
Benayahu Schoorl, 28 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)
Bojan Ruf, 28 (Hangshire LC)

Defenseman
Joanne Castle, 32 (Female - Donbester Athletic LC)
Gallchobhar Abelen, 32 (Donbester Athletic LC)
Caterina Casey, 30 (Hangshire LC)
Darell Waller, 31 (Hamphire Athletic)
Sherri Carmody, 29 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Warrick Green, 28 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Germanus Acciaio, 28 (Hangastan Sports)
Trent Irving, 33 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)
Arve Walker, 32 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)

Midfielders
Jacob Perez, 34 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)
Denis Dahl, 34 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)
Seachnall Trujillo, 32 (Hangshire LC)
Lucas Riber, 29 (Hamphire Athletic)
Kim Braun, 29 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Lumír Parrish, 31 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Santi Scarsi, 30 (Donbester Athletic LC)
Olve Kral, 31 (Poolside LC)
Ragnar Boyce, 32 (Poolside LC)

Offenseman
Donagh Rudaski, 29 (Poolside LC)
Adam Havel, 30 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Cleto Bustillo, 29 (Hamphire Athletic)
Kelly Atkinson, 33 (Tyrial Jonis LC)
Otto Katona, 31 (Poolside LC)
Proinsias Altimari, 29 (Donbester Athletic LC)
Erland Lagunov, 36 (Hangastan Sports)
Eachann Paternoster, 26 (Sutra Dillkshire LC)
Kyler Aalmers, 26 (Donbester Athletic LC)

Head Coach: Leonard Snelling, 46
Team lead Coaches: Silvano McCormick, 44 and Prince Behringer, 49

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

CUTOFF for MD 1

Group A
Northwest Kalactin 3–10 Cordian Isles
Hannasea 5–16 Abanhfleft
Cassadaigua 9–10 Captina Island

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft             1   1  0   16   5 +11    2
2 Cordian Isles          1   1  0   10   3  +7    2
3 Captina Island         1   1  0   10   9  +1    2
4 Cassadaigua            1   0  1    9  10  −1    0
5 Northwest Kalactin     1   0  1    3  10  −7    0
6 Hannasea               1   0  1    5  16 −11    0

Group B
Melbergia 9–9 Sky Reavers* (11–10 OT)
Quebec & Shingoryeo 12–8 Natanians & Nosts
Baker Park 9–4 Sarzonia

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             1   1  0    9   4  +5    2
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo    1   1  0   12   8  +4    2
3 Melbergia              1   1  0   11  10  +1    2
4 Sky Reavers            1   0  1   10  11  −1    1
5 Natanians & Nosts      1   0  1    8  12  −4    0
6 Sarzonia               1   0  1    4   9  −5    0

Group C
South Jeolerina 13–9 TJUN-ia
StrayaRoos 0–18 Banija
Depivik 2–10 HUElavia

  Group C              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 1   1  0   18   0 +18    2
2 HUElavia               1   1  0   10   2  +8    2
3 South Jeolerina        1   1  0   13   9  +4    2
4 TJUN-ia                1   0  1    9  13  −4    0
5 Depivik                1   0  1    2  10  −8    0
6 StrayaRoos             1   0  1    0  18 −18    0

* Bonus point earned for OT loss

[TJUN-ia]

Welcome to Lacrosse, TJUN-ia! And welcome to Baker Park, too! This is TJUN-ia's debut World Lacrosse Championship and while we are used to competing in other sports, the aim here is to simply win a game and try and go as far as possible on this debut run. Ty Halftown's team of players, both Haudenosaunee and otherwise, were constructed with both the present and the future in mind, but how would they fare in their first-ever game as a team?

Princess Helena Sports Park in Kellerville would host this historic moment in our sport as we took on the Pot 3 side in our group from South Jeolerina, a team that certainly has more experience than we have. The Yellow Boulders were under the control of Leonard Snelling and certainly looked strong in this game with 13 goals - 3 each for Donagh Rudaski, Adam Havel, Cleto Bustillo and Kim Braun with Jacob Perez getting the 13th late on. As for us, we weren't expecting a knockout performance in our first-ever international game but we did manage a solid 9 points with goals from Captain Shonwahnonkon Sundown (3), Nayu Ueno (2), Nadin Qaraqra (2), Naylea Monterroso and Jak Hardy. It was still a loss, but losing by 4 is a lot better than losing by 18...so everyone took positive from that performance.

