Former Greyhounds Koppens, Ricci Selected To USILA North/South Game

Courtesy of Loyola Athletic Communications

BOSTON - A pair of former Loyola men's lacrosse standouts, P.T. Ricci and Shane Koppens, will represent the South Team at the 68th annual USILA North/South Game this Friday. The game will be played at Harvard Stadium in Boston, Mass., on Friday, May 22, 2009, at 4 p.m.

The contest, which opens up the weekend for the NCAA Final Four on Saturday, is part of a triple-header of lacrosse action. The Division III game will commence the festivities at 2 p.m., followed by the Division-I/II game at 4 p.m., with a professional matchup between the Boston Cannons and Denver Outlaws at 7:30 closing the day.

The duo were just two of 30 players selected to the South roster, which will be coached by Rutgers' Jim Stagnitta.

Ricci, a native of Wayne, Pa., graduated from the College in May with a degree in communications. A long-stick midfielder, he led the nation with 51 caused turnovers and collected 91 groundballs, good for fifth on the Loyola single-season list. The 2009 ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, he has an upcoming tryout for the U.S. National Team for the World Games.

A Clifton Park, N.Y. native, Koppens also graduated this May with a degree in sociology. The attackman joined Ricci on the ECAC First Team after leading the team with 41 points (22 goals, 19 assists) in 12 games played. A four-year contributor for Loyola, Koppens finishes his career fourth on the all-time Loyola assists list with 80 and eighth on the Loyola career points list with 151.