With one weekend left in the regular season and the four playoff contenders set, all that is left to be decided for University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse alumni Ryan Izzo, Will Manny and Tim Soudan is postseason seeding.
Izzo is on the Ohio Machine's roster, but is part of the college in-actives list and has not played yet in 2015. Manny has 41 points via 27 goals, including a two-pointer, and 13 assists as the Boston Cannons' leading scorer. Soudan is the head coach of the Rochester Rattlers, who are making their second consecutive postseason appearance with Soudan as the team leader.
Information covering the previous week of MLL action follows:
MLL Playoff Field Set | Inside Lacrosse
Ohio Holds Advantage In Race For Second MLL Playoff Home Date | Sean Burns, Lacrosse Magazine
MLL Team Ranks: Week 13 | Chris Rosenthall, Inside Lacrosse
Photos & Highlights: Boston 9, Chesapeake 8 | Inside Lacrosse
Boston Nips Bayhawks In OT To Clinch Playoffs | Lacrosse Magazine
Photos: Boston Clinches Playoffs With Win Over Bayhawks | John Strohsacker, Lacrosse Magazine
More information on the close of the MLL regular season & the playoff contenders can be found via the Major League Lacrosse official website. Keep up-to-date with the Minutemen through UMassAthletics.com.
University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse alumnus Will Manny (2010-13) was highlighted as a major cog on the Boston Cannons offense entering the 2015 Major League Lacrosse season. Manny, elected one of the team captains, is entering his third season with the squad. Check out preview done by Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse below:
MLL 2015 Preview: No. 6 Boston Cannons | Phil Shore, Lacrosse Magazine
2015 MLL Season Preview: Part One | Kyle Devitte & Chris Rosenthall, Inside Lacrosse
More on the Minutemen can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
UMass men's lacrosse redshirt-senior short-stick defensive midfielder Ryan Izzo was selected by Ohio Machine during the 2015 Major League Lacrosse draft on Friday, Jan. 23. Lacrosse Magazine highlighted Izzo's pick as a good decision by the Machine - read about it below:
"Izzo, on the other hand, is a great addition and a selection it seems everyone in the media loves. That's for good reason. UMass head coach Greg Cannella raves about Izzo's toughness and character. He'll do the dirty work on the field and give the team a good locker room presence."
Read the rest of the draft grades through Lacrosse Magazine's article. More on the Minutemen - who start their season at home on Garber Field vs. Army on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. - can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
UMass men's lacrosse all-American short-stick defensive midfielder Ryan Izzo was selected in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse draft by the Ohio Machine with the fifth pick of the fourth round (27th overall).
Inside Lacrosse staff reporter Kyle Devitte gave his thoughts on the selection after Ohio used its second pick of the night on Izzo:
5 Ohio: Ryan Izzo, M, UMass
KD Analysis: This is where you take d-mids and character guys. I like this pick a lot, as Izzo is a guy that emerged in the last few weeks as a serious prospect.
Read up more about the draft through Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine now. Keep up to date with the UMass men's lacrosse season through UMassAthletics.com.
Lacrosse Magazine's Corey McLaughlin took a look at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Conference heading into the 2015 season, which will be the first for Fairfield as a member of the league.
The Minutemen were mentioned as a potential 'dark horse' to take the CAA crown while now-sophomore Nick Mariano was picked as a player to watch.
Read McLaughlin's conference breakdown here. More on the Minutemen can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse alumnus Tim Soudan (1987-90) was recently chosen as the U.S. National Team's Assistant General Manager ahead of the 2015 FIL World Indoor Championship, as announced by Team USA this week.
Soudan competed for UMass from 1987-90, when he recorded 114 points out of the midfield on 84 goals and 30 assists. He was a two-time USILA All-American during his Minuteman tenure and followed up his collegiate success with an extended professional career in outdoor and indoor lacrosse and two gold medal-winning FIL World Championship appearances with Team USA (1994, 1998). Soudan is currently the head coach of the Rochester Rattlers (MLL) and previously served as an assistant general manager for the Rochester Knighthawks (NLL).
