1620 Lacrosse Competes in US Lacrosse Nationals Qualifier June 21-23

1620 Lacrosse, a club lacrosse program offshoot of Plymouth Rock Youth Lacrosse will send an Under 15 team to the US Lacrosse Northeast Regional Tournament at UMass Amherst this week. The tournament begins June 21 and will run through the 23. It is a qualifier for the US Lacrosse U15 Nationals which take place in Florida beginning on July 26.

The team is made up of players from Plymouth Rock’s U15 New England Select Lacrosse League team, which recently placed second in their championship tournament after finishing second during the regular season, as well. In addition, those players will be joined by a handful of freshmen from both Plymouth North and Plymouth South who are age eligible to play in the US Lacrosse championships. Many of those freshmen players started on the varsity lineups for the local high schools.

The team will be lead by Jonathan Scott, Plymouth Rock Director of Coaching and a thirty year veteran of the lacrosse sidelines who has coached at top Rhode island and national prep schools and has helmed a number of all-star tournament teams. He will be joined by Steve Hunter and John Ross who also served on the NESLL team staff.

“We’re very excited about having the opportunity to send our first ever club team to the US Lacrosse northeastern tournament,” said Gary Bigley, President of Plymouth Rock Youth Lacrosse. “This tournament represents another step forward for our program and for Plymouth lacrosse in general.  This particular group of kids has had some real success on the field this year, but the real testament to this team is that, no matter which middle or high school they attend, they come together as one and play as a team”.

Captains for the team represent that diversity. Phil Cronin and Charlie Stutzenberger – both eighth graders who attend PCIS – captained the NESLL runner-up squad and will continue in that role. They will be joined by Plymouth North starting varsity goalie, Sam Knollmeyer and Plymouth South starting midfielder, Ben Kotce. Cronin plays attack and Stutzenberger will join Kotce at the midfield.

“I love coaching this group of guys,” said Coach Scott of his team. “I’ve had the opportunity over the years to coach some incredible players and was out of the game for a few years until I moved to Plymouth. This is going to be a tough test. The teams that enter these tournaments represent the best that the United States has to offer…but my goal from day one, has been for this group to compete on a national level.  This crew believes in each other and, as far as I’m concerned, the sky’s the limit for them.”

Pool play for the tournament begins on Friday at 5 p.m. and 1620 has games scheduled against the Long Island Express club from New York, as well as two clubs from Pennsylvania. The team will stay at UMass Amherst for the weekend. Finals games are scheduled for mid-day on Sunday, June 23.

More information is available at www.plymouthrocklacrosse.com