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June 17, 2005
Baltimore, Md. – Former UVa lacrosse standouts Ryan Curtis and Jay Jalbert are among 23 players selected to represent the United States in the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation World Championship. In addition, UVa alum Mike Caravana is one of three assistant coaches on the team.
The squad was chosen by a 24-person player selection committee, chaired by past U.S. Team goalie Larry Quinn, and named after a four-day, 120-player tryout at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County that concluded this week. A record number of 18 teams will head to Canada for the ILF Championship in July 2006 in London, Ontario. The U.S. has won eight of the nine ILF World Championships played, including six straight.
Curtis is currently plays for the Boston Cannons in Major League Lacrosse and is considered one of the league’s top defensemen. He has been named the Cannons’ Team Defensive Player of the Year the last three seasons. Two seasons ago he was named the MLL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He had a highly decorated career at UVa, earning first-team All-American honors in 1999 and 2000. In the Cavaliers’ national championship season in 1999 he was named the National Defenseman of the Year.
A two-time first-team All-American at UVa, Jalbert plays for the MLL’s Long Island Lizards. He completed his collegiate career fifth in Virginia history in goals (112). As a junior in 1999 he was named National Midfielder of the Year as the Cavaliers won the national championship, their first since 1972. He has been a stellar professional player since graduating from UVa in 2000. He was named MLL Most Valuable Player in 2003 and is a four-time MLL All-Star.
Caravana is one of three assistant coaches on Syracuse coach John Desko’s staff for the World Team. He was a four-time All-American selection on attack at UVa from 1980-83. He helped lead the Cavaliers to three final four berths and two ACC championships and finished his career third in school history in assists and fourth in points. Following his collegiate playing days, he was an assistant coach at Brown (under current UVa head coach Dom Starsia) and UVa (under Jim Adams). He was recently named head coach at nearby Woodberry Forest School after 15 years as head coach at Ohio’s Denison University.
The complete team is below.
2006 U.S. Men’s Lacrosse Team
Name Pos Current Team CollegeRyan Boyle* A Philadelphia (MLL) Princeton ’04Kevin Cassese* M Rochester (MLL) Duke ’03Roy Colsey M Philadelphia (MLL) Syracuse `95Christian Cook D Baltimore (MLL) Princeton `98Ryan Curtis D Boston (MLL) Virginia `00John Gagliardi D Long Island (MLL) Johns Hopkins `97Chris Garrity G Boston (MLL) Penn State `03Kyle Harrison M New Jersey (MLL) Johns Hopkins ’05A.J. Haugen M Long Island (MLL) Johns Hopkins `00Jay Jalbert M Long Island (MLL) Virginia `00Pat McCabe# D Long Island (MLL) Syracuse `91Blake Miller# M Long Island (MLL) Hofstra `96Nick Polanco D Long Island (MLL) Hofstra `02Casey Powell# A Rochester (MLL) Syracuse `98Michael Powell* A Baltimore (MLL) Syracuse ’04Ryan Powell A Rochester (MLL) Syracuse ’00Todd Rassas* D Capital LC (USCLA) Notre Dame `98Doug Shanahan* M Philadelphia (MLL) Hofstra `01Matt Striebel* M Philadelphia (MLL) Princeton `01Kyle Sweeney D Philadelphia (MLL) Georgetown `03Trevor Tierney* G Baltimore (MLL) Princeton `01Scott Urick A New Jersey (MLL) Georgetown `00Joe Walters A Univ. of Maryland Maryland ’06
* – Member of 2002 U.S. Team# – Member of 1998 U.S. Team
Head Coach: John Desko (Syracuse)Assistant Coaches: Mike Caravana (Woodberry Forest), Matt Kerwick (Hobart), Scott Marr (Albany)