New Balance Championship Weekend Returns to Boston

February 16, 2005 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release

Boston, MA (February 16, 2005) – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced today that the 2005 New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend will return to Boston's Nickerson Field on August 19 and 21, according to MLL Commissioner David Gross. The semi-final games will be held at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, August 19. The two semi-final winners will advance to the New Balance Championship Game on Sunday, August 21 at 1 p.m. The Championship Game will air later that afternoon at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Last year, the New Balance MLL Championship Weekend in Boston drew over 15,000 fans for all three playoff games including a MLL postseason record of 8,279 fans for the New Balance Championship Game.

"Boston is a big-time sports city, with smart and enthusiastic sports fans, the perfect host for our 2005 New Balance Championship Weekend," said MLL Founder Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global. "Last season's New Balance Championship Weekend was unbelievable. The Boston crowd came out in huge numbers to support the MLL. We look forward to partnering with the City of Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston University again to bring this world class sporting event to a world class city. The atmosphere at Nickerson Field on August 19 and 21 will be awesome, something all sports fans will want to be a part of."

Tickets for the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend are available for purchase immediately. Tickets for the Semi-Finals are $15, which includes admission to both Semi-Final games, and Championship Game admission is $20. Fans can save by purchasing a package of tickets to both the Semi-Finals and Championship Game for $30. Groups of 20 or more booked in advance will also enjoy a discount of 20% off the cost of individual tickets. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (866) MLL-TIXX or online at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

"Last year's New Balance Championship Weekend was our most successful to date," said Gross. "We were thrilled at the fan response here in Boston and throughout the country. Boston University's Nickerson Field is a first rate facility, a perfect venue to showcase our semi-final games and the New Balance Championship Game. The crowd in Boston is amazing and the city offers so much to people coming in from out of town. Fans from around the country should mark that weekend on their calendars, and come experience the best lacrosse in the world, as well as the many great attractions of the City of Boston."

The regular season division winners in the American and National divisions earn berths at the New Balance MLL Championship Weekend. Two Wild Card spots are awarded to the two teams with the next best regular season records, regardless of division. The division winner with the better record plays the Wild Card team with the lesser record in one Semi-Final game, with the remaining division winner and Wild Card team facing off in the other Semi-Final.

The Baltimore Bayhawks, Boston Cannons, Philadelphia Barrage and Rochester Rattlers advanced to last year's New Balance MLL Championship Weekend. The Barrage won their first-ever MLL title, beating the Cannons by 13-11 in the New Balance Championship Game. Philadelphia goalkeeper Greg Cattrano was named the game's Bud Light MVP, making 19 saves. Barrage midfielder Roy Colsey scored four goals and added an assist to lead all scorers with five total points. Philadelphia not only notched its first championship, but the 2004 New Balance Championship Weekend also marked the Barrage's first-ever postseason appearance. Baltimore and Boston are the only two teams to appear in the playoffs in each of the MLL's first four seasons. Rochester has appeared in the playoffs twice.

As an anchor level corporate sponsor of Major League Lacrosse, New Balance is the "Official Footwear and Sideline Apparel of Major League Lacrosse." The New Balance logo also appears on the Boston Cannons team uniform. The Warrior Burn lacrosse shoe by New Balance debuted in February 2004. Designed and tested by members of the Warrior Lacrosse Players Club Team, the Burn is the world's first lacrosse shoe developed by the world's best players.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, is a leading manufacturer of technologically innovative width-sized performance footwear and athletic apparel for women, men, and children. The range of product categories includes running, walking, cross training, basketball, tennis, adventure, and kids. Dunham joined the New Balance family in Fall 1998. Dunham an outdoor performance brand known for its technologies, innovations and development of footwear that is lightweight, comfortable and inspired by the world outside. New Balance acquired the rights to the PF Flyers brand in February 2000. First introduced in 1937 by the B.F. Goodrich Company, PF Flyers was re-launched in Spring 2003 as an authentic brand of active casual footwear. Aravon® comfort performance brand footwear debuted in January 2004 as an unsurpassed blend of fit, comfort, support and style. In early 2004, New Balance acquired Warrior Lacrosse, widely recognized as the world's most cutting edge manufacturer of lacrosse equipment, after introducing the Warrior Burn by New Balance lacrosse shoe. New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. employs more than 2,600 people around the globe, and in 2003 reported worldwide sales of $1.3 billion. For more information please visit http://www.newbalance.com.

About Major League Lacrosse

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 has teams in Baltimore, Boston, Long Island, (Montclair) New Jersey, Philadelphia and Rochester. The 2005 MLL season will begin on Friday, May 20 and conclude with the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend at Boston University's Nickerson Field on Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21. Additional league information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

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