2011 schedule was announced for the Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team this week, and it will consist of 15 regular-season games.
On Tuesday, head coach John Desko unveiled the schedule, and it features nine home games, including visits by three of last year’s four national semifinalists.
Syracuse will play many of its road games in some of the top NFL football stadiums in the country, with six away games slated for pro football venues, it what may be an indication of the sports increasing popularity in the U.S.
At M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens), New Meadowlands Stadium (New York Giants and Jets) and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots), the team will make appearances.
In the Carrier Dome, the 2011 lacrosse season opens with three games at home. The Orange opens the year against Denver (Feb. 20), for the second year in a row. The following week, first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Army is what the squad looks to avenge when the Black Knights return to Syracuse on Feb. 27. When the Orange welcomes perennial national-title contender Virginia to the Dome, the homestand concludes on March 6.
The Orange open Big East conference play against the Georgetown Hoyas, with a neutral-site matchup at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic in Baltimore.
Overall, for last year’s NCAA Championship with Duke, Notre Dame, Cornell and Virginia advancing to the Final Four, eight of the Orange’s 2011 opponents qualified. Syracuse will face nine of the teams, who had winning records in 2010.
At Syracuse, this season is the 92nd varsity lacrosse season. Last season, the Orange reached the NCAA Tournament for the 30th time in school history and won the inaugural Big East regular-season championship.
admin on November 10, 2010 | Filed Under Lacrosse | Comments Off
Betfair, an online sports betting and online betting company, announced plans for a new Dublin office that will create upwards of 100 jobs. The company officially listed on the London Stock Exchange last month and now plans to open a new office where some of their operations teams will be relocated to next year.
The company has initiated a recruitment process to fill the additional posts needed to staff the new office. Staff currently in place in the UK will be given the option to relocate to the new Dublin office. The number of London employees moving to the Dublin office has not been announced. Those interested in job openings can go to www.betfair.jobs for more information.
Betfair, founded in 2000 by Andrew Black and Edward Wray, offers customers what is termed “person-to-person betting.” The process lets customers place bets acting as a punter or gives them the option to take bets in a more traditional role similar to that of a bookmaker.
Betfair employs over 600 engineers who maintain the company’s betting exchanges. These global exchanges process in excess of 5 million transactions daily from roughly 3 million plus customers.
David Yu, Betfair’s chief executive, expresses optimism in the new Dublin office noting that Ireland is establishing itself as a prime location for online companies.
Betfair and the British Horseracing Authority were recently in dispute concerning required fees, but a company spokesperson has said that they are not leaving the UK and will continue paying the levy and adhere to all requirements.
On Friday, October 29, 2010, Nike will present the Hawaii Lacrosse 20th Anniversary Invitational Tournament at Kapiolani Park, in Waikiki. For the first time, Nike Lacrosse is sponsoring the event.
In this year’s tournament, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team will be one of the most noted teams appearing, after spending several months between playing matches after their missed opportunity to play in the FIL Lacrosse World Championship in Manchester, England, last June.
Since 2006, the Iroquois Nationals have been partnered with Nike Lacrosse, but visa complications prevented their appearance in the tournament. At the Hawaii tournament, the team will also debut their new Nike N7 logo jerseys.
In Elite division, the Iroquois Nationals will be participating. The women’s games will be played in one Elite division, while, three divisions of men’s play are set to take place, named the Elite, Masters and Grand Masters. Teams from Japan, Canada and the United States are expected to comprise a field of 30 teams. to attend the event, Hawaii Lacrosse also expects approximately 2,000 players and spectators, based on past tournaments. With most of the events occurring on the first of the three days, there will also be a full slate of social events surrounding the tournament.
This year, just as in past events, the tournament will attract professional players from around the world and players who are members of their own national teams and it proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Aloha Youth Lacrosse Association.
DeWalt, Primo Island Lager, Red Bull and Aqua Hotels and Resorts are included in some of the other supporting sponsors.
admin on October 26, 2010 | Filed Under Lacrosse | Comments Off
This Sunday, the Detroit Lions will head to New York to take on the Giants. In this one, the Giants will be the 10 point favorites. At 44.5 sits the over/under for the game.
This season, the Detroit Lions have surprised everyone, but they have not quite had what it takes to win games. This season overall, they have outscored their opponents, yet they have only managed to win 1 of 5 games. They still have some room to grow, although they have exceeded expectations.
Last season, the slow start for the Lions has been a continuation of their low level of play. In their last 11 games, they have managed just one victory. Losing all of their last 5 games, they have been particularly bad playing on the road.
This season, the Giants have managed to win 3 of their 5 games and they have hopes of taking things to the next level. Against Detroit, they have won 7 of their last 10 games and they hope to give their home crowd something to cheer about this Sunday.
