Washington Stealth forward Lewis Ratcliff was a busy man last weekend.
After helping the Stealth win their first National Lacrosse League title Saturday night with five goals in a 15-11 Champion’s Cup victory over Toronto, Ratcliff had little time to celebrate.
The NLL’s leading goal scorer had a game the next night with the Nanaimo Timbermen, his team in British Columbia’s Western Lacrosse Association.
Ratcliff scored a game-tying goal with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining against Coquitlam, but the Timbermen fell 12-11 with the 29-year-old finishing with one goal and adding three assists.
“I was definitely feeling the effects of my celebration Saturday night on Sunday,” said Ratcliff, the MVP of the Champion’s Cup.
Ratcliff is one of several Stealth players headed to teams for the summer season, whether it means playing more indoor lacrosse in the WLA or the Major Series Lacrosse in Ontario, or transitioning to the field game in Major League Lacrosse.
Nearly all the players on Washington’s 23-man active roster are on summer teams and many will face each other on opposite ends of the field or floor.
“It’ll be fun to play against them and see them play as an opponent,” Ratcliff said.
The seven-team WLA season started May 12. The regular season runs through July 30. Each team plays 18 regular-season games, with the top four squads earning berths in the playoffs. The WLA champion meets the winner of Ontario’s MSL in the annual Mann Cup.
Stealth transition specialist Paul Rabil is one of a handful of Stealth players switching to the field game. Rabil, the reigning MVP in Major League Lacrosse, plays for the Boston Cannons. The six-team MLL season opened May 15 and the 12-game regular season runs through Aug. 7.
Rabil, defender Eric Martin and forward Rhys Duch also are headed for Manchester, England, in July to compete in the World Lacrosse Championships. Rabil and Martin will represent Team USA. Duch is on Team Canada.
The championships will be held July 15-24, with 30 nations competing for the title.
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