0-1 but the general feeling wasn't too bad, as many expected better opportunities for a win would come. Pot 2 HUElavia will be next, who beat our fellow debutant Depivik 10-2 in one of the other games. Just being competitive will be good enough at this early stage, but the hope of a win will always push us on. ONWARDS, LITTLE WAR JAGS!

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Schedule (Group 3)
MD1: vs South Jeolerina (Pot 3) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville L 9-13 (4th)
MD2: vs HUElavia (Pot 2) - Ludlow Road Ground, Endborough
MD3: vs StrayaRoos (Pot 4) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
MD4: vs Banija (Pot 1) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
MD5: vs Depivik (Pot 6) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville

[Cassadaigua]

What the heck just happened?
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

There is nothing positive to talk about following the first game of the World Lacrosse Championships. In a tough group, Cassadaigua had a match against Captina Island as their opener which should have been the one game that we can count on as a win. If you were watching the game, and made it all the way to the end without smashing your TV or alternative device, congratulations! I am not sure if any Captina Island fans are going to read this, but if you are let me be clear: this isn't about your team. Good job on your win and good luck to you. You were the better team last night.

Instead, it is about us. How in the hell do we blow a game like that? It all seemed to start well enough, with our team jumping to ta 3-0 lead and Courtney Schulz getting assists on all of them. Each of the forwards: Jenna Matthews, Gabby Kempster, and Amanda Nelson had one of the goals, and we seemed to be well on our way. No one would have realized that Bonaventure Ferretti's squad would then go on a 6-0 run to take us into halftime. Schulz was double teamed and while that is nothing new to her, the others around her were not able to pick up the slack. That should have been Brittany Tremont, but she failed to step up. It was a bunch of "what the *uck" afterwards.

It seemed as though Jessica Crockett made some good adjustments after halftime, and despite giving up a goal in the first 25 seconds to go down 7-3, the Fillies did begin to claw away. Hey, look! You're supposed to be beating this team, why don't you start playing like it? Crockett did replace Brittany Tremont with 20-year old Danielle Sullivan, and this seemed to be a very good move. Not only was Danielle entered into the match, but she would become the primary playmaker in the midfield as the Fillies wanted to take some of the pressure off of Courtney Schulz. With Sullivan having success, Cassadaigua began to dominate possession, but her inexperience with the forwards in front of her led to some miscommunication and plays to either breakdown or become routine saves. With time ticking away, the Fillies only had cut the margin to 8-6, and then 9-6 with four minutes to go. To their credit, they came roaring back in that stretch, closing to 9-8 with 1:47 remaining, then 10-9 with 31 seconds left and a chance to at least get a shot opportunity in the late moments.

It came up short. Of course it did. Now, we are 0-1, with Abanfleft next on the schedule and needing to find a way to get a top two spot with this embarrassing loss on our record. I don't want to hear that "you can be one of the two best third place teams", because that is unlikely with this terrible loss and what lies ahead for us. Jessica Crockett knows what she needs to do now. Is there a rebound in store for us, because certainly this is not over. But our backs are against the wall.

[Banija]

Banijans run riot with 18-0 victory to open the 42nd WLCs

HANNOVER, COMMONWEALTH OF BAKER PARK- "It doesn't really get better than this- even I don't have much to say about this performance." Said a grinning head coach, Owole Kalali. There was never going to be much fault to find with a performance such as this one. Getting a shutout in this sport is extremely rare- and the Banijans did just that. There were questions about how the team would turn out, how they would look, coming into their first WLC match since winning a title three years ago. And they had a statement to make- they may have won one, yes, but while the pressure was lifted, the drive wasn't. They wanted more.

And StrayaRoos would unfortunately be on the other side of this domination. A shutout, of course, just showcased exactly how this game would go. Lula Bullo led the team with 6 goals on the day, but we simply got off to a fast start and never looked back. Bullo scored three goals in the first quarter, which we ended up 5-0. We scored seven more in the second quarter, taking a 12-0 lead into halftime- shocking, yes, but that meant that the match was basically over at that point. That meant, could this team actually do enough to get a shutout?

