Hornets and Ravens claim first SBL Winter Box League titles

Hornets and Ravens completed unbeaten Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League seasons with victories in the respective men’s and women’s finals to lift their first titles at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome on Sunday.

Hornets defeated Steelheads 8-4 in the men’s final to go four games without defeat in this year’s competition and showed their intent early in the game pulling three goals ahead in the first quarter.

They never looked back from there, allowing Steelheads very little in the way of goal-mouth action while being clinical in front of goal themselves.

Braces from Ming Trinh, Ollie Allsop, and Ryan Martin saw Hornets over the line to follow up their 2024 Northern Box Lacrosse League title with a first Winter Box League trophy.

In the women’s final, Ravens took on Jaguars after the latter had overcome reigning champions Blaze 6-4 in the play-in game earlier in the day.

A tight first three quarters that saw Ravens 7-5 up going into the final 15 minutes was followed by a more expansive attacking display from the competition’s form team.

A brace each from Torz Anderson and Anna Neville in that final quarter with just a one goal reply from Jaguars saw Ravens secure an 11-5 victory, a fifth successive win, and a first Winter Box League title.

Elsewhere, Capitals claimed third spot in the men’s competition after a tight bronze medal match ended in penalties leaving two-time Winter Box League champions Knights rock bottom in this year’s competition.

Watch all the action from SBL’s 2024/25 Winter Box League on the Lacrosse Live UK YouTube channel HERE.

Fore more information about Southern Box Lacrosse, click HERE.

Men’s Final | Hornets 8-4 Steelheads (3-0, 2-1, 1-1, 2-2)

Hornets scorers | Ming Trinh (3G, 1A), Ryan Martin (2G, 1A), Ollie Allsop (1G, 1A), Alfie Lee (1G), Ollie Lee (1G), Jacob Brindle (1A), Taylor Harrison (1A).

Steelheads scorers | Ben Buchanan (2G, 1A), Patrick Kearney (2G), Paul Milner (1A), Billy Rawlins (1A), Andy Thomas (1A).

Women’s Final | Ravens 11-5 Jaguars (2-2, 3-1, 2-2, 4-1)

Ravens scorers | Torz Anderson (4G), Georgie Greenwood (2G, 1A), Anna Neville (2G, 1A), Laura Beaman (1G), Katie Greenwood (1G), Claudia Lane (1G), Lucy Mayers (1A).

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (2G), Darcey Bance (1G), Rosie Bathurst (1G), Amy Bolton (1A), Annabelle Akintoye (OG, 1G).

Men’s 3rd Place | Knights 8-8 Capitals (3-3, 2-2, 2-2, 1-1. Capitals win 3-2 on penalties)

Knights scorers | Nathan Edwards (2G, 2A), Albert Whitehead (2G, 1A), Harry Edwards (1G), Kyle MacQueen (1G), Will Walker (2G).

Capitals scorers | Connor MacDougall (2G, 2A), Dave Groves (2G), Jack O’Mahoney (1G, 1A), Cam Major (1G, 1A), Robertson (1G), Ben Wilson (1G).

Women’s Play-in | Jaguars 6-4 Blaze (3-2, 3-2)

Jaguars scorers | Rosie Bathurst (2G), Alex Drewe (2G), Ellie Racle (1G), Zara Russell (1G).

Blaze scorers | Lucy Ford (2G), Izzy Keane (1G, 1A), Emma Savage (1G).

Final Placings

Men’s

1. Hornets

2. Steelheads

3. Capitals

4. Knights

Women’s

1. Ravens

2. Jaguars

3. Blaze

Top Points Scorers

1. Alex Drewe | 22 (19G, 3A)

2. Torz Anderson | 18 (15G, 3A)

3. Ollie Allsop | 15 (13G, 2A)

4. Ben Buchanan | 14 (11G, 3A)

5. Ming Trinh | 14 (11G, 3A)

6. Andy Thomas | 13 (9G, 4A)

7. Izzy Keane | 11 (8G, 3A)

8. Will Walker | 10 (7G, 3A)

9. Albert Whitehead | 10 (7G, 3A)

10. Claudia Lane | 8 (7G, 1A)

SBL's Winter Box League finals day to take place on Sunday

Hornets take on Steelheads in the 2024/25 Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League men’s tournament final on Sunday with both teams looking to lift the trophy for the first time.

Hornets have reached this year’s final winning all three of their round robin games, scoring the most goals (35) and conceding the fewest (19), while Steelheads go into the final day having won two and lost one of their three games, tasting defeat against Hornets 7-15 last week.

England’s Ollie Allsop and Ming Trinh who are in the Hornets team for this year sit in first and fourth place in the points-scoring table having netted 20 goals and assisted three between them this year.

In the women’s competition, Ravens topped the round robin table scoring 24 and conceding 14 as they won all four of their games but will be made to wait to find out their final opponents as Jaguars play reigning champions Blaze in the play-in game earlier in the day.

Two of the top four points scorers in the women’s competition sit in the Ravens team with Torz Anderson and Laura Beaman jointly scoring 16 goals and assisting three in the three game days so far.

Blaze will be desperate to follow up last year’s inaugural women’s Winter Box League title with another, but they’ve got it all to do having lost all four of their round robin games this season, including two games against Sunday’s play-in game opponents Jaguars.

The men’s third-place game will see two-time Winter Box League winners Knights play Capitals hoping to win their first game in the 2024/25 competition.

With just one win between them this season and a close two-goal game in Capitals favour last time out, the men’s third-place game is set to be another tight one as SBL’s 2024/25 Winter Box League comes to its conclusion.

So far at this year’s Winter Box League, almost 200 men’s and women’s players have played in seven teams, scoring 198 goals over three weekends at the dedicated box lacrosse facility at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome, making it the biggest Winter Box League to date.

Fore more information about Southern Box Lacrosse and their Winter Box League, click HERE.

Watch all four games on finals day at the Winter Box League on the Lacrosse Live UK YouTube channel HERE.

Game Day 4 Fixtures | Sunday 12 January

11:30am | Capitals v Knights | Men’s 3rd Place
1:30pm | Jaguars v Blaze | Women’s Play-in
2:15pm | Hornets v Steelheads | Men’s Final
4:15pm | Ravens v Play-in Winner | Women’s Final

Game Day 3 Results | Sunday 5 January

Steelheads 7-15 Hornets (1-7, 2-4, 1-2, 3-2) | Men’s
Knights 10-12 Capitals (1-3, 3-3, 2-4, 4-2) | Men’s
Jaguars 7-10 Ravens (2-1, 2-3, 0-4, 3-2) | Women’s Friendly

Game Day 2 Results | Sunday 15 December

Hornets 12-4 Capitals (5-0, 2-2, 1-1, 4-1) | Men’s
Steelheads 8-7 Knights (2-2, 3-3, 2-2, 1-0) | Men’s
Jaguars 4-4 Ravens (3-1, 1-3) Ravens won penalty shootout | Women’s
Blaze 1-8 Ravens (1-5, 0-3) | Women’s
Blaze 4-8 Jaguars (3-4, 1-4) | Women’s

Game Day 1 Results | Sunday 8 December

Knights 8-8 Hornets (2-1, 1-0, 3-5, 2-2) Hornets won penalty shootout | Men’s
Capitals 12-12 Steelheads (3-4, 2-4, 4-3, 3-1) Steelheads won penalty shootout | Men’s
Ravens 9-7 Blaze (4-3, 5-4) | Women’s
Blaze 6-8 Jaguars (4-3, 2-5) | Women’s
Jaguars 2-5 Ravens (1-2, 1-3) | Women’s

Hornets top table as SBL's Winter Box League week 3 disrupted by weather

Hornets proved they are deserving of their champions elect name tag with a 15-7 win over second-placed Steelheads to remain unbeaten on a weather disrupted week 3 in the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League on Sunday.

