Beach Blast brings two days of lax action to Cape

The 2023 Beach Blast lacrosse tournament has come and gone again. 

The weather this year was always threatening, but never disrupting. There were no distant rumblings, and clouds — black or white — were hard to find. Teams heard a horn signaling the start of a new game and knew where to go because everyone had the SincSports app downloaded on their phones.  

There were 10 groupings based on year of graduation, beginning with 2027 all the way to 2032. Each team was guaranteed four 50-minute games.

The Eastern Shore Lacrosse Club’s three oldest teams all played well.

The 2027s, comprising rising freshman and coached by John Rishko, made it to the finals, losing to Hero’s 7-3. The Zen Master of Cape lacrosse, P.J. Kemodel, now 80 and chilling in Rehoboth, founded both the ESLC and the Hero’s Club of Hartford County, Md., and brought the Beach Blast to Cape. Kesmodel’s plaque hangs on the wall of Legends Stadium.

The 2029 ESLC team, coached by Melissa Ruppert, also made it to the finals, losing 5-4 to Check-Hers of Carroll County, Md., in the finals. 

The 2028 ESLC team, coached by Katie Klabe, went 3-1 in the tournament, losing its final game to to CC Lax 10-3. 

The two-day Beach Blast tournament, run from the start by Sue Murphy and Courtney Vaughn, is arguably Cape’s best-attended major event, outpacing the Slam Dunk to the Beach basketball tournament and state championships.

Notes - The metadata world of modern sports unfolds like a blooming onion that can be seen from space using Google Maps on your Apple Watch. Each team at the Beach Blast tournament has its own website with numbered rosters and club history. Some teams concluded their summer seasons with the Beach Blast, while others journey on. The ESLC 2027 team will play at the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals July 11-12 at DE Turf.