SAN FRANCISCO DRAGONS
SF Dragons Look to Build on 1st Year Success

By Gary Fales and Michael Selvidge

San Francisco Dragons

A Great Inaugural Season When Major League Lacrosse expanded westward in the 2006 season, there were lots of questions. Would the established league be stronger? Would non-lacrosse fans west of the Mississippi take to the sport? Would the four new expansion teams be competitive? The answer to all these questions was a resounding `yes.' In fact, two of the four playoff teams in 2006 would come from the new Western Conference, including the San Francisco Dragons who finished 7-5.

The single greatest offensive performer of 2006 also came out of the new San Francisco Dragons team. Attackman Ryan Powell was named both Warrior Offensive Player of the Year and Bud Light MVP. Leading the Dragons, Powell scored 34 goals, 24 assists, 58 points and averaged 5.8 points per game with a .486 shooting percentage.

"The organization is very pleased with the results of our inaugural season," said Dragons general manager Doug Locker. "We were able to successfully showcase lacrosse at the highest level and provide an exciting, fun and affordable product for our fans."

The Dragons begin the second season on May 19 against the Denver Outlaws at Invesco Field in Denver.


About Lacrosse and MLL

While lacrosse is America's oldest game, it may be the "freshest" sport in the nation. Its unique blend of fast-paced, high scoring, hard-hitting action has made it the fastest growing team sport in the United States. Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was successfully launched in June 2001 as a single entity ownership structure to showcase the best professional outdoor lacrosse in the world.

Teams play 12 regular season games that begin in May and run through August, including an All-Star game and Championship Weekend, where the top four teams play for top honors.

Each team, consisting of twenty-three players, has three attacks, three midfielders, three defensemen and a goaltender on the field during the game. Each team dresses eighteen players per game and the players rotate on and off the field in shifts. The game consists of four 15-minute quarters.


What to Expect in 2007

As for the Dragons second-year team, along with MVP Powell, Attackmen Chris Rotelli, Joe Yevoli and Matt Alrich return to crank up the points on offense, and second-year `veterans' Eric Martin, Steve Holmes and Stephen McElduff are back to lead the defense for the team.

To continue with their mission of building a fan base in Northern California, the Dragons have again partnered with Comcast SportsNet to televise many of its home and away games. Comcast SportsNet is available on cable, DirecTV (Channel 656) and Dish Network (Channel 409). Nationally, ESPN2 will broadcast the 2007 "MLL Game of the Week" package, including the Dragons fourth home game of the season on July 14 against the Washington Bayhawks.

The Dragons play 12 games in their regular season with its home opener scheduled for 2:30 pm, Saturday June 2 at Kezar Stadium (capacity 9,044) against the Long Island Lizards. The team will be enhancing the fan experience in 2007 by installing jumbo-tron screens at the stadium to allow guests to see more action. Tickets are now on sale and start at just $10. Season and group ticket discounts are also available.

For more information, call 415-573-2525 or visit www.sfdragons.com. The San Francisco Dragons are fired up for another action-packed season!