Nov. 27, 2012

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Four former University of Maryland men's lacrosse student-athletes were among the 38 players announced for the U.S. Men's National Team roster by US Lacrosse for the Sunday, Jan. 27 exhibition against Loyola at Champion® Challenge, a US Lacrosse event.

Attackman Grant Catalino and defender Brett Schmidt, both 2011 graduates, are joined on Team USA by midfielder Jeremy Sieverts, a 2009 Maryland grad, and defender Lee Zink, who graduated in 2004.

Catalino ranks among the Terps' all-time leaders in goals (119, 7th) and points (185, 10th) and was a three-time All-American. He is best remembered for scoring the game-winning goal in overtime vs. Syracuse in 2011 to send the Terps to their first Final Four since 2006.

Schmidt was the anchor of the Maryland defense that helped the Terps capture the 2011 ACC championship and earn a berth in the NCAA title game. He is also a three-time All-America for the Terrapins.

After a solid three-year Maryland career, Sieverts became one of Major League Lacrosse's most dangerous offensive threats in 2012 and earned the MLL's Most Improved Player of the Year award after scoring 26 goals, including seven two-point goals, with seven assists in 14 games for the Denver Outlaws.

Zink was the 2004 Schmeisser Memorial Cup winner, which is presented annually to the nation's top defender, as a senior at Maryland and has continued to thrive in the MLL. He was named the 2012 MLL Defensive Player of the Year while helping the Outlaws secure their first MLL regular season title since 2009.

Scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EST at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the eighth annual Champion® Challenge event will be the first in which the Team USA men take on the defending NCAA champion. Team USA also will square off against 2012 NCAA semifinalist Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 26, with Jacksonville University also scheduled to participate in the event.

The reigning world champion U.S. men's national team, which defeated Canada to win the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championship, will bring 38 players to evaluate prior to tryouts for the 2014 U.S. men's national team, to be held Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2013. At the 2012 Champion® Challenge, Team USA defeated the University of Denver 16-15 in overtime.

The Team USA roster for the Champion® Challenge by position with professional teams, collegiate alma maters, and previous U.S. team experience noted:

Attack
Billy Bitter, Rochester Rattlers,North Carolina
Grant Catalino, Long Island Lizards, Maryland
Matt Danowski, Charlotte Hounds, Duke
Matt Gibson, Long Island Lizards,Yale
Mike Leveille, Rochester Rattlers, Syracuse*
Kevin Leveille, Rochester Rattlers, Massachusetts
Steele Stanwick, Ohio Machine, Virginia^
Chazz Woodson, Ohio Machine, Brown

Midfield
Sam Bradman, LXM Pro Tour, Salisbury
Steven Brooks, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Syracuse
Steven DeNapoli, Rochester Rattlers, Hofstra
Benson Erwin, N/A, Johns Hopkins
Graham Gill, LXM Pro Tour, Navy
Kyle Harrison, LXM Pro Tour, Johns Hopkins#
Ben Hunt, Chesapeake Bayhawks, North Carolina
Cameron Lao-Gosney, Hamilton Nationals, Lehigh
Roman Lao-Gosney, Hamilton Nationals, Lehigh
Peet Poillon, Charlotte Hounds, UMBC
Paul Rabil, Boston Cannons, JohnsHopkins*
Jeremy Sieverts, Denver Outlaws, Maryland
Kevin Unterstein, Long Island Lizards, Hofstra

Defense
CJ Costabile, Long Island Lizards, Duke^
Ryan Flanagan, Charlotte Hounds, North Carolina
Kyle Hartzell, Ohio Machine, Salisbury
Brian Karalunas, Long Island Lizards, Villanova
John Lade, Rochester Rattlers, Syracuse^
Eric Martin, Denver Outlaws, Salisbury*
Kevin Ridgway, N/A, Notre Dame
Dillon Roy, Denver Outlaws, Denver
Brett Schmidt, Charlotte Hounds, Maryland
Michael Simon, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Stevenson
Chad Wiedmaier, Hamilton Nationals, Princeton
Lee Zink, Denver Outlaws, Maryland

Goalie
Jordan Burke, Boston Cannons, Brown
John Galloway, Rochester Rattlers, Syracuse
Scott Rodgers, Hamilton Nationals, Notre Dame

Faceoff
Chris Eck, Boston Cannons, Colgate
Alex Smith, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Delaware*

* 2010 U.S. men's national team member
# 2006 U.S. men's national team member
^ 2008 U.S. men's national under-19 team member

For more information about Champion® Challenge, a US Lacrosse event, visit: www.uslacrosse.org/2013championchallenge. For more information about the U.S. national teams, visit www.uslacrosse.org/teamusa.