Copperheads Inaugural Season Begins Tomorrow September 22, 2012

by Courtney DiFiore
(Charlotte, NC)

Charlotte, NC September 21, 2012 -- Box lacrosse is making a name for itself in Charlotte, North Carolina with the introduction of our Charlotte Copperheads Professional Lacrosse Team. Their inaugural season begins September 22, 2012 vs. the Jacksonville Bullies at the Bojangles’ Coliseum, 7:00pm. With six home and six away games, the Copperheads have a lot to look forward to.

The Copperheads first game may be this September, but that’s not the beginning of their story. Just short of a year ago, the Copperheads joined the Professional Lacrosse League (PLL) with Tom Ryan as their Head Coach and GM. Both the team and PLL are not only new to the state of North Carolina but the country. Coach Ryan and his players continue to overcome the challenges that accompany a new league.
PLL was established with a mission to feature great American Lacrosse players. In fact, 80% of the team must be made up of American players in order to be in the PLL. Box Lacrosse is largely a Canadian game, but dedicated coaches like Copperheads’ Tom Ryan have set out to change that through the PLL. Copperheads President, Graham D’Alvia shared his remarks about the new team saying, “we as an organization are very excited for the upcoming season, Tom has assembled a very exciting team with a lot of talent and at the same time our staff is working very hard with long hours to support the team and provide the fans with an electrifying show.”

Last fall, Ryan held a series of combines that allowed interested lacrosse players to show off their skills in the hopes of being drafted for the Copperheads. A national combine draft was held December 17th in Virginia followed by a national free-agent draft the 18th which featured many talented players.

Greg Rogowski, a forward from Watertown, NY was Ryan’s first draft pick followed by Ethan Farrell, a forward from Durham, NC and Matt Smalley, a transition player from Cumberland, RI. Sharing his expectations for the season, Coach Ryan reveals, “Anytime you go into a season, you have a goal of winning a Championship and we have the players in place to be able to do that.”

For information on tickets or anything Copperheads related, please call 704-817-9190 or visit www.charlottecopperheads.com