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Looking for a Canadian presence in Monday’s Duke vs. Notre Dame battle?

Not long after the Duke Blue Devils wrapped up their thrilling comeback victory over Virginia on Saturday evening, the thoughts here at NLLInsider.com naturally turned to indoor lacrosse. Specifically, what sort of connection can we find between Monday’s NCAA Division I title game between Notre Dame and Duke and our beloved indoor game? Truth be told, the connection was found quickly because, there really isn’t one. By our quick scan of the rosters for each school, we couldn’t find a single connection unless you count Duke’s Mike Catalino, whose brother Grant, an attackman at Maryland, is expected to suit up for the Junior A Six Nations Arrows again. And even then, dude’s an American. But that doesn’t mean the NCAA’s final four weekend was without a Canadian lacrosse presence. The 9 players we found all lost on Saturday. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A

Victoria Shamrocks add two Eastern players

With the Mann Cup in the East this year most western teams tend to rely more on local players and opt not to spend the big money on bringing in imports. Well the Victoria Shamrocks are going against that trend and are making a strong run at knocking off the defending two time WLA champs, New Westminster Salmonbellies. Already running a few eastern born players on their roster like newly acquired Paul Dawson, Matt Lyons and Kevin Dostie, as well as returning players Jeff Shattler, Dean Hill, Nick Inch and the brother combinations of Jeff and Shawn Summerfield and Ian and Dylan Llord. A press release that came out todayhighlights the signing of two more pro experienced names. After the jump check out the latest addition to the Shamrocks family. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup

Mike Kloepfer calls Major Series Lacrosse “corrupt” and “money-based”, “This could be a positive…” – Jamie Batley, more on Barrie Lakeshores last minute fallout

24 hours after the Barrie Lakeshores suspended operations of their Major Series Lacrosse team, almost a week into the MSL season and on the same day they were supposed to host the Brooklin Redmen, information in regards to their last minute departure is now known.

The Peterborough Examiner reports that Lakeshores’ Founder, President and Owner Mike Kloepfer, who of course also recently spent three seasons as the Toronto Rock’s Director of Lacrosse Operations, says his team couldn’t continue to operate in an “amateur” league which has no rules regulating compensation of its players. READ MORE »

International

Jeff Dowling named Irish National Indoor Team Head Coach, Paul Rabil’s latest Maverik ad in Red Bull Arena, plus the links

Team Ireland's new head coach Jeff Dowling (Dave Sanders)

The Irish National Team has announced that former National Lacrosse League coach and executive, Jeff Dowling, will take over head coaching responsibilities with the program’s Indoor National Team as they prepare for the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, the tournament anticipated to be held in Prague, Czech Republic next summer.

Dowling, a regular contributor on NLL Insider, has served as a head coach, assistant, scout and personnel director with such NLL teams as the the Calgary Roughnecks, Anaheim Storm, Columbus Landsharks, New York Titans, Buffalo Bandits and most recently with the San Jose Stealth in ‘09. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup

Breaking: MSL’s Barrie Lakeshores suspend operations for 2010 season

Insider has learned from several sources that the Major Series Lacrosse loop’s Barrie Lakeshores have suspended operations for the 2010 season, less than 24 hours prior to the start of what would have been their first regular season game, tonight against the Brooklin Redmen at the Holly Community Centre in Barrie. The MSL season officially started last week. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup

Peterborough Lakers re-sign John Grant, sign dispersal picks John Tavares and Mark Steenhuis, plus your Mann Cup favourite

John Grant has re-inked with the Peterborough Lakers, looking to get the team back to the Mann Cup (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

The MSL’s Peterborough Lakers announced earlier this evening that the team has re-signed longtime Laker great John Grant, who played just a partial season in Peterborough last year after returning from major reconstructive knee surgery, as well as St. Regis Indians dispersal draft pickups John Tavares and Mark Steenhuis, the two Buffalo Bandits stud scorers joining Steve Toll and Mike Thompson, who inked deals with the Lakers last week.

Peterborough, who have been eliminated by the Brampton Excelsiors the two previous seasons in the MSL final, the Excels winning back-to-back Mann Cups those same seasons, bring a roster loaded with high profile talent, the team also announcing the official re-signing of such players as Mac Allen, Chris White, Shawn Evans, Kyle Sorenson, Mike Hobbins, Ryan Sharp, Kevin Fines and captain Scott Self in recent weeks. Stay dialed into Insider for more on today’s blockbuster announcement and after the jump let us know who your Mann Cup favourite is this summer. READ MORE »

The Ballers

From the NLL to the MLL- what team are your players suiting up for this summer?

Tutka did everyone a favour in breaking down where all the stars of the NLL will be suiting up this summer north of the boarder.  But what about the boys that are swapping 5v5 for 10v10. The Major League Lacrosse season is well under way and many of the National Lacrosse Leagues players who weren’t born and raised on the concrete of Canadian summer box are getting ready for some fun in the sun. After the jump take a look at where you favorite NLL ballers will be playing in the MLL. READ MORE »

Minnesota Swarm, Road to the Mann Cup

KW Kodiaks hurting without Ryan Benesch, Chris O’Dougherty crosses the border into the WLA, plus the links

Ryan Benesch, who had his best pro season with Minnesota, is unlikely to suit up in KW this summer (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

The Major Series Lacrosse season is three games deep, all involving the Kitchener Waterloo Kodiaks, all games KW has found themselves on the wrong side of the scoresheet.

The Kodiaks, who had arguably their best MSL season last summer (9-9) since joining the league in ‘06, have dropped two games to the defending Mann Cup champion Brampton Excelsiors and, last night, a 10-7 loss to the Six Nations Chiefs, so far this year. It also looks like the Kodiaks will be without last year’s leading scorer (72-points in 17 games) and local product Ryan Benesch, the KW Record reporting that Benesch is likely headed West to the WLA, the Kodiaks not expecting him in their lineup in 2010. READ MORE »

The Ballers

Catalina Win Mixer… Triple Double… Trolley Tracks

Chris Sanderson (Photo: Dave Sanders)

Note: Philadelphia Wings assistant coach and Team Canada gold medal winning keeper Chris Sanderson will be checking in weekly with Insider through his personal blog, talking about his journey to this year’s World Championships while continuing his treatment after being diagnosed with brain cancer in Dec. ‘08. Check the site to see how you can help Chris back to 100% on all fronts.

May 21… Guess who is back? The personal shooter emerged from a 6-week stint on the DL and put me through my paces yesterday. (Read More)

May 18… Not to be confused with the Tim Horton’s double-double. I made my return to our local over-35 men’s league last night. With the Wings schedule and treatment I was unable to much this winter, but I caught the final game of the “spring” season. (Read More)

May 12… I had an awesome trip down to the brain tumor center at Duke on Monday. I dread these trip and the MRI’s – when you are assured by every doctor that the cancer is certain to come back, I keep thinking the next MRI is going to bring bad news. (Read More)

Road to the Mann Cup

Paul Dawson in search of new nickname while suiting up for the Victoria Shamrocks

Check out Paul Dawson’s first week in Victoria above (Times Colonist), the two-time Mann Cup winner going West in search of his third straight national title with the WLA’s Victoria Shamrocks. Video provided by A News/Channel in Victoria