And they did. Samba Uster, the veteran goaltender, was able to make some excellent saves, as Banija largely dominated in route to the shutout. While the win was excellent, and the fans were singing, the head coach Owole Kalali warned Banijan fans that this was just one game. "Look, this win was excellent in every way- but a reminder that it was only one win. We've got a ton of games left in this tournament, 4 more group stage games before the knockouts. We don't want to peak at the very beginning of the tournament. It is up to us to stay hungry, continuously improve, and remember that future games in this tournament won't go as smoothly as this one did."

Banija will travel to Endborough to take on Depivik at Ludlow Road on Matchday 2.

Elsewhere in the group

- Banija, with their 18-0 win, sit atop Group C after just one matchday. Depivik, who is Banija's next opponent, lost by a score of 10-2 to the WLC 34 champions, HUElavia, who sit in second place in the group. South Jeolerina won by a score of 13-9 in a close contest against TJUN-ia, as they sit in third in the group after one game. The KO stage participants from this group will certainly be some combination of Banija, HUElavia, South Jeolerina, and/or TJUN-ia, with Depivik and StrayaRoos now being serious underdogs, after just one matchday, to get out of this group.
- It is a Top 2 + 2 format being used for the group stages- the top 2 in each group automatically qualify for the QFs, as well as the next two best third place sides. And as the goal is to get to the next stage- the first goal for this team, is always reaching that top 2 mark- and the next will be to win the group

Notes from around the tournament

- Banija's 18-0 win was the highest margin of victory for any team on Matchday 1
- In a huge clash between the hosts and the 8-time winners, Sarzonia, Baker Park got the upset on home soil over the Sarzonia Stars, 9-4.
- Cassadaigua was also upset, showing the depth of this year's tournament, as Captina Island stunned the veteran lacrosse nation
- Other favorites won elsewhere, particularly Quebec & Abanhfleft both looking good while doing so

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

CUTOFF MD2!

Group A
Cordian Isles 20–9 Captina Island
Abanhfleft 8–12 Cassadaigua
Northwest Kalactin 9–15 Hannasea

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cordian Isles          2   2  0   30  12 +18    4
2 Captina Island         2   1  1   19  29 −10    2
3 Cassadaigua            2   1  1   21  18  +3    2
4 Abanhfleft             2   1  1   24  17  +7    2
5 Hannasea               2   1  1   20  25  −5    2
6 Northwest Kalactin     2   0  2   12  25 −13    0

Group B
Sky Reavers 3–19 Sarzonia
Natanians & Nosts 4–15 Baker Park
Melbergia 9–9 Quebec & Shingoryeo (10–11 OT)

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             2   2  0   24   8 +16    4
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo    2   2  0   23  18  +5    4
3 Melbergia              2   1  1   21  21   0    3*
4 Sarzonia               2   1  1   23  12 +11    2
5 Sky Reavers            2   0  2   13  30 −17    1
6 Natanians & Nosts      2   0  2   12  27 −15    0

Group C
TJUN-ia 11–13 HUElavia
Banija 12–4 Depivik
South Jeolerina 9–10 StrayaRoos

  Group C              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 2   2  0   30   4 +26    4
2 HUElavia               2   2  0   23  13 +10    4
3 StrayaRoos             2   1  1   10  27 −17    2
4 South Jeolerina        2   1  1   22  19  +3    2
5 TJUN-ia                2   0  2   20  26  −6    0
6 Depivik                2   0  2    6  22 −16    0

* Bonus point for OT loss

[TJUN-ia]

The First Battle of Learning showed where we were in terms of the Lacrosse hierarchy as the Little War Jaguars lost by 4 to a pretty good South Jeolerina side. The fact we only lost by 4 in our debut was certainly a good sign for a team trying to find their feet in a new competition but there was an understanding amongst this unit that they would be spending the rest of this WLC fighting for their first ever win. As a debutant, that is the one thing you are expected to fight for and everyone knew that - and Ty Halftown hoped that day would come soon rather than later.