The Giants are looking to find a way to turn that into more points on a weekly basis, although they have had a balanced offensive attack. By just 1.6 points per game, they have outscored their opponents. They will be able to grab more momentum if they can find a way to take home some convincing victories, although this has been sufficient to this point. As they Lions have struggled to win games recently, this week could be a chance.
Despite the record, the Lions should not come in to this game feeling like they are going to lose. Over the last two seasons, the Giants have been up and down and they have been known to drop games that they are supposed to lose. To come out firing, look for the Lions and pressure the Giants this Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints, to take on the Cardinals will head out to Arizona. Time will tell if the Saints can bounce back from their apparent “hangover” and they have looked like less than the Super Bowl Champs. In Super Bowl NFL odds, the defending champs will be the 7 point favorites in this one, despite their shaky start.
Like the magical team that lit up the scoreboard on a weekly basis last season, the Saints have not looked like the same. Per game, they have averaged just under 20 points while allowing 18 points per game. They have not looked great, although they have a 3-1 record on the season.
The loss of Reggie Bush is the one thing that will be tough for the Saints to overcome. Without getting many touches, they need someone that can take the attention away from the defense. This keeps the defense honest against the pass and this also opens up running lanes.
The Cardinals have still squeezed out two wins in the young season, although they have looked like a shadow of the team that took the field last season. Despite allowing nearly 30 points a game, they have amazingly started out 2-2 while only scoring 14.5 points per game. The feat is an amazing one that has a lot of luck within it.
Against New Orleans, the Cardinals have won just one of their last 6 games and will need a boost. At the quarterback position, they have looked poor and many people are questioning their decision to cut Matt Leinart. This will definitely be a game that is in the hands of the Saints, with so much going against the Cardinals.
admin on October 8, 2010 | Filed Under NFL | Comments Off
When United States will travel to the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, October 1, for the 2010 Ryder Cup, they will have their work cut out for them. Heading into the Ryder Cup, the European team members already have an edge by having played the course once in 2010 under tournament conditions earlier in the year.
For this year’s Ryder Cup, Europe’s team captain Colin Montgomerie has a loaded team, which includes a solid list of golfers that have been at the top of the leader boards in the majors. José Maria Olazábal brings the passion and enthusiasm to Europe’s Ryder Cup team, although he is the veteran of the group. With the young European contingent, José Maria Olazábal is excited to play.
Along with Ian Poulter who has been solid in every golf major this season, US Open champ Graeme McDowell was an obvious qualifier for the team. It may be the best assortment of talent Europe has ever assembled, although the European team is a young group this season.
For the Ryder Cup, team USA that has been assembled will have two veterans that are not at the top of their game as the Ryder Cup approaches. Tiger Woods is winless for 2010 on the PGA Tour and has suffered through his worst season in his career, although he has placed well in two majors this season.
As the 2010 season closes out, Phil Mickelson is also suffering. Mickelson may see limited action in the Ryder Cup and he is dealing with Arthritis. Charley Hoffman, who has had an amazing season, is missing from the Ryder Cup and he would have been a solid addition over either of the two veterans.
Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar will be the players to watch on Team USA. The two are expected to help the USA hang with the more talented European team and both have been in the spotlight of late.
<a href=”http://www.mattkuchar.com/” target=”_blank”>Matt Kuchar</a>
With the first men’s semifinal match between first seed Rafael Nadal and 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, day 13 at the U.S. Open started off. They both clashed in the quarterfinals and Youzhny won the match in four sets, at the 2006 U.S. Open. As Rafael Nadal dominated the match and won it comfortably 6-2 6-3 6-4, this time however, it was a completely different story. From all sides of the court, Nadal outplayed his opponent, hitting 33 winners and making only 19 unforced errors in a match that lasted just over 2 hours.
The second semifinal match was between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. In the deep stages of the tournament, this was the fourth consecutive year that the two players met. Federer was the clear favorite, as per the previous results indicated; he won the previous three meetings. However, in an epic five set match, Djokovic played the best match of the 2010 U.S. Open to upset the Swiss maestro. The match came down to several critical points in the final set, although it had plenty of momentum shifts.
On Djokovic’s serve, Roger Federer had two match points at 5-4 in the fifth set. At 15-40, Djokovic served and got himself out of trouble with incredible forehand and volley winners on the match points. Federer carelessly dropped his own serve, tied at 5-5 and in the following game, Djokovic served out the match. Djokovic celebrated the 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory over his Swiss nemesis, after nearly four hours. Djokovic said in the press conference that it is one of the most memorable matches he’s ever played.
