Vail Lacrosse Shootout Draws 60 Squads to Ford Park for Elite Championship

The Vail Lacrosse Shootout isn’t just a tournament. It’s a local economic engine that turns Ford Park into a hub of elite athleticism and, by extension, a significant draw for the valley’s hospitality sector.

Just over 60 squads have descended on Vail for the 54th-annual event, and the scale is undeniable. You’re looking at U19 boys and girls, men’s and women’s elite, and a sprawling array of age brackets from masters (30+) all the way up to pastmasters (70+). The tournament opened June 27, and while the younger divisions wrapped up midweek, the real action — the men’s and women’s elite play — is just getting started.

This isn’t a high school scrimmage. The men’s elite division features two teams made up of 10th Mountain high school alumni who spent the spring competing at the NCAA and MCLA levels. These are players with college pedigrees, often from schools like Notre Dame, Army, and Michigan, playing for local pride.

The results so far tell a story of a local team finding its footing but still chasing the established powers. The 10th Mountain men’s elite squad lost to Northmen 12-6 and fell to defending champions Team Craig 15-3. The second local team, 10th Mountain OTF, lost to Mohawk Tile 11-7 and CU Buffs 6-5.

Meanwhile, the U19 boys division saw the ADRLN Tropics claim their fourth-straight title. They cruised through pool play with a 3-0 record before defeating Laxachussets 12-6 on Wednesday at Ford Field. The Tropics’ roster reads like a who’s who of collegiate talent, featuring players from the University of Denver, Dartmouth, and Marquette.

The women’s side has been equally competitive. The local 10th Mountain girls team went 1-3 in the silver division’s pool play. They beat the Houston Heat 4-1 in an 8 a.m. start on Wednesday, only to fall to CO Command Navy 3-1 later that same morning. In the higher-tier silver and gold divisions, Hero’s White and Hero’s Green went undefeated to capture their respective titles.

The older divisions provided their own drama. The Outlaws defeated the Navy Goats 17-5 for the supermasters title. Middlebury took the grandmasters title with a 15-6 win over Tivoli Brewery. And in a twist of fate, the Navy Old Goats ended Los Abuelos’ three-year reign as Zenmasters (60+) champions, winning 9-4.

The question now is whether the local alumni teams can upset the odds in the final weekend. The women’s elite championship game tips off at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at Ford Field, followed immediately by the men’s elite title game at noon.

For the folks in Vail, this means Ford Park is packed. It means the local economy is benefiting from the influx of teams, families, and fans. It means the community is rallying behind its own, even if the scoreboard shows they’re still chasing the national elite.

As the weekend approaches, the focus shifts from the preliminary rounds to the final showdown. The local teams have played their spring games across the country. They’ve built their records. Now, they play for the title in front of their neighbors.

The final whistle hasn’t blown yet. The championship games are Sunday. The stakes are high, the talent is elite, and the community is watching.