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Show DAILY C6 HERALD Monday. AprQ2l20Q7 LACROSSE IN UTAH COUNTY Lacrosse Quick Facts on Lacrosse Continued from CI lacrosse sticks, basically poles with a shaped net pocket at the end. Each team has 10 players, and the side that manages to score the most goals wins. But it's the how. not the what, that makes the game so thrilling to a rising generation of athletes. "It's a mix of the best of all sports," said Timpview senior attackman Tyler Wilson, whose 30 goals make him No. 6 on the goals scored list in Utah for 2007 and tops in Utah Valley. "It's fast, it's high scoring, it has big hits. It's the greatest sport there is in my opinion." To the Native Americans that started the sport, lacrosse was much more than a game. According to the U.S. Lacrosse Web site, it was often played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick and also served as a preparation for war. Legend tells of as'many as 1.000 players per side, from the same or different tribes, who took turns engaging in a violent contest. Contestants played on a field from one to 15 miles in length, and games sometimes lasted for days. Some tribes used a single pole, tree or rock for a goal, while other tribes had two goal posts through which the ball had to pass. Balls were made out of wood, deerskin, baked clay or stone. Although the more organized game has been around since the the last mid-1800- few years have seen an explosive growth in popularity. "I started playing at Orem High in 1994," said Pete Stevenson, an assistant men's lacrosse coach at BYU and one of the men who has helped spur on the development of the game in Utah. "There was an announcement at school, so 1 went and got a flyer from the office. There were five teams in the state, but we had a lot of fun." Lacrosse became Stevenson's "baby" and he worked tirelessly over the last 13 years to nurture it. With BYU men's head lacrosse coach Jason Lamb, youth leagues were developed and the Cougars became a national power in the college club lacrosse scene. I Originated with early Native Americans and considered the oldest North American team sport. I First rules codified in 1867. t Played by both genders, the men's game having more contact. I Played on a field 110 yards long (including 15 yards behind the net) with 10 players allowed on the field per side. e I One of the 'Y SV . sports in Utah. I Number of high school teams in the state has grown 900 percent in the last 15 years. I Utah Valley high schools currently have seven boys teams and three girls teams. I Appeals to athletes because of the required combination of speed, agility, intelligence and power. fastest-growin- g "I've seen it take off in Utah County," Stevenson said. "With (Lamb), we started youth leagues in the fall of 2001 and had six teams of junior high-ag- e kids. Now we're seeing the fruits of that. There are teams at Lone Peak, at Lehi, at Timpview and some of the top teams are from Utah County." From the five teams of 1994, the number of kids playing has blossomed to having 45 high school teams this year. Shaw said that each team will play about 18 kids, with another six to eight available if needed. Currently Utah County has seven boys teams (Lehi, Lone Peak, Mountain View, Orem, Timpview, Pleasant Grove and Timpanogos) and three girls teams (Timpview, Orem and Lehi). The girls game has less physical contact and thus requires less protective gear. BYU is also beginning to enjoy some of the advantages of the improving youth programs. The 2007 team which is ranked No. 1 in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association features former Mountain View star senior Zach Davis and some younger players in freshmen Marc Miller from Pleasant Grove and sophomore D.J. Sullivan from Timpanogos. With the rapid expansion of the sport, high school teams which currently fall under the club status are beginning to think more about advancing to sport status. "I'd like to see it become a high school sport," Shaw said. think then we'd get a lot more interest and it would be good for the sport." Some of the current athletes see both the positives and negatives of being a part of normal high school athletics. "It would be nice if it was because we would get more support for equipment," said Timpview's Caleb Ostraff, who is a junior at Provo High but plays for the Thunderbirds because his school doesn't field a team. "But as soon as it does, then it will become a lot more competitive. I like it being a club sport because you don't have to worry about the politics. It's a lot more personal right now." Although the Utah High School Activities Association is aware of the growing popularity of lacrosse, there are some obstacles that still have to be overcome before it could reach the same level as football and basketball. "Like football, equipment is the biggest expense," Shaw explained. "It might be a hindrance to find a way to get equal funding for everyone." Ostraff said he's probably spent $400 on his lacrosse stuff, but much of it is because of his sticks breaking or needShaw ing to be said that prices vary widely depending on the quality of