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Minnesota Swarm Signs Forward Ashton McLean, Adds Doddridge and Lines to Scouting Staff

January 17, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Minnesota Swarm News Release


SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota Swarm General Manager Marty O'Neill today announced the National Lacrosse League (NLL) team has signed free agent forward Ashton McLean to a contract. Minnesota also named Neil Doddridge Director of Scouting and named Mike Lines Eastern Scout.

McLean, 24 (6/28/82), was selected by the Rochester Knighthawks in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2006 NLL Entry Draft and was released on Dec. 14. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound forward collected seven points (4-3=7) in 11 regular season games with the Brooklin Redmen of the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) in 2006 and notched six points (3-3=6) in eight playoff contests. The Toronto, Ontario-native was a standout athlete in both lacrosse and hockey at Elmira College in New York. He finished the 2006 lacrosse season tied for the team-lead in goals with 19 and added six assists for 25 points. McLean was named the 2005-06 Elmira College Male Athlete of the Year. He will wear jersey #6 with the Swarm.

Doddridge, 37 (9/15/69), was the first player to sign a contract with Minnesota on October 12, 2004 and appeared in four games with the Swarm during its inaugural season before retiring at the end of the 2005 campaign. He appeared in 121 regular season contests during his 15-year career with Detroit, Boston, Buffalo, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Washington, Calgary and Minnesota and tallied 187 points (94-93=187), 500 loose balls and is the NLL's all-time leader in penalty minutes (PIM) with 362. The Mississauga, Ontario-native won a record seven Mann Cup's, including six consecutive championships from 1992-1997 and again in 1999, including three times each with Swarm General Manager Marty O'Neill and Head Coach Duane Jacobs. Doddridge has also won two NLL Championships with Detroit (1991) and Buffalo (1996). In addition, he was a member of Team Canada's 2002 World Championship Field Lacrosse Team that lost to the United States in the Gold Medal Game and played for Team Scotland in the 1998 World Championships. Doddridge and his wife, Josephine, have a son, Liam, and currently reside in Vancouver, British Columbia where he works as an oil rig firefighter in the Alberta/British Columbia oil patch.

Lines, 36 (8/30/70), served as a Scout with the NLL's Buffalo Bandits last season and has extensive coaching experience in the St. Catharines minor lacrosse system where he currently serves as the Head Coach of the Niagara Thunderhawks of the Ontario Junior 'B' Lacrosse Association. He spent part of his playing career with Swarm Head Coach Duane Jacobs and won a 1990 Minto Cup with the St. Catharines Athletics.

Minnesota hosts the Rochester Knighthawks Friday at 7:00 PM at Xcel Energy Center. For more information on becoming a Minnesota Swarm season ticket holder please call (888) MN-SWARM.

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