Members of the U.S. National Lacrosse Team have had a bad taste in their mouths ever since they lost the gold medal game to Canada in the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship in 2006.
On Monday, Team USA will depart from JFK Airport in New York for Manchester, England, site of the 2010 FIL Championship. But before they go, they play one last game in the States against the Major League Lacrosse All-Stars at Harvard Stadium on Thursday night.
The game might be an exhibition for the fans, but it’s also a chance for Team USA to play a competitive lacrosse game against some of the best players in the country.
Five players from that ’06 squad are returning to play in this year’s tournament, including midfielder Kevin Cassese. The MVP of the 2006 MLL All-Star Game knows just how important it is to prepare for a huge international tournament.
"We’re just trying to get a great run against a quality opponent, working on systematic things and trying to play well," Cassese said.
It’s the third time that Cassese, a 29-year-old who coaches lacrosse at Lehigh University outside of Philadelphia, will be playing for his country in the biggest lacrosse event the world has to offer.
"I’m just a veteran trying to do whatever it takes," Cassese added. "But I’ve noticed the same kind of mentality with some of the younger guys too. Whether it’s Alex [Smith] getting dirty in the faceoffs, or Matt [Streibel] and Chris [Schiller] trying to secure possessions, everyone just wants to get it done."
Smith, a midfielder for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, has gotten the attention of his fellow players, as well as head coach Mike Presser, for his faceoff abilities.
"He’s the guy we want out there," said Presser, who was an assistant coach on the U.S. team that took the gold medal in Australia in 2002.
Smith credits diligence for his abilities on the faceoff line.
"I just try to take a lot of live faceoffs as much as I can," Smith said. "As my career has progressed, guys have gotten bigger, stronger and faster, so I just have to work that much harder."
As Presser points out, Smith will need to be just one of the 25 members of Team USA to step up if they want to beat the competition in Manchester.
"Australia is definitely a good team," he said. "Canada, of course, won gold in 2006, and you always have to worry about the Iroquois Nationals."
So, what’s the game plan for Thursday night’s MLL All-Star game, coach?
“We want to solidify our lineup heading into the tournament,” Presser said in a serious tone. “Everyone on the roster is going to get a chance to play. Guys are going to have certain roles, so we want to have a concrete direction for our team going into Manchester.”
USA midfielder Paul Rabil also plays for the Boston Cannons and is the de facto host of the MLL All-Star Game, which will be played in his home stadium. While he’s certainly going to relish in the festivities, Rabil is also keeping his eyes on the ultimate goal.
“We just have to stay rooted and composed. The international games are the most important, and we’re all fully invested in it.”
Seems pretty serious for an All-Star Game, huh? According to Jody Martin, who has been the U.S. Lacrosse Men’s Division director since 1998, this sense of pride in country is nothing new.
“USA lacrosse is all about player commitment,” Martin said. “This is a classy group of American players, and our only focus is gold.”
Attack man Ned Crotty shares the same sentiment. Fresh off a 2010 NCAA championship with Duke University, Crotty was the first overall pick by the Chicago Machine in the MLL draft. Now, he’ll be dressed in red, white and blue while his eyes remained fixated on gold.
“Oh yeah, we’re playing to win,” Crotty said of the exhibition game against his fellow MLL stars. “As a team we just want to be in the best shape possible. We’re all working on our roles, trying to figure out how to play as a unit.”
If you thought the U.S. soccer team was exciting in South Africa this summer, then get psyched for U.S. lacrosse. This team has a realistic chance to take home some hardware.
