Sep 28th, 2009

Four Stealth Players Invited to Team Canada Tryouts

Four members of the Washington Stealth were included on the final list of 55 lacrosse players invited to Team Canada’s selection camp for the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World FieldChampionships.  Forwards Colin Doyle, Jeff Zywicki and Rhys Duch and defenseman Kyle Sorenson will head to Toronto, Ontario on October 9-12 to battle for a roster spot to represent Team Canada in Manchester, England in 2010.

The inclusion on the 2010 Team Canada roster will give Colin Doyle an opportunity to add to the numerous lacrosse championships that the Stealth captain has won in his distinguished career.  Doyle was a member of the Canadian team that won the World Championships in 2006. He has won two Major League Lacrosse titles in 2008 and 2009 with the Rochester Rattlers and Toronto Nationals, respectively.  He won the 2008 Mann Cup (Canadian Box Lacrosse Senior Championship) as a member of the Brampton Excelsiors and won a pair of World Indoor Lacrosse Championships with Team Canada in 2002 and 2006. 

Prior to his time with the Stealth, Doyle won five National Lacrosse League titles in eight seasons with the Toronto Rock.  In three of those Championships he was named the Champion’s Cup MVP (1999, 2002 and 2005).  He was also named the NLL MVP in 2005.  The 12-time NLL All-Pro is currently third on the NLL’s all-time points (965) and assists (581) lists.  He finished 2009 as the league’s top scorer with 111 points.

Jeff Zywicki is another highly decorated lacrosse star vying to make yet another appearance on the Team Canada roster.  He was a teammate of Doyle’s on Team Canada’s 2006 Championship team.  Zywicki was named to the All-World team after leading the Championships in goals with 28.  In 2007, Zywicki was a member Team Canada’s World Indoor Gold Medal Team.  He was also Doyle’s teammate on the 2008 and 2009 MLL Championship teams.  He was a named All-American at the University of Massachusetts in 2003 and 2005.  In the NLL, Zywicki has become one of the most feared scorers in the league.  The three-time NLL All-Star finished with 78 points last season.

Reigning NLL Rookie of the Year Rhys Duch will be looking to make his first appearance in the World Championships for Team Canada.  After being named an All-America East Conference performer at Stony Brook University (NY), Duch burst on to the NLL scene with a rookie scoring record 89 points last season.  He was also named a Western Lacrosse Association Second Team All-Star after finishing third in the league with 84 points for the Victoria Shamrocks.

Kyle Sorenson is also looking to earn his first appearance for Team Canada.  In just three NLL seasons, Sorenson has emerged as one of the league’s top defenders and a leader for the Stealth out of the back door.  After winning the Mann Cup andMinto Cup titles in 2006, he was selected second overall by the Stealth in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft. Sorensen was also a member of the 2007 Peterborough squad that won the Mann Cup.

The Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships will take place in Manchester, England in 2010.  The Team Canada roster will beselected following the tryouts in October.  Team USA has cut its roster to 40 players, featuring Stealth stars Paul Rabil, Eric Martin and Nick O’Hara who is now a free agent after spending last season on the Stealth’s practice squad.“The Stealth organization is very proud to have four of our Canadian players and three of our U.S. players attending the last selection process for their countries,” said Stealth President and General Manager Johnny Mouradian, who is also the General Manager of Team Canada.  “It takes a special athlete to reach the national team level.  They are all great character guys and we wish them the best during their quests for a World Championship.”

The FIL is gearing up for the biggest World Lacrosse Championships to date.  In 2010, there will be 31 teams competing for the title.  For more information on the FIL World Lacrosse Championships and the participating nations, go to www.2010worldlacrosse.com.

Information on the Stealth players involved in the World Championships can be found at www.stealthlax.com as training camps proceed.  Watch all of these international stars live starting in January at the Comcast Arena at Everett.  For 2010 season ticket information, call 877-MY-75-TIX.