USBOXLA’s NCBS expanding again, 2022 seasons to start soon
Colorado Mammoth forward Zed Williams and the UCBLL’s Buffaloes (Photo: UCBLL)
The US Box Lacrosse Association’s National Collegiate Box Series is expanding again, this year adding the Mid Atlantic Collegiate Box League League (MACBLL) which the association announced will include Philadelphia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia (DMV).
The NCBS had previously established leagues in Colorado (CCBLL, 2017), Ohio (OCBLL, 2018), Connecticut (CTCBLL, 2020), Upstate New York (UCBLL, 2020) and California (CACBLL, 2021).
The series, which is USBOXLA’s version of Canada’s junior leagues, will feature 23 teams (the same amount of Junior A teams in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan) from across the country, creating roster opportunities for 400+ college-aged players this summer.
Jack Hannah, Rivermen (Photo: USBOXLA)
NCBS alumni who have since been drafted or rostered in the National Lacrosse League include: Trevor Baptiste (Philadelphia Wings, CCBLL), Mac O’Keefe (San Diego Seals, CTCBLL), Moose Whinery (San Diego Seals, CCBLL), Jack Jasinski (Panther City Lacrosse Club, OCBLL), Jack Hannah (Panther City Lacrosse Club, OCBLL) and others.
Many teams are also coached by past and present NLL players, last year Seals’ players Cam Holding, Wes Berg, Tre Leclaire and Whinery guiding the CACBLL’s Royals to a National Championship in a thrilling final game against Upstate’s Armory.
“The talent level is incredible,” Holding said during last year’s USBOXLA Nationals. “I know the goal of this NCBS is to develop American-born players.
“In our draft, you don’t typically see any Americans until late rounds. With some of the teams we saw, I already know we’re going to see some guys born and raised in America who play box lacrosse go early in the draft. It’s going to be a first and only going to get better.”
NCBS leagues are established in regions with a strong USBOXLA-sanctioned program in order to graduate players from youth, to high school, and ultimately the NCBS. While NLL teams like the Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks and San Diego Seals support a number of the leagues, so do USBOXLA clubs like LXTC, Cali*Lax ALL-STARS, Resolute Lacrosse, Trilogy Lacrosse, Fusion Lacrosse and other successful programs.
NCBS leagues are currently putting rosters, coaching staffs and schedules together for their highly anticipated 2022 season. Champions from each league later meet at the USBOXLA Nationals in San Jose, California to crown a single national NCBS champion. The USBOXLA Nationals, which also feature youth, high school and adult teams from across the country, is the biggest box lacrosse event held outside of Canada.