|
DATE: July 1, 2002
CONTACT: Paul Krome, pkrome@lacrosse.org
U.s. Men's Lacrosse Team Begins ILF World Championship
Play Saturday
Baltimore — The U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team begins its
quest for a sixth straight world championship Saturday, July 6 as
the 2002 International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship
gets underway at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia.
The U.S., winner of seven of eight world titles, opens play against
the Iroquois Nationals at 7 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EDT).
Seventeen nations will field teams in an event that began in 1967
and is now held every four years. Australia, Canada and England
join the U.S. and the Iroquois Nationals in the Blue Division, comprised
of the top five teams from the 1998 World Championship, held in
Baltimore and won by the U.S. over Canada, 15-14 in overtime. A
Red Division will compete with the Blue for the world title, and
for the first time ever, five developing lacrosse nations will compete
in a Green Division. Other youth and adult tournaments will occupy
17 fields over the 10-day lacrosse festival.
"The last time the World Championship was in Perth in 1990,
we had five nations compete. Twelve years later, 17 nations are
sending teams, and another three or four are sending delegates to
get a first taste of lacrosse, so we're very excited about
the growth and development of the international game," said
Steve Stenersen, executive director of US Lacrosse and chair
of the International Lacrosse Development Committee, a joint committee
of the ILF and International Federation of Women's Lacrosse
Associations (IFWLA).
"As far as the actual competition for the championship, the
Blue and Red divisions will be the most competitive from top to
bottom that we've ever had. In years past, the general feeling
was that the result of the tournament was a foregone conclusion—the
U.S. was the heavy favorite. That's not the case this time,
which will make for a better, more exciting tournament."
The Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Scotland, Sweden and Wales
will comprise the Red Division. After five days of round robin play,
the top three teams from the Blue Division and the winner of a game
pitting the fourth-place team from the Blue Division against the
first-place team from the Red Division will advance to a final four,
scheduled for Friday, July 12. The world championship game will
start at 3 p.m. local time Sunday, July 14.
The U.S. team is comprised of 23 of the best players in the nation,
including nine current or just-graduated collegians. Combine that
with the fact that attackman Darren Lowe (Brown '92)
is the only holdover from the 1998 U.S. team, and this year's
squad is the youngest and least internationally experienced the
U.S. has ever fielded in world play. Army head coach Jack Emmer
serves as coach, assisted by Ron Fraser (Brine Lacrosse Club),
Mike Pressler (Duke) and Ray Rostan (Hampden-Sydney).
A complete roster is attached and available online.
"It's refreshing and exciting to have the college guys
on the team. We think it will work to our advantage. We know they're
in great shape. They bring enthusiasm, and when they're combined
with the veterans, it is a terrific mix," Emmer said.
The U.S. played six exhibition games in June, winning all six by
an average of 18.8 to 7. The team was selected in June 2001 after
a four-day tryout that included 121 players.
"We're very pleased with the U.S. team and the quality
and caliber of the players and coaching staff. We feel very good
about their opportunities for success. It's one of the most
exciting and talented groups we've ever assembled, and maybe
the best true ‘team' ever in that they play so well together
and are a tight-knit group. There's also no better group of
coaches used to working with college-aged players," Stenersen
said.
Canada is the only other nation to win an ILF World Championship,
having defeated the U.S. in 1978 in Stockport, England. Since then,
the U.S. has won 26 straight ILF games and five straight world titles.
Further information on the 2002 ILF World Championship can be found
online at www.lacrosse.org
and www.lacrosse2002.com.
The 2002 U.S. Men's Team Schedule:
Saturday, July 6, Iroquois, 7 p.m. local (7 a.m. EDT)
Sunday, July 7, Australia, 4 p.m. local (4 a.m. EDT)
Tuesday, July 9, Canada, 7 p.m. local (7 a.m. EDT)
Wednesday, July 10, England, 4 p.m. local (4 a.m. EDT)
Thursday, July 11, Playoff (if necessary), 2 p.m. local (2 a.m.
EDT)
Friday, July 12, Semifinals, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. local (5 a.m. and
8 a.m. EDT)
Sunday, July 14, Championship, 3 p.m. local (3 a.m. EDT)
US Lacrosse, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is the national
governing body of men's and women's lacrosse.
# # #
|
2002 US Men's Team
Exhibition Results
5/26 - U.S. 14, New Jersey Pride 10,
at Bridgewater Raritan H.S. (N.J.)
6/1 - U.S. 20, Capital All-Stars 6,
at Georgetown Prep, Bethesda, Md.
6/15 - U.S. 20, Hudson Valley All-Stars
5, at Mahopac H.S. (N.Y.), 6 p.m.
6/22 - U.S. 11, Philadelphia All-Stars
8, at Haverford School (Pa.), 3 p.m.
6/25 - U.S. 23, Northern California All-Stars
7, at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, Calif., 5:30 p.m., Directions
to Kezar
6/27 - U.S. 25, Southern California All-Stars
6, at La Jolla H.S. (Calif.)
Directions to games
Related Links
• 2002
U.S. Men's Team
• 2002 ILF World Championship
• New Jersey Pride
• Major League
Lacrosse
|
