Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/12/12
It was supposed to be a homecoming for Kyle Sweeney today when the Philadelphia Wings host the Buffalo Bandits at the Wells Fargo Center (4 p.m.) in a National Lacrosse League contest.
But Sweeney, the Springfield-Delco graduate who was a fixture for the Wings for seven years until being released in mid-season last year, was cut Friday by the Bandits.
Sweeney, who also starred for the Philadelphia Barrage in major League Lacrosse, was let go as part of a major roster shuffle by the Bandits (2-3) – mired in a three-game losing streak.
General manager and coach Darris Kilgour also traded defenseman Jeff Cornwall to Edmonton for a pair of second-round draft choices as part of the shuffle.
Sweeney and Cornwall were both in their first seasons as Bandits. Sweeney was signed as a free agent in the offseason after being released by the Edmonton Rush, who signed him last year when he was cut by the Wings.
The Wings, meanwhile, need a victory after falling last week to Toronto, 15-6, a loss that snapped their two-game win streak.
For the first time in American pro sports history, the Wings will feature players’ Twitter handles on the back of their jerseys in place of traditional last names.
Since formally receiving NLL approval for the jerseys in December 2011, every player on the Wings has registered for a Twitter handle. Several of the new ‘tweeters’ have embraced the social media tool as a way to connect on a more personal level with fans while also strengthening bonds with their teammates.
Following Sunday’s game, the one-of-a-kind, game-worn Twitter jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.
The Wings already defeated the Bandits on the road this season, a 13-10 victory on January 27 in which Philadelphia outscored Buffalo 6-1 in the decisive fourth quarter.
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