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12 Predictions For 2012

Are you ready for a fantastic year of lacrosse? We certainly are, and boy have we got some interesting predictions to share with you!

Last year Connor offered up 10 Predictions for 2011, and many of them were pretty over the top. Why 10 and not 11? Your guess is as good as ours. Thankfully this year we’ve straightened things out, and we’re bringing you 12 Predictions for 2012.

First we’ll go through Connor’s wacky 2011 predictions to see how he did, and then the LAS Staff will offer up 12 brand new (and probably just as over the top) predictions for the new year. Teamwork.

It's Nostralaxmus time.

2011 Review

Jeff went 7 for 10 in his 10 Predictions for 2010. Did Connor do better than that? Extremely doubtful. Let’s review!

– More Box Lacrosse…CHECK!  Sure, the NLL contracted, but two new pro leagues emerged in North America (three if you count Europe), and more kids played the game than ever before. Nice work Connor, you’re 1 for 1.

There will be a backlash against “travel lacrosse”… We’d love to say that this one happened, but more kids are playing “elite” travel lax than ever. 1 for 2. Connor has some concern about this one, and he’s got an egg on his face already. Not a great start.

– Continued growth of Urban Lacrosse… TOTALLY true. We’ve seen new teams start firsthand and we haven’t heard of any teams disappearing. 2 for 3.

– International Lax will continue to growChile, The Philippines, Norway, Thailand, Mexico, Israel… the list goes on. 3 for 4.  Getting going here.

– Colorado wins the MCLA title… Nope, not even close. Maybe this year club ballers! 3 for 5.

– Stony Brook makes the Final Four… An even worse prediction. 3 for 6. One more wrong prediction and Jeff wins. Connor is sweating profusely.

– Tufts repeats… NOPE. They made the NC game but lost to Salisbury. 3 for 7. And Connor hangs his head in shame.

– Canada wins the WILC, Merrill is MLL D-man and NLL T of the year… 2 outta 3 ain’t bad! Canada took the WILC and Merrill was the MLL defender of the year, but Jeff Shattler took home NLL transition player of the year. Connor already lost (plus he’s crying), so we’ll give it to him. You’re 4 for 8, CW.

– Indiana makes the MCLA Tourney… Oops. Connor says he’d still make this prediction again today. Will he? 4 for 9.

– A team in California or Florida makes the jump to NCAA Division 1… Connor was really hoping that FSU, Florida or USC would pull the trigger here, but it didn’t happen.

4 for 10 on the predictions? Thank heavens we’re bringing Jeff back in to help again in 2012!

12 Predictions For 2012

Are you ready for this?

12 – Michigan Shocks The Lax World, Wins More Than 3 Games

Most people are picking the Wolverines to win 1 or 2 games this year, if that. We think the Spring version of Michigan will be different from the Fall version. Go Blue! (Not to mention we think Towson, who beat UM 14-2 in the Fall, is going to be MUCH better this Spring!)

11 – Salisbury Goes Undefeated, Wins 2nd Consecutive National Championship

The Gulls were on fire at the end of last year, but they have been pretty quiet so far in regards to the 2012 season. This should scare EVERYONE. Talent abounds, the desire is there and let’s face it, we’re talking about Salisbury here.

10 – A High School Uniform Isn’t Complete Without A Helmet Wrap

Kids these days…

Helmet wraps for everyone.

What all started with these crazy helmet decals from HeadWrapz has led to huge demand from little laxers everyone and a handful of copycats. It’s all about after-market upgrades.

9 – The St. Joseph’s Hawks Get Squawky

Two years ago St. Joe’s (NCAA D1) was 3-12. Last year they were 0-12. However, things are changing and those Hawks are improving. They have a new Head Coach in Taylor Wray (who’s been with the team for some time, so he knows them) and the program is bringing in more talent. We’re going to go out on a limb and say they win FIVE games this year. What a turnaround that would be!

8 – The RMLC Champion Wins The MCLA Division 1 Title In 2012

Connor picked CU to take the title last year. The Buffs didn’t win it, but a team in their conference certainly did. BYU, CSU, CU and Utah enter the 2012 season ready to go head-to-head, and we’re not sure there’s another MCLA conference this strong. BYU may very well win a 2nd consecutive MCLA title unless one of these three teams stop them.

7 – College Football Further Inspires Lacrosse Uniform Insanity

There were some big glimpses of this in 2011, but we think it was just a start. Look for more volt, more matte and more Pro Combat-inspired designs all around. More on television, more in your local community.

Everyone wants the new new.

Lacrosse teams from all lacrosse the world will take it to the next level, all while balling on a budget. Heck, we’ll probably even see Quint sporting a chrome tie.

6 – Someone Other Than England Wins The European Championship

England has to be considered the heavy favorite to win the European Lacrosse Championships this Summer in Amsterdam. They’re like a European lacrosse dynasty! That being said, we’re picking someone other than England to win it all this year. Who exactly are we picking? Just NOT England.  The real winner is simply beyond our foresight capabilities. We’d think Germany or the Netherlands would have the best shot at it though.

5 – Expansion Team Wins MLL Championship In Boston

One of this year’s Major League Lacrosse expansion teams is going to win the MLL Championship in Boston this Summer. You heard it here first.

4 – Palms Make A Fashion Statement

Leather and mesh palms are standard for lacrosse gloves, but that doesn’t mean those are the only materials allowed. One lucky equipment manufacturer is going to blow us away when they introduce something new to the market.

Palms out!
3 – More College Lacrosse In HD, Not Just D1

Watching NCAA Division 1 lacrosse in high-definition is a beautiful thing. So beautiful that non-lacrosse fans are beginning to get the bug, and from what we’ve heard, the cable networks have been doing their research. Look for many more college lacrosse games in HD this season, and not just from the NCAA D1 level. There are interwebz rumblings of other TV deals in the works. College club, perhaps?

2 – Women’s Lacrosse Gets The Exposure It Deserves

With the rapid expansion of collegiate women’s lacrosse, you’d think the ladies would get a little more love! That will all change within the next year, when media outlets put forth an effort to cater to women’s fans and retailers realize there’s an extremely lucrative market here.

1 – An A-List Celebrity Buys A Pro Lacrosse Team

One of these days, some rich celebrity is going to decide he or she wants to get ahead of the pack and buy, or invest in, a professional lacrosse team.

jay-z
If not Jay-Z, then who?

We’re not talking about reality television stars or even Peter Dante here (though Dante is an awesome celebrity who loves lax). We’re thinking bigger than that… someone with loads of cash and the blueprint for building a dynasty. Maybe Adam Sandler will start a New Hampshire MLL or Jay-Z will start a Brooklyn NLL team. Who knows!

All we’re saying is someone big is going to get involved, and we think 2012 is the year.

What are some of your 2012 predictions?