Pounds of video coverage, a Fireside Chat with one of the best middies in MCLA land and no black and white photos.

OH WOW, even the USA guys know you can’t swear on the video blog.

Video quality is awful but the instruction is top notch. As a corollary, we will watch anything with Cinosky.

Marquette highlight tape from 2009

Did you know Bowling Green had a NCAA D1 lacrosse team?

We did.

Did you know Leif Elsmo played for BGSU?

We did.

Enjoy this fantastic mini documentary. Who doesn’t love watching video footage of lacrosse being played in the 70s?

Plus my best friend’s father makes an appearance at the 8:20 mark. No big deal.

Today’s Fireside Chat is with Minnesota Duluth’s Dan Pitzl, a man with a goofy last name but a serious offensive game. Pitzl is a likely 1st AA middie in 2010 but has his sights set on a far bigger team goal culminating in Denver.

412: You had a very successful high school career, what made you stay home and play for Duluth?

Pitzl: There were several factors involved in making my decision for college coming out of high school. Although I love lacrosse almost more than anything in my life, it was definitely not the defining aspect to my choice. The most important factor considered was my education. Of course I wanted to play lax, but I really needed to have a balance between that and what was to come in my future. Another factor was my family and friends. I was worried that if I left to go somewhere distant from home, I would lose connection with them and Duluth just happens to be a couple hours away from my hometown so it is the perfect distance.

Pitzl against BYU in 2009

412: Have you made the transition to the 2010 heads? What are you using? Do you think its going to make a big difference?

Pitzl: I have been using an Evo Pro x6 and a Reebok 9k. I really like the evo pro x6 so far, it is super narrow on the top which increased the channel and accuracy of how the ball is released. Haven’t had much of a chance to examine the difference in game play yet due to lack of experience thus far, but from what I have seen it hasn’t made a significant impact at all.

412: You guys have an interesting practice regime with Coach Graff not living in town. Can you describe how practices work?

Pitzl: Haha when anyone hears about how we don’t have coaches at practices they are shocked. People always ask how we are so successful and organized without them. There is a lot of respect for the captains on the team and that is essential to getting things done in practice. Practice plans are generated by the coaches and sent to the captains for practice. Coaches make it up to Duluth at least one weekend each month and this makes for some intense weekends.

412: Duluth has been a presence at the national tournament for several years now. Is this the year the Bulldogs make a deep run?

This is kind of a sore subject for me and for most of the seniors and upperclassmen. When I was a freshmen, it was the first time Duluth had made it past the first round. Although this was a great accomplishment for the program, no player or coach was remotely satisfied with this. The feeling after losing in the second round for the last four years is a horrible and disturbing feeling, and it is something that is reminded to the players almost daily. The team this year is keeping that feeling in mind and is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to be one of the last two teams playing in May.

Pitzl against Oregon in 2009

412: What game on your schedule are you most looking forward to this year?

Easy question, Michigan. Doesn’t need an explanation but Michigan hasn’t lost in the last two years. There is no doubt they will be bringing back plenty of talent and will be towards the top of the MCLA all year. It will be an interesting venue as we will be meeting them at a neutral site in Chicago. We will be much more prepared for the game this year then we were last year. I would love to be the reason their streak comes to an end.

412: Last year you were a 2nd team AA, what are your individual goals for this spring?

The awards are always nice to receive to show that you have achieved various things but they are never what I strive for or play the game for. Ever since I started playing sports as a kid, there has only been one thing on my mind, championships. Championships are won by teams. Anything I am doing this year is to better the team and to increase our ability to be playing in that last game in May. Being a captain this year, I am really striving to be a great leader. I want the guys to follow me and the other captains by example and through our experience to the National Championship in Denver.

412: How has the Duluth program changed for better or for worse in your four year?

The Duluth lacrosse program is extremely rare. We have an amazing alumni and support group. There is no doubt that the program keeps getting better and better every year. I attribute this to our coaches. They have very busy lives and schedules outside the world of lacrosse. The time and effort they put in is indescribable. What is so rare is that through the 4 years I have been here, I have yet to see a player not progress or advance their lacrosse talent and mental game. Most players come to Duluth and barely make the team, and end up being 2 or 3 time All Americans by the time they graduate. The coaches are amazing at finding what the players are really good at, and what they need to work on to reach their potential, and the players always do.

Pitzl against BYU in 2009

412: Any plans for after school?

The first of my worries is finding a job. Hopefully by the time I get out of college,which I wish was never, the economy will start turning around and provide an occupation for me. I would really love to start coaching high school lacrosse in Minnesota when I graduate. I have been coaching youth lacrosse for awhile and there might not be a better feeling in the world then helping develop young laxers and watch them get better because of your effort. Whatever I am doing though, lacrosse will be apart of my life for many years to come, whether that be playing with old guys who have knee braces or raking in championships and building a dynasty from the sidelines.

Notes

• HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT COMING MONDAY NOVEMBER 2nd
• I think I want to use the Warrior Noz head
• Duluth’s Nike Long Island uniforms (the white ones) are re-donk-ulous
• Matt Danowski is my favorite athlete never to have won a championship at the college or pro level
• Yes we used a Magic the Gathering playing card in yesterday’s post
• Lou Holtz is speaking at the Coaches Convention, who is going besides the 412 Lax Staff?
• Interview pending with the president of the Wisconsin Lacrosse program, we will get to the bottom of this
• It bares repeating. I hope they have $50 worth of stickers coming because these helmets are awful
• Who ever runs BroBible’s twitter page is a huge Yankees fan

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