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POWELL LEADS USA INTO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Edmonton Rush forward looks to lead US back to the top after '06 loss to Canada

07/12/2010

The stars of the National Lacrosse League are ready to play for their home countries in a tournament of the top field lacrosse talent. The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) opens it's World Championship tournament on Friday, July 16 in Manchester, England. The nine-day tournament concludes with the World Championship Final on July 24. ESPNU will air the Championship Game live on July 24 at 11am Eastern.

Similar to the soccer's World Cup, this tournament is only held once every four years. At the last tournament in 2006, Team Canada stunned their US rivals, defeating Team USA 15-10 in the World Championship Game to win their first title since 1978, and snapped the US streak of six consecutive championships (last losing to Canada in '78).

With the 2010 tournament beginning later this week, Team USA is determined to return to the top. The 23-man Team USA roster is highlighted by the stars of the NLL, including Washington Stealth transition player Paul Rabil and defenseman Eric Martin; Edmonton Rush forward Ryan Powell; Orlando Titans forward Ryan Boyle; Philadelphia Wings forward Drew Westervelt and defenseman Kyle Sweeney. The roster also includes several up and coming NLL players, including Minnesota Swarm defenseman Joe Cinosky and Wings transition player Max Seibald. NLL veterans Shawn Nadelen (Wings) and Chris Schiller (Rochester Knighthawks) bring added experience and leadership to this year's team.

Edmonton Rush forward and nine-year NLL veteran Ryan Powell will serve as a co-captain. Kevin Cassese, a three-time U.S. men's national team member, and Powell, a two-time player, were voted captains by their teammates, Team USA coaches and support staff, according to head coach Mike Pressler.
The picks were announced to the team at the conclusion of its five-day training camp, at a restaurant near Bryant University in Rhode Island around 1:30 p.m. The FIL opening ceremonies are July 15 and the U.S. opens against Australia on July 16.

"We have a lot of leadership on this team, but the team and the staff went with two or our most veteran guys that have the greatest level of experience," said Pressle, to Corey McLaughlin of Lacrosse Magazine Online, in a story posted on laxmagazine.com on July 8. "With a 23-man roster, I felt co-captains were the way to go. A Cassese-Powell captaincy is a very positive thing moving forward."
Of Powell, Pressler said: "He's a constant professional and a selfless, driven young man who has been to the highest level of lacrosse at every level of his playing career".

Powell was the second-leading scorer on the 2006 squad, with 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists) in seven games. He led Team USA with four points (2G, 2A) in that tough loss to Cananda in the 2006 Championship. He is excited for the opportunity to avenge that loss.

Cassese and Powell are among five current players who were on the U.S. team that finished runner-up to Canada at the 2006 world championship.

"This is Kevin's third time, and I know he must be thrilled. Kevin and I have a strong relationship on and off the field," Pressler said of Cassese, who played for and served an as assistant coach with Pressler at Duke and is the current head coach at Lehigh. "He's a guy we can all lean on."

A total of 30 countries will compete for the World Championship, divided into seven divisions. The US is in the Blue Division, which includes the top six teams from the 2006 tournament. The division consists of the US, Canada, Iroquois Nation, England, Australia and Japan. Team USA begins play on Friday, July 16th with a match against Australia at 2:30pm Eastern. The highly anticipated US vs. Canada game in round-robin play takes place on Saturday, July 17th at 2:30pm ET.

Four teams from this elite division will advance to the playoff rounds. The other 24 teams will play in one of six four-team divisions. The top finisher in each division will have a chance to compete for the championship with the blue division teams.

A preview of Team Canada will be posted on Wednesday. Check back to NLL.com throughout the week for updates as the stars of the NLL represent their countries in the FIL World Lacrosse Championships.