MLL Championship Colored Orange

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Syracuse University will be well represented this weekend as the four best teams in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) converge on Rochester for the 2007 NB ZIP Championship Weekend. The Rochester Rattlers, Denver Outlaws, Los Angeles Riptide and Philadelphia Barrage will fight for the Steinfeld Cup on Saturday, August 25^th and Sunday, August 26^th at PAETEC Park.

The host Rochester Rattlers have seven players and two coaches with ties to Syracuse and the surrounding suburbs. The Rattlers roster features former SU stars Casey Powell (Carthage), Scott Ditzell, Jake Plunket (Syracuse) and Solomon Bliss (Brewerton).

Rochester finished the season 9-3 under head coach B.J. O’Hara. O’Hara is a native Camillus and played lacrosse at West Genesee High School. He also served as an assistant coach at SU from 2002-03. O’Hara began his coaching career in 1976 as an assistant at West Genesee.

Rochester also has an assistant coach on its staff with a strong Syracuse background. Regy Thorpe is in his first season as a full-time assistant coach. The Elbridge native played six seasons with the Rattlers and recently completed his 13^th with the National Lacrosse League Rochester Knighthawks. Thorpe began his college lacrosse career at Herkimer County Community College, where he was named an All-American and Defensive Player of the Year in 1991. He then moved on to Syracuse. In 1993, he served as a co-captain and won a Division I National Championship with the Orange. He also earned honorable mention All-American status that same season.

The third-seeded Rattlers will take on the Western Conference champion and second-ranked Los Angeles Riptide at 5:00 p.m. in the MLL Semifinals on Saturday, August 25^th. The first semifinal features the Philadelphia Barrage and the Denver Outlaws at 2:00 p.m. The two semifinal winners will advance to the championship game on Sunday, August 26^th, which will air live on ESPN2 at 1:00 p.m.

The championship weekend will also include former Orange stars Sean Lindsay of Los Angeles and Roy Colsey, Michael Springer, Joe Ceglia and Tim Byrnes of Philadelphia.

Tickets for both days of NB ZIP Championship Weekend are on sale at the PAETEC Park Box Office. A complete weekend package is only $30, with discounts available for youths and groups of 20 or more. Discounted two-day packages and single-day tickets are also available to Rattlers’ season ticket holders. Fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster by calling (585) 232-1900 or going online to ticketmaster.com. For more information, contact the Rattlers ticket office at (585) 454-5425.

Syracuse University Athletics

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