The Review

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of Bryan Barrett Hall has 12 goals and 15 assists this season.

The men's lacrosse team has seen talented players under the lights of Rullo Stadium. Several lacrosse stars at Delaware have gone on to be successful in professional lacrosse, helping spread the sport through the United States. No team has benefited as much from the Hens' lacrosse talent than the National Lacrosse League's New York Titans, which features five former-Delaware stars on its roster.

The Titans feature 2001 graduates, Keevin Galbraith and Bryan Barrett, 2004 graduate Matt Alrich and 2007 graduate Jordan Hall. Delaware assistant coach and university alumnus Chris Collins plays goalie on the Titans' practice squad.

Alrich played with Barrett and Galbraith when he was an underclassman and mentored Hall as an upperclassman. Alrich said he loves playing with his former teammates, even though he was almost unable to. Prior to the NLL Draft, Alrich was traded to the Boston Blazers in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick.

The Titans drafted Hall and prior to the season, the Blazers franchise folded due to financial issues, allowing New York to resign Alrich. He said being with players he has experience with is a huge benefit on the floor.

"It definitely helps as a unit," Alrich said. "I've played defense with Keevin and Bryan both. We have a little bond together coming from Delaware and know each other pretty well off the floor and I played two years with Jordan.

"It all transfers from knowing each other off the floor to gaining chemistry on the floor."

For Galbraith and Barrett, this is the third squad they have teamed up on together - playing in Delaware, then spending five years with the Philadelphia Wings before joining the Titans.

Although the players enjoy their time on the road with the Titans, they all stay grounded and Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw said the players still stop by to say hello. He said Hall has come to his office and Galbraith is a familiar face because he coaches lacrosse at Sanford High School in Hockessin.

Galbraith and many of the other Delaware alumni reunited in Maryland last year when they watched the Hens lose 8-3 against Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Barrett said it is not always easy to get to games but he always checks the team's results.

Continued...

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