St. Augustine, Florida – The Heatwave Championships are one of the best! And this is why:

1) The Venue – The ONLY lacrosse park in the south is Landrum Lax Park in Ponte Vedra Beach. It has perfect fields, and is 1 nautical mile from the beach. Its strategic fencing (for lacrosse) and layout provide a great team tent environment and atmosphere.

2) The Teams – This year, more than 24 high school teams alone attended. The competitive levels were better than ever and the teams improved as the games were played. Seven middle school and three women’s teams rounded out the field. There is something for everyone there.

3) The Format – 7-v-7 on a small field (35 yards by 60 yards) with ‘instant clears’ in a tournament format. Plus, this year’s 3-v-3 Championship (sudden victory; single elimination) and the 2nd Annual Braveheart Championship (sudden victory; single elimination), added to the hysteria.

4) The Location – PVB is at a cross-roads. 5 1/2 hours from Atlanta, 4 hours from Miami, 5 hours from Naples, 2 hours from Orlando, 7 hours from Charlotte. It’s a great place to meet for a weekend tournament and with planning, teams can drive to town or catch a cheapee flight into JAX.

5) The Intensity – There are a lot of club programs who attended. The sheer intensity of the Maniax playing each other for their own ‘in-house’ bragging rights and the other club programs raising their intensity in that spirit makes the event more ‘college-like’ than other tournaments intensity-wise. Plus having women’s teams there is a big help in showing people ‘how’ to play the game.

Club programs who attended the event included: LaxManiax Elite (4th year club), HOTlanta Lacrosse (3rd year club), SOFLA (4th year club), Team Trident (2nd year club), and Beaches, Planet Lax, Eagles Stix, Copperheads, and LM Lax, all first-year clubs. It was an excellent showing for the teams who made the trip. Other than a 30-minute lightening delay during pool play, the weather cooperated. Scheduling a tournament like this in the morning is key in Florida this time of year.

The tournament was everything it was supposed to be – a lot of competitive action and excitement for players, fans and officials alike.

Middle school teams played well too. The Championship game in the Sawgrass MS bracket was won on a braveheart tie-breaker by CFL 2014, coached by Rollins College defensive mastermind Brad Pinneke. The win avenged CFL ’14’s only loss of the tournament, a 13-10 loss in pool play to Maniax South-Central.

The Atlantic Championship was taken by the Maniax Southeast, after not winning a game in pool play on day #1. The Southeastern FLA girls rallied for two in a row on Sunday and a Championship award!

3-3 Titles were claimed by TFG 11-12 State (Maddy Blakeman, Olivia DiCarlantonio, Taylor McCord – all 15-year olds), and Maniax South-Central (Brenna Pinneke, Ali Williams,  Mari Grace Gabrovic) at the Middle School level. Poetic justice for these teams whose championship runs were cut short in the 7-v-7.

Amy Leonard cools off at the HEATwave.

Braveheart titles were won by Emotion Silvestri (Mustangs Lax 2010), and Olivia Blakeman (Maniax South-Central). Silvestri, who plays for the LaxManiax 2010 White team during the summer/fall, chose to put together a team of players from her high school to enter the Heatwave Championships. It was the first major tournament that girls from Mandarin High School, FHSAA District 1 runners up in 2009, had ever participated in.

One of the interesting stats of the event is the goals for vs. goals surrendered number. This is often a great way to show the competitiveness of a tournament. The Heatwave’s winners averaged 11 goals for and losing teams 6.5 goals for. This tells me two things: the games are very competitive and that defense determines who wins them. 6.5 goals on that small of a field over 24 minutes is not very many. 

Winning is mostly due to defense, goal keeping and clock management. Less about attack.

The scores were slightly higher on the middle school side, with the point spread closer to 5-goals between the teams on average.

When polled, most members and coaches of other clubs enjoyed the 3-v-3, and Braveheart, Championships and the excitement they brought to the event. Plus, even if your team is not ‘on’, you can still ‘win’ something. Everyone likes to have a chance to win something at the Heatwave!

And they do!

Emotion Silvestri and her goal keeper Amber celebrate her win in the Braveheart Championship.