Ludlow Road Ground in Endborough would host our 2nd game as we faced off against Pot 2 HUElavia in a game many hoped would see an improvement in our output in terms of scoring. The opposition, once again, scored 13 points as poor Charlotte Colson just seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but our offensive output certainly did improve in this contest as Nayu Ueno scored 4, Captain Shonwahnonkon Sundown scored 3 and both Ryland Leclaire and Rachael Kwas had 2 to their name. But even then, that wasn't enough and we lost 13-11 this time...sending us to an 0-2 that didn't...feel deserved?

We certainly can be something someday, but we need to win a game in order to start that journey. Next up will be Pot 4 StrayaRoos and maybe we can actually beat them? It's more hope than knowing at this point. ONWARDS, LITTLE WAR JAGS!

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Schedule (Group 3)
MD1: vs South Jeolerina (Pot 3) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville L 9-13 (4th)
MD2: vs HUElavia (Pot 2) - Ludlow Road Ground, Endborough L 11-13 (5th)
MD3: vs StrayaRoos (Pot 4) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
MD4: vs Banija (Pot 1) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
MD5: vs Depivik (Pot 6) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville

[HUElavia]

HUElavia National Lacrosse Team

Coach: Eduardo Tenorio (48 Years Old)
Assistant Coach: Sara Lettman (45 Years Old)
Style: +1.5

Goalkeepers:
#1: Reginaldo Cunha Rezende (28 Years Old) (1.82 m)
#13: Atuq Cuya Cahua (20 Years Old) (1.71 m)

Defenders:
#2: Mateus Mantovani de Lima (30 Years Old) (1.84 m)
#3: Lei Kang (31 Years Old) (1.78 m)
#4: Sandra Madruga Pereira (19 Years Old) (1.66 m)
#5: Yulianna Federov (29 Years Old) (1.77 m)
#15: Yurak Cachi Maygua (27 Years Old) (1.78 m)
#18: Kelly Amaro Brito (28 Years Old) (1.72 m)

Midfielders:
#6: Rita Moreira Higashi (25 Years Old) (1.68 m)
#8: Mamauqllu Guaman Pillpe (30 Years Old) (1.75 m)
#10: Jose Angel Mesonero (27 Years Old) (1.73 m)
#12: Mazeed el-Barakat (21 Years Old) (1.77 m)
#14: Isabel Bourne (20 Years Old) (1.70 m)
#16: Malcolm Hennessy (18 Years Old) (1.80 m)

Attackers:
#7: Shen Chan (27 Years Old) (1.70 m)
#9: Marcos Aponte (20 Years Old) (1.80 m)
#11: Diego Valverde (29 Years Old) (1.72 m)
#17: Diogo Nascimento Vila (20 Years Old) (1.77 m)
#19: Nisma el-Rahaim (19 Years Old) (1.66 m)
#20: Sami Olaya Canchon (26 Years Old) (1.64 m)

Starting X:
Cunha, Mantovani, Kang, Madruga, Moreira, Guaman, Mesonero, Chan, Aponte, Valverde

RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing severe
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing severe
Suspend my players: Yes, but be reasonable
Godmod suspension events: Yes, but be reasonable
Godmod other events: Yes

[Cassadaigua]

We're 1-1: Just like you thought we'd be,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

If you were predicting how the fortunes of our Fillies would go in the World Lacrosse Championships, you probably had us going 1-1 after the first two games. After inexplicably losing to Captina Island, it didn't seem as though we would be heading to that record, and if there was any question as to whether not we are disrespecting that opponent too much, the way Cordian Isles manhandled them shows that our criticism of them is far. Next on the schedule was Abanhfleft, one of the powers of the sport, and a nation that has particularly had our number in head to head matchups. Therefore, this was the match that we figured we would lose. But, after hearing it from fans, the team impressively rebounded with a 12-8 win over the Fleftics.

