Barrage Acquire Defenseman Brian Kuczma in Trade with Boston Cannons
April 19, 2004 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Philadelphia Barrage News Release
Villanova, PA (April 19, 2004) - In a big trade less than one week before the opening of the 2004 Training Camp, the Philadelphia Barrage have acquired one of the top defensemen in Major League Lacrosse. Brian Kuczma will join the Barrage in time for Saturday's Opening of Training Camp and add some much-needed veteran leadership to the defensive unit. The Barrage also acquired Boston's 1st Round Pick (3rd Overall) and 2nd Round Pick (10th Overall) in this year's Collegiate Draft. Philadelphia traded Midfielder Chris Rotelli and the team's First Round Selection in the 2005 Collegiate Draft.
Kuczma has played with the Cannons since the league's inception in 2001. He has appeared in all 40 Regular Season games and all 3 Post-Season Games for Boston, and selected as team Co-Captain in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he was fifth on the Boston team in Groundballs with 31, and is currently 3rd All-Time in Cannon's history with 82 Groundballs. Regarded as one of the top defenders in the league, he was selected to his first MLL All-Star Game in 2003. Kuczma is a 1997 graduate of Johns Hopkins University where he was a three-time All-American, and named the NCAA Defenseman of the Year during his senior season.
"Brian is the type of player who is going to help us win now," said Barrage Head Coach Sal LoCascio. "His leadership will be a tremendous asset for our defensive unit throughout the 2004 season. It is our focus this season to surround ourselves with the best defensive players possible, and Brian is a key ingredient to our success."
Through the trade, the Barrage will send Midfielder Chris Rotelli to the Cannons. Rotelli was the 2003 Tewaaraton Award Winner and helped the University of Virginia win the 2003 NCAA Championship. He appeared in 11 games with the Barrage last season, recording 10 goals and 1 assist. Regarded as a "complete midfielder of the old-school variety", Rotelli plays well on both the offensive and defensive ends of the field. The trade will enable Chris to reunite with two former UVA teammates, Ryan Curtis and Conor Gill.
"While it is difficult to let a player like Chris go, we felt we had a great opportunity to improve one of our weaker areas on the field," said LoCascio.
Kuczma is the second MLL Veteran added to the defensive end of the Barrage roster this off-season. In December, the Barrage acquired Goalie Greg Cattrano from the Baltimore Bayhawks. These are major steps to improving a defense that ranked last in the league in nearly every statistical category.
The Philadelphia Barrage open their 2004 season at Villanova Stadium against the New Jersey Pride. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Season and Group Tickets are available now by calling the Barrage Ticket Office at 888-450-7802. Ticket order forms are also available at the Philadelphia Barrage website at www.thebarrage.com.
About Villanova Stadium
Originally built in 1927 and dedicated on October 8, 1927, Villanova Stadium plays host to a wide variety of events including serving as home to the Wildcat football, field hockey, lacrosse, and track and field teams. The Stadium has a long and successful tradition, as the Wildcats began their 76th season of conducting intercollegiate athletic events inside the distinguished on campus stadium in 2003-04.
Although the complex was originally dedicated as Villanova Stadium back in 1927, this historic site also includes two memorials to former Wildcats. On September 27, 1980, the track encircling Goodreau Field was dedicated to longtime Villanova running coach James "Jumbo" Elliott. Therefore, the 'Cats play football, lacrosse, and field hockey on Goodreau Field, while the track team runs on the Elliott Track, all within Villanova Stadium. The track, named after Villanova's legendary coach, is an 8-lane Rekortan surface.
During Villanova Stadium's 76-year history, it has gone through a number of changes. In the fall of 1999, the Stadium underwent a face-lift with the Stadium Renovation Project. Included in this project was a state of the art press box that included a first class facility for both print and radio media to use, in addition to housing an 80-person meeting room for all Villanova Athletic Department personnel to use. There was also a new look added to Villanova Stadium in 2002, as the former AstroTurf playing field was replaced during the spring of 2002 with a synthetic grass surface known as AstroPlay.
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, 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 with teams in Baltimore, Boston, (Bridgeport) Connecticut, Long Island, (Bridgewater) New Jersey and Rochester. The 2004 MLL season begins on Saturday, May 22 and concludes with the New Balance Championship Weekend, Friday-Sunday, August 20-22. League information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from April 19, 2004
- Cannons trade for midfielder Chris Rotelli - Boston Cannons
- Barrage Acquire Defenseman Brian Kuczma in Trade with Boston Cannons - Philadelphia Barrage
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