Cradle of Lacrosse Nation
By Tom Worgo
Photos by Tony Lewis, Jr
Annapolis has a new sports team calling the city home. After years spent wandering from one venue to another the Washington Bayhawks are eager to finally put down some roots.
The 9-year-old professional lacrosse franchise began as the Baltimore Bayhawks and played its first few seasons at Johns Hopkins University, M & T Bank Stadium, and Towson University.
The Bayhawks’ venue-hopping didn’t stop there. In 2007 the team moved to Washington, D.C. , where it played one season at Georgetown University, before moving on to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, last year.
Annapolis began to look attractive when the team played one of its home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last summer and attracted nearly 6,000 fans—the team’s best turnout for a game in three years.
There is no shortage of action at Major League games. Unlike high school or college lacrosse, there is a 45 shot clock and goals count double when scored in the last five minutes of play.
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The Bayhawks, part of the six-team Major League Lacrosse (MLL), are hoping for even bigger crowds this season, which runs from mid May through late August. “We had a limited time to promote (last year’s game in Annapolis),” says Bayhawks president and co-owner Jeff Harvey, whose team boasts a number of players who grew up in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. “We didn’t market it very broadly in Annapolis or Baltimore. We didn’t have a lot of time to do that. But going into this year our season tickets have doubled.”
Clearly the Bayhawks believe their travels have come to an end. The organization has signed on to play its home games in Annapolis for the next three years. Team officials, players, and coaches all rave about playing at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. They say it is a first-rate facility where the fans sit right on top of the action. “I think we have found our home,” Bay Hawks coach John Tucker says. “I think Annapolis can be a place we can play for a long time. It’s just a great place to be.”The team will get the chance to show off its new digs before a national TV audience on Aug. 1, at 7 p.m., when it plays a home contest against the Chicago Machine. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2.
Head Coach John Tucker leads to '09 Bayhawks squad.
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The Bayhawks also play home and road games against the Toronto Nationals, Denver Outlaws, Boston Cannons, and Long Island Lizards. The local team should be a strong contender for a league championship. The MLL will play its championship tournament Aug 22–23. “We are big promoters of the sport,” Tucker says. “We are just glad we are embraced by ESPN. We are trying to make this a national game.”
For Annapolitans new to the sport of professional lacrosse, rest assured that the Bayhawks guarantee a good time to anyone who attends. The games typically are high scoring and they feature a 45-second shot clock. That helps eliminate stalling and sets a rapid pace. As long as teams are within five goals they are never really out of contention, since goals scored in the final five minutes count double.
“The league is built around speed, action, and hitting, so there is a lot that should appeal to fans,” Harvey says. Tucker adds: “It’s the best lacrosse in the world. The best players in the world are part of our league.”
The Bayhawks have another strong connection to the Annapolis area. Seven players went to high school in either Annapolis or Anne Arundel County. Goalie Chris Garrity, a three-year veteran of the Bayhawks who previously played a three-year stint with Boston, is one these locals. He graduated from St. Mary’s and now lives in Eastport. “To be able to play in my hometown is a great feeling,” says Garrity, who played college lacrosse at Penn State. “When I was little there wasn’t too much professional lacrosse except for an indoor league.” Brothers Greg and Brian Vetter played lacrosse at Annapolis High, Pallotti graduate Justin Smith lives in Annapolis, and Kyle Dixon (Archbishop Spalding), Ronnie Staines (Severn), and Tommy Zichelli (Severna Park) also went to high school in the county.
“We have a number of players who played locally and we think it’s the best recipe for success,” Harvey says. “We think the community is going to embrace the team.” Spencer Ford, Kevin Huntley, Kevin Buchanan, and Shawn Nadelen rank as other top-caliber players to watch.
Since the league’s inception the Bayhawks have been one of the MLL’s standout franchises, winning four division titles and two league championships. The excitement of a new stadium and new home should give the team a huge boost. “It’s the highest level of the sport they are going to be able to see,” Harvey says. “Our league doesn’t have the rivalry of Johns Hopkins and Maryland, but this is the best of the best, so this is even a step up from the best college games.”
Tom Worgo is a freelance writer who frequently covers sports. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, Hockey Digest, and the Washington Post, among other periodicals.
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