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Coach Cibe: Italian Lacrosse Championships

Editor’s Note: Please welcome Giacomo Bonizzoni, aka Coach Cibe, back to LaxAllStars.com! Coach Cibe knows as much about Italian Lacrosse as anyone, and is fully dedicated to seeing the popularity of lacrosse explode in Italy. He’ll be updating the LAS nation on Italy’s Lacrosse progress with monthly posts!

Make sure you also check out Coach Cibe’s website – CoachCibe.it! It’s a great read and full of information!

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The 2012-13 Italian Championships have drawn to a conclusion! Saturday the 18th of May, and Sunday the 19th, played host to the finals of the Italian Championship, as well as the FIRST-EVER edition of the Women’s Italian Cup, which was played at the Martelli Stadium in Mantova.

The finalists on the men’s side, Bocconi Sport Team and Red Hawks Merate, slugged it out in one of the toughest, and most tense, games that I have ever been part of.

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Red Hawks had trouble getting into the right frame of mind, and had many fouls, often contested, called against them, which unsettled the team and they struggled to get going in the game because of it. However, Bocconi Sport Team also played very well, and ran out as the eventual winners with a 17-3 victory to retain their title as Champions of Italy, in dominating fashion.

Before that the final for 3rd place was held between Roma Leones and Phoenix Perugia, which Roma won 8-3 making them the 3rd best force in Italian Lacrosse this year.

The day before that, there was a 3 way play off for 5th place spot, which saw Taurus Torino emerge as victors over Bologna Sharks and the rookie team, San Marino Titans.

Torino Taurus 8-1 San Marino Titans

Sharks Bologna 8-2 San Marino Titans

Torino Taurus 3-0 Sharks Bologna

Meanwhile, the Female Italian Cup was won by the girls from Baggataway Milano over a mixed team from Roma and Perugia with a convincing 18-0 victory, crowning them champions in the 1st ever edition!

Let’s run over the results from the last month, which culminated with the run into the finals:

Semifinals:

April 21st – Phoenix Perugia 6-20 Bocconi Sport Team

April 28th – Red Hawks Merate 11-4 Roma Leones

May 5th – Bocconi Sport Team 14-2 Phoenix Perugia

May 12th – Roma Leones 11-7 Red Hawks Merate

Bocconi Sport Team dominated its semifinal game against Perugia, showing great strength and confidence. Merate’s access to finals was due to a better goal difference after a very good home match and an intense away match.

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The Final Standings, and first four place finishers of the Italian championship are:

1st Bocconi Sport Team – Italian champions

2nd Red Hawks Merate

3rd Roma Leones

4th Phoenix Perugia

Bocconi Sport Team confirmed itself champions in the FIGL almanac of the Italian lacrosse Championship, which has now been going on four years strong:

2009/2010 –  Roma Leones

2010/2011 –  Red Hawks Merate

2011/2012 –  Bocconi Sport Team

2012/2013 –  Bocconi Sport Team

With these results the official Italian lacrosse season is over.

Some teams will be now competing in some international tournaments (a travel team – under the name Red Hawks – made by 9 players from Red Hawks, 4 from Bocconi Sport Team and 2 from Phoenix Perugia, will attend the Lowlands tournament in Amsterdam) and Coach Cibe will finally get a little rest.

If you want, we will meet again in September, when the Italian Cup will be played on the 28th and 29th.

Sticks up!

Giacomo “Coach Cibe” Bonizzoni

All Photo Credits: Muriel Geroli

For more, check out Coach Cibe’s Italian Lacrosse Blog. Just click the image below!