Earlier this week, US Lacrosse announced its roster for the upcoming Champions Challenge weekend, and nineteen players from Major League Lacrosse had been named to the United States Men’s Team which will play an exhibition game at the third annual event, January 26-27^th at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

Nine of the ten Major League Lacrosse franchises are represented on the roster.  The Long Island Lizards lead the way for the MLL with five players selected to the team, followed by the Boston Cannons with three. 

“We are very proud that so many of our players have been named to this team,” said MLL Commissioner David Gross.  “Major League Lacrosse represents the best lacrosse players in the world, so it is only natural that our players make such a strong showing on their national teams.  It’s a real honor, and I’m glad that so many of our guys are willing to make the time for it given their many commitments.”

The team is comprised of a mix of veterans the likes of Tim Goettleman (A, Long Island Lizards) who was Long Island’s leading scorer in 2007 with 28 goals and 10 assists; his teammate Blake Miller (M, Long Island Lizards); Doug Shanahan (M, Chicago Machine);Matt Striebel (M, Philadelphia Barrage); John Gagliardi (D, Long Island Lizards) who played in all twelve regular season games for Long Island for the first time in his career and was a key contributor to the Lizards defense in ’07, earning Defensive Player of the Week Honors in Week Five; Christian Cook (D, Washington Bayhawks); Ryan Curtis (D, Boston Cannons) who was reacquired by the Cannons after the completion of the 2007 season,  and Chris Garrity (G, Washington Bayhawks).

Striebel hoisted the MLL trophy at the completion of the 2007 season, having scored three goals, including the eventual game-winner, in the NB Zip Major League Lacrosse Championship Game to help his Philadelphia Barrage team win back-to-back MLL Championships.  Striebel was also named the playoffs’ Bud Light MVP. During the regular season, Striebel earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week Twelve.

After being traded  to the Washington Bayhawks prior to the start of the 2007 season, Chris Garrity was named Goalkeeper of the Week, making a career high 27 saves in Washington’s 13-12 victory over the Rochester Rattlers in just the second week of the season.  In 2005, he was named MLL Goalie of the Year. 

The team also features some young talent such as second year players Sean Morris (A, Chicago Machine); and Joe Walters (A, Rochester Rattlers) the first player selected in the 2006 Collegiate Draft and the third leading scorer on a strong Rochester Rattlers team that went 9-3 in the regular season; and rookies Nicholas Bonacci (A, Long Island Lizards), Zac Jungers (D, Denver Outlaws), and Brett Moyer (D, Philadelphia).

They are also joined by John Christmas (A, Boston Cannons), named Warrior Most Improved Player in 2006 and coming off his best season to date; Stephen Berger (M, Long Island Lizards) who was named Offensive Player of the Week during the second week of the regular season and was the second leading scorer on the Lizards in 2007; Ben DeFelice (M, Boston Cannons); Kyle Harrison (M, New Jersey Pride); Sean Lindsay (M, Los Angeles Riptide); and Michael Levin (G, Rochester Rattlers), who earned Goalie of the Week Honors in Week Eight after allowing only 7 goals in Rochester’s first-ever franchise victory at Long Island over the Lizards*.

Nine of the nineteen members of the US men’s team were member of the 2006 U.S. Men’s National Team that took home the silver medal at the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship in Canada.

The Champions Challenge will feature both the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.  In addition to the men’s exhibition game against Duke, the women’s Elite and Developmental teams will play in exhibition games against the women’s teams from both Duke and Johns Hopkins.  Both the men’s and women’s teams will also be conducting clinics for local youth players as part of the Champions Challenge Weekend.

For the complete US Lacrosse Press Release and Roster, click here.
For more information on Champions Challenge Weekend, click here.

                           "Buy MLL gear at www.majorleaguelacrosseshop.com"

 * When this article first appeared, this paragraph erroneously stated that Rochester’s Week Eight victory was their first-ever franchise victory over the Long Island Lizards when it was meant to read that it was Rochester’s first ever victory over the Lizards AT Long Island.