September 29, 2009
Five to vie for first Connecticut Cup
by PR Wire Report/
HAMDEN, Conn. – Connecticut’s five Division 1 men’s lacrosse teams will come together for the first time Oct. 18, at Yale University in New Haven for the Christian Prince Memorial Tournament for the Connecticut Cup. Fairfield University, the University of Hartford, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University and host Yale will be featured in the five-team double-elimination tournament, with the winner receiving the first Connecticut Cup.
“I think it’s a great way to promote the game in our state,” said Yale coach Andy Shay. “Hopefully it will turn into a bigger and bigger event every fall, and give the local community something to look forward to.”
“I think the chance to compete in an atmosphere like the Connecticut Cup will raise the tempo a bit leading up to the event,” said Quinnipiac coach Eric Fekete. “Our players are already excited about October.”
The Connecticut Cup is a unique fall ball event in collegiate men’s lacrosse. The event is the only one of its kind that plays an open bracket for an eventual champion within the event.
“(We are) excited to be part of this tremendous event,” said Sacred Heart coach Tom Mariano. “This is something we have talked about for a long time and it’s great to see it come together.”
“The Connecticut Cup brings a premier fall ball event to Connecticut,” said University of Hartford coach Peter Lawrence. “Connecticut lacrosse fans are going to love this.”
The event will run all day Oct. 18 with the championship game being played that evening. The tournament will be played as part of the Christian Prince Memorial Tournament held annually at Yale, named after the former standout Bulldog lacrosse player.
Prince, the namesake for Yale’s defensive player of the year award and a scholarship fund at the university, earned a varsity letter as a Bulldog freshman in 1990 but was killed in the winter of 1991. He had been a high school All-American at the Lawrenceville (N.J.) School, where he also lettered in football and hockey. Prince was very involved in community outreach programs.
“The Fairfield Lacrosse Program is excited about the opportunity to compete for the Connecticut Cup,” Fairfield coach Andrew Copelan said. “The event is for a great cause and should represent all that is positive about Connecticut lacrosse. We are thrilled about the potential for this event to emerge as a staple for the local lacrosse landscape.”
