As we prepare for the FIL tournament, we will preview three different divisions each day leading up to the games. Today we highlight the Blue, Grey and Plum Divisions.
Part One: Red, Green and Orange
Blue Divison
USA- The obvious favorites to win the entire thing. It’s on USA’s turf in Denver, Colorado and every single one of their players plays in the elite field lacrosse league, Major League Lacrosse. Jesse Schwartzman is currently the best goaltender in the world and their top player Paul Rabil is one of the faces of lacrosse.
Canada- Canada brings in another strong roster and they are contenders for gold. They bring in three goaltenders and Dillon Ward of the Florida Launch will probably start. Kevin Crowley, last season’s MLL MVP also highlights the roster on the offensive end.
Iroquois- The third team expected to medal. They bring in pro players Brett Bucktooth, Cody Jamieson, Craig Point, Jeff Shattler, Sid Smith, Roger Vyse and of course, the Thompsons. College players include Zach Miller and Warren Hill, who will likely get the start in net.
Japan- Andrew Lay of the Denver Outlaws highlights this team as their only MLL player. They finished fourth in 2010 and historically do very well in the tournament.
Australia- Australia medaled with bronze last tournament, and even though the Iroquois are back for 2014, they still believe they can be a top three team. They boast no pro players but all of them are veterans in Australia.
England- Finishing in fifth place in 2010 while hosting the tournament, England has several collegiate players on their squad. Aaron Prosser plays with LXM Pro to give them a pro player on their roster. Some college players include Colin Clive (Siena), Maximilian Bonsall (Siena), and Matthew Sexton (Penn State)
Plum Division
Argentina- Finishing in 28th place and going 0-6, Argentina is hoping their fortunes change in Denver. This is just their second year of participating. Their -54 was the worst goal differential in the tournament. Their roster has no NCAA or pro players, but a lot of the roster comes from the University of Buenos Aires.
Russia- This is Russia’s first year competing in the FIL. They are led by Cornell head coach Pete Milliman along with RIT attackman Eugene Arkhipov and Chicago Outlaws forward Travis Karpak. Will Koshanky of the Rochester Rattlers along with his brother Nick out of Notre Dame add a strong defensive midfield.
New Zealand- Finishing in 15th place in 2010, New Zealand finished their tournament at 5-2. They have a decent roster that since 2002 has only improved. Nick Ravenhall of the Oslo Legends plays in the Norweigen pro league while defenseman Brad Tuz plays out of MCLA’s San Diego.
Wales- Finishing in 11th place last year, Wales is one of the favorites to advance in this division. This is their sixth appearance and the sport is popular at the university level in Wales. James Richardson, their goaltender, will be their biggest asset as he can stop some of these low scoring teams.
Grey Division
Poland- The 14th place team in 2010, Poland went 5-3 in their first ever tournament. They look to be an even stronger club this year, despite being in a semi difficult division. They finished 14th last tournament due to being dominated 21-3 by the Czechs, so no doubt they will want revenge.
Czech Republic- The Czech Republic are likely the most underrated team in this tournament. Dominek Pesek has been a scoring machine everywhere he goes, from the European Lacrosse League (indoor lacrosse) to playing junior ball in Canada. Also on the squad is Radek Skala, another high scorer that North American fans wouldn’t know. Watch the Czechs to have a strong tournament.
Costa Rica- Costa Rica is one of the nine teams new to the FIL tournament. Costa Rica has held a few events in the past few years, hosting Princeton University and the Coquitlam Adanacs, but there is almost no doubt they will struggle in a division that holds the Czechs and the Poles.
Turkey- This is Turkey’s first year competing along with Costa Rica. Their first ever international tournament was in 2011, so they have developed very quickly. Several collegiate players such as Dean Pohlman, Hunter Barnett and Tyler Rinko make up the roster.
