Editor’s Note: The Salt Shakerz are back on LAS with a preview of the Miami Bump & Grind tourney, some big sponsorship news, a women’s club side update, and the announcement that the Shakerz will be heading to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras tourney this year. Looks like we’ll see them there!
We’ll start off with a little preview of the upcoming Bump n’ Grind Miami Lacrosse Tournament 2012, which will be held from January 27th to January 29th, with much of the off the field action centering around South Beach.
The 2012 Tournament will take place in Miami with Men’s Teams Elite, Men’s Masters, and Women’s Divisions over the course of the weekend for the rights to play in the championship games on Sunday. At night, an exciting schedule of events is planned for everyone’s entertainment at some of Miami’s best nightspots.
The Shakerz are excited to make their way back to South Beach, as this tournament is the first major stop on the club circuit, and the NYC based Shakerz are looking to shake the cold weather off with a vengeance. Last year the Shakerz fell to their rival Stickhead-Pro Athletics in a 1-goal game in the quarterfinals. While the Shakerz are disappointed to not see Stickhead-Pro Athletics as part of the 2012 Men’s Division, plenty of new Men’s Elite teams will be making the trip to South Beach for a shot at the title:
Headstrong – Miami, Florida
Salt Shakerz – New York, NY
Brine Kings – Warren, MI
Sea of Green – New York, NY
Vendettas – Cincinnati, OH
Blue & Red Devils – Palm Beach, FL
Metro Margarita Man – Washington, DC
Team Jesse – Norwalk, CT
CroArt – Boston, MA
Buddha – Redding, CT
So who’s on the Shakerz roster? Great question!
The Shakerz are excited for the return of Owen Corso (Villanova University). Corso, a ground ball machine, was all over the field at LSM, stripping sticks left and right and even taking some face-offs for the squad. He’s joined on defense by Zach Clark (Stevenson) also making his second appearance with boys in pink after a successful first event at Laxtoberfest, Annapolis 2011. On attack, Brad Korvin (Salisbury) will be joined by veterans Matt Testa (Lehigh) and Sean Slater (Warrior). The midfield is as balanced as it has ever been with a core group of veterans with the ability to play both sides of the ball. In goal, JP Fragola (Penn State) and Jake Mendlinger (Haverford) will anchor the Shakerz defense. Did we mention Jerry Ragonese of ProAthletics will be taking face offs? The Rochester Rattler is back in pink after playing with the Shakerz at Laxtoberfest and looking to get his first championship with the Shakerz.
What are the Shakerz taking out of their Swag Shack? Hotness. 6 months after the launch of the apparel lines To Live and To Lax, the boys are looking to keep it fresh with a new look for Miami. Polos baby! The Shakerz will be rocking white Under Armour Polos embroidered with and oversized Shakerz Logo and number on left sleeve. The look is complimented with a pair of Under Armour Panama Jack Khaki Shorts.
And on the sponsorship front, we also have some really big news!
New York City based Life Juice, a beverage company for a healthy body, mind and spirit has partnered with the Salt Shakerz Lacrosse Club for their first two tournaments in 2012! The company is devoted to providing healthy, tantalizing products and outstanding service. At Life Juice®, the company believes in the fruits, vegetables and the philosophy behind every drop of their products. The stream of consciousness in their logo represents their life philosophy and that the products will provide aid in fulfilling the goal to lead healthy, eco-friendly lives – lives that are sustained by whole foods and vitamins retrieved straight from the earth.
The big news for Bump n’ Grind 2012 will be “Lax Seasoning…” a term coined to highlight the Shakerz teaming up with their sister team the Cayenne Pepperz. Salt and Pepper just seem to fit together… The Pepperz are captained by Faith Richards (Rutgers University) and the ladies will be making their first trip to South Beach, and participating alongside the Shakerz for the second time in the club’s short history. The Pepperz traveled to the Ocean City Lax Classic in August of 2011 and had an impressive run finishing the tourney with a 3-1 record. The Pepperz will be competing in the 6 team Women’s Division. We asked Faith about her thoughts on the upcoming tourney and she replied: “This is the Pepperz first trip to Miami, so we’re excited for a new venue! We’ve added some new players to the roster as well, so we’ll be expecting to win, but mostly just have fun in the sun!”
Needless to say, both teams are excited for the trip to Miami and are ready to lax, and then re-lax on the sandy beaches of South Beach. Follow them on twitter, facebook or laxoften.com for updates.
Follow the Shakerz & Pepperz via:
Website: www.laxoften.com
Facebook: facebook.com/shakerzlacrosse
Twitter: @laxoften
We’ll also be heading to New Orleans in February for the Mardi Gras Tourney, but we’ll update you guys more on that later!
About the Salt Shakerz: The Salt Shakerz Lacrosse club is a post-collegiate traveling lacrosse team originating out of the New York City metro area. The Shakerz came together in the fall of 2008 when CJ Greene (Villanova University 00′) and Co. began talking about putting a competitive team together of “good guys” both on and off the field to play in the New York area. The name ‘Salt Shakerz” is derived from the expression; ‘Pass the Salt’—or in Lax vernacular ‘keep it hot,’ ‘Spin it,’ or ‘one more’. The moniker pays homage to what the club likes to embody: unselfish and tasty play.
It goes without saying that people like to lax with guys they get along with, and that has been the goal of the team since day one. Obviously everyone wants to win, but for this group, no one player has been bigger than the team. That being said, the club still puts together a talented squad. The Salt Shakerz roster includes current and former MLL, NLL, and LXM Pro Players-all the way to college club and MCLA guys. The Shakerz rotate playing in the various tournaments based on the event and geography.
