Chicago Machine Pro Lacrosse Training Camp Starts April 26
35 Players – Including 5 Open Tryout Walk-Ons – To Compete for 23-Man Roster
Chicago, IL - Thirty-five of the nation’s top lacrosse players will compete for a spot on the 2008 roster of the Chicago Machine Major League Lacrosse team at three weekend training camps starting this Saturday & Sunday, April 26-27. Chicago Machine training camps will take place at the Chicago Academy, 3400 North Austin Boulevard, April 26-27, May 3-4 and May 10.
The final training camp will take place Sunday, May 11, at Toyota Park, 7000 S. Harlem, Bridgeview, the site of Chicago Machine home games. The final Chicago Machine roster will be announced May 12. The season opens Sunday, May 18.
Chicago Machine training camps are open to the public. “This is another Chicago professional sports team filled with great young players who are rising stars,” said John Meister, president and general manager of the Chicago Machine. “In just our third season, we have great expectations from this year’s team and welcome people to come to Chicago Academy to watch our training camp, cheer on our players, and support this great sport.”
Saturday sessions (April 26, May 3, and May 10) take place from 9:30 am to Noon and from 4 pm to 6 pm. Sunday sessions (April 27, May 4 and May 11) take place from 10 am to Noon.
Youth Lacrosse Clinic
A special Youth Lacrosse Clinic will take place on Saturday, April 26, from Noon to 2 pm. Youth interested in participating in the clinic should call (312) 255-1522. “We want to grow lacrosse in the Chicago area,” said Meister. “Watching training camp and participating in our clinic should benefit and inspire the region’s top youth lacrosse players.”
Five Selected for Training Camp from Open Tryout
Invitations to Chicago Machine training camp were extended to five players selected from Open Tryouts held on April 13. Paul Stansik (Defenseman, Bucknell University), Mike Kruger (Goalie, Fairfield University), Joe Barile (Midfielder, Hofstra University), Ryan O'Connor (Defenseman, Dartmouth College) and Sidney Jones (Midfielder, University of Minnesota) were selected from more than three dozen hopefuls and will join the team for training camp.
“These five players distinguished themselves at our open tryouts,” said Machine Head Coach John Combs. “We are excited to run them through the paces at training camp and see how they perform.”
About the Chicago Machine
The Chicago Machine is Chicago’s outdoor professional men’s lacrosse team, members of the Western Conference of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Now in their third season, the Chicago Machine plays at Toyota Park, 15 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago. Led by head coach John Combs, the team has top players from nationally ranked college programs such as Notre Dame, Cornell, UMass, Virginia, Navy and Syracuse. The Chicago Machine open their third season at home on Sunday, May 18, 2008, against conference rival San Francisco Dragons. Season tickets and individual game tickets are now available. For game schedule, ticketing, team and player information, visit www.chicagomachine.com.
Contact: Kevin Boyer, (312) 588-3713, Kevin.Boyer@allterrain.net
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