2021 BRINE NATIONAL CUP PRESENTED BY NEW BALANCE:
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND REVIEW
The National Cup Girls Lacrosse series closed the 2021 season with the National Cup Championship in Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 4–5). The event featured competition in 12 different divisions from High School seniors through Middle School age groups. More than 100 club teams traveled from 19 different states, as well Canada, to participate in the inaugural event.
Corrigan Sports Enterprises established an unprecedented partnership with ESPN to cover the 2022, 2023, 2024 and Open division championship games from the National Cup live on ESPN3. Each of those games will re-air on ESPNU this Sunday, December 12. The championship style format kept the spotlight on team performances while also creating exciting finishes. “We over Me” was a vital component of this past weekend.
Intended to be more than just another tournament, the National Cup’s festivities began on Friday with the event banquet and HighlightHER Awards Night. Sarah Burlingame, coach at the Benjamin School with the Lax Maniax club program, was recognized as the Trina Mangano Award winner for her lifetime of service to the sport of lacrosse. The High School Coach of the Year was awarded to Krista Grabher of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville (Fla.). Also recognized was Mike Yarusso who received the Youth Coach of the Year award for his work with the South Jersey Shamrocks (N.J.).
Lee Corrigan, President of Corrigan Sports, presented the first-ever National Cup college scholarship to Natalie Hart, currently a senior at Jupiter High School (Fla.) who plays club lacrosse for the Lax Maniax. The banquet concluded with remarks from one of the game’s true legends Gary Gait, former Women’s Lacrosse Coach and new Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Syracuse University. Gait shared some personal experiences that helped shape him as a competitor as well encouraging today’s players to always focus on improvement in pursuit of their goals.
Saturday’s schedule featured pool play in all divisions culminating with the HighlightHER All-Star Game in the evening. Fifty elite players from the 2022 and 2023 classes competed for a live audience on the Lacrosse Sports Network. The teams resumed action on Sunday in playoff brackets competing for a tournament title.
The National Cup series will return in the Summer of 2022 with four regional District events. Participating teams that finish among the top four teams in each division will advance to the Championship Division at the end of the year in Florida. For more information, visit www.nationalcuplacrosse.com
Middle School Division Champions: MadSkillz (Fla.)
2026 Division Champions: MadSkillz (Fla.)
2025 Division Champions: Team Elevate (N.Y.)
OPEN DIVISION STANDOUT PLAYERS
· Katie Beatty, Burning River, Midfield, committed to Penn State (Class of 2022)
· Maddie Blazey, Burning River, Midfield, committed to Slippery Rock (Class of 2022)
· Natalie Fletcher, Lou Fusz Blue Star Elite, Goal, uncommitted (Class of 2025)
· Kylie Pettus, Lou Fusz Blue Star Elite, Midfield, committed to Davenport (Class of 2022)
Burning River (Ohio) won the Championship of the Open division 8–5 over Lou Fusz Blue Star Elite (Mo.). Midfielder Maddie Blazey from Burning River earned Player of the Game honors.
2024 DIVISION STANDOUT PLAYERS
· Etta Coburn, Lake Effect Storm Elite, Midfield
· Emma Greer, South Jersey Select Pink, Midfield
· Sophia Levine, South Jersey Select Pink, Midfield
· Lily Morrison, Lake Effect Storm Elite, Defense/Midfield
Lake Effect Storm Elite (N.Y.) earned a gritty 9–8 win over the South Jersey Select Pink (N.J.) to win the Championship of the 2024 division. Lake Effect Storm’s Etta Coburn was recognized as the Player of the Game.
2023 DIVISION STANDOUT PLAYERS
· Emma Bunting, South Jersey Select Pink Midfield, committed to USC
· Lily Bunting, South Jersey Select Pink, Midfield, committed to USC
· Delaney Jackson, South Jersey Select Pink, Midfield, committed to Loyola
· Lily Milberg, Team 91 Carolina, Attack, currently uncommitted
· Grace Mullahy, Team 91 Carolina, Midfield, committed to Harvard
The South Jersey Select Pink (N.J.) team captured the Championship of the 2022 division 11–4 over the Team 91 Carolina (N.C.). Emma Bunting from South Jersey Select was recognized as the Player of the Game.
2022 DIVISION STANDOUT PLAYERS
· Ava Angello, Lake Effect Storm Elite, Attack, committed to Johns Hopkins
· Francesca Argentieri, Precision Elite, Goal, committed to Northwestern
· Karsyn Burnash, Lake Effect Storm Elite, Midfield, committed to Connecticut
· Maddy Gill, Lake Effect Storm Elite, Midfield, uncommitted
· Marley Wright, Precision Elite, Midfield, committed to Brown
Lake Effect Storm Elite (N.Y.) withstood a late rally from Precision Elite (N.Y.) to earn a 10–9 win in the Championship game of the 2022 division. Ava Angello from Lake Effect Storm Elite was named Player of the Game.