An incredible four quarters from England’s Ming Trinh that saw him hit six goals and two assists as well as an improbable hat-trick from goalie-turned-attacker Jacob Brindle helped Hornets to claim their third win in three games this season and keep them top of the table heading into finals day.

Steelheads, with two wins under their belt, remain in second spot and will take on Hornets again in next weekend’s men’s final.

Elsewhere in the men’s competition, Capitals heaped further misery on Knights with a close 12-10 victory that sees the two-time champions rock bottom of the 2024/25 table with one game to play this season.

A valiant performance from Knights was undone by the sheer attacking brilliance of Capitals frontmen Lyndon Bunio and Jamie Powell who scored eight goals between them to see their team finish third in the table.

Knights will have some optimism as they prepare for a rematch against Capitals in Sunday’s third-place game knowing that a couple of tweaks here and there could see them claim their first win of the season and a third-place finish.

In a weather affected women’s competition, a single full-length friendly game was played between Jaguars and Ravens with Blaze players split between the two teams.

Ravens came out 10-7 winners with goals from Laura Beaman, Claudia Lane, Issy Keane, Alys Johns, Torz Anderson, Emily Watkins, Natasha Gage, Alex Drewe, Ellie Racle, Rosie Bathurst, and Steph Grimes.

It was a game that had no bearing on the league table due to the friendly nature meaning Ravens will head straight into Sunday’s final where they await one of Jaguars or Blaze who have a play-in game early in the day.

All games will be live streamed on the Lacrosse Live UK YouTube channel HERE.

For more information about SBL’s Winter Box League, click HERE.

Ravens 10-7 Jaguars (1-2, 3-2, 4-0, 2-3)

Ravens scorers | Laura Beaman (2G), Claudia Lane (2G), Issy Keane (2G), Alys Johns (1G), Torz Anderson (1G), Emily Watkins (1G), Natasha Gage (1G).

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (4G), Ellie Racle (1G), Rosie Bathurst (1G), Steph Grimes (1G).

Steelheads 7-15 Hornets (1-7, 2-4, 1-2, 3-2)

Steelheads scorers | Andy Thomas (3G), Ian Murray (1G, 2A), Ben Buchanan (2G), Billy Rawlins (1G), Paul Milner (1A).

Hornets scorers | Ming Trinh (6G, 2A), Ollie Allsop (4G, 1A), Jacob Brindle (3G, 1A), Ryan Martin (2G), Ollie Lee (1A), Dave Groves (1A), Cai Jefferies (1A).

Knights 10-12 Capitals (1-3, 3-3, 2-4, 4-2)

Knights scorers | Ben Buchanan (2G), Will Walker (2G, 1A), Kyle MacQueen (2G), Oliver Dawson (1G, 1A), Tyler Rodberg (1G), Harry Edwards (1G), Benjamin Goodfellow (1G),.

Capitals scorers | Lyndon Bunio (5G, 1A), Jamie Powell (3G, 1A), Conor MacDougall (1G, 1A), Jacob Nichols Cook (1G, 1A), Joe Robertson (1A), Andy Thomas (1G), Dave Groves (1G), .

Game Day 4 | Sunday 12 January

11:30am | Capitals v Knights | Men’s 3rd Place
1:30pm | Jaguars v Blaze | Women’s Play-in
2:15pm | Hornets v Steelheads | Men’s Final
4:15pm | Ravens v Play-in Winner | Women’s Final

Hornets, Steelheads, and Ravens continue unbeaten runs in SBL's Winter Box League

Hornets, Steelheads, and Ravens continued their unbeaten starts in the respective Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) men’s and women’s Winter Box League competitions at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome on Sunday.

Hornets, who beat reigning men’s champions Knights on opening day, claimed a second victory on day 2 with a big 12-4 win over Capitals, with help from star man Ollie Allsop who scored six goals.

A five goal shut out in the first quarter and a 4-1 final quarter saw Capitals off despite competitive second and third quarters from last year’s bottom placed side.

Steelheads followed up their penalty shootout win over Capitals last week with another narrow win over Knights on day 2.

A tight game that saw both teams enter the final quarter neck and neck at 7-7 after 2-2, 3-3, and 2-2 first, second, and third quarters was eventually won in the final 15 minutes when Ben Buchanan scored with just over five minutes to go.

In the women’s competition, Ravens continued their march towards a first Winter Box League title with two wins to follow up their two wins on opening day.

A 2-1 penalty shootout win after a 4-4 draw in regular time against Jaguars was followed by a comprehensive 8-1 victory over reigning champions Blaze with Torz Anderson once again showing her new-found box lacrosse talents with four goals and two assists across the two games.

The third game in the women’s tournament saw Jaguars pick up an 8-4 win against Blaze to cement their grip on second place heading into the third set of fixtures in January.

Alex Drewe added four goals and an assist to the two goals she scored earlier in the day against Ravens to take her top of the points scoring charts with 14 so far this season (11 goals, three assists).

Following the day 2 games, Hornets sit top of the men’s table on goal difference with Steelheads on the same number of wins; Knights are in third with Capitals sitting bottom with an inferior goal difference.

In the women’s competition, Ravens are in first place with four wins from four games, Jaguars are in second with two wins and two defeats, and reigning champions Blaze are bottom having failed to win any of their four games so far.

For more information about SBL and the Winter Box League, click HERE.

To watch every second from the Winter Box League, head to Lacrosse Live UK’s YouTube channel HERE.

Hornets 12-4 Capitals (5-0, 2-2, 1-1, 4-1)

Hornets scorers | Ollie Allsop (6G), James McIlhagger (2G, 1A), Ryan Martin (1G, 2A), Ming Trinh (2G), Will Allsop (2A), Toby Deans (1G), Ben Collins (1A), Thomas Riley (1A).

Captials scorers | Dave Groves (2G), Jack O’Mahoney (2G).

Jaguars 4-4 Ravens (3-1, 1-3, 1-2. Ravens win 2-1 on penalties)

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (2G), Ellie Racle (1G, 1A), Esme Breach (2A), Amy Bolton (1G). Penalties | Alex Drewe x, Ellie Racle, 33 x

Ravens scorers | Torz Anderson (3G), Claudia Lane (1G), Natasha Gage (1A). Penalties | Laura Beaman, 31

Blaze 1-8 Ravens (1-5, 0-3)

Blaze scorers | Rachel Kewin (1G), Issy Keane (1A).

