Boston Cannons Name Turner as Starting Goalie for 2008
Published on June 3, 2008 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Boston Cannons News Release
BOSTON, MA - Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - The Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) have named second-year goalie Kip Turner as the team's starter for this season, Cannons Vice President and General Manager Mark Kastrud announced today.
"As a coaching staff, we all agree that Kip has shown that he's ready to take the next step," said Head Coach Bill Daye. "Both of our goalies can stop the ball. What made the decision for us to go with Kip were the intangibles; the way he handles the ball out of the cage, his athletic ability in getting groundballs and being able to push the ball up the field, the fact that he doesn't give up a lot of rebounds and he gets his stick on a lot of balls and controls the initial shot. Although they may seem small to the average lacrosse fan, all of those things are huge when we're talking about possession and not giving opposing offenses second opportunities."
"I was thrilled to hear the news. It's definitely comforting to know that the coaching staff has some confidence in me and that they are ready to see me perform," said Turner. "In this league, the toughest thing is to be consistent. Everyone shoots a lot harder and a lot more accurate than in the college game and we have the best players in the world shooting on goal. I'm pretty excited."
Turner, 23, has appeared in two games for the Cannons this season. He played the second half of the Cannons season-opening victory against the New Jersey Pride on May 17, earning a win with eight saves on the 13 shots he faced, and he also played all 64 minutes of game action in the Cannons' 20-19 overtime loss to the Long Island Lizards on May 31, stopping 16 of 36 shots.
Originally drafted by the Cannons in the first round (second overall) of the 2007 MLL Collegiate Draft, the 5-10, 179 pound native of Annapolis, Maryland, played in three games for the Cannons in 2007 and earned a record of 1-1, stopping 29 of the 61 shots he faced during his rookie season.
A 2007 graduate of the University of Virginia, Turner backstopped the Cavaliers to a Division-I National Championship as a junior in 2006 and was named as the team's Defensive MVP. He earned All-ACC and Honorable Mention All-American honors as a senior in 2007, while allowing eight goals or fewer per game and posting a .552 save-percentage. As a junior, Turner started all 17 games and allowed an average of 7.14 goals per game to rank eighth in the nation and second in the ACC. He finished his collegiate career with 49 games played and 412 saves, good for tenth in school history.
The Cannons will return to action when they travel to Yurcak Field to take on the New Jersey Pride on Friday, June 6 at 7:30 PM. The game will air live in the New England area on CN8.
Cannons Flex Packs and individual game tickets are on sale now. The Cannons offer outstanding games and entertainment perfect for families, corporate outings and groups of friends.
For more information, or to purchase Cannons tickets, visit BOSTONCANNONS.COM or call (617) 746-9933.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from June 3, 2008
- Boston Cannons Name Turner as Starting Goalie for 2008 - Boston Cannons
- Chicago Machine's Mike Leveille Named Pro Lacrosse Rookie Of the Week - Chicago Machine
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