(Rochester, October 25)… Lacrosse fans in Hawaii may not know it, but they will get a sneak peek at some of the young stars that will play in the next FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Denver. Prospects from Canada and the Iroquois Nationals will populate The Dirty Lacrosse Club roster this week in Honolulu with an eye on the 2014 games.
“These are the guys that will play for Team Canada and Team Iroquois in 2014,” said team President Jason Donville, who also scouts for the Rochester Knighthawks. “We focused on a young group of guys that are one to three years out of university and are putting them in a high-level tournament.”
Dirty Lax will compete with 12 other teams from Friday, October 28th to Sunday, October 30th in the 21st Annual Hawaii Invitational Lacrosse Tournament. Dirty Lax enters its inaugural event with an opportunity to play against some of the greatest names in lacrosse. For instance, 2010 champion Wimmer Solutions included such stars as Gary Gait, Ryan Powell, Paul Rabil, Eric Martin, Max Seibald, Kyle Hartzell and Brett Queener to name a few.
“To beat Wimmer Solutions would be a major accomplishment,” said Donville, whose team will compete in the Men’s Elite division.
Donville and General Manager Adam Gardner selected their team with three different regions in mind: Canada West, Canada East and the Iroquois. The team will be coached by former RIT goalie John Foley, who like the players, is getting an opportunity to showcase his talents.
His roster features future stars of the National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse. Players like Curtis Dickson (Delaware), Stephen Keogh (Syracuse), Jeremy Thompson (Syracuse), Kyle Rubisch (Dowling), Johnny Powless (Six Nations), Jarrett Davis (Bellarmine) and Kevin Crowley (Stony Brook).
Crowley adds firepower to the offense from his midfield position, having excelled at the 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championships and in the MLL. The No. 1 overall pick averaged two points per game for the Hamilton Nationals this summer. He’s the only player in school history to record 100 or more goals and assists, and one of just 40 players in Division I history to accomplish the feat. Stony Brook’s all-time leading scorer was honored when he was invited to play in the tournament.
“I can’t wait to play with so much young talent. I’m thankful for the opportunity and would like to especially thank the people who made this a possibility for the team,” said the New Westminster, BC, native.
The Nats will also send Jeremy Thompson (Onondaga Nation) to Hawaii to play in the amateur tournament. Thompson was Syracuse’s highest scoring midfielder this season with 30 points (18+12). He also led the Orange with 61 faceoff wins en route to Third Team All-American honors. Thompson is a veteran of the Iroquois Nationals’ field and indoor teams.
Keogh will again be paired with his Hamilton Nationals’ teammates, Crowley and Thompson. Keogh, like his two MLL teammates, made his professional debut this summer after an impressive collegiate career. Keogh completed his four-year career at Syracuse in 2011 as a two-time NCAA champion (2008 and 2009). The Toronto native received Second Team All-American honors in 2011 after earning honorable mention status the past two years. Keogh is one of three Rochester Knighthawks in the tournament, joining Powless and Davis.
Powless joins fellow Knighthawks’ first-round pick Stephen Keogh on Dirty Lax. Powless, who was the fifth overall pick in the NLL Draft, had an incredible two-year run in Canadian Junior “A” box lacrosse, where he amassed 111 goals and 69 assists for 180 points in just 43 games for the Six Nations Arrows. It will be the first trip to Hawaii for the 18-year-old scoring threat from Six Nations.
“It will be pretty cool to play in Hawaii because I never been there,” said Powless. “I’m very excited. I’ve always dreamed of going to Hawaii, but I never thought it would come true!”
Knighthawk Jarrett Davis will make his tournament debut this week, as well. Davis is fresh off a Mann Cup title with the Brampton Excelsiors and a trip to the MLL Finals with the Nationals. The midfielder will hit the field in Hawaii just weeks before re-joining the Knighthawks. But lacrosse is not the only thing on his mind. Despite the frenetic three days, the former history major will visit one of the most sacred historical sites in the United States during his trip.
“I can’t wait. We have a lot of young players from all over Canada,” said Davis, who plays midfield in the outdoor game. “It is a pretty lacrosse heavy schedule, but we are going to Pearl Harbor as a team.”
Hamilton Nationals’ Jordan MacIntosh and Dickson will contribute on attack for The Dirty Lacrosse Club. MacIntosh, a RIT standout, was a Second Team All-American and co-Empire 8 Player of the Year in 2011. The Oakville, Ontario, native was named a Second Team All-American for the 19-1 RIT Tigers. He repeated as an All-American after earning honorable mention status in 2010. Dickson was a two-time All-American at the University of Delaware. The Port Coquitlam, BC, attackman was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy player of the year award in 2010.
On defense, Rubisch will anchor the Dirty Lax backend after an exceptional summer that included a gold medal, Mann Cup and a trip to the MLL Finals. The 23-year-old Brampton, Ontario, native had a stellar first season in the MLL and helped the Nats reach the MLL Finals. He also earned All-World honors for Team Canada at the 2011 FIL World Lacrosse Championships. Four months later, he won the Mann Cup with the Brampton Excelsiors. Former RIT standout Dan MacRae will join Rubisch on defense. MacRae was the Most Valuable Player of the Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Championship in 2010 and a two-time First Team All-Empire 8 selection (2009 & 2010).
Check back on Knighthawks.net for updates from the 21st Annual Hawaii Invitational Lacrosse Tournament.