Ravens scorers | Torz Anderson (1G, 2A), Claudia Lane (3G), Laura Beaman (1G, 1A), Georgie Greenwood (1G), Katie Greenwood (1G).

Blaze 4-8 Jaguars (3-4, 1-4)

Blaze scorers | Fran Parshall (1G), Issy Keane (1G), Lizzie Bottrill (1G), Catherine Brightwell-Gibbons (1G).

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (4G, 1A), Darcey Bance (2G, 1A), Esme Breach (2A), Amy Bolton (1G), Ellie Racle (1G).

Steelheads 8-7 Knights (2-2, 3-3, 2-2, 1-0)

Steelheads scorers | Iain Murray (3G), Andy Thomas (2G, 1A), Ben Buchanan (1G, 2A), Dale Haxton (1G), Billy Rawlins (1G).

Knights scorers | Albert Whitehead (4G), Will Walker (1G, 2A), Tom Roche (1G, 1A), Kyle MacQueen (1G).

Game Day 3 | Sunday 5 January

11:30 | Jaguars v Blaze
12:15 | Ravens v Jaguars
13:00 | Blaze v Ravens
14:00 | Steelheads v Hornets
16:00 | Knights v Capitals

Winter Box League Top Scorers (after round 2)

1. Alex Drewe | Jaguars | 14 (11G, 3A)

2. Torz Anderson | Ravens | 12 (10G, 2A)

3. Ollie Allsop | Hornets | 8 (8G)

4. Ben Buchanan | Steelheads | 7 (5G, 2A)

5. Issy Keane | Blaze | 7 (5G, 2A)

6. Andy Thomas | Steelheads | 7 (4G, 3A)

7. Albert Whitehead | Knights | 7 (5G, 2A)

8. Cam Major | Capitals | 6 (6G)

9. Amy Bolton | Jaguars | 5 (5G)

10. Ben Collins | Hornets | 5 (3G, 2A)

11. Ryan Martin | Hornets | 5 (2G, 3A)

12. Will Walker | Knights | 5 (3G, 2A)

13. Darcey Bance | Jaguars | 4 (3G, 1A)

14. Laura Beaman | Ravens | 4 (3G, 1A)

15. Esme Breach | Jaguars | 4 (4A)

16. Nathan Edwards | Knights | 4 (2G, 2A)

17. Jack O'Mahoney | Capitals | 4 (4G)

18. Emma Savage | Blaze | 4 (2G, 2A)

19. Will Allsop | Hornets | 3 (1G, 2A)

20. Lucy Ford | Blaze | 3 (3G)

21. Thom Gilbrook | Steelheads | 3 (1G, 2A)

22. James McIlhagger | Hornets | 3 (2G, 1A)

23. Iain Murray | Steelheads | 3 (3G)

24. Jamie Powell | Capitals | 3 (2G, 1A)

25. Georgie Greenwood | Ravens | 3 (3G)

26. Katie Greenwood | Ravens | 3 (2G, 1A)

27. Ellie Racle | Jaguars | 3 (2G, 1A)

28. Billy Rawlins | Steelheads | 3 (3G)

29. Toby Deans | Hornets | 2 (2G)

30. Davina Emetulu | Blaze | 2 (2G)

31. Dave Groves | Capitals | 2 (2G)

32. Dale Haxton | Steelheads | 2 (1G, 1A)

33. Patrick Kearney | Steelheads | 2 (2G)

34. Minty Loxton | Blaze | 2 (1G, 1A)

35. Kyle MacQueen | Knights | 2 (2G)

36. Paul Milner | Steelheads | 2 (1G, 1A)

37. Anna Neville | Ravens | 2 (1G, 1A)

38. Frances Parshall | Blaze | 2 (2G)

39. Travis Payne | Capitals | 2 (1G, 1A)

40. Tom Roche | Knights | 2 (1G, 1A)

41. Ming Trinh | Hornets | 2 (2G)

42. Rosie Bathurst | Jaguars | 1 (1G)

43. Juliusz Bokiej | Knights | 1 (1G)

44. Alice Gallagher Boyden | Ravens | 1 (1G)

45. Harriet Brooks | Blaze | 1 (1A)

46. Natasha Gage | Ravens | 1 (1A)

47. Taylor Harrison | Hornets | 1 (1A)

48. Rachel Kewin | Blaze | 1 (1G)

49. Claudia Lane | Ravens | 4 (4G)

50. Lizzie Bottrill | Blaze | 1 (1G)

51. Catherine Brightwell-Gibbons | Blaze | 1 (1G)

52. Jane Lee | Jaguars | 1 (1A)

53. Andrew Leggett | Capitals | 1 (1G)

54. Sophie Morrill | Ravens | 1 (1G)

55. Thomas Riley | Hornets | 1 (1A)

56. Tyler Rodberg | Knights | 1 (1G)

57. Lucy Wright | Jaguars | 1 (1A)

Hornets score early season win over Knights at SBL's Winter Box League

Hornets got one over on reigning champions Knights on the opening day of the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League on Sunday after winning 2-0 on penalties following a tight but exciting 8-8 draw at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome.

Ollie Allsop and Ryan Martin converted penalties for Hornets either side of a Ben Collins miss while Knights failed to score either of their two penalties as Jacob Brindle in goal came up trumps against captain Tom Roche and Will Walker.

Early on, Knights took control of the game storming into a 3-1 lead heading into the second half but Hornets halted their progression in the third quarter, going in level at 6-6 with 15 minutes to go.

A close 2-2 fourth quarter saw the game finish 8-8 with penalties to decide who would take home the win.

And it was Hornets who showed their early title credentials by taking the victory on opening day.

In the second and final men’s game of the day, Steelheads defeated Capitals 2-1 in another penalty shoot-out after an enthralling 12-12 draw in regular time.

Ben Buchanan, who had missed an earlier penalty shot within the game, stepped up to score first for Steelheads before Jamie Powell levelled up for Capitals.

Paul Milner (Steelheads) and Cameron Major (Capitals) both missed before Thom Gillbrook put his Steelheads team 2-1 ahead. Connor MacDougall then missed Capitals final penalty to leave them bottom of the table after one round of fixtures.

In regular time, it was a game of two halves with Steelheads edging the first half, taking an 8-5 lead into the second period but Capitals rallied, helped in no small part by Major who bagged six goals, to take the second half 7-4 and see the game out at 12-12.

Over in the women’s competition, Ravens won two out of two as they blew away the competition on opening day with Torz Anderson, new to box lacrosse this year, scoring six goals.

A narrow 9-7 victory over reigning champions Blaze started the day with Anderson proving a good lacrosse player can play any format of the game as she hit four goals for her team.

An enviable attacking line of Emma Savage, Issy Keane, and Minty Loxton huffed and puffed for Blaze scoring five between them but it was Ravens who would come away with the points.

Ravens’ second game of the day saw them take on newcomers Jaguars who feature England’s star of the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships Alex Drewe.

But Jaguars never really got going in the game and, despite a brace from Drewe, were unable to pose a real threat to a determined Ravens side who came away with a 5-2 win.

