Five Philly women lead US World Cup team in pursuit of title in Prague; men’s tryouts to be held next week

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/4/09

Five Philly women will lead the U.S. National team in hopes of regaining the title June 17-27 in the Federation of International Lacrosse’s (FIL) World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic.

Michi Ellers (Strath Haven, Georgetown grad), Regina Oliver (Pottstown, Ohio State grad), Whitney Douthett (Newtown, Dartmouth), Michele DeJuliis (Ultimate Goal Club Director, Penn State) and Holly McGarvie (Ultimate Goal Coach, Princeton) will represent the Philly area for the US in its quest to unseat Australia as champion.

The World Cup takes place every four years. In 2005, Australia upset the defending champion USA on American turf in Annapolis,Md.

Sixteen countries will compete in the FIL World Cup. To learn more about the event that is the culmination of four years of tryouts, training, and traveling, visit the FIL World Cup website http://www.lacrosseworldcup2009.com/

Team USA’s roster consists of the best lacrosse players in the country. A few of the athletes are just coming off an eventful NCAA run over Memorial Day weekend. The U.S. Women’s National Team roster is also the youngest roster in U.S. history. You’ll see some familiar names, alongside the head coach, Sue Heether, who is a three-time World Cup champion in her own right.

Men’s World Cup Tryouts

Tryouts for the U.S. men’s team will be held June 8-10, at Bryant University (Smithfield, R.I.). The FIL World Championship will be held in Manchester, England from July 10-24, 2010. Eighty-four athletes will compete for the most prestigious roster in the world. See the list of invited lacrosse players here:http://www.uslacrosse.org/news/2009/tryoutlist2010.phtml.

Philly are players who were invited to the tryouts include: Kyle Sweeney (Springfield-Delco, Philadelphia Wings), Kevin Cassese (Lehigh coach), Virginia All-American defender Ken Clausen (Hill School), Drew Westervelt (Wings), John Christmas (Lower Merion, on leave from the Wings), Adam Crystal (Drexel grad) Pat Heim (Conestoga, Wings), Bill McGlone (Ridley), Tony McDevitt (Penn Charter) and goalies Brian Dougherty (Episcopal Academy, Haverford College assistant) and Matt McMonagle (Episcopal Academy).

The U.S. has won seven of the nine world titles held since 1974, failing to win gold only in 1978 and 2006. The 2010 U.S. team will be coached by Mike Pressler, the head coach at Bryant University. Tony Resch, formerly the head coach of the now-defunct Barrage and the assistant coach for scholastic power La Salle College High, is an assistant.