Look, upsets happen. The NSCAA basketball tournament will be getting underway somewhat soon, and that can serve as a reminder that "16 seeds" will, on rare occasions, beat a "1 seed", sending the dreams of the favorite fading away. For Team Cassadaigua, that loss was not a one and done, but instead could provide a spark for the team, to get their energy boiled up, and to show the ferocity of tigers going forward. You will recall though that in the opening match, manager Jessica Crockett substituted out the disappointing Brittany Tremont in favor of 20-year old Danielle Sullivan at halftime, so many wondered if that would lead to Sullivan starting this game. The answer was provided immediately when Sullivan did indeed replace Tremont, and showed improved chemistry with Courtney Schulz in the middle of the field. The Fleftics initially looked to double Schulz as well, as obviously if worked for Captina Island, they could be effective with it. Cassadaigua seemed to be prepared for this, and used Schulz as a playmaker anymore, ultimately leading to Abanhfleft limiting the amount of double teams.

Cassadaigua played even with Abanhfleft over the first half, with neither team ever holding more than a one goal lead over the other at any point in time. At the intermission, it was 6-5 in favor of the pink and black, with scoring split between four different players. It was at the start of the second where Cassadaigua started to pull away a little bit, with Amanda Nelson scoring twice in a two minute span to make it 8-5 in our favor, and we would never look back. While the effort against Captina Island was pathetic, this one was stellar.

Which version of the Fillies shows up for the rest of the World Lacrosse Championships will now be the question. After all, this result will be rendered meaningless if the team proceeds to lay another egg during group play. What it did allow for is the possibility that we could still finish in the top two, or make the "best third place" spots seem much more reasonable. At the present time, we don't know the answer to this question but the picture will be far more clear after the next game against Northwest Kalactin. It's an opponent we should defeat, as in their first two games, they have not looked good.

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

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Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Lacrosse Lamentations
with Aisling Keane

Every time I look at the historical records of the World Lacrosse Championships is a reminder to me that you don’t need to be a champion in order to be considered among the best teams in the world. Ask someone who’s familiar with lacrosse whom they would consider to be the best teams in the sport and while you might get a lot of varying answers, there are a few which will be consistently mentioned by almost everyone. We’ve got Sarzonia, the record nine-time winners of the competition, and then you’ve got us, our very own Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft, with our six titles. Then we have Banija, who may only have one title to their name at the moment but they’ve already staked their claim as being among the greats of this particular sport. And then, of course, we have Cassadaigua. The Matriarchy may not have won any championships in the WLC yet, but they’ve been with the organization from the very start, and it’s just hard if not impossible to imagine the WLC without the presence of the pink team. It’s just like one of those things that just… are, if you catch my drift. Like, it’s not a proper World Lacrosse Championship if Cassadaigua is not taking part in it, and I don’t think the Fillies have ever been away from the WLC, at least not that I can immediately remember.

There’s a reason why I mentioned Cassadaigua being one of the all-time greats in lacrosse here, and it’s not just because we played them on the second matchday of the 42nd World Lacrosse Championships in Baker Park, although it is directly related to that. There’s a statement that’s most often used in football but is also used in some other sports, and it goes, “Form is temporary, class is permanent.” Like, you just can’t deny that Cassadaigua oozes class, and I’m not just saying that because they’re practically the living embodiment of my personal “girl power” power trip fantasies. That said, it’s probably not fair at all to the people and women of Cassadaigua to call their country a feminist power trip because it’s most probably got a lot more nuance than just that. But to get back on topic, the Fillies are always contenders for the WLC even if they’ve never won it before, and they’ve just continued that particular trend against our Amazons. Another sporting cliche that I’m going to bring out here is “you’re only as good as your last game.” Now Abanhfleft’s last game in the WLC was against Hannasea, and I like to think that we did well there. But against Cassadaigua, our girls and boys simply ran out of luck.

The first game of the post-Kim and Koizumi Konnektion Era (Christ above, that hurt just to type out) against Hannasea was decent, to say the least. In that game, the Amazons didn’t look like they missed the connection between Vanessa Kim and Dennis Koizumi, and it even looked like Vanessa was making a new connection with Alejandro Santos Norris as a potent attacking pair. The two of them combined for nine of Abanhfleft’s 15 goals against Hannasea, and their combination was key to opening up channels for their teammates to slice through the Butterflies’ defense, with Santos Norris becoming an assist machine in the second half of the game. However, Vanessa and Santos might still have to work on their teamwork because when they went up against Cassadaigua, they just couldn’t do the things that they did against Hannasea. Whether it’s because the two of them are still getting used to working together on the field or if the Dagans just managed to prepare for them or a combination of both, the end result is the same: we were beaten by the Fillies. At least it wasn’t an embarrassing defeat or a blowout one; you might want to ask fans of either Sky Reavers or StrayaRoos about that.