The third game in the women’s competition saw Blaze play Jaguars with Drewe really taking it to the opposition in this one, scoring three goals and two assists.

A hat-trick from Amy Bolton also helped as Jaguars edged an 8-6 victory over Blaze who’ll be looking to be much improved heading into the second round of fixtures this Sunday.

For more information about SBL and the Winter Box League, click HERE.

To watch every second from the Winter Box League, head to Lacrosse Live UK’s YouTube channel HERE.

Game Day 1 | Sunday 8 December

Knights 8:8 Hornets (2:1, 1:0, 3:5, 2:2, Hornets win 2-0 on penalties)

Knights scorers | Nathan Edwards (2G, 2A), Albert Whitehead (1G, 2A), Will Walker (2G), Kyle MacQueen (1G), Juliusz Bokiej (1G), Tyler Rodberg (1G). Penalties | Tom Roche x, Will Walker x

Hornets scorers | Ben Collins (3G, 1A), Ollie Allsop (2G), Ryan Martin (1G, 1A), Will Allsop (1G), Toby Deans (1G), Taylor Harrison (1A). Penalties | Ollie Allsop, Ben Collins x, Ryan Martin

Capitals 12:12 Steelheads (3:4, 2:4, 4:3, 3:1, Steelheads win 2-1 on penalties)

Capitals scorers | Cam Major (6G), Jamie Powell (2G, 1A), Jack O'Mahoney (2G), Travis Payne (1G, 1A), Andrew Leggett (1G). Penalties | Jamie Powell, Cameron Major x, Connor MacDougall x

Steelheads scorers | Ben Buchanan (4G), Andy Thomas (2G, 2A), Thom Gilbrook (1G, 2A), Patrick Kearney (2G), Paul Milner (1G, 1A), Billy Rawlins (2G), Dale Haxton (1A). Penalties | Ben Buchanan, Paul Milner x, Thom Gilbrook

Ravens 9:7 Blaze (4:3, 5:4)

Ravens scorers | Torz Anderson (4G), Georgie Greenwood (2G), Anna Neville (1G, 1A), Alice Gallagher Boyden (1G), Sophie Morrill (1G), Katie Greenwood (1A).

Blaze scorers | Emma Savage (2G), Issy Keane (2G, 1A), Lucy Ford (1G), Minty Loxton (1G), Frances Parshall (1G), Harriet Brooks (1A).

Blaze 6:8 Jaguars (4:3, 2:5)

Blaze scorers | Davina Emetulu (2G), Lucy Ford (2G), Issy Keane (2G), Emma Savage (2A), Minty Loxton (1A).

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (3G, 2A), Amy Bolton (3G), Darcey Bance (1G), Rosie Bathurst (1G), Jane Lee (1A), Lucy Wright (1A).

Jaguars 2:5 Ravens (1:2, 1:3)

Jaguars scorers | Alex Drewe (2G), Lucy Wright (1A)

Ravens scorers | Torz Anderson (2G), Laura Beaman (2G), Katie Greenwood (1G), Lucy Mayers (1A)

Game Day 2 | Sunday 15 December

11:30 Hornets (H) v Capitals (A)

13:30 Jaguars (H) v Ravens (A)

14:15 Blaze (H) v Ravens (A)

15:00 Blaze (H) v Jaguars (A)

16:00 Steelheads (H) v Knights (A)

Winter Box League Top Scorers (after round 1)

1. Alex Drewe | Jaguars | 7 (5G, 2A)

2. Torz Anderson | Ravens | 6 (6G)

3. Cam Major | Capitals | 6 (6G)

4. Issy Keane | Blaze | 5 (4G, 1A)

5. Ben Buchanan | Steelheads | 4 (4G)

6. Ben Collins | Hornets | 4 (3G, 1A)

7. Nathan Edwards | Knights | 4 (2G, 2A)

8. Emma Savage | Blaze | 4 (2G, 2A)

9. Andy Thomas | Steelheads | 4 (2G, 2A)

10. Amy Bolton | Jaguars | 3 (3G)

11. Lucy Ford | Blaze | 3 (3G)

12. Thom Gilbrook | Steelheads | 3 (1G, 2A)

13. Jamie Powell | Capitals | 3 (2G, 1A)

14. Albert Whitehead | Knights | 3 (1G, 2A)

15. Ollie Allsop | Hornets | 2 (2G)

16. Laura Beaman | Ravens | 2 (2G)

17. Davina Emetulu | Blaze | 2 (2G)

18. Georgie Greenwood | Ravens | 2 (2G)

19. Katie Greenwood | Ravens | 2 (1G, 1A)

20. Patrick Kearney | Steelheads | 2 (2G)

21. Minty Loxton | Blaze | 2 (1G, 1A)

22. Ryan Martin | Hornets | 2 (1G, 1A)

23. Paul Milner | Steelheads | 2 (1G, 1A)

24. Anna Neville | Ravens | 2 (1G, 1A)

25. Jack O'Mahoney | Capitals | 2 (2G)

26. Travis Payne | Capitals | 2 (1G, 1A)

27. Billy Rawlins | Steelheads | 2 (2G)

28. Will Walker | Knights | 2 (2G)

29. Will Allsop | Hornets | 1 (1G)

30. Darcey Bance | Jaguars | 1 (1G)

31. Rosie Bathurst | Jaguars | 1 (1G)

32. Juliusz Bokiej | Knights | 1 (1G)

33. Alice Gallagher Boyden | Ravens | 1 (1G)

34. Harriet Brooks | Blaze | 1 (1A)

35. Toby Deans | Hornets | 1 (1G)

36. Taylor Harrison | Hornets | 1 (1A)

37. Dale Haxton | Steelheads | 1 (1A)

38. Jane Lee | Jaguars | 1 (1A)

39. Andrew Leggett | Capitals | 1 (1G)

40. Kyle MacQueen | Knights | 1 (1G)

41. Sophie Morrill | Ravens | 1 (1G)

42. Frances Parshall | Blaze | 1 (1G)

43. Tyler Rodberg | Knights | 1 (1G)

44. Lucy Wright | Jaguars | 1 (1A)

SBL's 2024/25 Winter Box League gets underway this weekend

Reigning men’s champions Knights take on Hornets in a repeat of last year’s final as Southern Box Lacrosse’s (SBL) 2024/25 Winter Box League gets underway on Sunday.

England’s Tom Roche continues his long-term association with Knights in a player-coach capacity for the first time as he teams up with old friend and joint-Head Coach Johnny Goodfellow looking to mastermind a third consecutive title.

Hornets, who finished bottom two years ago and second last year, are looking to go one step further and lift the trophy for the first time in 2024/25.

They’ve brought in ex-England player Cai Jefferies and current England Assistant Coach Jane Lee to the coaching team looking to get the best out of an incredible roster of players that includes four players who featured for England at this year’s 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

In the other match in the men’s competition, Capitals and Steelheads battle it out as they both look to start with a win in a bid to lift their first Winter Box League titles.

Capitals are led by one of this year’s strongest coaching teams featuring England Head Coach Rob Clark, England star-man and all-time top-goalscorer Lyndon Bunio, and England Strength & Conditioning Coach Lyndon Stewart.

