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Wings Announce Final Roster for 2009 Season

December 23, 2008 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Philadelphia Wings News Release


Philadelphia Wings General Manager Lindsay Sanderson announced the team's final 23-man roster for the 2009 season. The team is returning 14 players from the 2008 squad that went 10-6 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Key players returning for 2009 include the team's top goaltending duo of Rob Blasdell and Brandon Miller. Wings All-Stars Geoff Snider and Taylor Wray will back this year; as will All-Rookie Team member Merrick Thomson. Captain Thomas Hajek will enter his sixth season with the team and will be joined by fellow defenders Kyle Sweeney and Shawn Nadelen who will once again be an Assistant Captain. Rookie free agent, Pat Heim (Bryn Mawr, PA), who started all 16 games in 2008 will also be returning to the Wachovia Center in 2009.

The Wings nine new faces for 2009 include draft choices Sean Thomson (first round), Matt Bocklet (second round) and Jordan Levine (fourth round). They will be joined by rookie free agents George Castle (Philadelphia, PA), Matt Casey (Philadelphia, PA), and Benson Erwin (Baltimore, MD). Former rookie standout, Kyle Wailes (Springfield, PA), will be returning to the Wings for 2009 after a one year absence from the National Lacrosse League. He will be joined on the attack by veteran Mat Giles, who led Chicago in goals scored in 2008. Conor Ford will also suit up for Philadelphia in 2009, after he was a member of the team's practice squad last year.

National Lacrosse League MVP and single season goal scoring record holder, Athan Iannucci, is currently listed on the NLL's Physically Unable to Perform list pending a full team physical.

The Wings open their 2009 home season on Friday, January 23 vs. the Boston Blazers at the Wachovia Center. Guarantee great seats for all eight home games of Wings lacrosse by reserving your season tickets now! Season Tickets are on-sale with Lower Level seats starting at just $21 per game.

2009 PHILADELPHIA WINGS ROSTER

NUMBER

FIRST

LAST

HEIGHT

WEIGHT

2

JIM

BORELL

6'

179

4

GEOFF

SNIDER (A)

5'11"

205

5

GEORGE

CASTLE

6'1"

190

7

KYLE

SWEENEY

6'2"

193

8

A.J.

SHANNON

6'

210

9

MERRICK

THOMSON

6'2"

210

10

MATT

BOCKLET

5'9"

190

11

MATT

CASEY

6'

180

16

CONOR

FORD

5'10"

235

17

JORDAN

LEVINE

5'8"

170

22

DAVID

MITCHELL

6'1"

195

24

SEAN

THOMSON

6'2"

220

25

PAT

HEIM

5'11"

205

26

DREW

WESTERVELT

6'5"

225

27

MAT

GILES

6'4"

245

28

THOMAS

HAJEK ( C )

5'10"

185

31

ROB

BLASDELL

6'1"

205

34

SHAWN

NADELEN (A)

6'

200

36

BRANDON

MILLER

6'1"

195

37

BENSON

ERWIN

6'1"

190

44

TAYLOR

WRAY

6'2"

230

77

ROB

VAN BEEK

5'10"

200

88

KYLE

WAILES

6'1"

205

23

ATHAN

IANNUCCI*

6'4"

215

*Physically Unable to Perform List

70

MICKEY

HOVER**

6'2"

330

**Practice Squad



National Lacrosse League Stories from December 23, 2008


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