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TEAMS ANNOUNCED FOR FOURTH ANNUAL
ST. LOUIS FALL FACE-OFF

TOURNAMENT FEATURES NATION'S TOP COLLEGE LACROSSE TEAMS

ST. LOUIS – Sept. 28, 2004 – Four top NCAA Division I men's lacrosse programs are coming to town to participate in the 2004 St. Louis Fall Face-Off. Teams participating in the fourth annual tournament include the Princeton University Tigers, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, and the Butler University Bulldogs. The St. Louis Fall Face-Off will be held on Sunday, Oct. 10 at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo. Two featured games – Princeton versus Butler and Johns Hopkins versus Notre Dame – will face off at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively.

"The 2004 Fall Face-Off features two Final Four teams from last year's NCAA Division I National Championships," explained Mike Sennett, Tournament Director for the event. "Princeton and Johns Hopkins are two of the most respected and honored lacrosse programs in the country. It's a privilege to welcome their players, coaches and fans to St. Louis."

The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays are tied with Syracuse (a past Fall Face-Off participant) for the most national championships in NCAA history (seven) and finished the 2004 regular season as the top ranked team in the nation. Princeton has won six national titles and has qualified for the NCAA tournament for the past 15 years. Notre Dame finished last season ranked 12th in the country and has qualified for postseason play nine of the past 12 years. Butler is expected to contend for the Great Western Conference title and is widely regarded as a team to watch during the 2005 campaign.

"Bringing teams of this caliber to St. Louis is makes the Fall Face-Off the top ranked fall lacrosse tournament in the country," Sennett said. "However, what makes this year extra special is the fact that we have six Missouri student-athletes are retuning home to play in the tournament."

Taylor Mathews ('01 MICDS) and Tyler Krummenacher ('01 MICDS) , both seniors, complete their careers this season for the fighting Irish at Notre Dame. Garret Beach ('01 Parkway Central), Nathan Kenney ('02 Vianney), Chris Kerr ('02 DeSmet) and Dan Fundakowski ('04 Lafayette) are all on the varsity roster at Butler University.

The St. Louis Fall Face-Off is supported by the St. Louis Sports Commission and proceeds benefit the development of girls and boys youth lacrosse in Missouri with a particular emphasis in traditionally underserved areas. Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased in advance by calling the St. Louis Sports Commission at (314) 992-0687. Tickets will also be available at the front gate on the day of the event.