Fresh from Utica, USA helping England finish fourth at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, Jamie Powell looks to be their focal point in the attack this year.

Led by two hugely experienced Irish internationals in Sean Gibson and Conor Dockery, Steelheads have a wealth of talent in their ranks for 2024/25 including England’s Ben Buchanan, Billy Rawlins, George Bascom, and Tom Bracegirdle.

Over in the bumper three-team women’s tournament, inaugural winners Blaze play Ravens before taking on newcomers Jaguars in their opening two games.

Coached by England Coach Rob Ingham Clark alongside Lyndon Stewart, the Blaze team features no less than six England internationals, including Davina Emetulu, Frances Parshall, Georgie Rutter, Helena Prettyman, Lauren Lewis, and Lucy Ford.

As is a theme throughout the women’s rosters this year, England field internationals Minty Loxton and Emma Savage have made the switch to box lacrosse for the first time.

Last year’s runners up, Ravens, led by Iain Murray and former England goalie Eliot Pugh, are looking for their first Winter Box League title and they’ve pulled out all the stops to reach that goal with England captain Annabelle Akintoye in their ranks as well as Laura Beaman and code-switchers Anna Neville and Torz Anderson.

In the third women’s game on opening day, Jaguars come up against Ravens as they hope to prove they can compete with the best in their debut season.

They’ll be coached by England’s Albert Whitehead and Millie Geddes and have an enviable roster that includes the break-out star of the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships Alex Drewe.

Drewe is joined by England teammates Ellie Racle, Esme Breach, Laura Wright, Lauren Hurley, Rosie Bathurst, Rosie Jones, Tara Dempsey, and Zara Russell.

The opening day of SBL’s Winter Box League takes place at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome with spectators welcome. For those fans wanting to watch at home, Lacrosse Live UK will be streaming every game live on their YouTube channel HERE.

Opening Day Fixtures (all Sunday 8 December)

11:30 | Knights (H) v Hornets (A)
13:30 | Capitals (H) v Steelheads (A)
15:30 | Ravens (H) v Blaze (A)
16:15 | Blaze (H) v Jaguars (A)
17:30 | Jaguars (H) v Ravens (A)

SBL announce 2024/25 Winter Box League coaches

Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) has announced the 12 coaches to take charge of their six teams at the 2024/25 Winter Box League.

Each team has been allocated two coaches with England men’s box captain Tom Roche, England women’s box Head Coach Rob Clark, and England women’s box coach Jane Lee amongst the appointments.

Knights (men’s) | Johnny Goodfellow & Tom Roche

Johnny Goodfellow and Tom Roche grew up playing lacrosse together for Mellor in the early 2000s. Since then, the two have been involved as captains and coaches in various forms at their respective current clubs Mellor and Spencer.

Goodfellow cut his coaching teeth supporting Knights at the Ales Hrebsky Memorial in 2023 and the North Development Team in the summer earlier this year.

Roche is fresh off the back of captaining the England men’s box team to a second successive fourth place finish at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships and becoming England’s highest capped player and returns to Knights in a coaching capacity looking to win a third Winter Box League title in a row.

Heaton Hornets (men’s) | Cai Jefferies & Jane Lee

Runners up in the men’s competition at last year’s Winter Box League and the reigning Northern Box League champions, Heaton Hornets are led by Cai Jefferies and Jane Lee.

As a player, Jefferies helped the England men’s box team to their first piece of major silverware at the 2022 European Championship in Hanover, Germany.

Lee takes charge of Hornets after a successful outing to Utica, New York where she helped coach the England women’s box team to a fifth place finish at the inaugural 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

Steelheads (men’s) | Sean Gibson & Conor Dockery

The Irish duo of Sean Gibson and Conor Dockery join Steelheads for the 2024/25 Winter Box League season as hugely experienced box players; Gibson is his country’s most capped international with over 100 caps while Dockery has represented Ireland in three major tournaments.

Dockery makes his coaching debut at SBL’s Winter Box League after establishing himself as one of the leading Sixes Lacrosse coaches after winning three The Fly titles in four years.

B-Oxford Blaze (women’s) | Rob Ingham Clark & Millie Geddes

The England men’s box team Assistant Offence Coach Rob Ingham Clark teams up with Millie Geddes from the England women’s box team programme for B-Oxford Blaze.

Ingham Clark and Geddes take up their coaching roles with B-Oxford Blaze after attending the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships with their respective England teams and have big shoes to fill after last year’s coach Don McGraw, who helped his team to the title, returned to the USA this year.

Ravens (women’s) | Iain Murray & Eliot Pugh

Scotland’s Iain Murray returns to Ravens hoping to go one better than last year and lift the SBL Winter Box League title.

A key player for Scotland at this year’s 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, Murray is joined by England’s most capped goalie Eliot Pugh who retired from international duty earlier this year.

Together Murray and Pugh bring over 10 years’ box playing and coaching experience to Ravens.

Jaguars (women’s) | Rob Clark & Lyndon Stewart

Jaguars join the women’s competition for the first time in 2024/25 and will be led by a formidable pairing that includes the England women’s box team’s Head Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Rob Clark has just led the England women’s box team to a fifth place finish at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, the highest finish by a European team, and brings with him many years’ experience of playing, coaching, and officiating box lacrosse.

Lyndon Stewart is also a stalwart of lacrosse and was watching the coaches closely at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships where he was the England women’s Strength & Conditioning Coach.

For more information about SBL’s 2024/25 Winter Box League, click HERE.

Super Sakurai fires Blaze to victory at 2023 Winter Box League

Miho Sakurai scored eight goals as she helped her Blaze team to a 16-9 victory over Ravens in the final game of the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) women’s Winter Box League.

The win saw Blaze overcome Ravens in the first ever women’s edition of the competition and win the four-game series 3-1.

Other notable performers in the women’s final match were Lauren Lewis, who chipped in with four goals for Blaze, and Izzy Keane (Ravens) who added four goals to the six she had already scored in the first three games.

In the men’s competition, Knights retained the trophy they first won last year after a narrow 7-6 win over high-flyers Hornets in the final.

Hornets were unbeaten in this year’s Winter Box League before the final match and had even beaten Knights 4-3 in the group stage on the opening day.

But reigning champions Knights proved too strong in the final despite scoring in just two of the four quarters, with Tom Bracegirdle and Rob Harris each hitting a brace.

Ollie Allsop, representing Hornets this year, is certainly one to watch in the future as he rounded off his Winter Box League debut with two goals to take his total for the season to 10.

Steelheads claimed third spot after seeing out a tense third place play-off match against Capitals, winning by a single goal and being helped along by the ever-dependable goal-scorer Louis Alhage who hit seven.

Ben Buchanan and Andy Thomas both scored hat-tricks in that one for Steelheads with Sam Perry and Jamie Powell doing the same for Capitals.

Watch all the action from the final day at SBL’s Winter Box League on Lacrosse Live UK’s YouTube channel HERE.

