The LA Men’s Box National Championships is not for the faint-hearted, and 2024’s tournament was no exception. The Victorian Men secured their place in the final after a fantastic run defeating WA by 18-11 in the first game of the tournament, followed by a 26-6 win over Queensland on day 2, a 16-13 win over South Australia on day 3 and a 22-3 win over NSW on day 4.
The scene was set for an exciting final in which our Victorian Men would meet WA once again.
A thrilling and hard-fought game concluded in a 14-14 tie after an interesting few minutes of play in the last quarter that involved major and minor fouls and the waving off of two late goals.
On to sudden death…
But it wasn’t meant to be.
In a heart-wrenching moment for our Victorian Men, Lucas Wood of WA found the back of the net and just like that WA had secured the LA Men’s Box National Championship for the second time.
MCC representatives, Marty Hyde. Steve Stojkos and Tyler Reynolds (left), and Dan Mentiplay (right)
in the 2024 Men's Box National Championships
We caught up with a couple of our MCC representatives, Victorian goalie Steve Stojkos and veteran Box Lacrosse player, Dan Mentiplay, who has represented Victoria for the past 15 years and played for NSW during this tournament, to ask them about their experiences playing Box Lacrosse in the National Championships.
Steve Stojkos and Dan Mentiplay victorious after the Vic Box Lacrosse Championships Final
How does box lacrosse differ from field lacrosse in the way you prepare and play?
Steve: As a goalie, it couldn’t be more different, and it’s been an interesting challenge trying to break my field habits. In field lacrosse, the goal is bigger, and I wear as little protection as possible, which allows me to move out of the goal circle and around the field, which I really enjoy as part of the game. In box, the goal is smaller, and I wear protection that takes up as much space as possible and is harder to move around in, making it more difficult to leave the crease.
In Field, I love an active warmup before a game, so that I am ready to move out of the goal circle throughout the game, something I love to do. In Box, I’ve found that my warmups are far shorter and that the focus tends to be on visual training to warm up my eyes.
Steve Stojkos playing goalie in Box (left) and Field (right)
Dan: Box lacrosse is much faster, more physical and the play is within closer quarters compared to field. Over the years, aspects of Box such as the two-man game, creativity on shooting and substitutions have entered Field. Even Sixes, which is the new Olympic version of lacrosse, is being approached from a non-contact Box perspective.
Dan putting the skills he learnt in Box to practice in Field lacrosse
Playing Box has helped me become a better crease player in Field, allowing me to create my own space and get my shots off quickly and accurately.
When it comes down to prep, I would say that I prepare my body more for Box in fitness and strength than I would for field. The pace doesn’t slow in Box, and there’s nowhere to hide.
What were your highlights of the tournament?
Steve: My main highlight would be how I was able to recover and reset after our first game against WA. This was my first Box Nationals, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The speed of play and quality of shots caught me off guard a bit. I did fine I’m sure, but it wasn’t my best game, and I wasn’t happy with my performance at all. I spent a lot of time the next day watching the game back and trying to figure out why WA scored certain goals and if there was anything I realistically could have done better in that situation.
To any aspiring players out there, I would say never underestimate the value of watching back videos of your games or trainings. It might be hard to re-live certain moments at the time but being able to break down plays and watch them over and over again is an amazing way to learn and improve. And believe me, if I can get past letting in the golden goal to lose a National Championship, then you can get past your mistakes during games too and learn from them.
Dan: Personally, throwing nine goals against Queensland was a huge highlight for me. It was the only game that I was able to play offense for the majority of the game. Other than that, my goal was to play more defense and work on my fitness (ahead of the Aussie tryouts) and I felt I achieved this.
How does it feel to represent your state?
Steve: It’s always a mixed bag of emotions for me, being from WA but now living in and playing for Victoria. It’s always an honour to represent not just yourself and team, but the entire state. Personally, my favourite part of representing my state is getting to spend a couple of months a year training and playing with friends from other clubs instead of only playing against them. I don’t think I’d be living in Victoria today if it wasn’t for the friends I have made over the years playing in various national tournaments.
Dan: Playing for Victoria in Box has always meant a lot to me. For the past 15 years, there’s been a core group of players who have been in this team, and I have created great friendships from this and had some amazing successes. The standard expected from players in this team has been higher than any Field Victorian team I’ve played for. Not making the team in 2024, the first time in 15 years, was the wake-up call that I needed to continue my Aussie journey. I will always support the boys no matter what team I’m involved with and support all the MCC boys who were there.
Dan was part of the Victoria team who won the 2023
Men's Box National Championships
How do you feel about the upcoming trials to represent Australia?
Steve: I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact I’ve made it through to the final selection. Before October last year, I had never played box goalie or even worn the gear. To be honest, I think I signed up to the Australian tryouts before I had even played my first game.
Looking back, setting myself a goal of becoming the single best person in Australia at something new was certainly ambitious. It’s taken a lot of practice. I’ve watched a LOT of games trying to figure out what each goalie is doing and then trying it out at my next training session until I found which things work for me.
Dan: Nervous. It’s an honour to get to suit up for your country, and getting down to the last cut at my age is already something I’m proud of. I’ve been in this position a couple of times now, and it doesn’t get any easier. But I know how much I want to make this team and what I have to do to cement my spot. I hope I get to share this experience with Ty, Steve and Marty. Either way, I’d expect a couple of MCC players in the final line up.
MCC Men are very supportive of each other on and off the field
And on that note, after an emotional end to the Victorian Men’s campaign, we turn our attention to all of our MCC representatives, Dan Mentiplay, Marty Hyde, Steve Stojkos and Tyler Reynolds, who have made it to the final selection of the Australian Box Lacrosse team, a massive accomplishment in itself. The final team will be announced later this month, while the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships will be held in Utica, New York in September.
As Dan says, “The support I’ve seen from MCC and its members over the years when players are chasing goals has been second to none. I’m forever grateful to the club and I hope I can do MCC proud.”
You are already have! Wishing all of our MCC men, the best of luck!
A massive thanks to Dan and Steve for sharing their thoughts and experiences with us. Thanks also to Rhys Shobbrook, Colby Zaph and Lynda Fletcher for the photos.
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