The Lacrosse Newsletter - Feb 8, 2022

Week 0: The Hors D'oeuvres

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Joe Keegan & Alex Poole
February 08, 2022

🍽️ Week 0 Hors D'oeuvres

With 200+ men's and 450 women's games across ESPN networks scheduled for this spring, last weekend was only an appetizer. Feed us all the lacrosse!

Let's recap Week 0 of college lacrosse.

🐢 Game of the Week: Transfers lead Terps to 21-13 win

Led by the newest Terp to rep Joe Walters' famous No. 1, Logan "Groot" Wisnauskas (5G, 3A), Maryland took care of business at home against High Point.

Transfers Keegan Khan (4G, 2A) from Villanova, Owen Murphy (4G) from Johns Hopkins, and Jonathan Donville (2G) from Cornell didn't disappoint in their debuts.

Read Matt Kinnear's full story on the Terp transfers and Bubba Fairman's new role from College Park:

(Photo via AF_Lax on Twitter)

🛫 Helmet of the Week: Air Force

During Black History Month, the Air Force men's lacrosse team is honoring the Tuskegee Airmen by wearing their "Red Tails" helmets against UVA.

Hutton Jackson wrote about the Tuskegee Airmen when these lids debuted in 2021:

For those unfamiliar, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces and were a part of the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. By the end of World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were responsible for destroying or damaging 36 German planes in the air and 237 on the ground, as well as nearly 1,000 rail cars and transport vehicles.

Despite playing a pivotal role in the war, when the Tuskegee Airmen returned to the U.S., they continued to face racism and prejudice. During World War II, African-Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to Jim Crow laws and the American military was still racially segregated. However, their role in the U.S. Armed Forces laid the groundwork for the racial integration of the military, which was fully desegregated on July 26, 1948 thanks to Executive Order 9981 issued by President Harry Truman.

🍏 GOALIE ASSIST!

Vermont goalie Ryan Cornell pushed transition early and often against Duke.

After scooping the groundball and seeing two attackmen between him and the midfield line, Cornell turned on the jets. They didn't have numbers until Cornell cruised past O'Neill and Robertson. Cornell continued his cut after hitting the point man, got the ball back, and dished an assist.

🌄 Going West

First-year Utah head coach Andrew McMinn brings an uptempo brand of lacrosse out west. His Robert Morris Colonials earned a reputation for running. Long pole to long pole goals like this from Rylan Lemons to Sammy Cambere are the norm.

The Utes ultimately fell short, 14-13, against the 12th-ranked Denver Pioneers. But they proved their ability to compete for four quarters with the nation's top programs.

Watch the 'Going West' documentary to see how Utah's foundation was built:

😈 Nakeie Montgomery toying with slides

Duke midfielder Nakeie Montgomery is one of the best party starters in the country. His decision-making off the dodge is incredible. If hockey assists were a stat, he'd likely lead all of DI.

"Nakeie is one of the most selfless athletes I've ever been around," said Duke head coach John Danowski. "He understands the game, understands winning."

Slide early, show fake slides, or hold slides altogether -- it doesn't matter. Nakeie will beat you. This underneath dodge against Robert Morris on Friday night led to beautiful ball movement thru X to freshman Andrew McAdorey (#2) inside. Nakeie (#15) presses toward the cage at the last second to force Dyson Williams' (#51) defender to make a decision.

Then the ball spins.

"This is high level lacrosse," Redwoods LC midfielder Jules Heningburg tweeted. "[Nakeie] being hella patient with that fake slide, and then your homie at X who gives you space. Keep this up my boy !!"

Nakeie had a similar dodge on Sunday against Vermont. This time, the X attackman's defender was on the other side of the cage. After another fake slide from the crease, there was nothing between Nakeie and the doorstep -- so he soared above GLE for the finish.

"Today was his time to go to the cage," said Danowski. "That's what smart players do. They let the game come to them and they understand they'll get their turn. And today it was his turn."

"He's a guy that knows the game inside and out," said Williams. "He got rewarded with two goals because he's playing the right way."