Grand Canyon University adding men's lax

[buffalowill]

From westsidelax.com:
http://www.westsidelax.com/index.php?id ... 39,0,0,1,0

Can anyone comment on Grand Canyon from an athletics or academic perspective?

[jzzl15]

i grew up in the phoenix area and had some friends from church go to gcu. in the past it has been regarded as a strong christian based school, but over the past five years or so it seems to have become somewhat secular. from what i have last heard the majority of their teams compete in the NAIA, which is a solid league. if they held up a decision to only recruit christian athletes, it may be difficult to be competitive at the division II level in my opinion. however, if i would have known last year (my senior year of hs) that gcu was getting a lacrosse team, i may have rethought my decision of schools and stayed local because i love the phoenix area. all in all, gcu is a great school and i'm extremely happy they're getting a team. that's freakin sweet

[Phantanimal]

bump...
A few questions that someone may be able to anwer...Any word on how many kids are going to play for GCU this season? Has this had any effect on other AZ, CA teams "recruiting"?

They're going to be the first AZ team in the WCLL B South, right?

http://athletics.gcu.edu/sports/mens/lacrosse/index.htm

[Sonny]

Marshall hired as first coach at Grand Canyon University
March 06, 2007
from press release

Phoenix, AZ ­ Adam Marshall, head coach of Desert Mountain Lacrosse Club, has been named the first head coach of Grand Canyon University's (GCU) lacrosse program set to start competition in the spring of 2008. Marshall will begin the recruitment process immediately to enroll prospects for the fall semester of 2007.

The program will start as a club team as Marshall and GCU¹s Athletic Director, Keith Baker, work to build up a roster competitive enough for NCAA play, aiming for that to happen in the 2009 season.

"We are very optimistic and excited about GCU¹s future lacrosse team," said Head Coach Adam Marshall. "We have great players in Arizona who don't get the opportunity to be seen by recruiters because this state hasn't been seen as a lacrosse powerhouse. This program will help to change that.

Players for GCU's lacrosse club team will compete in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL), a conference within the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). Once the team is ready for NCAA Division II competition, they will leave the MCLA to complete with other Division II schools. "Players I've talked to are really excited," said Marshall. GCU is a great school and a new lacrosse program, the only one like it in the state, will give players the chance to compete at the NCAA Division II level. Within a year we would like to be hosting camps and tournaments and getting Arizona excited about lacrosse."

Marshall, currently in his third season as head coach for the Desert Lacrosse Club, played collegiate lacrosse for Radford University in Virginia.

For more information on the Lacrosse team, please contact the head coach, Adam Marshall at amarshall@gcu.edu.

[buffalowill]

Phantanimal,
GCU will probably fight for the same recruits that NDNU and Whittier are going for. For the most part I do not think it will affect a majority of the WCLL schools in California. The type of athlete that chooses to go the Cal, SDSU or USC is different than the one that wishes to play NCAA lacrosse. That being said it could affect the Arizona schools sooner. It may also affect the smaller schools in the WCLL that recruit heavily (ex. Chapman w/ Donnelly)

[CATLAX MAN]

It may also affect the smaller schools in the WCLL that recruit heavily (ex. Chapman w/ Donnelly)

Donnelly is no longer at Chapman.

[buffalowill]

i know...i posted his replacement on the boards, I was just making an example of a program excelling because of heavy recruiting.
BTW I give Donnelly so much credit for what he did. I just hope the Chapman administration does not destroy the groundwork he created. I have already heard of a few recruits changing schools because of his firing.