Titanium KC represents progress in local lacrosse community

In nine years as a youth lacrosse coach in Kansas City, Chris Kliewer has seen a lot of growth from the increased popularity of lacrosse to the Division-I quality recruits that are coming from the area.

For him, Titanium KC 2016’s road trip and victory at the Tri-State National Lacrosse Tournament in New Jersey earlier this month highlighted that progress.

“People were really shocked that there is lacrosse in Kansas City and that we can play at that level,” Kliewer said. “I think it was great not only for our kids, but to showcase Kansas City in terms of the level of lacrosse we have going on right now.”

Not only did Titanium win the tournament, but it did so in dramatic fashion, defeating the New Jersey Diesel in sudden-death overtime with a goal from Rockhurst’s Conor Law and some spectacular saves from goalie Will Krause, who attends Blue Valley North.

“Will Krause made some great saves and really kept us in it and the kids hung in,” Kliewer said. “Then we went into overtime, and then we had a player take a nice shot and I don’t think the goalie was ready for it when it went in. The other team was stunned and our team was fired up.”

Titanium KC is comprised of high school lacrosse players from across the metro including the Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Lawrence, Liberty and Lee’s Summit school districts in addition to Rockhurst and Pembroke Hill.

This story was originally published July 24, 2014 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Titanium KC represents progress in local lacrosse community."