PORTLAND, Maine -- The Maine Northmen defeated the Cambridge Nor'Easters in two straight games at Cross Insurance Arena over the weekend to secure their place in the Interstate Box Lacrosse Association national tournament.
The Northmen entered the final day of playoffs down by a game and needed to win the first playoff game in order to force a 20-minute mini-game that would decide the victor of the playoff series.
Using a combination of extremely physical play on the boards and succinct ball movement in its half-field sets, Maine was able to handle the athleticism and guile of the Nor'Easters in both tilts.
There are 17 different regions in the IBLA across the country. The league aims to emulate the senior system that is the bedrock of box lacrosse in Canada. There are anywhere from two to four teams per region in the IBLA, and right now in New England, there are three squads -- the Nor’Easters, the Northmen and the Auburn Aviators.