And the RESULTS:

High School Aged Champions/Runner Ups:

Sawgrass Championship – TFG 2010 Black/TFG 2011-12 Central Florida

Atlantic Championship – Team Trident Zebra/TFG 2010 White

St. Johns Championship – Copperheads 2010/Eagles Stix Red

Middle School Aged Champions/Runners Up:

Sawgrass Championship – LaxManiax Central ‘14/LaxManiax South-Central

Atlantic Championship – LaxManiax Southeast/Eagles Stix White

All-HEATWAVE Team Selections: Renete Woolsey (TFG 10 Black), Morgan Derner (TFG 10 Black), Madeliene Laschenez (TFG 10 Black), Isabella Franca (SOFLA), Katya Ruszczyk (SOFLA), Katie Kastner (TFG 11-12 Central), Anna Lanpher (TFG 11-12 Central), Haley Bolt (TFG 11-12 Central), Taylor Figura (TFG 10 White),  Kaitlin Rooney (TFG 10 White), Ally Williams (South-Central Middle School LaxManiax), Ya Ferucci (South-Central Middle School LaxManiax), Mary Kate O’Sulliva (Southwest Florida Maniax Humid), Kendyl Davidson (Southwest Florida Maniax Humid), Sarah Ragland (North Middle School LaxManiax), Julianne  Hanrahan (North Middle Schoo LaxManiax), Mary Umana (Southwest Florida Maniax Heat), Tori Krupa (Southwest Florida Maniax Heat), Margaret Franklin (Southeast Maniax Elite), Jasey Sanders (Southeast Maniax Elite),  and more coming soon! Check back as they come in – we will post!

UPDATED SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8:30PM!!!

Listed below are the seedings for tomorrow’s CHAMPIONSHIPS. The schedule is at www.heatwavelax.com and is listed as “Championship Sunday” – it is a PDF file. If you want to be safe, just arrive at the fields assuming you have either an 8am or 8:30am game, just in case. Some people like to read schedules and others just get confused by them – either way, we got you covered!

2010-2013 Brackets (THREE Championship Brackets for Sunday!)

2014-2017 (TWO Championship Brackets for Sunday!) 

** We will attempt to conduct the 3-v-3 Championships as well tomorrow. MIDDLE SCHOOL ages at approximately 10:30am; High School ages at approximately 11am. 

** PLEASE check your schedule based on the SEEDINGS listed above by checking the HEATWAVELAX.COM website schedule for CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY!

Get ready for some great games tomorrow!

Ponte Vedra Beach, USA – In just five days Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Johns County will be facing a tremendous Heatwave of epic proportions! 24 High school club programs, seven middle school clubs, and three womens teams will compose a field of ladies teams that has never been larger than any other 7-v-7 in the south!

Early favorites for the Sawgrass Championship (the highest of the three championship brackets for the 2010-2013 age group) are Team Florida Girls 10 Black, Hotlanta FIRE, Copperheads 2010, and one of the two TFG 2011-12 teams. The wild part about this tournament is that there are three tournament champions for the high school level, a 3-v-3 championship team, and a Braveheart champion to boot. There will also be a winner in the HOT SHOT competition, a timed shooting-accuracy test that will test the mettle of the best sharp-shooters of the event.

Without Liz Connelly, what will happen to defending champion, Skull Crushers this year!? New uni's??

The Middle School tourney will be a shootout with seven young teams gunning it out on the plush fields of Landrum Lax Park! The competitive level of the young ones is always astounding. Three years ago we did not have enough teams for a middle school division, so the middle school kids had to play at least one high school game. They were competitive back then! Now, many of the 2014’s are competing in their final Heatwave Championship as middle schoolers! That will make this event even more special for a lot of this year’s participants as nearly half are 2014’s at the MS level.

Adult teams are always a challenge. Trying to nail down women’s teams is like trying to nail jello to a wall and getting it to stick. It looks like we will have three women’s teams with the Cougars, the Skull Crushers, and the Dolphins all bringing a contingency. Maybe as JU grows their program we will develop a nice mix of players and continue to bring back the alums! There should be four or five womens teams attending the Heatwave, enjoying the beach, and having fun at night catching up with each other. The Cougars are early favorites for the tourney. We will see! I am excited because I get to officiate and Trina (a National official) may get to play! Hey T! Watch yo Shooting space! ahaahaaa!!

Weather is supposed to be perfect. 75 degrees at the start of each day and 85 degrees at the end. Scattered T-storms are possible more towards the late afternoon and early evening, so the participants should get a great look at the beach as well.

The Heatwave is a celebration. Can’t wait for it! Get psyched!

LaxManiax Elite, Eagles Stix, Hotlanta Lacrosse, Team Trident, Team Florida Girls, Cougars Lax, LM Lady Rams Lacrosse, Copperheads, Planet Lax, Skull Crushers and SOFLA have registered teams for the event and space is filling up quickly for the 2009 event. Rave reviews from 2008’s sun-fest have spurred growth of this awesome tournament! Don’t be left out – play lax right here in the south at a pace that will blow you away!

Check out this cool video of the Braveheart Championships, the 1st such competition in Florida. Braveheart will be a staple at the Heatwave for years to come! Morgan Derner was the 1st champ, beating Caitlyn Ryan in the finals. Enjoy!

