OCEAN CITY- The 22nd Annual Ocean City Lacrosse Classic, held at several venues in and around the resort area last weekend, was again a huge success with over 100 teams and thousands of the top players in the country competing for four days culminating with championships in seven divisions on Sunday.
The event has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1993 when just a handful of teams competed on a hardscrabble field behind Ocean City Elementary. Twenty-two years later, over 100 teams featuring some of the top men’s and women’s collegiate and professional players in the country compete in seven divisions including the men’s and women’s elite divisions, the masters and grandmasters and the King Neptune division.
The Long Island Express team pictured above beat NYAC in the championship game last Sunday to win the men’s Elite Atlantic Division championship in the 22nd annual Ocean City Lacrosse Classic.
Submitted photo
The Ocean City Lacrosse Classic is one of the highlights of the sport’s summer tournament season. The Ocean City event is on par with other big showcase tournaments in Vail and Lake Placid each summer. The tournament got started last Wednesday with the Rolling Surf Division featuring some of the top wheelchair lacrosse players in the world including several wounded warriors. Opening round games in the masters and grandmasters divisions began on Thursday at venues across northern Worcester County.
The men’s and women’s elite divisions started play last Friday and games were held in pool play all weekend until, culminating with the semifinals and championship games on Sunday. In the men’s Elite Atlantic Division, featuring some of the top collegiate and professional players in the country, Long Island Express beat NYAC, 14-6, in the championship game last Sunday. Long Island beat the Cannons, 11-1, in its semifinal, while NYAC beat Kooper’s, 7-6, to reach the title game.
In the men’s Elite Bayside Division, 84 Lumber topped White Walkers, 6-5, in a tight championship game. 84 Lumber beat 333 College Ave., 6-3, in its semifinal, while White Walkers topped GOJO, 9-3, in the other semifinal.
The Hot Buns captured the women’s Elite Division title in the 22nd Ocean City Lacrosse Classic last weekend, beating defending champion CyberCore in the title game.
Submitted photo
In the women’s Elite Division, it was Hot Buns beating defending champion CyberCore, 7-5, in the championship game on Sunday. Hot Buns entered the tournament as a long shot for the finals, but won their first seven games by an average margin of four goals. Hot Bun led the defending champion CyberCore, 3-2, at the half and hung on for the 7-5 win in the title game.
In the men’s Masters Atlantic Division, featuring players 35 and older, Kooper’s beat Jack Lingo, 8-4. In the men’s Masters Bayside Division, Abbey Burger downed Kirby’s Red Onion, 9-4. In the Grand Masters Division, featuring players 45 and over, it was Kooper’s beating Tequila Mockingbird, 13-5, in the championship game. In the King Neptune Division, featuring players 50 and over, it was Harley beating Mr. Boh, 9-5, to win the championship. In the Rolling Surf Division, the Sharp Shooters topped KKI-PVA, 7-3, in the championship game.
In the men’s Elite A division, 1 Lacrosse repeated as champion, beating Jack Lingo, 7-4, in the title game. Last year, 1 Lacrosse beat Jack Lingo, 10-6, in the championship game.
In its semifinal, 1 Lacrosse beat CyberCore, 9-8, while Jack Lingo beat the Maryland Lacrosse Club, 5-0. 1 Lacrosse scored early and often in the first half of the championship game and took a 4-0 lead into intermission. 1 Lacrosse got first half goals by Myles Jones of Duke, Austin Stewart of Lynchburg, Ryan Brown of Hopkins and Aaron Murphy of Lynchburg.
Jack Lingo got on the board early in the second half on a goal by Salisbury’s Matt Hickman, but 1 Lacrosse quickly answered with goals by Brown and Murphy. Jack Lingo continued to apply the pressure, but were stopped repeatedly by 1 Lacrosse goalkeeper Gunnar Waldt, who was named tournament MVP. 1 Lacrosse held on the rest of the way and repeated as champion with the 7-4 win.
In the men’s Elite B division, Tessamaes defeated the Cannons, 10-5 in the championship game on Sunday. Tessamaes beat Chirp City, 10-4, in its semifinal, while the Cannons defeated the Lil Abners, 9-7, to earn a spot in the championship game.
In the women’s Elite division, CyberCore edged Salty Balty, 9-8, with a dramatic goal with just seconds remaining in the championship game. With the game tied at 8-8 and the clock ticking down, CyberCore’s Alyssa Murray from Team USA found Natalie Glanell open on the crease and Glanell converted the game winner to give CyberCore the title.
Salty Balty scored first in the championship game, but CyberCore answered with five goals of its own to take a 5-1 lead into halftime. CyberCore got two goals from Murray, who was eventually named MVP of the tournament, along with goals by Emily Considine of Hofstra and Tori Seitz of Jacksonville. Salty Balty scored the first four goals of the second half to tie the game at 5-5. CyberCore then answered with two quick goals by Murray to retake the lead at 7-5.
Salty Balty rallied for two goals by Yale’s Lauren Wickerle to tie the game again at 7-7. Salty Balty then took its first lead of the game since early on in the contest on a goal by Virginia’s Kelly Boyd to go up 8-7. Murray scored again for CyberCore with three minutes left to tie the game at 8-8 and set up the dramatic last second goal for the title.
In the Masters A division, Smartlink beat the Marksmen, 8-2, for the title. In the Masters B division, Abbey Burger topped Kirby’s Pub/Catonsville, 6-3. In the Grand Masters division, it was Koopers downing the FCA, 9-2, in the title game. In the King Neptune division, Team Harley topped Mr. Boh, 9-6, for the title.