US Lacrosse has announced the schedule for the 2017 Team USA Fall Classic, which takes place on the weekend of October 7-8 on William G. Tierney Field at US Lacrosse headquarters. Tickets are available for $10 each day with proceeds benefiting the U.S. National Teams Program.
The U.S. men’s training team will play defending national champion Maryland and 2017 NCAA final four team Towson during the weekend, which will also include a 9/11 Memorial Game featuring first responders from Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.
2017 USA Fall Classic Schedule:
Saturday, October 7
6 pm: U.S. Men’s Training Team vs. University of Maryland
Sunday, October 8
11:15 am: 9/11 Memorial Game – Pentagon vs. Twin Towers
2 pm: U.S. Men’s Training Team vs. Towson University
4 pm: Israel vs. Towson University (abbreviated scrimmage)
The 49-player U.S. men’s training team competing at the USA Fall Classic is led by Duke head coach John Danowski and features returning All-World players Tucker Durkin, Rob Pannell and Paul Rabil. Nine other returnees from the U.S. squad that won silver at the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Men’s World Championship in Denver are also on the training team roster. The Fall Classic is one of two training weekends remaining for the U.S. before the final training camp leading into next summer’s FIL Men’s World Championship, which will be held in Netanya, Israel from July 12-21.
Maryland won the NCAA championship in May and features five returning All-Americans from that team, including first-team selection Connor Kelly, who is also a member of the U.S. training team. Towson reached the NCAA semifinals last year before falling to Ohio State. The Tigers have two returning All-Americans, juniors Zach Goodrich and Alex Woodall.
The 9/11 Memorial Game will feature first responders representing the Twin Towers and Pentagon teams. During US Lacrosse Grand Opening festivities last year on Sept. 11, players from the FDNY and NYPD lacrosse teams competed and the success of that event laid the foundation for this year’s game. US Lacrosse has a 9/11 Memorial on its campus to remember the victims from the lacrosse community that died during the 2001 terrorist attacks, and a separate exhibit in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame & Museum, including a piece of steel from the World Trade Center donated by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to US Lacrosse, will be unveiled.
Since 1967, the U.S. has won the gold or silver medal at every men’s international world championship in field lacrosse. The U.S. won gold in 1967, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010. The U.S. finished as the runner-up to Canada in 1978, 2006 and 2014.
The U.S. men’s national team trains and plays using best-in class products provide by Nike (apparel and footwear), Cascade (helmets), STX (equipment), Warrior (equipment), SISU Guard (mouthguards) and The Pearl by Guardian (balls). In addition to these partners, MedStar Sports Medicine, Greenfields, Nationwide, Sports Force Parks and SweatX are official sponsors of the national team. Team training is also aided by products from DJO Global, Motive Pure, NormaTec Recovery and Athletic Republic.
For more information on the U.S. men’s national team, visit teamusa.uslacrosse.org. Follow the team on social media @uslacrosse and use #USAMLAX on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and and YouTube.
