Chicago Machine To Play At Toyota Park

[Jack Cribbin]

Chicago, IL – Chicago's Major League Lacrosse team - announced today that they will play the home game portion of their 2007 season at TOYOTA PARK, Chicagoland's new multi-purpose sports and entertainment destination. After playing their inaugural season at Benedictine University, the Chicago Machine has decided to pick up their cleats and make the big move to Bridgeview, IL.

"We are eager to welcome the Chicago Machine to the Village of Bridgeview," said Village of Bridgeview Mayor Steven M. Landek. "The Village of Bridgeview was excited to make the Chicago Fire our 'home team', and we are just as enthusiastic about the addition of the Chicago Machine and lacrosse."

TOYOTA PARK, located 15 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue and is the permanent home of the Chicago Fire – Chicago's MLS team. The stadium features a capacity of 20,000 for sporting events; seating within 8 feet of the field; 4 levels of retail, concession stands, meeting spaces and office area; and a $1.7 million state-of-the-art turf management system. The stadium is owned by the Village of Bridgeview and operated by AEG.

"The move to TOYOTA PARK will provide our fans and players a great lacrosse experience at a truly professional venue," said Chicago Machine President John H. Meister. "The stadium is designed to allow our fans to sit right behind the players – no track between – which will bring them much closer to the action. The move from a small college campus to TOYOTA PARK is reflective of the growth of the lacrosse community in Chicagoland and provides us a home we can grow into. We are excited about the move and looking forward to May 19th our first home game next season."

"Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and we are excited to play such an important role in the sport's growth in the Chicago area," said Jay Cooper, Vice President of Midwest Operations, AEG Facilities and TOYOTA PARK General Manager. "We believe the combination of an entertaining, exciting, and intense sport such as lacrosse with the intimate environment of TOYOTA Park will create a memorable experience for sport enthusiasts. The Machine are poised to do great things at TOYOTA PARK."

"Our organization's move to Toyota Park truly demonstrates the bright future of lacrosse in Chicago," said David Connelly – a member of the Chicago Machine ownership group. "Fans will have an amazing experience watching the hard-hitting fast-paced action of MLL from the stands of a brand new venue and players will love the professional atmosphere. With so many recent changes – a new coach, eleven new players from the Supplemental Draft, and now a new venue – we have a very positive outlook for the future of the team."

"As a player, I am extremely excited to make the move to TOYOTA PARK," stated Chicago Machine attackman Kevin Leveille. "TOYOTA PARK is a fantastic venue for spectators. I went to a Chicago Fire game this past summer and was amazed at the quality of the stadium. It's a 20,000 seat stadium but the design makes you feel close to the field and the players no matter where you sit. It will be amazing for both the Chicago Machine players and our fans to be there next summer. I can't wait for our first home game when we run out of the tunnel at midfield with our fans cheering in the stands."

The Chicago Machine will kick off their season at TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, May 19, 2007.

For more information about the Chicago Machine, visit www.chicagomachine.com or call 312-255-1522.

[Hi-Line Lax]

This is good to hear...I thought the facilities at Benedictine were pretty poor and this new stadium looks real nice. They are probably still the worst organization in MLL, but maybe they'll pull a few W's this year...

Anyone know if they will be lowering ticket prices...that was ridiculous last season.