Duke coach John Danowski said this Blue Devil team, like all of his teams, is “still evolving.”
What it’s grown into so far is a scary sight for the rest of lacrosse, as No. 1 Duke looked flat-out deadly in a 27-8 victory against High Point aired live on ESPNU Wednesday night.
Duke got the ball back after an opening face-off win from High Point. Jake Caputo passed it to Joe Robertson, who shot around a defender pushing out on him for the opening score 24 seconds in. They didn’t really stop scoring from there, and after a brief few minutes in which the teams traded scores, the Blue Devils went on a 14-0 run that showed a complete team that has found its full rhythm.
Paul Rabil is back with the Cannons.
He’s officially the first player for the PLL’s Cannons LC.
“Part of [his role] will depend on what shakes out with the other guys we’re able to get,” Quirk said. “That’s the nice thing about Paul; he could play both [midfield or attack].”
Rabil and the No. 6 pick in the PLL Entry Draft went to the Cannons, while the Atlas received the No. 9 pick in the Entry Draft, the No. 8 pick in the College Draft and the Cannons’ first-round pick in the 2022 College Draft.
The Rabil deal comes as protected rosters for each team are set to be unveiled. That’s triggered a series of moves and retirements in the league, like Atlas LC’s Andrew Hodgson, Chrome’s Matt Danowski, the Whipsnakes’ Jeremy Sieverts and Brett Schmidt among them.
Army has cracked the top 10.
A surefire way to move into the top 10 of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Top 20? Defeat a team that didn’t lose a game last year and entered the season ranked No. 2 in convincing fashion on the road.
Army’s 18-11 win over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome followed that formula and vaulted the Black Knights up eight spots from 15 to 7 despite a loss to Virginia a week prior. The team one spot behind Army, No. 8 Rutgers, made the biggest leap in this week’s rankings thanks to an 11-9 season-opening win over Penn State.
Photo courtesy of PLL)
A pair of longtime pro lacrosse stars announced their retirement from the Premier Lacrosse League on Monday.
Matt Danowski, an attackman with Chrome LC, was a seven-time all-star and finished his pro career with more than 400 points. A 2008 Duke alum, he posted 353 points in college and is currently an assistant coach for the Blue Devils.
Schmidt, a 2011 Maryland alum who announced his retirement on Sunday, picked up three groundballs for Whipsnakes LC in last summer s championship series, punctuating a decade-long career.
105 games played