Justin Lafleur

Despite Shrinking Attendance, Championship Weekend Isn’t Broken

May 30, 2014

There’s been a lot of talk regarding attendance at the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Weekend. Attendance is declining, but why? Is it because of location, enhanced viewing experience on television or ticket prices? The likely answer includes a combination of several factors. The Final Four was in Baltimore for the first time in three years, but the combined three-day attendance was more than 20,000 less than 2011 (98,786 in 2011…

To College Lacrosse Fans: Don’t Forget About Major League Lacrosse

May 29, 2014

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This column is directed to college lacrosse fans, especially those who are disappointed the college season is over. Whether you were at M&T Bank Stadium this past weekend or watched on TV, Championship Weekend is always a celebration of the sport. It’s the weekend many fans circle on their calendars and look forward to, only to have an empty feeling when it’s over. Leaving the stadium following Duke’s championship game…

Maryland beats Syracuse 15-12 for National Championship

May 27, 2014

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Maryland jumped out to a 5-0 lead less than five minutes into Sunday night’s National Championship Game and it looked like the Terrapins would run away with the title. Lacrosse is a game of runs, so that thought was quickly dispelled by the Syracuse Orange. Syracuse answered with the next four goals to pull right back into the game. The Terrapins went on a 6-1 second-half run to take a…

Syracuse and Mayland Advance to Women’s Championship

The question was asked of Maryland head coach Cathy Reese following her team’s 9-6 win over Northwestern. Was this the case of the better team winning? On paper, it looks like the answer is yet, but credit Reese for how she responded. “Anytime you step on the field, you have to compete,” she said. “You have to compete and you have to play well and execute if you want to…

May 24, 2014

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College Lacrosse is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

May 23, 2014

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There is increased parity in college lacrosse these days. Any team can win on any given day. The same handful of teams isn’t always at the Final Four and more programs than ever before have legitimate aspirations to reach Championship Weeken Despite the parity, there are three programs that have emerged the most over the last few seasons. All three are in the Final Four once again in 2014. Let’s…

LaFleur: Albany-Notre Dame Was Sports at its Finest

Google “definition of sports” and here’s the first thing that comes up: An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. There are many different kinds of sports, each which require their own unique mix of physical exertion and skill. Sports have a way of bringing together a group of people. It goes far beyond the players on the…

May 22, 2014

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MLL: NCAA Championship Weekend Well Scheduled

Look at the Major League Lacrosse schedule and you see a gap, a two-week gap between games. The reason is NCAA Championship Weekend. This coming weekend in Baltimore isn’t just a celebration of college lacrosse, but also a celebration of the sport. Credit the MLL for realizing this. I’m sure several players want to attend the event, some to watch their alma maters battle for a National Championship. It’s not…

May 21, 2014

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Lizards and Machine Both Look to Rebound

A pair of 1-2 teams coming off two-game losing streaks will play a key early-season game on Saturday night that could go a long way towards a playoff spot come August. The New York Lizards travel to the Ohio Machine for an 8 p.m. ET faceoff on ESPN3. Coming off a 15-9 loss against Rochester Saturday, New York has lost two straight games after its season-opening win over those…

May 17, 2014

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The Denver Outlaws Have Become the Model MLL Franchise

I can almost guarantee you that when Jake Steinfeld had the idea of a professional outdoor lacrosse league, he envisioned a franchise like the Denver Outlaws. Denver is the perfect example that professional lacrosse can work… and grow. Despite fluctuations and changes around Major League Lacrosse, the Denver franchise plays at an NFL stadium, is highly successful on the field and literally breaks attendance records on an annual basis. The…

May 14, 2014

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Parity is Alive in College Lacrosse

PHOTO CREDIT: IAN NEADLE Parity is alive in college lacrosse. This past weekend, the second, third, fourth and eighth-seeded teams all fell defeat in the NCAA Tournament. After taking a deep look, I ask, how surprising is this? The Atlantic Coast Conference is undoubtedly the best conference in college lacrosse. All six of its teams advanced to the 18-team NCAA Tournament field with five receiving top-eight seeds. The next highest…

May 13, 2014

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