On a beautiful Independence Day, the 2010 Vail Lacrosse Shootout wrapped up with two first time champions. In the Men’s Elite division, Maverik Elite walked away with their first Championship. On the Women’s side, last year’s runner-up, CRSLax.com took home the Championship trophy in their third Shootout appearance.

Read more about the action in each division: Men's Elite , Women's Elite

Saturday was semifinal day at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout as both the Men’s and Women’s Elite Divisions moved ever closer to crowning champions. On the men’s side, Maverik Elite continued to impress, running away from a plucky Team 21 side 13-6 while Team Chipotle had no trouble with Combat Sports/Rocky Mountain Oysters, winning 14-5 to set the championship match-up.

For the women, CRSLax.com appears to be the favorites now that Gang Green is eliminated. CRSLax.com had an easy time of it against Team Extreme, winning 12-3 while the other semifinal was arguably the best game in the Vail Valley on Saturday as the Colorado Tropics beat Portland Purple 11-10 in overtime. Sunday is the final day of the tournament and promises to be a climactic end to one of lacrosse’s greatest spectacles.

Read more about the action in each division: Men's Elite , Women's Elite

Both the Men’s and Women’s Elite tourneys completed quarterfinal play on Friday as the Vail Valley was hit with intermittent rain storms.  Luckily, the lightning stayed away and both divisions were able complete their schedules on time.  In both divisions, the defending champions were unseated in quarterfinal action as Merrill Lynch/Lacrossewear and Gang Green were bounced from the men’s and women’s tournaments respectively.  Semifinal action on Saturday will be entertaining as the Shootout hits the home stretch.

Read more about the action in each division: Men's Elite , Women's Elite

Day 6 of the Vail Lacrosse Shootout was also Day 1 for the Men’s and Women’s Elite as the tournament really began to heat up.  Weather was perfect again with sunny weather and a cool breeze from time to time.  Today was “moving day” for both divisions and we will start to see a little bit more competitive action tomorrow in the quarterfinals for both groups.

Read more about the action in each division: Men's Elite , Women's Elite

High School lacrosse ruled the day on Wednesday as the Boys and Girls U-19 Divisions both finished up their competitions at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout.  Both of the boys’ and girls’ tourney finals went into overtime and Ford Field was laced with drama.  In the end, two familiar faces took home the hardware as the Baltimore Crabs and Heros Lacrosse ended up victorious.

Wednesday marks the end of the high school tournaments and Thursday will welcome the big boys and girls to town as the Men’s and Women’s Elite get started.

Read more about the action in each division: HS Boys, HS Girls

Another day of beautiful weather greeted the Vail Lacrosse Shootout on Tuesday as the Quiksilver Elder Statesmen overcame a slight first-half deficit to beat Millennium/Rock-it Pocket in the Supermasters championship game.  It was the second straight year these teams faced off for the title, but unlike 2009, the Statesmen pulled off the victory this time.

The Boys and Girls U-19 tournaments each whittled their way down to the final two in each division.  On the boy’s side, it will be a battle of Baltimore as FCA Lacrosse and the Baltimore Crabs each took care of business to reach the championship.   Both teams are loaded with talent and Wednesday should be an entertaining match-up for the hardware.  Heroes 2011 and Team HLA are the remaining contestants in the Girls U-19 Gold bracket.

Read more about the action in each division: Supermasters, HS Boys, HS Girls

The Masters Championship was the highlight of the Vail Shootout on Day 3 as two-time defending champ Jagermeister tangled with newcomer and mostly Colorado-based Team Genesis for the title.  It was a hard fought game that saw Genesis score with just under five seconds remaining to claim the win and their first ever Vail title.  See the write-up below for a more detailed game story.

The Grandmasters division also crowned their champion as the Quiksilver Eldest Statesmen beat Los Viejos de Adidas 11-2.  The Grandmasters all played their games at 8:30am, which was perfect for them, but probably a little early for those who stayed out late on Sunday night.  For those that did make it Ford win, it was a convincing win for Quiksilver Eldest Statesmen.

On the high school side of things, the Dr. Tom Watts Memorial got through its Division 1 and 2 Quarterfinals.  Among the semifinal contenders for Monday’s action are Ohio, Colorado, FCA Lacrosse and the Baltimore Crabs.

Read more about the action in each division: Masters, Supermasters, Grandmasters, HS Boys, HS Girls

On one of the busiest days of the Shootout, five different divisions were underway, including Masters, Supermasters and Grandmasters as well as Boys and Girls U-19.  The Masters semifinals were the highlight of the day as both Jagermeister and Genesis won entertaining games to move to the championship tomorrow.  On the Supermasters side, the top four seeds moved throughout without much opposition.  The Quiksilver Eldest Statesmen and Los Viejos de Adidas were both Grandmasters semifinal winners.

In the Dr. Tom Watts’ Memorial Boys U-19 tournament, the Baltimore Crabs, Team Colorado, Team Ohio and FCA Lacrosse all won their pools to give them inside tracks at semifinal berths.  And on the Girls side, Day 1 of Pool Play was completed as well.

Monday highlights will be the Masters and Grandmasters championships and the Supermaster semifinals.  It will be another busy day tomorrow as we crown two champions and move everyone else closer to the finish.

Read more about the action in each division: Masters, Supermasters, Grandmasters, HS Boys, HS Girls

The Vail Lacrosse Shootout hit year 38 on Saturday as teams from the men’s Masters, Supermasters and Grandmasters kicked off the tournament.  The weather was perfect and the lacrosse was pretty good too as teams began their quest for tournament and off-field glory.  Most of the major favorites moved through in all three divisions.

Sunday will be one of the biggest days of the tournament as the Masters semifinals highlight the events on the Athletic Field and the Boys and Girls U-19 tournaments get going down in Avon and Edwards.

Read more about the action in each division: Masters, Supermasters, Grandmasters

The Keeper of Lacrosse

By Alex Smith

“You have the same responsibility to give more than you think you can give no matter what you’re doing, whether it’s lacrosse or a business job.  Whatever you do, whether you’re a doctor, it’s the same thing.  You have to give yourself.  I always try to give my best.”  - Peter Kohn, Keeper of the Kohn Documentary

In August of 2009, lacrosse lost one of its true ambassadors in Myron “Peter” Kohn, Middlebury College’s legendary field manager and sideline companion.  Peter was one of the oldest institutions in the game, but those who didn’t know him well might not fully understand the imprint he left on the sport and the people who knew him.  He was known for his competitiveness, carefully balanced by his regard for others, including opposing teams and players.  He was known for his attention to detail, chasing moss-covered balls in the bushes surrounding the practice field and having more varieties of gum than a convenience store on his person at all times.  He was known for his voracious appetite for taking pictures, memorizing middle names and eating desserts. 

But above all, he was known for his tremendously giving spirit and his dutiful dedication to doing the right thing.  He was a man driven by his faith, so much so that a prestigious Fellowship of Christian Athletes award is given in his honor.  Every year, the Peter Kohn Award is given to a member of the lacrosse community who best represents the scripture, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13).

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