NECLL Press Release - New College League

[Gregg Pathiakis]

12/19/06

Contact: Chris Trott
NECLL Executive Communications Director
(508)-361-4038
ctrott8494@wsc.ma.edu
surfchrono@hotmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

2007 Inaugural Season Announcement

Eight teams to compete this spring for post-season play


MEDFORD, MA – On November 19th, 2006, captains, presidents, and involved
executives met for the 2006 fall meeting for the Northeast Collegiate
Lacrosse League (NECLL). The fall meeting, held at Tufts University,
conceived the 2007 inaugural season, established the league by-laws, and voted in
the five-member league executive board. Eight teams and the league commissioner
were in attendance for the day.

League Commissioner Gregg Pathiakis said, “I created the league so that
relatively un-established teams could join an organized league and play a
full season's worth of games.” Before, the only place teams like this could
call home was the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL). The eight teams
that were admitted to the league will now have full schedules and get the
recognition they deserve as club teams.

The eight club teams that attended the meeting and were accepted into league
were Brandeis University, Dartmouth College, Tufts University, University of
Massachusetts - Amherst, University of Vermont, Westfield State College, and Western
New England College.

League Vice-Commissioner Ryan Coughlin said, “Being an integral part of
this league as well as a player is such a great opportunity. Gregg brought
the idea [of creating a new collegiate league] to me and I thought it was
great and it has turned into so much more than last year.”

Last year, the NECLL didn’t have a full season. There were four teams
and they participated in a single tournament in Worcester, Massachusetts. The
University of Vermont walked away the champions, but that title has no
standing at the beginning of this season. This year, a similar post-season
tournament will be held for the top four teams. Also, the NECLL all-stars
will be voted on to compete against the all-star team from the PCLL later in
the spring.

The NECLL was created to meet the needs of college men’s lacrosse clubs
throughout New England, New York, and New Jersey, which are unable or
unwilling to join the long-established PCLL. Some of the teams in the league
are officially recognized by their school, others are just made up of
students from the same school but not an official school club team. All
teams are self-governed and self-financed, primarily through player dues and
fundraising. The league is not affiliated with any national college lacrosse
league, but will often play teams affiliated with one. For more information,
contact the league commissioner at (978)-204-1166 or necllcommish@comcast.net.
Also, media related inquiries can be directed to the contact information given
at the top of this release.



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