Meanwhile, if we’re talking about team chemistry, another spot in our team that still needs work on that particular matter is the defense. For many years, both Reina Sosa and Selina Keller had been mainstays in the defensive side of things for the Amazons, even if Selina was technically a midfielder whenever she was out on the pitch. Well, I mean, defensive midfielders are a thing, are they not? They don’t exist just in football; surely other sports have got them as well. Anyway, that was the function that Selina Keller was basically playing when she was still with the national lacrosse team, but now that she’s retired from international lacrosse, her spot in the lineup is something that Armand Silverado and company have tried to fill with the likes of Lynette Welch and Judith Devon, but it’s just not the same without Selina. The team did well with her absence against Hannasea, but it was a completely different matter once we had to play Cassadaigua. I hope any Dagans reading this blog will forgive me for the ignorance that I’m about to unveil, but I have no idea what is currently the state of the Dagan lacrosse team, whether it’s a complete unit of women who gel together like you wouldn’t believe or if it’s also going through a sort of transition period between two generations of lacrosse players. Meanwhile, what I just said is pretty much an apt description of what’s currently going on with the Amazons, which I would love to claim to be the reason why we slipped up against Cassadaigua, but maybe the Fillies were just better than us on that day.

At the end of the day though, it wasn’t really the end of the world when the Amazons lost against Cassadaigua. It was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s still early days for WLC 42, and I still fully believe that we’re still one of the top contenders for the title. The next match will be against Captina Island, which looks like the perfect opportunity for our girls and boys to get themselves back on the right track by picking up another win. Of course, with things like these, it’s always too easy for this team to look at an opportunity to win and see it as the perfect time to start a losing streak. That hasn’t been the case for the national lacrosse team though, and hopefully that continues today. Like, come on now. Bloody Captina Island. They beat Cassadaigua by one goal last time around. Hopefully the same thing won’t happen to us, and hopefully we won’t lose by a bigger margin. I know how these sports gods operate with their monkey’s paws and stuff.

[Banija]

Owole Kalali, the team's head coach, on the pitch as the clock hits triple zeroes in Banija's win over Depivik

Kalali was clapping on the sideline as the match ended. The score was simple- 12-4, in favor of the Banijans. It wasn't quite their ridiculous dominating win over StrayaRoos- of course, they knew that an 18-0 was not going to happen at this tournament. But this win was more realistic, more replicable. A 12-4 win. Banija got off to another strong start, taking a 4-1 lead after the first quarter, and an 8-1 lead into halftime. The second half was much slower paced, but Depivik never really had a serious chance of getting back into the game. It mattered little for Banija- what mattered was getting to 2-0, and they got to 2-0.

He walked across the sideline, and shook the hand of his Depivik counterpart, telling him good game. Then, he walked around the pitch, celebrating with his various players over their win. It wasn't long on the pitch- players hugged their families, sang with families, but it was simply one win of many that they'd need. The higher pressure quarterfinal matches had not arrived yet- Banija was still simply trying to journey through to the quarterfinals. Their opening blowout win could loom large- as the games got tougher in the group stage, they could lean on that goal differential against anybody if they needed it to finish top two in the group- or for their seeding for the last 8.

In the locker room, he spoke to his players. "Hey guys- the first half that we played today, it was fantastic." He told them all. The players clapped. "We were creative on offense, we were physical and dominant in the midfield and on defense. We were able to get them down so much, that they had no chance of coming back against us. Broke their spirits for this game early. It's the type of game that I love to see. But as we all know- our next game is always going to be our toughest. We've got HUElavia in our next match, a team that has won this tournament before. They're unbeaten in this group as well- so this is going to be the rubber match, truly, to see who can actually win Group C out here. Our first two games, were over before they began."