Day 3 results

3rd Place Play-Off | Steelheads 14-13 Capitals (4-2, 3-3, 4-3, 3-5)

Steelheads scorers | Alhage (7), Buchanan (3), Thomas (3), Murray
Capitals scorers | Perry (3), Powell (3), Farrer (2), Watson (2), Payne, Rawlins, Rodberg

Final | Hornets 6-7 Knights (0-0, 1-4, 3-3, 2-0)

Hornets scorers | Allsop (2), Collins, Jefferies, Marsh, Schildt
Knights scorers | Bracegirdle (2), Harris (2), Burke, Krommenhoek, Page-Laycock

Final | Blaze 16-9 Ravens (5-3, 4-4, 5-1, 2-1) Blaze win series 3-1

Blaze scorers | Sakurai (8), Lewis (4), Bottrill, Gage, Racle, Wright
Ravens scorers | Keane (4), Bathurst (2), Beaman (2), Lee

Final standings

Men’s

1. Knights

2. Hornets

3. Steelheads

4. Capitals

Women’s

1. Blaze

2. Ravens

Top points scorers (points include goals and assists)

1. Miho Sakurai (Blaze) 19

2. Louis Alhage (Steelheads) 16

3. Ollie Allsop (Hornets) 15

4. Harris (Knights) 14

5. Ben Page-Laycock (Knights) 13

6. Izzy Keane (Ravens) 11

7. Matt Marsh (Hornets) 10

8. Sam Perry (Capitals) 10

9. Jamie Powell (Capitals) 10

10. Lewis (Blaze) 10

11. Jane Lee (Ravens) 10

Unbeaten Hornets to play Knights in SBL's Winter Box League men's final

Hornets will take on reigning champions Knights in the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League men’s final on Sunday after both teams won their final group stage game to finish first and second respectively in the table.

Hornets made it three wins in three at this year’s competition with an impressive 10-4 victory over strugglers Capitals who end week three rock bottom of the table.

Knights picked up a second victory in a row after a convincing 11-5 win over Steelheads who finish in third spot.

Over in the women’s competition, Ravens ensured there is still something to play for on finals day as they claimed their first victory of this year’s series with an 8-4 win over Blaze.

Ravens now have the chance to level up the series at 2-2 when the teams meet for a fourth and final time in Oxford on Sunday.

Watch all the action from week three on Lacrosse Live Uk’s YouTube channel HERE.

Day 3 Results

Ravens 8-4 Blaze (1-1, 4-1, 1-2, 2-0)

Ravens scorers | Keane (4), Bolton (2), Lee, Reynard
Blaze scorers | Sakurai (2), Bottrill, Ford

Knights 11-5 Steelheads (3-2, 5-0, 0-1, 3-2)

Knights scorers | Page-Laycock (4), Harris (3), Burke (2), Edwards, unknown
Steelheads scorers | Alhage (3), Bruce, Thomas

Capitals 4-10 Hornets (1-3, 2-2, 1-2, 0-3)

Capitals scorers | Milner, Payne, Rodberg, Watson
Hornets scorers | Allsop (4), Roper (3), Marsh (2), Harrison

Finals Day Fixtures

12:30 | Steelheads v Capitals (3rd Place Play-Off)
14:30 | Hornets v Knights (Final)
16:30 | Blaze v Ravens (Final)

2023 Winter Box League Final Table

# Team Pl. W. D. L. F. A. GD. Pts.

1. Heaton Hornets 3 3 0 0 30 11 +19 9

2. London Knights 3 2 0 1 29 15 +14 6

3. Steelheads 3 1 0 2 23 33 -10 3

4. SBL Capitals 3 0 0 3 16 39 -23 0

SBL's Winter Box League returns this weekend

The Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League returns on Sunday with three fixtures across the men’s and women’s competitions.

Ravens take on Blaze in the women’s tournament in the opening game of the day as they look to get off the mark against their opponents who have defeated them twice in the first two games of the season.

Over in the men’s tournament, third placed Steelheads take on Knights who sit in second while rock bottom Capitals are in search of their first points of the season against top of the league and undefeated Hornets in the late game.

Taking place once again at the Oxford Academy School, Oxford, the Winter Box League enters its penultimate weekend after two incredible weekends showcasing some of the very best of box lacrosse talent from around the UK and the rest of the world.

102 goals have been scored by 40 players across the six fixtures in both competitions so far and with one regular set of fixtures remaining before the huge finals day on 14 January, we’re surely in for more over the next two weekends.

All the action from the opening two weekends as well as a live stream of Sunday’s matches can be viewed on Lacrosse Live UK’s YouTube channel HERE.

For more information about the Winter Box League, Southern Box Lacrosse, and how you can get involved in box lacrosse in the south of England, click HERE.

Blaze storm into 2-0 series lead in first women's SBL Winter Box League

Blaze took a commanding 2-0 series lead in the first ever women’s SBL Winter Box League as they overcame Ravens for the second time in a week on Sunday.

Lauren Lewis was the star of the show as her Blaze side won 9-7, scoring a hat-trick of goals, while Lucy Ford and Miho Sakurai both hit a brace, taking them to four goals for the season.

Despite a quick start, a late flurry of goals, and an attacker in red-hot form in Jane Lee, SBL Ravens fell just short once again and they’ll be looking to re-group ahead of the third game of the series on 7 January.

The game started in frenetic fashion with both sides having several shots in the opening exchanges but with three minutes gone in the tie, Lee scored her first of the game to put Ravens a goal to the good as she rifled one into the bottom left-hand corner from 15 yards out after the Blaze defence failed to close her down.

That was to be the only goal of a very entertaining first quarter in which both sides huffed and puffed but were unable to get anything else past the two goalies (Alice Loughran, Blaze, and Lucy Mayers, Ravens) who were in excellent form.

Blaze came out in the second quarter with huge intent and dominated the first few minutes, hitting shot after shot at Mayers.

But it was Ravens who snatched a goal and doubled their lead after Sofia Best’s shot bounced off the head of a Blaze defender’s stick and looped over Loughran who had moved towards the original trajectory of the ball.

Blaze stuck to their game-plan, however, and found themselves back in the game within five seconds of the restart after Lizzie Bottrill won the face-off and fed the ball into Sakurai who finished with poise.

And Blaze were level at 2-2 just a minute later when left-hander Natasha Gage picked up the ball on the far side of the pitch, cut inside, and placed her shot into the top left-hand corner.

The momentum shift didn’t worry Ravens who remained calm and regained the lead with just over six minutes left of the half when Isabel Keane cut inside from the right-hand side and fired past Loughran just as the shot-clock ran out.

If the first two quarters had been evenly-matched, the third was a fairly one-sided affair that saw Blaze execute their game-plan perfectly.

It took them 15 seconds to get themselves on level terms once again as Lewis ran onto a pass and scored to make it 3-3.

Blaze just couldn’t shake off the opposition and Ravens were back in front moments later through an incredible individual effort from defender Katya Smith who picked up the ball in the Ravens’ defensive third, shrugged off a couple of Blaze defenders, drove forward, and scored from close range.

From this moment in the third quarter, something changed in the Blaze mentality seeing them pick up the pace of the game and they were level for the fourth time in the match through Lewis’s second goal; an absolute lightning bolt hit low and hard into the bottom right-hand corner of the Ravens’ goal.