* 19 Teams Participated * 200 Girls Played * Weather was 85 degrees, sunny and a rare low humidity day!

The 2008 Heatwave Champions are (drum roll please….)

Open Division = The Maniax Alumz (Captained by Liz Connelly)

Middle School Division = Seminole Elite (Coached by Brad Pinneke)

Both teams receive tournament tye-die tees from JI Tees. In addition to the champions, a number of teams performed very well! The Hotlanta team made the semi’s and faced Central Combined where they fell in a close two-goal game. Central Combined fell in the Championship game 10-9 in a dramatic finish when Alumz player Katie Carbiener (Longwood University) found lower ninety with 30-seconds left to break the deadlock. The Alumz held on after a frantic run by the Combined team to claim victory. At the middle school level, each team won at least one game with Seminole MS Elite’s strong start to the day earning them the overall championship. They were defeated in their final game by a fiesty Orange MS Elite team. The Riverside MS Elite ended the day with a 2-2 record including a narrow loss to tournament champ Seminole MS Elite.

Other teams who performed well: The Riverside Elite, while narrowly missing the playoffs due to points, ended the day with a 3-1 record, their only loss a 1-goal loss to Seminole Elite with a questionable call disallowing a goal that would have tied the game, and provided the Riverside Elite with enough points to make the playoffs! Phew! Both Southeast teams and the Oceanside Elite earned playoff bids, and the Winter Springs Maniax, composed of girls from both the Combined and Seminole Elite clubs, were impressive with a playoff bid and overall 3-1 record.

Nikki Erdely gets past Maddie Blakeman for a Shot on GK Kristin Litteral. Erdley and Litteral were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Broward Elite not only made the playoffs at the tournament for the first time, but they also took home the team shooting challenge. Each player receives a $10 gift certificate from Dick’s Sporting Goods! Dick’s is one of the official sponsors of the Heatwave Championships! Way to go girls!

Excitement was in the air at Florida’s first-ever (as we know about) Braveheart Championships at the Heatwave Lacrosse Championships in Ponte Vedra Beach! In the end it came down to the two finalists for each Braveheart Brackets. The Open bracket pitted Caitlin Ryan (class of 2009/Broward Elite) vs. Morgan Derner (class of 2010/Central Combined). Both girls won narrow victories in the semi finals. In the finals, Morgan Derner chased down the draw control and turned on the jets, never looking back. She hit the opposite lower ninety for the winning shot and claimed the Braveheart Championship of the tournament. 

Middle School also had a close finish. Olivia Blakeman (Seminole MS Elite) faced off against teammate Kendall Darley in the finale with Darley gaining the upper hand. 

Both teams will receive a deBeer prize pack that includes a sticker, lanyard, bracelet, and magnet. The winners receive their choice of deBeer handle – ProFlex, Triax, or Airflow! They are the best handles on the market and they fit very well on the brand new ‘Tempest Pro’ head, which may be the best head ever made! Congrats to the girls and all 32 contestants.

Tourney Champ Alumz take on HOTlanta Lacrosse

Middle School All-Tournament Team:

Kendall Darley, Olivia Blakeman, Brenna Pinneke, Meghan Trahanas (Seminole); Sarah Ragland, Amy Leonard, Christiana Greenert, Julianne Hanrahan (Riverside); Ally Williams, Chloe Cabigas, Haley Aniello, Lindsey Tangeman (Orange).

Open All-Tournament Team:

Tara Brock (Alumz/Jacksonville University), Morgan Derner (Central/Lake Mary), Kristin Litteral (Central/West Orange), Rachel Krell (Central/Apopka), Chelsea Pinneke (Central/Lake Brantley), Nikki Erdley (HOTlanta/West Forsyth), Maddie Dewling (HOTlanta/Northview), Gillian McAllister (HOTlanta), Sydney Archer (HOTlanta), Taylor McCord (Riverside/Bartram Trail), Katie Eckhart (Riverside/Fleming Island), Kaitlin Booth (Winter Springs Maniax), Allie Rhinehart (Winter Springs Maniax), Alexus Hamilton (Seminole/Lyman), Shanin Darley (Seminole/Oviedo), Kate Tangeman (Orange/Bishop Moore), Allie Icardi (Orange/Bishop Moore), Emily Berge (Palm Beach/Jupiter), Gloria Kelly (Palm Beach/Wellington), Caitlin Ryan (Broward/St. Thomas Aquinas), Dani Wiedmeyer (Broward/St. Thomas Aquinas), Amanda Santillo (Ponte Vedra), Callie Francis (Ponte Vedra), Ashley Gardner (House Team/Bartram Trail), Victoria Oakley (House Team/Fletcher), Romy Sidelsky (Oceanside/Fletcher), Megan Hightower (Timber Creek).