Lacrosse fans ready to welcome sports biggest contest to DI on Aug. 18

If you live, eat, and breathe Major League Lacrosse - and know everything about the league - this story isn’t for you.

But if you want to know more about the teams, history of the MLL and are thinking of attending the league’s 2018 championship game on Daniel Island this month, please read on.

THE EVENT

The championship game will be contested on Aug. 18 at Daniel Island’s MUSC Health Stadium with the action commencing at 7 p.m. It’s the first time the event has ever been held in South Carolina. The teams will be vying for the Steinfeld Trophy (read more about Steinfeld under “history” below).

Tickets are available, starting at $25 and can be ordered online by visiting https://tickets.muscstadium.com/eventperformances.

However, it’s not the first MLL game to be played in Charleston. Earlier this summer, Atlanta played Charlotte and the game attracted just over 1,000 fans to MUSC Health Stadium.

If you can’t attend the game, there are plenty of opportunities to catch MLL fever in Charleston. A free fan festival will be held prior to the game at 5 p.m. at the stadium. On Aug. 16, fans are invited to attend a meet-and-greet session with players at Uptown Social, which is located at 578 King Street. And on Aug. 17, the MLL Championship LAX Rodeo will be held, beginning at 10 a.m. The event features 7-on-7 squads, playing on smaller fields. Also that night, MLL Honors, the annual awards ceremony and presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the American Theater, which is located at 446 King Street. The ceremony will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. on the Lacrosse Sports Network (LSN). Afterward, the fun continues at Uptown Social.

A clinic will be held from 9 a.m. until noon the day of the championship at the stadium. The final event is a skills competition prior to the game.

THE HISTORY

In 1998, Jake Steinfeld dreamed of starting a professional outdoor league because of the sport’s meteoric growth.

Steinfeld teamed up with David Morrow and Tim Robinson to create the league, which began play in 2001.

Steinfeld is better known as Jake “Body by Jake” fame. Morrow was president of a lacrosse equipment company while Robertson was the former CEO of the Family Channel.

‘’Lacrosse is an action-packed, contact sport with a lot of scoring that combines elements of basketball, hockey and soccer, and it’s the fastest growing sport in the country,’’ Steinfeld told the New York Times in a 2001 interview. ‘’I can’t believe no one thought of doing this before.’’

THE TEAMS

When play started in 2001, there were six teams: Baltimore Bayhawks, Boston Cannons, Bridgeport Barrage, Long Island Lizards, New Jersey Pride and Rochester Rattlers.

Today, nine teams compete for the trophy: Boston, Atlanta Blaze, Charlotte Hounds, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Dallas Rattlers, Denver Outlaws, Florida Launch, New York Lizards and the Ohio Machine.

The Ohio Machine is the defending MLL champion.

MODIFIED RULES

The league has blended what it calls “innovative dynamics” to the traditional game to make it 21st century ready – and popular. The biggest changes include the addition of a two-point goal line, which is located 16 yards from each goal and a 60-second shot clock.

For more information on MLL, visit http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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