And Blaze took the lead for the first time three minutes later when Ford won a ground ball on the near-side, drove towards goal, and scored through Mayers’ legs.

Blaze completed a blistering quarter with a hat-trick goal from Lewis 30-seconds from quarter-time; they played quick through the transition, playing the ball to Lewis over on the far-side who dodged past a defender and wrong-footed the goalie to give her side a two-goal lead.

B-Oxford Blaze continued their scoring run in the fourth and final quarter as they hit three to put the game beyond Ravens.

First, Ford scored her second of the match after being fed in from behind the goal, dodging past a Ravens’ defender, and firing in from the edge of the crease.

Then, Bottrill grabbed her second straight from the restart after she won the face-off, ran towards goal and scored taking the score to 8-4.

Finally, after Lee completed her hat-trick, scoring Ravens’ fifth and sixth goals, and Laura Beaman made it into a one-goal game with a cool finish, Sakurai, who started the scoring for Blaze, scored her team’s ninth goal.

She was played in by Lewis and ripped a shot from a slight angle that flew past Mayers and sealed the win for Blaze.

The result means Blaze are now 2-0 up in the series with two games still to play.

In the other games on day 2 of the SBL Winter Box League, London Knights bounced back from their opening day defeat to Heaton Hornets by beating SBL Capitals 15-6 in the men’s competition.

Rob Harris scored an incredible six goals while England’s Ben Page-Laycock scored four to take Knights up to second in the table and leave Capitals languishing in last place.

But Heaton Hornets continued their impressive start to the 2023/24 campaign by seeing off Steelheads 16-4 to top the table going into Christmas.

Ollie Allsop, Matt Marsh, and Tom Roper all hit four goals to help their side to two wins out of two.

Watch all of the day 2 action by heading to Lacrosse Live UK’s YouTube channel HERE.

Day 2 Results

London Knights 15-6 SBL Capitals (2-0, 7-2, 3-2, 3-2)

London Knights scorers | Harris (6), Page-Laycock (4), Krommenhoek (2), Walker (2), Bracegirdle
SBL Capitals scorers | Powell (4), Perry (2)

B-Oxford Blaze 9-7 SBL Ravens (0-1, 2-2, 4-1, 3-3)

B-Oxford Blaze scorers | Lewis (3), Ford (2), Sakurai (2), Bottrill, Gage
SBL Ravens scorers | Lee (3), Beaman, Best, Keane, Smith

Heaton Hornets 16-4 Steelheads (5-1, 3-3, ?-0, ?-0)

Heaton Hornets scorers | Allsop (4), Marsh (4), Roper (4), Collins (2), Harrison, Jefferies
Steelheads scorers | Leonard (2), Di Siena, Groves

Day 3 Fixtures

12:30 | SBL Ravens v B-Oxford Blaze
14:30 | Steelheads v London Knights
16:30 | SBL Capitals v Heaton Hornets

2023 Winter Box League Men’s Table So Far…

# Team Pl. W. D. L. F. A. GD. Pts.

1. Heaton Hornets. 2 2 0 0 20 7 +13 6

2. London Knights 2 1 0 1 18 10 +8 3

3. Steelheads 2 1 0 1 18 22 -4. 3

4. SBL Capitals 2 0 0 2 12 29 -17 0

Hornets shock reigning champions Knights in opening game of SBL's 2023 Winter Box League

Hornets caused a major upset on the opening day of the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) 2023 Winter Box League as they overcame last year’s unbeaten champions, Knights, 4-3.

After a ferocious and fast-paced opening five minutes, Taylor Harrison put his Hornets side a goal up in unusual fashion after play was stopped following a foul.

Knights’ goalie, Eliot Pugh, had his back to goal thinking the ball was still dead but the referee’s whistle blew and Harrison saw his chance to fire into an open net from 15 yards out, much to Pugh’s annoyance.

With five minutes left of the first quarter, the ever-dependable, Matt Marsh, showed his international pedigree and doubled Hornets’ lead as he nonchalantly hit home from range after Knights’ defenders failed to close him down quickly enough.

Knights came out in the second quarter seemingly determined to get back in the game but with Hornets’ goalie, Jacob Brindle, playing exceptionally well, an opening goal wasn’t forthcoming.

That was until the final six seconds when Will Walker found himself out wide and played a sumptuous ball to Rob Harris who’d made a diagonal run in front of goal; Pugh was wrong-footed and Harris hammered home to make it 2-1 going into half-time.

Taking that momentum into the third quarter, Knights found themselves level at 2-2 with just over a minute gone when Danny Hilton picked up the ball in a wide area, drove towards goal, and ripped a shot at Brindle who initially thought he’d stopped the shot only to see the ball dribble under his legs and into the back of the net.

Hornets were able to regroup, stemming the Knights’ attack, and found themselves back in front through Marsh once again, scoring a very similar goal to his goal in the first quarter; an unstoppable shot from a wide angle, placed perfectly into the corner of the net.

And any Hornets’ tensions dissipated two minutes into the final quarter when England’s Ming Trinh extended his side’s lead to two goals after a feed from Brindle saw him open in front of the Knight’s goal, one on one with Pugh; Trinh finished with ease, hitting the top right corner.

Knights set up a grand-slam finish with seven minutes left of the game, however, as Walker scored a goal straight out of the top drawer.

Picking up a ground ball on the far side of the pitch at an angle almost level with the Hornets’ goal, Walker ripped an implausible shot that snuck in at the near post.

Knights spent that final few minutes huffing and puffing but Hornets stood firm for their first win of the 2023 season.

In the other game in the men’s competition, Steelheads defeated last year’s finalists, Capitals, 14-6 to record their first win of the season on opening day.

Despite a really close first two quarters, Steelheads’ quality shone through in the second half, scoring six without reply.

Ben Buchanan and Elliot Leonard both scored hat-tricks while Louis Alhage and Corrie Bruce grabbed a brace each to help Steelheads take the win.

And in the first ever women’s competition at the Winter Box League, Blaze came out on top in a close contest with Ravens.

England field goalie Katie Greenwood, playing as an attacker in the Winter Box League, Miho Sakurai, Laura Wright, and Lucy Ford all scored two for Blaze in that one.

All three games can be re-watched in full on the Lacrosse Live UK YouTube channel HERE and head to the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) website HERE for more information about the Winter Box League.

Day 1 Results

Steelheads 14-6 Capitals (4-3, 4-3, 4-0, 2-0)

Steelheads scorers | Buchanan (3), Leonard (3), Alhage (2), Bruce (2), Di Seina (2), Bascom, Groves
Capitals scorers | Perry (3), Watson (2), Milner

Hornets 4-3 Knights (2-0, 0-1, 1-1, 1-1)

Hornets scorers | Marsh (2), Harrison, Trinh
Knights scorers | Harris, Hilton, Walker

Ravens 7-11 Blaze (3-1, 0-3, 3-3, 1-4)

Ravens scorers | Best (3), Lee (2), Blakeley-Crewe, Keane
Blaze scorers | Ford (2), Greenwood (2), Sakurai (2), Wright (2), Breach, Lane, Stephens

Day 2 Fixtures

12:30 | Knights v Capitals
14:30 | Blaze v Ravens
16:30 | Hornets v Steelheads

2023 SBL Winter Box League squads announced

The full squads for the 2023 Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League have been released following the player draft last week.

