Rough Riders Take 19th OC Lax Classic Title

OCEAN CITY- The 19th Annual Ocean City Lacrosse Classic, held at several venues in and around the resort area last weekend, was a huge hit with a record 109 teams and hundreds of the top players in the country competing of four days culminating with championships in five divisions last Sunday.

The event has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1993 when a handful of teams competed on a hardscrabble field behind Ocean City Elementary School. This year, the tournament grew again with 109 teams competing in five divisions, including the men’s and women’s elite divisions featuring some of the top collegiate and professional players in the country.

Highlighting the event each year is the men’s elite division. This year, the Rough Riders won the division, beating Team UR Sports, 6-4, in the championship game after falling behind early, 4-2. The Rough Riders beat the Baltimore Crabbers in their semifinal, while the Team UR Sports beat the Long Island-based Big Fellas in their semifinal.

In the women’s elite division, it was the Rhino Bar topping Reel Lax, 8-5, in the championship game. In the Master’s Division, Smartlink beat Kooper’s Tavern in the championship game. Smartlink beat the Crab Bag, 12-0, in its semifinal, while Kooper’s Tavern beat the Greene Turtle-Fells Point, 10-7, to reach the title game.

In the grandmaster’s division, it was Harley Davidson overcoming a 4-2 early deficit to beat the Grayhounds, 5-4, in overtime in the championship. In the King Neptune Division, it was Vintage Lax beating Piv’s Pub, 8-5, in the title game.