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	Washington middie Devon Britts (1) slows down Philadelphia’s breaking Matt Striebel (9), Saturday, August 4th, 2007. (Click for a larger image, 92K) Britts was making his second appearance with the Bayhawks.

A sweltering crowd of 2682 saw former Monticello HS standout Devon Britts tally a goal and an assist for the Washington Bayhawks as they took on the reigning MLL champion Philadelphia Barrage at Georgetown University on Saturday. The 8-3 Barrage shot down the Bayhawks 21-11 and with the win, guaranteeing themselves a playoff spot.

Britts was acquired by Washington from the Los Angeles Riptide in July, where he played in 10 games over the past two seasons. The Bayhawk roster also includes four former Virginia Cavaliers: Ryan Curtis, Kyle Dixon, Matt Ward, and Connor Gill.

	Bayhawk Brendan Healey (4) wins a footrace to the midfield line, Saturday, August 4th, 2007. (Click for a larger image, 94K)

	Washington’s Devon Britts (1) stares down the Philadelphia offense, Saturday, August 4th, 2007. (Click for a larger image, 76K)

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	Cavalier goalkeeper Kip Turner (15) runs a clear after a save in the third quarter of Virginia’s game against Syracuse, Saturday, March 3, 2007. (Click for a larger version: 137K.)

Virginia goalie Kip Turner is selected by the Boston Cannons as the second pick in the MLL draft. Barring trades, Turner will join fellow former Cavaliers John Christmas, Matt Poskay, and David Jenkins in Beantown. Turner comes off his 2007 campaign with 144 saves notched in his chest protector, having faced 474 shots since the season opened (.552 save %). Turner played in 49 games as a Cavalier, with 412 career saves. In 2006, Turner helped lead Virginia to the NCAA Division I Championship, and was named the team’s Defensive MVP.

Virginia midfielder Drew Thompson joins Turner on the Cannons, selected by Boston as the first pick of the third round (21st overall). Thompson finished the 2007 season with 11 goals and 9 assists, and also won 39 of 69 face offs (.565 avg). During his career at Virginia, he scored 40 goals and made 41 assists, apppearing in 60 games.

Virginia defenseman Ricky Smith goes to the Washington Bayhawks as the 26th overall pick. In Washington, Smith will play with former Cavaliers Matt Ward, Connor Gill, Ryan Curtis, and Kyle Dixon. Smith was one of Virginia’s 2007 team captains, and appeared in 60 games over four seasons.

Via Inside Lacrosse

Steve Holmes, a former All-American at the University of Virginia and a professional player with the San Francisco Dragons (MLL) and San Jose Stealth (NLL), will serve as an assistant coach for the men�??s lacrosse program at Dominican University of California, head coach Ned Webster announced today. Holmes will join the Penguins for 2007 and help work with the defense.

Holmes was one of nine ACC defensemen and seven ACC rookies to start every game his freshman year (2002). He was third among ACC freshmen in ground balls with 41. A captain his junior year, Holmes was named an Honorable Mention STX/USILA All-American player in 2005. Holmes picked up 43 ground balls in 2005 and finished second among ACC close defensemen, averaging 2.87/g.

�??Welcoming Steve aboard has been yet another significant step towards the development of Penguin Lacrosse, and he will be huge help at the defensive end of the field,�?� said head coach Ned Webster. �??He possesses an excellent pedigree, and has played the game with great success on the biggest stages the sport has to offer. Steve is extremely detailed and passionate about his coaching, and is a solid representative of our program, the University and Northern California lacrosse.�?�

Holmes will be assisting at Dominican while he plays for the San Jose Stealth of Major League Lacrosse. �??I�??m really excited to be a part of this,�?� said Holmes. �??The program�??s really growing under Ned�??s direction and Penguin Lacrosse is going places.�?�

Holmes was drafted in the sixth round (22nd pick overall) of the 2007 NLL Entry Draft by the Stealth. In 2006, he was picked in the third round (22nd pick overall) in the MLL Collegiate Draft.

Via University of Vermont

The University of Vermont has named Ryan Curtis as its new men�??s lacrosse coach. Vermont Director of Athletics Dr. Robert Corran made the announcement today. Curtis replaces Steve Beville who resigned on August 28th to become the men�??s lacrosse coach at Division III Cortland State.

�??We are excited to have Ryan assume the head coaching role in our men�??s lacrosse program,�?� Corran said. �??He brings tremendous experience as a player at every level of the game and all the attributes of a leader and coach. He has a bright coaching future ahead of him and I�??m thrilled that it will be as a Catamount.�?�

“I am very excited to be here and this is a great opportunity for me professionally and for my family,�?� Curtis said. �??Dr. Corran and Chris McCabe (Assistant Vice President for Athletic Marketing and Business Development) have been great and I want to thank them for this opportunity. Plans are in place for the team to succeed here and I am excited to get started.�?�
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The University of Virginia’s Men’s Lacrosse program is the source of a significant number of impact players in the MLL. One of those players is Michael Culver, who was named the MLL’s Sportsman on the Year. He received some early attention by “guaranteeing a win” for the Chicago Machine against the Los Angeles Riptide. (The Machine lost, Culver donated his salary for the game to The Children�??s Heart Foundation.) Culver recently sat down with Major League Lacrosse correspondent Dan Campagna for an in-depth interview.

