Annapolis native Stephy Samaras has been named the inaugural commissioner of the Next Collegiate League women’s division, which will begin play next month.
NCL is a lacrosse league owned by Next Level Sports and Entertainment, a media production company based in Hanover. Touted on its website as a global sports network, NLSE is an innovative content platform and provider of live sports and entertainment.
Next Collegiate League has fielded a men’s lacrosse program for three years. This marks the organization’s first foray into women’s lacrosse and Samaras has been selected to shepherd the initiative.
Samaras was a four-year starter at Annapolis High, earning Capital Gazette first team All-County honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. She was an integral member of the school’s first girls lacrosse state championship team, which went undefeated in 1996.
Samaras earned a scholarship to Virginia, where she was a four-year starter on defense and helped the program to a pair of national championship game appearances (1998, 1999). She was named first team All-American by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association in 1999 and 2000.
Samaras spent two subsequent seasons as a member of the United States National Development team. She also had a long and successful coaching career, starting as an assistant at Yale shortly after graduating Virginia.
Samaras was the first full-time head coach of women’s lacrosse at Quinnipiac and later spent three seasons in the same role at Richmond. She also served as head coach of the Wales and Greek national teams before being hired to lead the Annapolis High girls lacrosse program in 2018.
Samaras who currently works full-time as director of lacrosse for St. James, will be the “guiding force” behind the development of the Next Collegiate League women’s division, according to a news release.
“The addition of women’s teams to the NCL marks a pivotal moment in the history of women’s sports,” said Liam Banks, director of field sports for Next Level Sports & Entertainment. “Under Stephy’s leadership, we’re not just participating in the sport; we’re setting the stage for Olympic aspirants and showcasing the incredible talent of collegiate athletes on a global platform.”
Club programs from six Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Bowie State, Hampton, Coppin State, Morgan State, Norfolk State and Maryland-Eastern Shore — will field teams in the inaugural season of the NCL women’s division.
Games begin March 29 at Morgan State with the six-week season ending in late April. Weekend games will also be held at Tierney Field on the campus of USA Lacrosse headquarters.
This is six-on-six lacrosse, which mimics the format for the sport’s entry into the Olympics. Women’s players participating in the NCL will wear helmets and pads.
Hockey for Heroes
Navy Youth Hockey will host the seventh annual Hockey for Heroes event March 8-9 at McMullen Ice Arena, located at the Brigade Sports Complex at Greenbury Point.
This 24-hour exhibition tournament is designed to raise awareness and provide financial support to the following organizations: USA Warriors, Disabled American Veterans, Wounded Warrior Project, Fisher House, Truckin4Troops, paws4vets and other veterans service initiatives.
Since its inception in 2014, Navy Youth Hockey has raised nearly $500,000 to support America’s heroes.
Opening ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. March 8 and followed by games involving players from the USA Warriors ice hockey program. During a 24-hour period from Friday evening to Saturday evening, 42 teams will play one-hour games.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the Hockey for Heroes games to show support, donate an item for the silent auction or to help sponsor the event. Visit www.nyhhockeyforheroes.org or contact organizer Amy Hitt at amy_hitt@comcast.net or 410-570-1518.
“This is a fun, patriotic event that Navy Youth Hockey is proud to host. For 24 consecutive hours, we honor, celebrate and thank disabled veterans — on and off the ice — for the great sacrifices they have made to protect our freedom,” Hitt said.
Cue it up
Pasadena resident Brett Stottlemyer captured the 2023 United States Amateur Pool Championship in November. Stottlemyer bested a field of the top amateur pool players from across North American to take the sport’s most prestigious amateur title.
The U.S. Amateur Championship was produced and conducted by the American Pooplayers Association at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Stottlemyer was one of only 128 players who qualified for the championship rounds by winning one of several qualifying tournaments held across the country. Nearly 3,000 players attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.
The double-elimination tournament offers the top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-ball and 9-ball matches. Stottlemyer beat Josh Watson in the championship final.
In addition to achieving the highest honor in amateur pool, the champion earns a magnificent trophy, event jacket along with paid travel, lodging and entry into a 2024 pro billiard event. The champ also received an automatic bid to return and defend their title the following year.
You go Diego
Former Navy football star Diego Fagot has signed a free agent contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. This marks the third straight year the 2022 Naval Academy graduate has been under contract with a professional football franchise.
Fagot signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2022 attended training camp with the team. He was waived on Aug. 23 after playing in two exhibition games.
Fagot then signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL on Nov. 16 but was released three months later. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound inside linebacker signed with the New England Patriots on July 24, 2023, and spent a month in training camp before being waived and placed on injured reserve.
Fagot was a three-time All-American Athletic Conference selection, earning first team honors as a sophomore and senior. The Florida native amassed 282 career tackles (36 for loss), 10 sacks and six forced fumbles. He was named defensive Most Valuable Player of the East-West Shrine senior all-star game.
Dream fulfilled
Pat Spencer achieved a lifelong dream this past Sunday, making his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors. The Davidsonville native came off the bench toward the end of Golden State’s 119-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The 6-foot-3 point guard logged two minutes and did not record a statistic.
Powerlifting records
Cecil Woodard set three Maryland state records for powerlifting back in September. The 75-year-old Severna Park resident established the weight class and age group records while competing at the 2023 USA Powerlifting Maryland State Bench and Deadlift Championship in Rosedale.
Woodard, a retired government employee and cancer survivor, set records for 90 kilogram class (182 to 198 pounds) and 75-79 age group by bench pressing 187 pounds and deadlift 330 pounds. He set a third record for combined weight of 517 pounds.
Woodard was introduced to competitive weightlifting while in college when he won the 1968 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Metropolitan championship in New York at age 20. He last competed in 1983 at age 36.