the "I ' gear. But Wilson was quick to point out that all of the costs are worth it. "We you get some experience, get a taste of it, it's hard ttv - till if V A k sfl J1:? k ? ASHLEY FRANSCELL and COBB CONDIEDaily Herald Top: Trevor Mauzy waits on the sidelines while running drills during Timpview's lacrosse practice on Saturday at Centennial Middle School in Provo. The Club team has players from many different high schools in Utah County. Bottom: Cosmo helps pump up the lacrosse fans when BYU played Utah on Thursday. to stop playing," the Timpview senior said. "It has some of what everyone loves." For more information on high school lacrosse, go to www.uhsll.org. To find out about BYLTs lacrosse team, visit www.byulacrosse.com. ' Jared Lloyd can be 2 reached at or 344-255- jlloydheraldextra.com. 2007 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS Devils bounce Lightning out of the playoffs m! "It wasn't like everybody was out of position or anything like that. You've got to keep plugging away." That's exactly what Brodeur ;.7ED PRfiS Asm.x TAMPA, Fla. A bounce here, a bounce there. The way Martin Brodeur sounded, the New Jersey Devils were fortunate to close out the Tampa Gionta's power-pla- y goal snapped a scoreless tie late in the opening period and Rafals-ki'- s second goal of the playoffs Gionta's shot from made it did. the left circle gave the Devils "When you've been through a 1 lead just 39 seconds after it, you just put your head down Tampa Bay broke through 'FA and work harder. I can't make against Brodeur for the first FIV. I a. the bounces go my way if I time since the second period of Game 4. don't believe that I'm able to Gionta, who had five goals stop the puck," Brodeur said. "I know when it doesn't go well, in the series, was aided when I'll get that criticism." Lightning defenseman Filip Brodeur's 93rd postseason Kuba got tangled-uwith Elias win moved him ahead of Grant in front of the net and wound Fuhr and into second place on up knocking over goalie Johan the career playoff list behind Holmqvist, who was sprawled Patrick Roy's 151. on his back when the shot CHRIS O'MEARA Associated Press "I don't think he was totally whizzed past. on his game through the first Richards, who teamed with goal against the Tampa four (games)," Lightning coach Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis to score 11 of Tampa John Tprtorella said. "The opBay's 14 goals in the series, portunity we had in overtime, rebounded from squandering we didn't get it done. But you trimmed the Lightning's deficit lead in the second knew he was going to come up to 2 with his second power-pla- y a two-gosooner or later, and I think the period of Game 4, which New goal with just over 9 minlast two games he was the difutes remaining in the second Jersey won in overtime, then ference." stopped 31 shots for his 22nd period. career playoff shutout Friday Tampa Bay outshot the Devils Despite being shutout in 10-- 7 in the third, but was unable Game 5, the Lightning outshot night. "It wasn't like he was playthe Devils and carried the to capitalize on its only power-pla- y same mind-se- t into Sunday. ing horrible. It was just some opportunity of the period to g bounces. The two finish with a man advanThey dominated early again, goals that they did get making Brodeur work to keep tage. New Jersey converted its first two power-plaNew Jersey from falling came off shih pads," New opportunities and finished Jersey's John Madden said. 2-- 3-- Bay Lightning. In reality, the three-tim- e Stanley Cup champion goalie was the difference in the Eastern Conference series that the Devils won Sunday with Brodeur stopping 32 shots and Brian Gionta scoring two goals in a victory. Faced with criticism after playing poorly in the first three goalten-de- r games, the rimAntfmn t t X first-roun- d p 3-- 2 reverted to the form that helped him set a regular-seaso- n record for victories and win three straight to end the best-o- f seven matchup in six games. "We won, and it doesn't matter if you play well or not," Brodeur said. "It's a fine line in the playoffs winning and losing, and how somebody performs because the luck factor is such a big factor." Brian Rafalski also scored and Patrick Elias assisted on New Jersey Devils' Brian Cionta (14) follows the flight of his Bay Lightning on Sunday. all three of New Jersey's goals. The Devils advanced to the East semifinals against the Ottawa Senators, who eliminated Pittsburgh in five games. Brad Richards scored two power-plagoals for Tampa Bay, which was shutout by Brodeur in Game 5 after scor y ing three goals in each of the first four games and making the New Jersey star look nothing like a goalie that won a league-recor- d 48 games this season. Brodeur's performance in the first three raised questions about his vulnerability. He 3-- al 31-1- 4 game-winnin- Not sure what the name is yet..! but we're workiri on it. I ell 0 ItlClDi YOUR BEST DEAL IS Main St. American Fork 260 7-- . , r, .,! fM w KWmvtM T. i E. ALWAYS AT DUFFS! jZm 756-361- 3 tt y rtfSIM-- EXIT 269 iFir.cncifTn ih mil w Id J. rrmU1-- rtytHW' mfw "3 "1 1400 S. SANDHILL RD. OREM, UT j (2 blocks Souih of UVSQ |