Chicago Machine defensemen Michael Culver was on top of the college lacrosse world. His University of Virginia team went undefeated en route to a NCAA title and he was selected in the first round of the 2006 Collegiate Draft (7th overall pick). He was on a hot streak, but things cooled down for Culver in the windy city as the Machine went winless in 2006. MLL was able to chat with Michael and get some details about an interesting change of scenery.

Read the complete interview here.

Via Laxpower

Keswick resident, Charlottesville Summer Lacrosse League player, and Norfolk Academy graduate Pierce Derkac officially joined the Cornell University men’s lacrosse team as it officially opened its fall practice on September 5th. Derkac joined 12 other players from the US and Canada. Commenting on the freshmen, Cornell Head Coach Jeff Tambroni remarked, “Our coaching staff is thrilled about this year’s addition into the Cornell lacrosse family.”

From the complete article:

A four-year starter at Norfolk Academy, Derkac was named an All-American and team MVP as a senior captain. The 6-1 midfielder was a three-time first-team all-state, first-team All-TCIS and All-Virginia Prep League selection. Derkac played in the 2006 U.S. Lacrosse National Senior Showcase, and as a freshman, he helped his team to the Virginia private school state championship. He also earned four varsity letters in football and two in basketball and was a three-time first-team All-TCIS selection on the gridiron, earning TCIS MVP honors following his senior season.

Derkac was also one of the subjects of this Friday Photo from the 2004 summer league championship game. His brother, Britton, plays in the MLL for the Boston Cannons.

Via UVA Sports Information

Several former University of Virginia men’s lacrosse players have received postseason honors for their play in the professional league this season.

Matt Ward, a standout on UVa’s national championship squad this past season, was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. The fourth pick by the Baltimore Bayhawks, he was the team’s second-leading scorer with 33 points. He was also second on the team with 23 goals. In his debut against New Jersey on June 11 Ward scored two goals, including a two-pointer. His most impressive performance came against the Boston Cannons on July 8, when he scored six goals and added three assists. His offensive explosion earned him the Offensive Player of the Week award, as he became the only rookie this season to win the award.

John Christmas, a key member of three Final Four squads at UVa and currently a member of the Boston Cannons, was nameed the league’s Most Improved Player. As a rookie last season, he was relegated to a role player and scored just five goals and three assists. This season Christmas moved into a starring role and broke out with 21 goals and 17 assists to finish second on the team. Against the Long Island Lizards in the season’s second game he notched a hat trick and added an assist to start a streak where the tallied at least four points in four games in a row.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

Midfielder Roy Colsey scored a postseason record 10 points, Matt Striebel notched nine and face-off specialist Paul Cantabene won a playoff record 27 face-offs as the Philadelphia Barrage defeated the Denver Outlaws 23-12 in front of 5,734 fans at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. It was Philadelphia�??s second MLL Championship in the last three years. Colsey was named the 2006 New Balance Championship Weekend MVP. The 23 points scored by the Barrage was a Championship Game record.

Colsey scored six goals, two of which were two-pointers and added two assists for 10 points, breaking the previous record of eight. Striebel scored four goals, one for two-points and added four assists for nine. The teammates both notched 15 points over the course of the 2006 New Balance Championship Weekend. Cantabene broke the previous record of 24 face-off wins in a postseason game, which he set last season as a member of the Baltimore Bayhawks. He also added a goal.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

University of Virginia stars continue to dominate the MLL’s post-season awards. Former Cavalier and current Boston Cannons attackman John Christmas has been honored as the 2006 Warrior Most Improved Player. The award was based on votes submitted by the General Manager of each of the 10 MLL teams. Christmas, along with other MLL honorees will be acknowledged at the 2006 Major League Lacrosse Awards Luncheon.

Christmas, a second-year player, has shown tremendous improvement from last year to this. As a rookie last season, Christmas scored five goals and added three assists for eight points and finished the season as the team�??s eighth leading scorer. Christmas was relegated to role player due to playing behind a star studded lineup that included league Co-MVP Mark Millon and Kevin Leveille, who notched 39 goals last year.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

Former University of Virginia standout and Baltimore Bayhawks attackman Matt Ward has been honored as the 2006 Cascade MLL Rookie of the Year. The award was based on votes submitted by the General Manager and the Head Coach of each of the 10 Major League Lacrosse teams. Ward, along with other MLL honorees, will be acknowledged at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, August 26th during New Balance Championship Weekend.

Ward selected fourth overall in the May 31st Collegiate Draft by the Bayhawks. He put together one of the most impressive offensive performances of any first year player this season. In his first ever game, Ward posted two goals including a two-pointer against New Jersey on June 11th. His shooting touch didn�??t leave him for the rest of the season, as he went on to score hat-tricks in three more games. He scored a goal in every game he played and never finished a game without scoring multiple points.
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