Cannons Reload for Playoffs with Deadline Deal
Published on July 14, 2004 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release
Boston, MA (July 14, 2004) â Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced that the Boston Cannons have acquired goalie Trevor Tierney from the New Jersey Pride just hours before the trade deadline. In exchange, the Pride will receive first and fourth round selections in the 2005 Collegiate Draft and a first round choice in the 2005 Supplemental Draft.
Tierney arrives in Boston following three and a half seasons in New Jersey, where he had been the starter since the beginning of the 2003 season. Through seven games this year, he had a 19.2 goals against average and 49.6 save percentage for the 1-6 Pride. He also leads MLL goalies in ground balls with 18.
The 2003 season, his first as a starter, was Tierney's best in the MLL. He tied for second in the league in wins with a 7-5 record and was second with a 14.3 goals against average. Tierney also finished second in the league with 196 saves and faced a league-high 362 shots, finishing with a 54.1 save percentage. With Tierney backstopping the team, New Jersey finished second in the National Division and earned a post-season birth.
Tierney was initially selected by the Pride in the first round (third overall) of the 2001 Collegiate Draft following a standout career at Princeton. He led the Tigers to their sixth NCAA title in 2001, earning First Team All-America and NCAA Goalie of the Year honors. He was also a member of Princeton's 1998 National Championship squad. His father, Bill, is the legendary head coach at Princeton and a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Cannons head coach and director of player personnel Scott Hiller was clearly pleased with the trade. "Trevor is an experienced goalie," said Hiller. "He is a proven winner. Any time you can add a goalie of his experience and caliber you do it."
By picking up Tierney, the Cannons shore up possibly the strongest roster in the MLL. Boston boasts a league-best 6-1 record and is closing in on the franchise's first American Division title. But starting goalie Chris Garrity went down in Week Six with a knee injury, forcing backup Kevin O'Brien to start in his stead. Despite their strong record, the Cannons have surrendered 129 points this season, most in the MLL.
New Jersey, suffering through the worst season in franchise history, is hoping to build for the future with the deal. The Pride pick up Boston's first round selection in the 2005 Collegiate Draft as well as the fourth round pick the Cannons acquired from the Rochester Rattlers. The first round pick in the 2005 Supplemental Draft was initially New Jersey's, which the Pride shipped to Boston one month ago in acquiring midfielder Eric Wedin.
The re-tooled Cannons travel to Rochester Saturday night for a battle of division leaders. The Pride host the Baltimore Bayhawks Saturday afternoon, a game that will air nationally on Tuesday, July 20 at 4 p.m. as the Major League Lacrosse "Game of the Week" on ESPN2. Both games follow the Bud Light MLL Skills Competition, which will take place at halftime of the Long Island Lizards-Philadelphia Barrage game on Thursday. The Lizards-Barrage game and the Bud Light MLL Skills Competition will be shown on ESPN2 in a special Major League Lacrosse telecast on Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m.
Major League Lacrosse, a six-team professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded in 1999 by fitness entrepreneur Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global L.L.C., and partners Dave Morrow, a former champion lacrosse player and now CEO of Warrior Lacrosse, a leading global provider of innovative and high performance lacrosse equipment; and Timothy B. Robertson, former CEO of The Family Channel and the current chairman of Bay Shore Enterprises, L.L.C., an investment holding company with activities in international media and Internet technology ventures. The MLL commenced play in June of 2001 and enters this season with teams in Baltimore, Boston, Long Island, (Montclair) New Jersey, Philadelphia and Rochester. The 2004 MLL season began on Saturday, May 22 and concludes with the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend, Thursday, August 19 and Sunday, August 22. Additional league information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 14, 2004
- BayHawks acguire defenseman Cook from New Jersey; Two-Time All-Star Expected to Make Baltimore Debut - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- Cannons Reload for Playoffs with Deadline Deal - MLL
- Cannons Acquire Goalie Tierney - Boston Cannons
- Cannons at Rochester Saturday - Boston Cannons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