US Lacrosse Names Staff for 2015 FIL Indoor Championship | US Lacrosse
Longtime Major League Lacrosse attackman and former UMass men's lacrosse all-American Kevin Leveille (2000-03) announced his retirement from competition after 10 seasons playing in MLL.
Leveille has served as the team captain for the Rochester Rattlers over the previous couple seasons while he has accumulated 357 points over 114 regular season games played with Boston (2004-05), Chicago (2006-10) and Rochester (2012-14). He also had 14 postseason goals in only five games and captained Team USA during the 2014 FIL World Championship.
Captain Leveille calls it a career...Thank You #19 | Rochester Rattlers
UMass men's lacrosse alumnus Kevin Leveille (2000-03) provided six goals to spearhead the Rochester's 15-11 comeback victory over the Ohio Machine in the Major League Lacrosse Championship Semifinals to push the Rattlers into the league's finale. Leveille scored five of his tallies after halftime as Rochester erased Ohio's early four-goal lead to advance the squad along with Rattlers head coach and former Minuteman Tim Soudan (1987-90) to the championship contest. Below is coverage of the game:
RECAP: Rochester 15, Ohio 11 | Major League Lacrosse
Rochester-Ohio Box Score | Major League Lacrosse
Rochester Advances To MLL Title Game with 15-11 Win Over Ohio (with photos) | Inside Lacrosse
Rochester Uses a 5-0 Fourth Quarter to Defeat Ohio in MLL Semifinals | Lax Power
Rochester Rallies to Top Ohio, Advance to MLL Finals | Lacrosse Magazine
UMass men's lacrosse alum Kevin Leveille (2000-03) and the United States National Team arrived at the U.S. Olympic Training Center ahead of participation in the FIL World Lacrosse Championship, set to begin on Thursday, July 10 in Denver, Colo. The team received a tour of the facility in Colorado Springs, where Leveille was given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Check out a photo gallery of the day through the Lacrosse Magazine website here. Lax Mag also has a short story detailing the visit available here.
Another big weekend for UMass men's lacrosse alumni competing in MLL contests as Kevin Leveille (2000-03) and Will Manny (2010-13) helped their respective teams to key victories as both sides push for playoff spots.
Manny provided a clutch four-point performance to help Boston secure a 17-13 road victory at league-leading Denver, which had not lost at home in more than two years. Manny is fifth in MLL with 38 points, which he has earned through 23 goals and 15 assists over 10 games played.
Against Denver, Manny came alive with back-to-back goals near the end of the first quarter to turn a one-goal deficit into a 5-4 advantage entering the second stanza. He went on to provide an assist on the goal that put Boston up 12-11 at the conclusion of the third quarter and struck for an insurance goal during the final frame to help seal the win.
Leveille assisted on one goal and scooped up a groundball as Rochester improved to 7-3 overall with a 15-13 victory over Charlotte. The win moved the Rattlers into a tie for first place in MLL with Denver. Leveille's assist came during the first quarter as the Rattlers struck to an early lead with three of the first four goals of the game.
Related Coverage
Boston, Ohio Rally for July 4th MLL Victories | Lacrosse Magazine
Rochester Tops Charlotte to Pull into Tie With Denver | Lacrosse Magazine
The most up-to-date information on Major League Lacrosse is available through the organization's website. More on the Minutemen can be found on UMassAthletics.com.
With his selection on Team USA for the FIL World Lacrosse Championship and the resurgence of MLL's Rochester Rattlers franchise, University of Massachusetts alum Kevin Leveille (2000-03) has received quite a bit of deserved coverage in recent days. Check out a sampling of it all below:
Team USA's Ultimate X-Factors; Final Roster Thoughts | Lacrosse Magazine
Getting To Know Team USA | Lacrosse Magazine
Photo Gallery: Team USA's 23-Man Roster | Lacrosse Magazine
="">Rochester Rattlers Lead Week 9 MLL Power Rankings | Major League Lacrosse
Breaking Down The U.S. Team 23-Man Roster | Terry Foy, Inside Lacrosse
Team USA's Final 23-Man World Championship Roster | Inside Lacrosse
Resurrection of the Rattlers | Kyle Devitte, Inside Lacrosse
U.S. Team Analysis vs. Team MLL | Terry Foy, Inside Lacrosse
Evaluating Team USA's Performance on the Eve of Selection | Phil Shore, Lacrosse Magazine
Team USA Hopefuls Edge MLL All-Stars | Inside Lacrosse
Team USA Edges MLL Stars, 10-9 | Kat Cornetta, Lacrosse Magazine
USA Hopeful Kevin Leveille More Than Just a Finisher | Sean Burns, Lacrosse Magazine
And last but definitely not least, here is a highlight video courtesy of Major League Lacrosse of some of Leveille's show-stopping moments from throughout his MLL career:
More on UMass men's lacrosse is available through UMassAthletics.com.