Defending champion Kim Clijsters successfully defended her title with an easy victory over Russian Vera Zvonareva, in the evening. This was one of the shortest women’s finals matches ever and the 6-1 6-2 win took only 59 minutes.
Due to rain, the action on day 14 was cancelled and the men’s final was postponed for the following day.
Tennis fans witnessed history in the making as Rafael Nadal claimed the U.S. Open title with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic, on Monday, Day 15. A refreshed Djokovic came out with confidence and claimed the set, after a two-hour rain delay in the second set at 4-4. In addition, throughout the match that Djokovic had some issues with his ankle as he often looked down and gently “tested” them by squatting down.
However, for the next two sets Nadal, sports betting fans favorite, played incredibly well, even serving his way out of trouble on critical break points in the third set. Djokovic expressed tremendous respect for Nadal at the end of the match, along with a hug and some kind words in the trophy presentation.
Now all four Grand Slam titles have been won by Nadal, which only six players have been able to accomplish. At 24 years old, this was Nadal’s ninth career Grand Slam trophy and it seems that he is on his way to becoming a contender for one of the greatest players of all time.
admin on September 18, 2010 | Filed Under Tennis | Comments Off
The Sam Houston St. Bearkats will take on the Baylor Bears to start off the season. This opening game will take place on Saturday September 4th. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7 pm Eastern Time.
Each of these teams appears to be coming off of similar seasons. They each have hopes to turn things around as the new season approaches.
Baylor managed just 4 wins last season. They were simply overmatched in almost every game that they played in their conference last season. They play in the Big 12. The Big 12 is certainly a power conference and attracts a lot of great talent. They were not able to deal with the talent present on other teams last season. They only managed to win one of the eight games that they played in their conference last season.
Sam Houston State will head to Baylor with hopes of starting off the season right. They did not experience a stellar season last year, finishing with a record of 5-6. They do have confidence that they can compete though. Although Baylor is in a tough conference, they have not shown the ability to play like the other teams that are in the conference. Sam Houston State will not enter the field with the expectation of letting Baylor walk all over them.
This game will kick off at Floyd Casey Stadium this Saturday and should provide some entertainment. Both of these teams will try to start things off right as the 2010 season kicks off.
admin on September 3, 2010 | Filed Under CFB | Comments Off
In the 2010, Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend in Annapolis, Md, the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Boston Cannons, Long Island Lizards, and Denver Outlaws will all be competing.
Between the Bayhawks and the Cannons will be the first semifinal, on August 21 at 12 p.m. Then, in the second semifinal at 3 p.m, the Denver Outlaws and Long Island Lizards will battle it out. On August 22 at 1 p.m, the finale championship match will be aired by ESPN2.And the internet sportsbook guides the online users to do the betting online.
Here is a look at two of the teams:
Long Island Lizards
7-5 season record. Features: the second highest MLL scorer with 47 points from 25 goals and 18 assists in 12 games, Matt Danowski; Mike Ward, who scored 9 points from 4 goals and 5 assists in 12 games, Parker McKee, who was drafted fourth overall, played in 7 games with 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points, and received 20% of the vote on the MLL Rookie of the Year bal; ; and Zack Greer, the fourth highest scorer on the team with 17 goals and 3 assists for 20 points in 10 games.
Boston Cannons
8-4 season record. Features: Brad Ross and Max Quinzani. Brad Ross was ranked second for two-point scores in MLL and he scored 21 points from 12 goals and three assists. Max finished with 19 points and received 20% of the MLL Rookie of the Year votes and he was named Boston Cannons Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies in scored goals (14).
And the internet sportsbook guides online users to check the betting odds.
admin on August 21, 2010 | Filed Under Lacrosse | Comments Off
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki defeated Julia Goerges of Germany by pulling out a 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (3) win in the Danish Open quarterfinals on Friday.
Wozniack conceded the first set in the second round and she was under immense pressure to meet high expectations of winning the inaugural Danish Open.
This time, to repeat her win over fifth-seeded Goerges she was pushed past two hours at this year’s Australian Open.
At 5-3 and two points away from losing the match, the third-ranked Wozniacki was a break down, in the final set, even though she won it in a tiebreak.
Wozniacki now will move on to meet Russian Anna Chakvetadze. Chakvetadze beat sixth-seeded Polona Hercog from Slovenia 6-4, 6-3. For the second time in two weeks, Chakvetadze, the former world No. 5 who had to qualify in Copenhagen, topped Hercog, repeating her win in Portoroz where the Russian won her first title in two years.
Eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany was swept past by second-seeded Li Na of China 6-1, 6-2. Kerber won only 11 points on her own serve. Li faces seventh-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic. Zakopalova reached her first semifinals of the year by beating Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 7-5.
admin on August 9, 2010 | Filed Under Sports | Comments Off
