University of Oregon Fall Preview

For Immediate Release – Oregon Lacrosse

Eugene, Or. –The University of Oregon men’s lacrosse team finished last season in Denver with what many of the players have called a “learning experience” for the young team and, after graduating only three starters, Oregon has their sights set on the National Championship Tournament once again.

After a tough week of tryouts, the Ducks have announced their roster for the 2009-2010 season and welcome sixteen new freshman to the team. Coach Joe Kerwin said, “We had a really competitive week of tryouts this year and I’m excited to see what these young guys can do. We had to make some tough decisions but I know that we’ll be putting the strongest team we can out on the field.”

Another new addition to the team is Head Coach Joe Kerwin, who returns to Eugene after a two year hiatus at Notre Dame de Namur. Senior attackman Justin Blackmore said of having Kerwin back, “You can tell that everyone’s really excited about the change just from the first couple weeks of practice. We know Coach Kerwin is going to be a good leader for the program and will take us where we want to go in the future.” Also, Assistant Coach Jon Bongiorno joins the Ducks after being an assistant and head coach at Eugene’s Marist High School for the last four years.

Despite the loss of three impact players from last years’ squad, the Ducks don’t think they will experience much of a drop off because of the depth and talent of the team that looks to replace them. The U of O will especially look to senior captains Justin Blackmore, Brett Whyte, Erik Lyneis, and Mike Gerrard, as well as juniors Nick Johnston, Kevin Clark, and Austin Zilis to lead the team on and off the field throughout the year.

The Ducks will start their fall season with scrimmages with on Saturday, October 24 from 11am- 4pm. Following a week of practice the annual Oregon Lacrosse Alumni Game will be played Friday, October 30 at 7pm under the lights of the University Nex-Turf field. And to finish up Fall Ball, the Ducks will host the annual University of Oregon Fall Classic Saturday, November 7. Teams participating in the Fall Classic include Oregon State, Western Oregon University, Willamette University, and the Portland Lacrosse Club.