Former University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse all-American Kevin Leveille (2000-03) provided a veteran presence on attack to help put Team USA by Team MLL, 10-9 during the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game on Thursday night. Leveille tallied twice for Team USA and scooped up a pair of groundballs in the win. Check out more coverage of the contest below:
="">Team USA edges Team MLL 10-9 in electrifying All-Star Game | Major League Lacrosse
Team USA Hopefuls Edge MLL All-Stars, 10-9 | Inside Lacrosse
Team USA Edges MLL Stars, 10-9 | Lacrosse Magazine
Photo Gallery: Team USA 10, MLL 9 | Lacrosse Magazine
Box Score: Team USA 10, Team MLL 9
More on the Minutemen can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
It was a successful weekend for University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse alumni competing in Major League Lacrosse as all three Minutemen active in their respective team's games helped earn a win!
Kevin Leveille (2000-03) led Rochester to an 8-7 win in double-overtime while simultaneously setting the MLL record for most career goals scored. Will Manny (2010-13) had a career-high seven points via four goals and three assists in a 17-16 Boston Cannons victory over the Ohio Machine. Jake Smith (2010-13) was on close defense for Charlotte as the Hounds took down Denver, 18-15 to snap the Outlaw's MLL-record regular season winning streak.
Check out more on each Minuteman in MLL below:
Leveille's hat trick against Chesapeake pushed him in front of Tim Goettelman for most career goals in Major League Lacrosse as Leveille now owns 271. He tied the game at 2-2 before the UMass grad added the final Rochester tally to force overtime and capped the game with a double-overtime strike from close range to seal the win and secure the record. His record-setting performance received additional coverage from MLL and garnered him Player of the Game laurels:
Feature Story: Breaking Records - Leveille's 271 Goals | Molly Shunney, Major League Lacrosse
Postgame Interview: Leveille On 2OT Win And Breaking MLL Goals Record | Major League Lacrosse
Feature Story: USA Hopeful Kevin Leveille More Than Just a Finisher | Sean Burns, Lacrosse Magazine
Recap: Leveille Becomes MLL's All-Time Leading Scorer in OT Win | Lacrosse Magazine
Manny provided timely offense for the Boston Cannons during their 17-16 victory over Ohio with seven points via four goals and three assists. Manny assisted on the first and second tallies of the game for the Cannons before he scored to make it 5-4 at the beginning of the second quarter. He also notched one to push Boston back in front, 6-5 before he later tied it at 14-14 and assisted on the goal that evened play at 16-16 with less than four minutes left in the game.
Smith was on close defense to help Charlotte earned their second victory of the year and snap Denver's 25-game regular season winning streak with an 18-15 decision. During the game, Smith picked up one groundball for the Hounds.
The most up-to-date information on MLL can be found through MajorLeagueLacrosse.com. More on UMass men's lacrosse is available on UMassAthletics.com.
Lacrosse Magazine writer Gary Lambrecht caught up with UMass men's lacrosse head coach Greg Cannella to discuss the 4-0 start to the season and what has led the Minutemen to their four consecutive victories. Check out what Lambrecht has to say about UMass:
"The Minutemen of UMass have grown accustomed to good starts under 20-year coach Greg Cannella. For the third time in the past four years and for the 12th time overall, UMass is 4-0. What makes it notable this year is it's happening around a youth movement in Amherst.
There are five seniors and two redshirt juniors on the roster. Twenty-four of the team's 37 players are freshman and sophomores. The impact underclassmen are all over the place.
