Homegrown Lacrosse Hosts Collegiate Lacrosse Championship Tournament in St. Paul

St. Paul, MN, April 30, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Three-day tournament first step in University of St. Thomas’ pursuit of a third consecutive National Championship

Twin Cities' nonprofit Homegrown Lacrosse is proud to once again host the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) Championship tournament April 29 - May 1, 2011 at McMurray Athletic Fields and Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn.

Division I and Division II teams from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and Wisconsin will compete to represent the Midwest conference at the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) 2011 National Tournament in Denver.

For the past two years, the University of St. Thomas’ men’s lacrosse club team advanced from the UMLL tournament to go onto win the MCLA Div II title. Led by senior attackman Joe Costello, the University of St. Thomas team is heavily favored to make it three in a row – if they can make it past their conference rivals, St. John’s University and North Dakota State University. Additionally, Div. I University of Minnesota-Duluth men's club lacrosse team has made its presence felt at the National Tournament in recent years.

“Seeing the Tommie's success means a lot to Minnesota’s growing lacrosse community,” said Aron Lipkin, co-founder and executive director of Homegrown Lacrosse. “This tournament celebrates more than just the champions, it also celebrates all of the players who participate. It isn’t easy to run a team, play at this level of competitiveness and maintain their studies. The hard work and commradarie that the teams in the UMLL embody is something I believe we all should strive for.”

When: April 29 – May 1, 2011

Where:
• McMurray Athletic Fields in St. Paul, Minn. (Quarterfinals)
• Concordia University Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. (Semi’s and Champsionship)

Schedule:

Friday (McMurray Athletic Fields)
• 5:30 p.m. St. John’s University vs. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• 6:00 p.m. Carleton College vs. St. Olaf College
• 8:00 p.m. St. Cloud State vs. MSU-Mankato
• 8:30 p.m. Iowa State vs. Marquette

Saturday (Concordia)
• 9:30 a.m. Univ. of St. Thomas vs. Carleton/St. Olaf
• 12:30 p.m. North Dakota State vs. SJU/UWEC
• 3:30 p.m. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities vs. ISU/MU
• 6:30 p.m. University of Minnesota-Duluth vs. SCSU/MSUM

Sunday (Concordia)
• 1:30 p.m. Div II Championship
4:30 p.m. Div I Championship

Details:
• Competitive lacrosse action by the state’s best men’s collegiate players including the 2009 MCLA Division II Player of the Year, Joe Costello
• Division I and Division II winner advances to the MCLA National Tournament in Denver
• Free admission for Friday games; Saturday and Sunday admission is $5 (students) and $7 (parents)
• A portion of gate admissions proceeds will support Homegrown Lacrosse community development efforts including the In-School P.E. Program which introduces the sport to K-12 students throughout Minnesota and after-school programming in Minneapolis

Who: The Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) is a collegiate men’s lacrosse league comprised of six Division I and nine Division II teams in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The UMLL is one of ten conferences within the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), a national organization of non-NCAA, collegiate lacrosse programs.
• Division I teams: Iowa State University, Marquette University, Minnesota State-Mankato, St. Cloud State, University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

• Division II teams: Augsburg College, Bethel University, Carleton College, Minnesota State-Moorhead, North Dakota State, St. John's University, St. Olaf College, University of St. Thomas and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

About Homegrown Lacrosse
Founded in 2003, Homegrown Lacrosse is dedicated to encouraging positive change in the lives of youth lacrosse players and supporting the growth of the sport in Minnesota. Through community-based programming, Homegrown Lacrosse uses lacrosse to provide opportunities for individuals to get involved and cultivate the skills and relationships necessary to succeed on and off the field. Led and staffed by experienced collegiate lacrosse players, Homegrown Lacrosse holds clinics, leagues and K-12 educational programming throughout the year.

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