July 2, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Hot time in the 'Olde' league

by Bill Keefe/

Members of the South Coast Silver Sachems huddle up prior to their inaugural game in the Olde New England Lacrosse League on June 19 in Bridgewater, Mass.

Members of the South Coast Silver Sachems huddle up prior to their inaugural game in the Olde New England Lacrosse League on June 19 in Bridgewater, Mass.

Whenever you see the word “olde,” it implies something distinctive, worthy of the extra ‘e,’ which is true of the Olde New England Lacrosse League.

ONELL is anything but old; this summer marks the fifth year of league play. Well, the players are — ahem — older. The league runs two men’s divisions, over-30 and over-40, and who knows, if these guys keep going there may be an over-50 division someday. A women’s division is in the works, aiming to begin play next summer.

Sure, there are some guys who fit the stereotypical picture of an over-40 weekend warrior trying to reclaim his youth. But there are many former college players, even some former pros, who play in the league, and the level of competition is pretty strong. You might be surprised to see the guy lighting it up out there when the helmet comes off and the hair is gray.

Boston Cannons coach Bill Daye, former Boston Blazer Jack Piatelli, Dave Desko, a national champion and All-American at Syracuse, former Cannon Jed Cronin and former Boston College football player Markell Blount are some of the notable athletes who have played in the league.

But some better men’s hockey and basketball leagues in the area also could include some pretty good players among its members. Some of the things that really set ONELL apart are its word-of-mouth (and word-of-Internet) weed-like growth, its desire to be family-friendly and its commitment to community service.

Now 51, Nashua, N.H., resident Scott McKenzie, who played lacrosse at Boston College, got the lacrosse bug again six years ago when his son registered for a parks and recreation youth lacrosse camp and he wound up as one of the counselors.

He started a team, the Rusty Bones, which competed in a Nashua rec league. The next year, Manchester, N.H., resident Brad Nichols, who had never played the game, called about joining the team, but the roster was full. McKenzie encouraged Nichols to start his own team, and the Manchester Elder Tribesmen were born.

When McKenzie was renewing his Cannons season tickets, somebody with the MLL team put him in touch with Zack Lehman, founder of the Boston-based nonprofit Metro Lacrosse, and that was the genesis of the Stale Donuts team. Lehman knew someone who could put a team together in Sudbury, Mass. Word spread to Portsmouth, N.H., and Billerica, Mass., and the first season started with six teams. This year there are 24 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts with plans to extend into Rhode Island.

In the past two years, e-mail inquiries have come from California, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey from people who have seen the website (www.onell.org) and are interested in modeling a league after ONELL.

Part of it comes from the logos, color schemes and names of the teams — among them the Bald Eagles, Billerica Fakawee, Seacoast Ancient Mariners, Winchester Silver Foxes and Atlantic Sportswear Remnants — but also the league’s philosophy.

Smoking and alcohol are not allowed. Neither is profanity. Fighting and body contact after taking more than two steps are forbidden and can lead to expulsion from the league. (McKenzie notes there has only been one fight in four years.) “All players expect that the level of competition will be relative to their age, meaning family, health and work are their first priorities and winning a lacrosse game will not be the be-all and end-all,” the league philosophy states.

Lakeville, Mass., resident Larry Simpson, 47, a lacrosse alum of West Virginia’s Bethany College, played in the league last year. This season he started the South Coast Silver Sachems, who are playing out of Bridgewater-Raynham High School. They have about a dozen kids, called the Junior Sachems, who run the end lines and shag balls.

“We’re trying to make it less of a dad’s night out and more of a family night out,” Simpson said. “It’s easier to get the hall pass.”

Some of the Silver Sachems, like other teams, are youth lacrosse coaches and directors. All have a tie to the game somewhere and are committed to giving back. The Silver Sachems plan on presenting a scholarship to a graduating boy and girl lacrosse player from Bridgewater-Raynham. Nichols’ Elder Tribesmen team turns over its leftover funds to the New Hampshire youth lacrosse association.

When McKenzie started the Rusty Bones, the motivation was to play lacrosse again. “We didn’t plan it that way,” he said of the community service, “it just kind of evolved.”

The Bones have been sponsoring Nashua children in youth lacrosse, buying new top-of-the-line equipment and covering registration fees. They started a food drive on the Friday before Thanksgiving and the first year McKenzie expected some canned goods and odds and ends to fill a few bags. The team filled the back of an SUV with about a dozen turkeys and everything else you could think of.

After Hurricane Katrina, McKenzie had an idea of doing a benefit lacrosse game. When he contacted the Cannons, they enthusiastically responded by getting brothers Casey and Mikey Powell, Mike Battista, and Daye to play. The facility, now called the New Hampshire Sportsplex, donated the field time. Commonwealth Lacrosse and Brine came up with top-notch uniforms. Players paid $250 to play, and they raised more than $10,000.

The next year, they did another benefit game with the proceeds going to both the family of a slain Manchester police officer and breast cancer research. The Bones also pitched in to help out around the house of a teammate who was serving in Iraq.

“I’d be willing to bet, if I sent out an e-mail around the league if a situation came up, I’d get 30, 40, 60 guys saying ‘What do you need? What can I do?’ ” McKenzie said.

“Lacrosse is the thread that binds us together. They’re guys with big hearts and powerful spirits. We’ve got guys from all walks of life, all types of backgrounds and professions. It’s just been very refreshing to be associated with such a wonderful group of men.”

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