'It's been refreshing to coach such a hungry group that wants to do more and know more,' Cannella said..."
The conclusion of the piece can be found through the Lacrosse Magazine weekly notebook. More on the men's lacrosse program is available on UMassAthletics.com.
Lacrosse Magazine previewed Saturday's UMass men's lacrosse meeting with Albany as part of its Ten-2-Watch weekly series. Check out what the Lax Mag staff had to say about the game below:
"The Great Danes lost their first two games of the season, to Syracuse and Drexel, by a total of two goals and beat Harvard 14-8 for their first win last Saturday. The Thompson-led offense will be put to the test against a UMass defense that's allowed just 5.5 goals per game. Miles and Lyle Thompson share the team lead for points with 18; Lyle with six goals and 12 assists and Miles with 13 goals and five assists.
UMass has a freshman to watch in attackman Nick Mariano, who has 14 goals in four games. He scored back-to-back goals in the Minutemen's 6-5 win at Army and four goals, including the game-winner with seven seconds left in overtime, to lead UMass past Ohio State, a win that vaulted it into the Lacrosse Magazine Top 20. The Minutemen also feature former U.S. under-19 men's team goalie Zach Oliveri in net. A win here could help UMass' NCAA at-large tournament case should it miss out on winning the CAA."
More from Lacrosse Magazine's Ten-2-Watch series can be found here. The most up-to-the-minute information on the men's lacrosse team can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
Another victory - the fourth in as many games this season - moved UMass men's lacrosse up in a pair of national top-20 rankings this week. After a 15-2 victory at Brown that saw the Minutemen reel off 11 consecutive goals, the Minutemen rose to No. 9 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Top-20 while they now sit 10th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and stayed in place at No. 13 according to Lacrosse Magazine.
Check out the national rankings, updated on Monday, March 3, below:
USILA Top-20 Poll
Inside Lacrosse Media Top-20 Poll
Lacrosse Magazine Top-20 Poll
More on the Minutemen can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
Corey McLaughlin of Lacrosse Magazine provided a "rapid reaction" to the Team USA announcement of its 30-man roster for the FIL World Championship, with UMass alumnus Kevin Leveille among those chosen. Lax Mag singled out Leveille among the seven attackmen on the team as a veteran who could make an impact when the FIL World Championship is held in July. On the former Minuteman, McLaughlin writes...
"Leveille, at 32 years old, is the oldest player in this group of 30. He's one of the all-time great finishers in the sport and holds the MLL record for longest goal-scoring streak (59 straight games). But he has never played in a world championship and is hungry to make this team after being an alternate and rooting for younger brother Mike LEveille in Manchester in 2010. Kevin first tried out for the team in 2001 while in college at UMass." Read McLaughlin's full write-up on
Lacrosse Magainze's website. More on UMass men's lacrosse can be found
here.
The University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse team, including redshirt-freshman goalie Zachary Oliveri, received praise for the recent 12-11 come-from-behind victory over No. 4 nationally-ranked North Carolina over the weekend. In the contest, the Minutemen erased a three-goal deficit entering the final quarter through a mix of strong defense and balanced offense to earn the win. Below are a few links related to the Minutemen victory:
Oliveri took home CAA
Co-Rookie of the Week honors after posting 18 saves vs. the Tar Heels.
Quint Kessenich ranked UMass No. 6 in his
top-20 and weekend analysis column for Inside Lacrosse.
Bryan Wallace at Inside Lacrosse had a
report on the atmosphere surrounding the UMass win.
Inside Lacrosse's Geoff Shannon appreciated UMass' "Gorilla Ball"
approach to the game.
The Minutemen moved up to No. 5 in the
USILA Top-20 and No. 7 in the
Nike/Inside Lacrosse Poll.
The Inside Lacrosse staff ranked the UMass defense as the
No. 7 unit in Division-I men's lacrosse.
Cecil Copeland was on-site to capture
images of the hard-fought victory for Lacrosse Magazine.
The Minutemen continue their 2013 slate at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday, Feb. 23, before returning to Garber Field to host Brown on March 2 at 2 p.m. Ticket information for all home men's lacrosse games is available through 866-UMASS-TIX (862-7784).
