In his final home game at Syracuse University in 2004, Powell charged the net and performed a front flip before scoring a goal, much to the delight of many bewildered onlookers at the Carrier Dome. That evening, Powell earned ESPN <i>SportsCenter</i>'s No. 1 play of the day.
"I took a lot of heat for that move," Powell recalled this week. "People called me a showboat, but I'm just trying to do things to help the game of lacrosse grow. It made it on <i>SportsCenter</i>, so I must have done something right."
Powell will continue trying to promote the sport at 7 p.m. Saturday at Invesco Field at Mile High as part of the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game. The theme of the game is Old School vs. Young Guns, as veterans who were in the league in its inaugural year (2001) will take on those who followed. Halftime will feature a skills competition, including contests for fastest shot, accuracy and free style.
Powell, who plays for the National League-leading Baltimore Bayhawks, will play for the Young Guns.
"The old guys have the experience, and the young guys have the legs," Powell said. "We'll see which is more important."
The Bayhawks will be represented by a league-most eight All-Stars, including player-coach Gary Gait, who recently was appointed head coach of the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. Gait, who has continued his playing career in the field game, entered Thursday as the MLL's leading goal scorer with 20.
Mammoth players Josh Sims and Jeff Sonke also will represent the Bayhawks.
Originally, Powell's older brothers, Casey and Ryan, were to play in the game as members of the Old School squad, but they pulled out for business reasons. Mikey Powell said he would have enjoyed facing his brothers, but their absence will not change his approach. He said he believes the Young Guns have something to prove.
"It will be fun, because I always have fun playing lacrosse," he said. "But it won't be as friendly as a basketball all-star game."
The MLL is looking at the game as another chance to promote its product to Denver. The league will add four teams in the western portion of the country by next season, and Denver and Los Angeles are locks.
"This is not your mom and dad's All-Star Game," MLL founder Jake Steinfeld said. "It's our fifth year, fourth with an All-Star Game, and we wanted to do something different. There's been a lot of trash talking. . . . "
Lacrosse stars eye mile-high exposure:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/m ... 14,00.html
