BOSTON, Mass. – Major League Lacrosse, the premier professional lacrosse league, announced Wednesday that Rochester Rattlers attackman John Grant, Jr. has been named as the 2007 Warrior Offensive Player of the Year, according to Commissioner David Gross. The award was based on votes submitted by the general managers and head coaches of the ten MLL teams.
The league leader in goals and points, Grant set an MLL single-season record with 71 points, which eclipsed the previous mark of 70 by Rochester attackman Casey Powell during the 2003 season. He set a Rochester team record with a league-high 44 goals, including a pair of two-point tallies, while adding 25 assists.
Grant tied the league single-game points record in a 27-26 overtime victory at Denver on June 16, scoring eight goals, including a pair of two-pointers, with four assists. In the Rattlers’ 20-10 victory over Boston on August 11, he scored seven goals and added three assists. It was the sixth time this season that Grant had scored three or more goals in a game.
Honored as the MLL Offensive Player of the Week twice this season, he was the only player to earn the award more than once. Grant has been honored as the Offensive Player of the Week six times in his career.
Grant was named as the Bud Light Game MVP a league-high three times this season and has earned the award nine times in his career, which ranks sixth in league history.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Delaware, Grant was also named as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year during the 2001 season when he scored 41 goals and ranked second in the league with 59 points.
The 2007 NB ZIP MLL Championship Weekend will begin on Saturday, August 25 with a pair of semi-final games. The defending MLL champion Philadelphia Barrage will play against the Denver Outlaws while Rochester plays Los Angeles. The two semi-final winners will meet on Sunday, August 26 in the NB ZIP MLL Championship Game at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN2 HD.
Headquartered in Warren, Michigan, Warrior Sports is recognized as one of the sporting goods industry's premier manufacturers of innovative, high performance, cutting-edge equipment, footwear and apparel for lacrosse and hockey athletes of all ages and abilities. Founded in 1993 by former champion lacrosse player David Morrow, Warrior was acquired by privately-held New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. in February 2004. Warrior is dedicated to a core set of philosophies and strengths: technical superiority, grassroots marketing, original and creative youthful expression, and strong partnerships with retailers and suppliers. Warrior's Players Club is the best players in the world helping to make the best equipment in the world and is reserved for the top professionals in lacrosse and hockey today. For more information, please visit www.warriorlacrosse.com or www.warriorhockey.com.
MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE
Major League Lacrosse, a ten-team professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded in 1999 by fitness entrepreneur Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global L.L.C., and founding partners Dave Morrow, a former champion lacrosse player and now CEO of Warrior Lacrosse, a leading global provider of innovative and high performance lacrosse equipment; Timothy B. Robertson, former CEO of The Family Channel and the current chairman of Bay Shore Enterprises, L.L.C., an investment holding company with activities in international media and Internet technology ventures; and Jim Davis, chairman and CEO of New Balance. The MLL commenced play in June of 2001. The MLL is comprised of two conferences. The Eastern Conference contains the original six teams, Boston, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Rochester and Washington. The Western Conference debuted in the 2006 season with MLL expansion franchises Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Additional league information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.