The first set of players were revealed two weeks ago when SBL announced the protected players returning to each team after last year’s event.

England internationals Eliot Pugh, Eliot Leonard, Jamie Powell, and Will Allsop are among the players to have been picked ahead of this year’s competition.

The 2023 SBL Winter Box League will take place over four competition days at the Oxford Academy School and will feature four men’s teams and, for the first time, two women’s teams playing in a separate competition.

This follows the announcement of the first ever England women’s box lacrosse training squad earlier this month; those players will eventually be whittled down to a competition squad to play at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Lacrosse Championships in Utica, USA.

For more details about the 2023 SBL Winter Box League, click HERE and check out the squads below.

Knights

GK

Eliot Pugh (p)
James Tipple

Def

Albert Whitehead (p)
Callum Counihan
Hamzah Khalid
Joshua Rowland
Owen Edwards
Patrick Kearney
Rob Harris
Ryan Power
Seb Grant
Tom Bracegirdle 
Tom Roche (p)

Att

Ben Page-Laycock (p)
Daniel Aspin
Jack Nichols
Jude Krommenhoek (p)
Nathan Edwards
Will Walker (p)
Danny Hilton
Silas Burke (p)

Head Coach

Tom Roche

Steelheads

GK

Ben Stowe (p)

Def

Ben Stothard
George Bascom (p)
Iain Murray (p)
Jacob Lynch 
Jacob Nichols Cook 
James Small 
Jan-Oscar Huges
Juliusz Bokiej (p)
Kieran Garvey
Michael Byrne
Pete Smith
Peter Shepherd (p)

Att

Corrie Bruce
Dave Groves (p)
Elliot Leonard
Louis Alhage (p)
Andy Thomas
Ben Buchanan
Bence Cserkuti
Michael Boland
Sebastian Di Siena 

Head Coach

Rob Ingham Clark

Capitals

GK

Charlie Albuery (p)

Def

Alan Keeley (p)
Alex Taiano
Ben Young
Billy Rawlins
Dale Haxton
Kristien Warren
Matthew Morgan
Matthew Tatton
Reece Piper (p)
Will Allsop (p)

Att

Jamie Powell (p)
Jonny Howard
Paul Milner
Russell Farrer
Travis Payne
Tyler Rodberg
Ben Harvey
Dan Watson
Harry Morton-Smith (p)
Sam Perry (p)

Head Coach

Sam Perry

Hornets

GK

Jacob Brindle

Def

Alex Tyldesley-Worster
Archie Carr
Asyck Schildt
George Dury
Joe Hodgkins
Kyle MacQueen (p)
Ming Trinh (p)
Oliver Rogerson 
Taylor Harrison (p)
Toby Deans
Tom Hallam (p)
Valts Grinbergs

Att

Ben Collins
James McIlhagger
Matt Marsh
Tom Perera
Tom Roper (p)
Cai Jefferies (p)
Max Biddlestone 
Ollie Allsop (p)

Head Coach

Cai Jefferies

Ravens

GK Pool

Alice Loughran
Eleanor MacPhee
Lucy Kate Mayers

Def

Alys Johns 
Amelia Geddes
Annabelle Akintoye
Emily Ann Byrne
Emily Todd
Francesca Parshall
Gabby Wroe
Kate Russell
Katya Smith
Lexi Reynard
Meredith Ingham Clark
Phoebe Blakeley-Crewe

Att

Amy Bolton 
Hannah Foxcroft
Helena Prettyman
Jane Lee
Laura Beaman
Sofia Best 
Steph Grimes
Isabel Keane
Rosie Bathurst

Head Coach

Iain Murray

Blaze

GK Pool

Alice Loughran
Eleanor MacPhee
Lucy Kate Mayers

Def

Davina Emetulu
Erin Tufnell
Evie Stephens 
Hannah Gillings
Hannah Warren
Heather Cegla
Laura Wright
Lauren Hurley
Lizzie Bottrill
Sarah Hontz
Zara Russell

Att

Claudia Lane
Ellie Racle
Emily Chong
Esme Breach
Georgina Rutter
Katie Greenwood
Lauren Lewis
Lucy Ford
Miho Sakurai
Natasha Gage

Head Coach

Don McGraw

(p) denotes protected player from 2022 squad

Player draft opens for 2023 Winter Box League

Southern Box Lacrosse has opened the player draft ahead of the 2023 Winter Box League taking place across four competition days in December and January.

Prospective men’s and women’s players have until 9pm on Sunday 12 November to register for the draft by completing the registration form and paying the £90 entry fee on the Southern Box Lacrosse website; the entry fee covers the match fees for the four-game season.

The minimum age for the men’s competition is 18 while the minimum age for the women’s tournament is 16 and all players must hold a valid England Lacrosse membership and not be serving any domestic competition suspension over the period of the Winter Box League season.

Once the registration period closes, the draft will take place during the week commencing Monday 13 November where players will be distributed between the four men’s and two women’s teams.

Reigning champions, London Knights, led by England men’s box lacrosse team captain, Tom Roche, will be looking to continue where they left off at the end of the 2022 Winter Box League season but they face stiff competition from last year’s runners-up, Steelheads, as well as Heaton Hornets and brand new team for 2023, SBL Capitals who replace Thundercats in the four-team format.

For the first time, the SBL Winter Box League is hosting a women’s competition featuring two teams, SBL Ravens and B-Oxford, offering the chance for more women than ever to get involved in box lacrosse ahead of next year’s 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

SBL Winter Box League Draft | How does it work?

• Team coaches may draft up to 25 players per team.

• Team coaches may protect up to seven players from their team squad from last season.

• A player may decline protection and enter the draft as a free agent.

• A team coach or team manager who was a player for a different team last season may be one of the seven protected players for the team they are coaching or managing this season.

• In the men’s competition, SBL Capitals replace Thundercats in the draft order and can protect Thundercats players from last season.

• The men’s competition draft will use a sequential draft with the pick order as per last year’s results (Hornets 1st, 5th, 9th picks. Capitals 2nd, 6th, etc. Steelheads the 3rd, 7th, etc. Knights the 4th, 8th, etc.).

• The women’s competition draft will follow an alternate pick with a coin toss deciding which team has the first pick.

• Players not drafted will receive a full entry fee refund.

• The maximum size of a game day squad is 18 runners and up to two goalies.

• Drafted players who are available for a game but not selected in a game day squad will receive a pro-rata refund of £22.50 for that game.

• Drafted players who are not available for a game do not receive a pro-rata refund.

• Drafted players who withdraw from the league do not receive a refund.

• Refunds will be paid after the conclusion of the season (w/c 15th January).

• The SBL exec reserves the right to consider exceptional circumstances to the above rules.

The 2023 Winter Box League takes places at Oxford Academy School, Oxford, on 10 December, 17 December, 7 January, and 14 January with games commencing at 12:30pm, 2:30pm, and 4:30pm.