Lizards and Barrage Swap Goalkeepers

[Gregg Pathiakis]

http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com/0,5911,1_426_0_68941,00.html

Lizards and Barrage Swap Goalkeepers

Long Island Acquires Three-Time Warrior Goalie of the Year

Long Island, NY (March 29, 2005) -- The Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) announced today they have acquired three-time Warrior Goalie of the Year Greg Cattrano in a blockbuster trade with the defending MLL champion Philadelphia Barrage. In exchange for Cattrano, the Lizards dealt Philadelphia native Brian Dougherty to the Barrage along with their second-round pick in the 2006 Collegiate Draft.

Cattrano's veteran leadership helped guide the Barrage from a 1-11 record in 2003 to the league title in 2004. He was named the Bud Light Championship Game MVP after making 19 saves in the 13-11 win over Boston.

Cattrano previously played for the Baltimore Bayhawks for three years before being traded to Philadelphia prior to last season. During the 2002 season, he led the Bayhawks to their first MLL crown with a 21-13 win over the Lizards. He is the only player in the league to play in all four MLL Championship Games and just one of three players to win a league crown with two different teams, joining Baltimore Player-Coach Gary Gait and attackman Sean Radebaugh on the exclusive list.

"He's a proven winner and we're excited to have him on our team," said Lizards Head Coach Jim Mulé. "It's a win-win situation; they are the two best goalies in the world and both guys will now have the opportunity to play at home."

Dougherty played two seasons for the Lizards, leading Long Island to its second MLL championship in 2003. He was named Goalie of the Year in 2003, marking the only year Cattrano did not win the award. He registered a post-season record of 28 saves in the New Balance Championship Game victory over the Bayhawks.

As dependable as he is spectacular, Cattrano was the only netminder in the MLL to play every minute of every game last season. He finished the 2004 season as the league leader in goalkeeper wins with seven and ranked among the leaders in goals against average (15.9) and save percentage (54.8%). During a game against Baltimore last summer, Cattrano tied a league record by recording 31 saves against his former team.

Cattrano also became the first goalkeeper to score in an MLL game, tallying his first professional goal last season against Rochester in a 19-15 win. He achieved the feat four times in his college career at Brown University and six times in high school, but it was the first time in MLL history that a goalie scored a goal.

"I'm really excited to have the chance to play at home," said Cattrano. "It's thrilling to be able to play in front of my friends and family here on Long Island and I'm eager to contribute, especially with such a good defensive unit."

The Hauppauge native has a 34-17 all-time record, with a league-leading 935 career saves. He has allowed 13.4 goals per game during his four-year career while stopping 58 percent of the shots he has faced.

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