Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Monday, Dec. 4

Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. The National Lacrosse League opened in mid-season form.

Five games on the NLL’s opening weekend provided plenty of highlights and spectacular performances. Halifax was one of the teams in the winner’s circle behind a dominant performance from Jake Withers who tied an NLL record with 32 loose balls, going 31 of 33 on faceoffs and netting a hat trick.

31-33 at the dot, first career hat-trick, and tying the @nll record for loose balls in single game with 32

It’s @jakewithers4 world and we’re just living in it  pic.twitter.com/oJihfl0NJN

— Halifax Thunderbirds (@HFXThunderbirds) December 4, 2023

Other winners this weekend were Albany, Panther City, Philadelphia and Rochester.

2. Lindenwood men’s lacrosse a casualty of school’s move to Division I.

One of the Midwest’s feel-good stories, Lindenwood’s time in Division I men’s lacrosse will last just two seasons. The school announced that men’s lacrosse will be one of 10 sports cut after this academic year.

3. Dartmouth looks to keep growing.

After its best season in more than a decade and a new coach in offensive wizard Sean Kirwan, there’s a lot of optimism for Dartmouth men’s lacrosse for 2024.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., will close its doors this spring after 103 years of operation. The school features men’s and women’s programs that both compete in the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference.

• Eleven reasons to watch the NLL this season.

• The first Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association lacrosse championships will be held in the Madison region this coming spring.

• Five ways coaches can set goals that really matter.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Ryan Barnable with an unreal goal for Saskatchewan on the NLL’s opening night.

 STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING

Ryan Barnable just blessed us with the goal of the night in Halifax  #SCtop10 | @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/S8fQcwT4du

— NLL (@NLL) December 2, 2023

WHAT’S ON TAP

• Jack Goods will check in with his first update on the NLL Power Rankings.

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