NORTH EAST, Md.—Four champions were crowned at this year’s Lax Federation Members Cup, culminating two days of lacrosse on July 7 and 8 in Maryland’s Cecil County and the sixth stop on the inaugural Find Your Summit Tour (#FNDURSUMT) sponsored by Gait Lacrosse. 

Lax Federation teams from as far away as Western New York and Ohio made their way to the Mid-Atlantic for action that kicked off Thursday morning despite inclement weather that came through the area early in the morning and forced field and schedule adjustments. 

Regardless of the wet start to the day, the clouds parted and teams were on the field by noon on July 7 at Calvert Regional Park, North East High School and Perryville High School. 

“This turned out to be a solid couple days of lacrosse and we certainly appreciate the understanding of the players, coaches and families as we flexed into a new schedule and new locations,” said Kevin Leveille, Brand and Event Manager for Summit Lacrosse Ventures. 

“The camaraderie was truly energizing and showed on the fields. We did our best to adjust on the fly in order to offer the best tournament experience possible.” 

Founded in 2018, the Members Cup is meant to bring Lax Federation teams and families together, creating annual rivalries and the opportunity for attendees to meet and interact with different teams and players. For the high school-aged players, it offers a shot at the Lax Fed National Teams. As the Members Cup is held during the week, it allows teams to attend other events over the following weekend to make the most out of travel during the busy tournament season. 

“The Members Cup is important to our teams and they really gave it their all to go after these championships and for the individual players to showcase their skills for potential National Team involvement,” said Cory Malampy, Co-Founder of the Lax Federation.

Malampy, who played lacrosse at Widener College, pointed out that, despite the logistical changes, teams and athletes put it all on the line on the field. 

“It was a thrill for us to see such a competitive showing the whole time.”

Mike Wright, who runs the Buffalo Lacrosse Academy in Western New York, helped launch the event and was on the sidelines throughout the event as a coach with numerous Team Buffalo squads. He said the Members Cup is a valuable trip for teams from out of the area that travel to Maryland and experience club lacrosse at a high level. 

“I look forward to bringing my squads from Buffalo annually to compete against likeminded programs that play and develop with different styles,” Wright said. “Our group is learning and developing more so in this environment than say just a regular event. You can tell the players have a respect for the guys on the other side of the ball here.” 

Lax Federation, established in 2018, partnered with Summit Lacrosse Ventures in 2021 to manage event operations of the Members Cup, with an eye toward growing the event in the future. 

“We were excited to see teams from a bit further out like our squads and to also see so many enthusiastic families in the stands at all three facilities,” Wright said. “Lax Fed and Summit did a great job navigating the weather challenges to provide an outstanding tournament experience.”

On July 8, the sun shined as families rooted for teams competing for titles, which were decided at the three different locations, each with their own festive atmosphere.

“This is a meaningful partnership for us for a lot of reasons, but the main one being that this creates a crucial opportunity for teams from Maryland and beyond that want to compete with the same goals in mind—develop and learn in a family-friendly environment,” said Leveille, who starred at UMass and went on to storied pro and international career. 

Leveille said that Summit—the host of the popular Lake Placid Summit Classic—prides itself on working in a professional manner to handle the unpredictable nature of weather and other critical factors that can force changes on a tournament. 

“In some situations, as an event organizer, you unfortunately might have no choice but to postpone or cancel, but in every case, we try to use all our resources to make sure that teams can get on the field and play and have a great time,” Leveille said. “We’re fired up we got all of the games in.”

Below is a recap of the divisional champions at the 2022 Lax Federation Members Cup, presented by Gait Lacrosse:

Boys Varsity: Team Buffalo
Boys 2025: Haymakers 2025
Boys 2026-2027: Hustle 2026
Boys 2028-2029: Native 

View photos of the Lax Federation Members Cup, including each of the championship teams, via the Summit Lacrosse Ventures Facebook page, and mark your calendars for next year’s Members Cup, scheduled for July 6 and 7, 2023.