Vitality Lacrosse combined three high caliber tournaments into one action packed weekend with the “Las Vegas Lacrosse Showcase”. Last weekend in the desert, some of the game's best from every level of play gathered to duke it out for what ended up being some pretty serious hardware for the winners. Every age group was represented from under-13 all the way thru MCLA and post-collegiate club. The tournament breakdown was: Lax Vegas – Men’s Open, Men’s Masters & Women’s Open Duel in the Desert – U19 Boys & Girls, U17 Boys, U15 Boys & U13 Boys Best of the West – Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) DI & DII.
The Salt Shakerz, based outta NYC, entered the tournament excited to see what Western post collegiate club ball was all about----and even more anxious to hit the strip. The squad had their own "Hangover" moment before the trip began as one of the guys met 'Iron' Mike Tyson at JFK before getting on the plane, and then saw him on the flight to Vegas. The champ wished the squad good luck, which clearly came in handy. The Shakerz went 3-0 during pool play, earning the #1 seed for the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, the squad kept up the winning ways and finished 5-0 for the tournament, winning the Men’s Open Division Championship after defeating a talented Xiphos squad 6-5 in the championship game! The Shakerz defeated Xiphos in a close game during the teams' first meeting on Friday night. Xiphos came back with a vengeance in the rematch, opening up the championship game with a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. The Shakerz narrowed the gap to 3-2 with a couple quick scores right before half. From there, a fiercely competitive second half which included a number of standout plays by the Shakerz lead the team to victory. Some standouts were:
- Amazing saves from goalie Cory Vallaincourt (Stevens Tech)
- Stitch rippin’ by Siena’s Matt Zarins
- Plenty of dangle from Siena’s Matt Donovan
- Faceoff dominance from Chris Eck (Boston Cannons)
Thanks to the “tasty” play of the aforementioned and an overall cohesive team effort, the Shakerz were able to secure the victory and take home the massive trophy. Shout out to the Vitality guys as most tournaments wouldn't spring for hardware, let alone this thing. It was Karate-trophy-sized, multi-tier and it was a ton of fun walking through the casino and then airport security afterwards with that thing.
The Shakerz MVP Award for LaxVegas went to one of the squad's new West Coast members, Jon Namer, who had the 2 biggest hits of the tournament. He delivered one, and took one! For his efforts, Jon earned a brand new, professionally strung, Brine Blueprint in florescent pink-the ultimate Shakerz wand. The kid has got some kinda heart…
Here’s an individual game recap:
Round Robin
Game #1, Friday 6:30PM Shakerz defeat Xiphos (4-3)
Game #2, Saturday 12:45PM Shakerz defeat Cougs Lacrosse Club (8-5)
Game #3, Saturday 5:45PM Shakerz defeat Prestige Worldwide (14-5)
Playoffs
Game #4 11:30AM Shakerz defeat Cougs Lacrosse Club (8-5)
Game #5 Shakerz defeat Xiphos (6-5)
Overall the competition level at LaxVegas was legit and the facility was awesome. The Shakerz can confirm that the west coast is definitely doin its thing. Team BigFoot from Oregon in particular fielded a well-known squad including Kyle Harrison, Jimmy Borrell, and Anthony Kelly among other known players. The Xiphos squad also had a number of talented players on their roster including several USA West members.
Gear Update: Fashion first and flow is a must, Shakerz swag on your back is certainly a must!
The Shakerz paid homage to Jay-Z's mantra “all black everything” with the jersey color scheme and the club's own motto, "Lax Often..." written across the front. It ended up being a pretty slick look, though definitely toned down compared with the recent cotton candy and baby blue hotness on display at the Ocean City Classic and Laxtoberfest. Plenty of Shakerz swag abound, see photos below:
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For additional information about the club and to learn about future events, please email salthshakerzlacrosse@gmail.com or you can find the Shakerz on Facebook; keyword search Salt Shakerz.
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