New York Titans Kick Off 2008 Season in Portland on Saturday

January 10, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Orlando Titans News Release


New York, NY - The New York Titans, the first and only pro lacrosse team to hit New York City, are set to do battle for the first time this season against the Portland LumberJax at the Rose Garden Arena on Saturday, January 12th at 10:30pm EST.

The game on Saturday is the season opener for both teams and it marks the first time the Titans and LumberJax have met.

There are many parallels between these teams on opposite coasts and the Titans game against the Jax will be an even and exciting match-up. The Jax and the Titans had identical records last season, both finishing 4-12, and identical home and away records. Both teams finished 2007 last in their divisions, the Titans in the East and the Jax in the West. And both teams feature a star Powell brother and a star Merrill brother.

Casey Powell, a former All-American and a nine-year vet of the NLL is the star forward and Captain of the Titans. Powell represented the East in the 2007 NLL All-Star game and finished last season with 51 assists and 29 goals. His younger brother Ryan Powell is also a former Syracuse All-American, a seven-year NLL vet and a forward on the LumberJax. Ryan Powell represented the West in the 2007 All-Star game and finished last season with 23 goals and 31 assists. Both brothers had nearly identical stats during their respective years as attack men for the Orangemen.

"I haven't had the opportunity to play against Ryan yet, so I'm looking forward to playing him," the oldest Powell said when he heard about the match up.

Titans defenseman Pat Merrill is a new addition to the team this season. Merrill was the first pick in the draft for the Toronto Rock in 2002 and has played for the Rock for the past four seasons. He has earned a reputation as one of the hardest hitting defenders in the league.

"Pat came in and wound up being named our assistant captain this year," said Titans Head Coach Adam Mueller. "His winning ways from Toronto and his leadership ability made him a good fit for the assistant captain position."

Pat's younger brother Brodie Merrill is a transition player for the LumberJax and is also an assistant captain.

This is the first time both pairs of brothers will face each other in an NLL game.

"Brodie Merrill said [he and Pat] had some pretty good chatter over the holiday season, so I think they're going to have some fun with it," Jax head coach Derek Keenan said after being asked about the two brothers' match-up on a media call Wednesday.

The Titans are excited to return to the field for a second season in the NLL with most of their star players returning, and they're looking forward to playing with some of the new players the team picked up in the off-season.

"I think last season the guys came into the season knowing we had to grow and learn to play together," Mueller said. "We did not really know how good we could be until the season was over. This season there is a fire, a real desire to win and I think we all know now what it takes to win."

Powell, Boyle and Maddalena, the Titans three top scorers in 2007, are all returning to the turf this season as is Mike McLellan. To round out this threatening group on attack, the Titans picked University of Delaware attackman Jordan Hall with their first pick in the 2007 NLL entry draft. In the off-season, the Titans also picked up Jeff Ratcliffe, a former NLL All-Star and seven year veteran of the league, whom Adam Mueller considers "one of the best pickers in the history of the NLL."

The Titans offense was ranked 6th in the league last year, scoring an average of 12 points per game, with the addition of Ratcliffe and Hall, the Titans are poised to have one of the most threatening offensive lines in the league in 2008.

In addition to adding Pat Merrill to their defensive unit, the Titans also picked up one of toughest defenders in the league and one of the great draw-men in NLL history. Face-off specialist Jamie Hanford signed with the Titans in December. He has played for the Colorado Mammoth for the last five seasons, has made the playoffs eight out of his nine seasons playing in the league and has won two Championships, with the Wings in 2001 and the Mammoth in 2006. Hanford was the best face-off man in the league from 2002 through 2005 and again in 2007, when he led the league with 275 face-off wins.

"2008 is going to be a great season for the Titans," said Titans Captain Casey Powell. "Last year, we were learning to play together, get used to each other. This year we know the program and we brought in some great players that will fit in well with our style of play. The fans are going to see some great lacrosse."

Fans can watch the Titans game against the LumberJax by logging onto www.nytitans.com and clicking on the B2Networks logo.

The Titans play three games on the road before opening at home when they play the San Jose Stealth on January 31st at 7:30pm at Madison Square Garden. Titans 2008 Season and Group Tickets are now available by calling 888-8TITANS or contact the Titans at tickets@nytitans.com. Season tickets start as low as $75 for all five games at the World's Most Famous Arena. Log onto www.nytitans.com for information on the Titans 2008 season schedule.

Fans can watch the Titans game against the LumberJax by logging onto www.nytitans.com and clicking on the B2Networks logo.



National Lacrosse League Stories from January 10, 2008


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