July 12, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Todd Rassas, a three-time All-American defenseman at Notre Dame, has been one of 23 players selected to the U.S. Men’s Lacrosse Team that will compete in the International Lacrosse Federation World Championship in July 2006 in London, Ontario. A 24-person player selection committee, chaired by past U.S. Team goalie Larry Quinn, named the 2006 U.S. Men’s Team after a four-day, 120-player tryout at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in June.
Rassas was a member of the 2002 U.S. Men’s Team, which defeated Canada to win its sixth consecutive ILF Championship, and all members of that squad were automatically granted a tryout if they desired. The Notre Dame alum is one of only seven players to make both the 2002 and 2006 squads. Rassas is also just one of two team members that is not currently on a Major League Lacrosse roster as he is a member of the Capital Lacrosse Club of the United States Club Lacrosse Association (USCLA). He also played professionally for the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse in 2003.
Rassas was a three-time All-American for the Irish, earning third-team accolades in both 1996 and ’98, as well as second-team honors in ’97. He was part of the first Notre Dame team to win a game in the NCAA tournament, and he was on squads that set school records in goals allowed per game and man-down defense. Rassas finished his career with 194 ground balls, which still stands as the second-most ever by an Irish defenseman.
Syracuse head coach John Desko is the head coach for the 2006 U.S. Men’s Team, and he will be assisted by Denison’s Mike Caravana, Hobart’s Matt Kerwick, and Scott Marr of Albany. Desko has won three national championships at Syracuse.
Two current Notre Dame players, attackman Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) and defenseman D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School), and former Irish attackman Tom Glatzel (’01) were also part of the tryouts.
For more information on the U.S. team, including a full roster, please log on to lacrosse.org, the official website of U.S. Lacrosse.
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