June 16, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Led by current assistant men's lacrosse coach Scott Urick, the Georgetown University men's lacrosse program has put its stamp on the professional level, with a slew of former Hoyas playing in Major League Lacrosse this season.

The Hoyas finished the 2006 season with a 12-3 overall record and won the ECAC Lacrosse League Championship for the fifth time in the last seven years. Georgetown, ranked No. 5 in the country in the final polls by Inside Lacrosse and STX/USILA, reached the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight year and for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Urick, who leads the MLL in scoring through the first four weeks of the regular season, is one of 13 former Hoyas who are currently on Major League Lacrosse rosters, including three 2006 graduates who were selected in last month's collegiate draft and two who were selected to play in this year's league All-Star game.

In his sixth season in the MLL, Urick is one of five former Hoyas on the roster of the New Jersey Pride. Urick, who has played in every game in the Pride's history and was selected in the inaugural league draft in 2001, leads the MLL in scoring with 20 points. He has scored 14 goals, including one two-point goal, and added five assists as he has helped guide the Pride to a 3-1 record.

He is joined on the New Jersey team by 2004 graduate Walid Hajj and 2005 graduate Andy Corno. Hajj, a midfielder, is in his third year with the Pride. He has scored two goals in three games this season. Last year, Hajj appeared in every game and scored 11 goals. Corno, a middie and face-off specialist, is in his second season with the team. He has appeared in all four of the team's games, scoring one goal and winning 57.6 percent of his face-off opportunities (72-of-125). A pair of 2006 Georgetown graduates, Reyn Garnett and Dave Paolisso, were selected by the Pride in the league's draft last month.

Scott Schroeder (B'02) and Neal Goldman (B'04) are both playing for the Baltimore Bayhawks. Schroeder, a goalie, is in his first season with Baltimore after playing the first three years of his professional career with New Jersey. Goldman, an attackman, has seven goals and eight points in his second professional season.

The Philadelphia Barrage has a pair of former Hoyas on its roster, led by defender Kyle Sweeney (B'03). Sweeney, who is a member of the United States National team with Urick, is in his fourth season with the Barrage. He helped lead the squad to the 2003 MLL title and has helped guide the team to a league-best 4-0 record so far. He was recently joined on the squad by 2006 graduate Peter Cannon.

Three more Hoyas play in the league's Eastern Conference with the Rochester Rattlers. Six-year league veteran Kevin O'Brien (`B99) was the seventh overall selection by the Rattlers in the league's 2006 Supplemental Draft. Brice Queener, a 2005 graduate, was selected in the third round of the supplemental draft and has appeared in two games this season. They were joined by 2005 graduate Brodie Merrill, who went to the Rattlers in the offseason after winning the 2005 MLL Championship with the Baltimore Bayhawks. With the Bayhawks, Merrill scored three goals, had one assist and picked up 52 ground balls in 11 games, good enough to be named MLL Rookie of the Year. Merrill hasn't let up in 2006, scoring two goals through four games while scooping up 30 ground balls.

The lone Hoya playing in the league's Western Conference is Steve Dusseau (C'02), who is in his first season with the Chicago Machine. Dusseau had played the previous four seasons with the Boston Cannons before being selected by Chicago in the supplemental draft.

Corno and Merrill, meanwhile, were honored by the MLL on June 14, being selected to play in the league's all-star game. The MLL All-Star game, coincidentally, will match up the league's top players against the United States National Team, which will feature both Urick and Sweeney. The MLL All-Stars will face-off against Team USA on Thursday, July 6, 2006 at Nickerson Field in Boston.