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MLL Ohio Machine

Machine Announces 23-Man Protected Roster

September 19, 2014 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Ohio Machine News Release


COLUMBUS, OHIO (September 19, 2014) - The Ohio Machine announced today its 23-man protected roster, which includes the team's top 13 scorers from the 2014 season. Team captains Kyle Harrison, Brian Phipps and Steele Stanwick all return to the Machine with team captain Greg Bice announcing his retirement earlier this week.

"We feel the group we have coming back puts us in a great position to contend for a championship in 2015," Machine Vice President & Head Coach Bear Davis said. "Our offense did the heavy lifting for us last season, but towards the end of the year, our defense came up big and helped us reach the playoffs for the first time. We are confident this group of players can keep last year's momentum going into next season."

After leading Major League Lacrosse with 200 goals scored in 2014, the Machine's 23-man protected roster returns 191 of those goals. Marcus Holman and Peter Baum led the Machine with 50 points each last season. Holman also led the league with 37 goals scored, while Baum finished third in the league with 35 goals. Logan Schuss (38 points), Steele Stanwick (36 points), Kyle Harrison (33 points) and Tom Schreiber (20 points) all return to the Machine in 2015 after posting 20 or more points last season. In total, the Machine returns 96 percent of its league-leading offense from last season.

"This is the most talented young team in the league and we're all excited to see this roster take the next step in 2015," Machine President & General Manager John Algie said.

The defensive side of the ball returns an experienced group that helped push the team into the playoffs in 2014. During the Machine's five game winning streak to end the 2014 regular season, the defense, led by goalie Brian Phipps and defensemen Brian Farrell, Steven Waldeck and Dana Wilber, twice played the key role in consecutive overtime victories. The defense is aided by the return of defensive midfielders Dominique Alexander, Jake Bernhardt and Dan Groot.

Three players on the Machine's 23-man protected rosters are graduates of Ohio State. Alexander, face-off specialist Eric O'Brien and Schuss all donned the Scarlet and Gray in college. Additionally, Upper Arlington native Max Schmidt and Dublin native Marshall Burkhart were protected by the Machine. Burkhart missed the 2014 season while on the physically unable to perform list while rehabbing from injury. Per MLL rules, each team is required to cut its roster down to 23 players regardless of each player's status heading into the off season.

Players not protected by the Machine are eligible for the 2015 MLL Supplemental Draft held on December 17, 2014. The Machine will continue to add to its roster on January 23, 2015 at the 2015 MLL Collegiate Draft. The Machine holds six picks in the upcoming Collegiate Draft, including the fifth overall pick.

Season tickets for the Machine's 2015 season are now on sale and range from General Admission at $92 to a Field Level Box at $2,400 and include seven regular season home games plus a 2015 MLL playoff game. Information on 2015 season tickets can be found at http://www.theohiomachine.com/2015seasontickets or by calling 614-754-1973.

Ohio Machine 23-Man Protected Roster:

PLAYER POSITION COLLEGE

Dominique Alexander Midfield Ohio State University

Peter Baum Midfield Colgate University

Jake Bernhardt Midfield University of Maryland

Marshall Burkhart Midfield Johns Hopkins University

Kevin Cooper Midfield University of Maryland

Bobby Dattilo Face-off Specialist Hobart University

Brian Farrell Defense University of Maryland

Dan Groot Midfield University of Maryland

Kyle Harrison Midfield Johns Hopkins University

Marcus Holman Attack University of North Carolina

Derek Maltz Attack Syracuse University

Eric O'Brien Face-off Specialist Ohio State University

Stephen O'Hara Defense University of Notre Dame

Brian Phipps Goalie University of Maryland

Jackson Place Defense Bucknell University

Scott Rodgers Goalie University of Notre Dame

Max Schmidt Defense University of Maryland

Tom Schreiber Midfield Princeton University

Logan Schuss Attack Ohio State University

Steele Stanwick Attack University of Virginia

Steven Waldeck Defense Stony Brook University

Chad Wiedmaier Defense Princeton University

Dana Wilber Defense Drexel University

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