2006 U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team Announced

[Brent Burns]

2006 U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team Announced

BALTIMORE - US Lacrosse has announced the 23 players that will represent the United States in the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation World Championship. A 24-person player selection committee, chaired by past U.S. Team goalie Larry Quinn, named the 2006 U.S. Men's Team after a four-day, 120-player tryout at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County that concluded today. A record number of 18 teams will head to Canada for the ILF Championship in July 2006 in London, Ontario. The U.S. has won eight of the nine ILF World Championships contested, including six straight.

Also following the tryout, a four-person selection committee named the four officials that will represent the United States in the tournament: Mike Infantino (Burlington, Conn.), Matt Palumb (S. Deerfield, Mass.), Dave Pinciaro (Beverly, Mass.) and Tom Sutton (Eden, N.Y.).

The U.S. roster includes 10 former U.S. Team players-seven players from the 2002 U.S. Team that won the world championship in Perth, Australia and three players from the 1998 U.S. Team that won the title in Baltimore. Twenty-one of the 23 players selected are on Major League Lacrosse rosters.

U.S. Team head coach John Desko, who has won three national championships as head coach at Syracuse, feels the athleticism of the team will benefit them under international rules.

"(The biggest strength is) the ability of the players to get up-and-down the field," said Desko. "So many of them are so versatile. Two or three of the attackmen can probably play midfield to give us more depth there. With this many talented players, the trick will be somewhat chemistry and getting to play as a team.

The attack features the three Powell brothers - Casey, Michael and Ryan - who combined for 881 points in their Syracuse careers and Ryan Boyle, who helped spark Philadelphia to the MLL championship last summer.

The midfield includes Doug Shanahan, the most valuable player in the 2002 ILF World Championship, and Kyle Harrison, who led Johns Hopkins to NCAA championship last month and earned the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation's outstanding collegiate player.

The defense features several outstanding veterans, including past U.S. Team players Pat McCabe (1998) and Todd Rassas (1992).

The two goalies selected were Chris Garrity, who leads MLL with a 62.0 save percentage in helping Boston to a 3-0 start, and Trevor Tierney, who was named the all-world goalie at the 2002 ILF Championship.

Name Pos Current Team College
Ryan Boyle* A Philadelphia (MLL) Princeton '04
Kevin Cassese* M Rochester (MLL) Duke '03
Roy Colsey M Philadelphia (MLL) Syracuse '95
Christian Cook D Baltimore (MLL) Princeton '98
Ryan Curtis D Boston (MLL) Virginia '00
John Gagliardi D Long Island (MLL) Johns Hopkins '97
Chris Garrity G Boston (MLL) Penn State '03
Kyle Harrison M New Jersey (MLL) Johns Hopkins '05
A.J. Haugen M Long Island (MLL) Johns Hopkins '00
Jay Jalbert M Long Island (MLL) Virginia '00
Pat McCabe# D Long Island (MLL) Syracuse '91
Blake Miller# M Long Island (MLL) Hofstra '96
Nick Polanco D Long Island (MLL) Hofstra '02
Casey Powell# A Rochester (MLL) Syracuse '98
Michael Powell* A Baltimore (MLL) Syracuse '04
Ryan Powell A Rochester (MLL) Syracuse '00
Todd Rassas* D Capital LC (USCLA) Notre Dame '98
Doug Shanahan* M Philadelphia (MLL) Hofstra '01
Matt Striebel* M Philadelphia (MLL) Princeton '01
Kyle Sweeney D Philadelphia (MLL) Georgetown '03
Trevor Tierney* G Baltimore (MLL) Princeton '01
Scott Urick A New Jersey (MLL) Georgetown '00
Joe Walters A Univ. of Maryland Maryland '06

* - Member of 2002 U.S. Team
# - Member of 1998 U.S. Team

Head Coach: John Desko (Syracuse)
Assistant Coaches: Mike Caravana (Woodberry Forest), Matt Kerwick (Hobart), Scott Marr (Albany)

[hoyaslax18]

Rassas is a sick defender for Team USA. The only reason he isn't in the MLL is because I think he works for the CIA or something....

Three Powells on attack with a Boyle booster? Sick.

The team looks great. But the US runs this thing every four years anyway right?

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

Rassas is a sick defender for Team USA. The only reason he isn't in the MLL is because I think he works for the CIA or something....

Im not sure if this is the same person, but my mom works with someone whos son-in-law played in a world games and he is in the secret service. ill have to look into it.

[onpoint]

You guys are totally gonna blow his cover . . .

[jessexy]

if Brodie Merrill is so good, where is he on this team? Harrison is the man!

[Danny Hogan]

look at the defenseman that made it. you are talking about some of the best of all-time. Gags, Cook, Rassas, Sweeny

[Brent Burns]

I went to the US Lacrosse website and found the May 4, 2005 announcement about 120 players invited to the tryouts which was completed on June 16, and Brodie Merrill was not invited to the tryouts. I even made sure he was not under the "Invited but unable to attend tryouts" category for d-men, and he was not in that group, too.

What puzzles me is that Joe Walters, the only current collegian, was selected to the team, not Matt Danowski. Danko was invited to the tryouts. Of course, it would be pointless to speculate on why he did not get selected.

[Tim Whitehead]

if Brodie Merrill is so good, where is he on this team? Harrison is the man!

Merrill is Canadian.

[bste_lax]

if Brodie Merrill is so good, where is he on this team? Harrison is the man!

Merrill is Canadian.

Well.......Merrill would not have been good enough to make the US squad anyways.........yeah, that's it.

[PigPen]

Rassas and Cook are special agents for the USSS

[ZagGrad]

Christian told me he took a job with the CIA. Things may have changed since he told me though. Either way, that's pretty nuts. He also said the tryouts were pretty intense. I bet...

[PigPen]

Good for Colsey-its about time.

[PigPen]

I stand corrected. Old info

[Catlax]

I sure hope the terrorists from Derkaderkastan don't read this website!

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

I sure hope the terrorists from Derkaderkastan don't read this website!

I take great offense to that being that i am a dual citizen of both the united states and derkaderkastan. i wish. that would be the coolest name for a country and i would debate living there.