Major League Lacrosse Releases Schedule for 2005

[Sonny]

Boston, MA (January 11, 2005) – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, today announced the schedule for its fifth season of high scoring, hard hitting, fast paced lacrosse. Each of the MLL's six teams will play a schedule of twelve games in 2005, beginning on Friday, May 20 in Long Island. The 2005 schedule includes two Wild West Tour games, continuing the MLL's "Project West Coast" initiative, designed to add a West Coast Division of at least four new teams by the start of the 2006 season. The season will again conclude with the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend, consisting of a pair of Semi-Final games on Friday, August 19, and the Championship Game on Sunday, August 21.

"We are thrilled to begin our fifth season of the best lacrosse in the world," said David Gross, MLL Commissioner. "We look forward to providing our fans with twelve exciting weeks of lacrosse action, culminating with another successful New Balance Championship Weekend. Continuing with "Project West Coast" also remains a high priority. We will bring the MLL westward two more times in 2005, helping pave the way for a West Coast division of the league in 2006."

Major League Lacrosse play kicks off in 2005 with a lone game on May 20 when the New Jersey Pride, led by Jesse Hubbard, the MLL's all-time leading goal scorer, visit the two-time MLL champion Long Island Lizards. All six teams are in action the following week, highlighted by a rematch of the 2004 New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Game, in which the Philadelphia Barrage defeated the Boston Cannons. The Cannons visit the Barrage on Sunday May 29 at 7:00PM.

The Wild West Tour will return in 2005, with a pair of MLL games scheduled for western venues. Baltimore and New Jersey, who last year played a Wild West Tour game in Denver, will take their May 28 meeting out west. The date of the second Wild West Tour game, as well as the locations for both games will be announced at a later date. Last year, the MLL played the inaugural Wild West Tour as a first step in the league's west coast expansion initiative. The 2004 Wild West Tour featured the first two MLL regular season games played outside of league cities, in Seattle at Qwest Field and in Denver at Invesco Field at Mile High. The two Wild West Tour contests drew an average of more than 8,700 fans per game.

Defending division champions meet on June 4 when the National Division champion Rochester Rattlers visit Boston to take on the Cannons, who won their first American Division title in 2004 with a league-best 8-4 record. The Baltimore Bayhawks, winners of three straight division titles before being unseated by the Rattlers last year, get their first chance for revenge when they visit Rochester on June 18.

The 2005 schedule also includes the fifth annual Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft, scheduled for Wednesday, June 1. The Collegiate Draft will again be preceded by the Warrior Major League Challenge, an all-star game featuring the best graduating college seniors playing under MLL rules.

Complete 2005 schedule at MajorLeagueLacrosse.com:
http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com/0,5911,1_433_0_65633,00.html