He paused then, continued. "But this game, against HUElavia? This is going to be a contest that goes all the way down to the wire. We've saved our most difficult opponents for last in this group. It's a good thing- the schedule makers have given us time to work out kinks, and get a few confidence building Ws along the way. We didn't get upset, we took our opponents seriously, and we got two strong wins. But it only gets harder from here on out. We cannot expect games to be functionally over so quickly from this point on. We are going to have to be prepared to battle for four full quarters. Make sure you're physically ready, make sure you're mentally ready. I want lights out by 9:30 tonight- we are going to make sure that we're ready to go to war against HUElavia in a few days time."

He them let them go, before proceeding to the media room. The journey continued onward at his second WLC as the team's head coach.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

CUTOFF for MD 3

Group A
Hannasea 13–11 Cordian Isles
Cassadaigua 18–10 Northwest Kalactin
Captina Island 2–9 Abanhfleft

  Group A              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua            3   2  1   39  28 +11    4
2 Abanhfleft             3   2  1   33  19 +14    4
3 Hannasea               3   2  1   33  36  −3    4
4 Cordian Isles          3   2  1   41  25 +16    4
5 Captina Island         3   1  2   21  38 −17    2
6 Northwest Kalactin     3   0  3   22  43 −21    0

Group B
Quebec & Shingoryeo 19–9 Sky Reavers
Baker Park 13–6 Melbergia
Sarzonia 24–7 Natanians & Nosts

  Group B              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park             3   3  0   37  14 +23    6
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo    3   3  0   42  27 +15    6
3 Sarzonia               3   2  1   47  19 +28    4
4 Melbergia              3   1  2   27  34  −7    3
5 Sky Reavers            3   0  3   22  49 −27    1
6 Natanians & Nosts      3   0  3   19  51 −32    0

Group C
StrayaRoos 10–9 TJUN-ia
Depivik 6–9 South Jeolerina
HUElavia 8–12 Banija

  Group C              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                 3   3  0   42  12 +30    6
2 StrayaRoos             3   2  1   20  36 −16    4
3 HUElavia               3   2  1   31  25  +6    4
  South Jeolerina        3   2  1   31  25  +6    4
5 TJUN-ia                3   0  3   29  36  −7    0
6 Depivik                3   0  3   12  31 −19    0

[TJUN-ia]

The Second Battle of Desire showed that the Little War Jaguars could be a good team, but losing by 1 point did still sting to all those in Blue and Orange. You could certainly see that this team wanted to get that win on their résumé, to be the team that actually can win games in this sport we loved, and Ty Halftown was always going to be their biggest cheerleader. One day that win will come...but would today be that day?

It was the start of a doubleheader at Hamilton City Stadium and first up would be Pot 4 StrayaRoos, a 1-1 team that many did have hope that we could actually beat if things played out that way. This game would turn out to be a very tight one indeed and our goalscoring ability was initially quite good as we took a 9-6 lead into the final 4 minutes, thanks to 3 each from Captain Shonwahnonkon Sundown, Nadin Qaraqra and Naylea Monterroso, but StrayaRoos were the more experienced team and they didn't lose focus. Those final 4 minutes were pure torture as 9-6 became 9-7, then 9-8 and then 9-9...and then 9-10 with only 12 seconds to go. We had that win...and then we did not. Our souls were collectively crushed, but especially those of Haudenosaunee blood - who felt as though they had let their ancestors down in how they let this win slip away.

Now, the aim is even more simple - we do not want to leave Baker Park without a win. Pot 1 and 3-0 Banija will certainly be a tough ask, be we cannot simply allow them to claim an easy win either. StrayaRoos lost 18-0 to these guys on MD1 - and we certainly do not want to follow suit. No matter what, we must be ready for a siege. ONWARDS, LITTLE WAR JAGS!

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Schedule (Group 3)
MD1: vs South Jeolerina (Pot 3) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville L 9-13 (4th)
MD2: vs HUElavia (Pot 2) - Ludlow Road Ground, Endborough L 11-13 (5th)
MD3: vs StrayaRoos (Pot 4) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton L 9-10 (5th)
MD4: vs Banija (Pot 1) - Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
MD5: vs Depivik (Pot 6) - Princess Helena Sports Park, Kellerville