A big thank you to LaxSchool on YouTube for originally posting this game.
The year was 1985, and the Philadelphia Spectrum was playing host to the IBLA Exhibition Series between the US and Canada. This series pitted the best US box players against the best that Canada had to offer and the guys on both rosters served as a who’s who of lacrosse in the mid 80s. This event was also called the North American Cup, and was a very cool concept. It’s similar to the US vs Iroquois annual game (The Bowhunter Cup) that goes on now.
Was this game absolutely laden with star power?
You bet it was! #12 for Canada is John Grant…SENIOR!, Bruce Ogilvie, Jim Wasson, Kevin Alexander, and Sean Quinlan are a couple other guys you might know. The US was also pretty stacked up with talent Bill Beroza, Jeff Goldberg, Bob Griebe, Jim and Mark D’arcangelo, Dave Huntley, John Tucker, and current US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen (USA face off man) led the way for Team USA, amongst others.
The intros, national anthems, and starting line ups
run through the 10:00 minute mark, and then the action really picks up!
This was game 2 of the series, and the first of two in the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this game in it’s entirety.
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
