BOSTON, Mass. (May 26, 2009) – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, will hold its annual 2009 Brine Major League Challenge and Collegiate Draft  at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey on Wednesday, May 27. It will be the second time in as many years the draft will be held at Stevens which has the longest continuously running collegiate lacrosse program in the country.

“Major League Lacrosse is eager to return to Stevens for our Collegiate Draft,” said MLL Commissioner David Gross (Boston, Mass.). “With the New York City skyline in the background, the Stevens campus provides a perfect backdrop for one of our signature events.  Also, we were very impressed with the fact that the entire staff at Stevens went out of their way to make last year's event a success. We look forward to working with them again this spring to make the 2009 Draft even better.”

“Our department and the institution as a whole feels privileged to be able to host the Major League Lacrosse draft for the second time in as many years,” said Stevens Director of Athletics Russell Rogers (Branchburg, N.J.).  “We feel last year went extremely well and provided the league with a great place to host many of its future stars while also giving our school great exposure. Everyone is already looking forward to the event.”
            
Each season, Major League Lacrosse invites approximately 40 of the nation's top graduating seniors to participate in MLL Draft day activities, including the Brine Major League Challenge, an all-star game played under MLL rules. Players are invited based on a number of factors, including the recommendations of MLL and college coaches and overall collegiate performance.  The game provides one final chance for MLL personnel to evaluate the players.

Stevens' senior honorable mention All-American, attackman J.R. Oreskovich. will have a chance to play in the game. The graduate is the all-time leading scorer at Stevens after finishing 2009 with 31 goals and 29 assists.

Prior to the game, players partake in a full day of activities. Beginning at 9 a.m., players are expected to complete registration, before moving on to an orientation session and physical exams. Throughout the afternoon, players have the opportunity to sit down with coaches and representatives from each of the six MLL teams.  

Members of EXACT Sports, the Chicago based sports science organization committed to understanding the complete athlete, will be onsite for the third consecutive year to conduct the EXACT Sports Combine.  The Combine is a series of speed, strength, and agility tests which will also be used by MLL team personnel in their player evaluation process.  

"Draft day is the culmination of months of work by the MLL and its partners. EXACT Sports looks forward to providing teams with an integrated review of player character, past game performance, and physical ability,” said Simon Clements, Director of Client Solutions for EXACT Sports.

The 2009 MLL Collegiate Draft is slated to begin promptly at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.  

The draft will be conducted in the Bissinger Room, situated on the fourth floor of the Wesley J. Howe Center located on the Stevens campus. Both events are open to the public.

This season, the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft is made up of five rounds, with each round consisting of six picks. Currently, each team holds a total of five picks in this year's draft.   
 
About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, commenced play in June of 2001. The MLL is comprised of six teams located in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Long Island, Toronto, and Washington. The ninth season of MLL action is slated to begin May 15, 2009. The 2009 MLL All-Star Game will take place on Thursday, July 16 in Denver, Colorado at INVESCO Field at Mile High. The season will culminate with the New Balance MLL Championship Weekend, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.  

Major League Lacrosse was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the Official Major League Lacrosse website at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.