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OWU Men’s Lacrosse Alumni Reunion Honors Former OWU Head Coach Mike Pressler

Saturday, October 27, 2007

DELAWARE, OH – On the afternoon of October 27, 2007 lacrosse alumni, current players, their parents, and friends of OWU lacrosse, were on hand to celebrate the rich history and the “Pride & Tradition” of Ohio Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse. The weekend festivities began with the 47th annual induction of 11 OWU alumni athletes into the OWU Athletic Hall of Fame.

One of the inductees was former Bishop Men’s Lacrosse Coach Mike Pressler who took over the coaching reins for the Battling Bishops in 1986 and his tenure with the Bishops continued the “Pride and Tradition” of OWU Lacrosse through the 1990 lacrosse season. During his five season stint with the Bishops, Coach Presser set benchmarks as OWU continued its journey in search of a national NCAA Division III Lacrosse Championship. During Coach Pressler’s tenure, the Bishops compiled a 69-16 record and a winning percentage of .812 which is the highest percentage of any OWU Men’s Lacrosse Coach since the program’s founding in 1957. The highlights of his teams included taking the Bishops in 3 consecutive years to the NCAA Division III Championship games (1987, 1988, and 1989) only to loose to Hobart College each time.

Also during Coach Pressler’s tenure, the Bishops clearly set the high water mark as the premier team in the conference as had 5 play-off appearances in the NCAA Division III National Championships, was the MLA and NCAC Champions for four consecutive years, spanning 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. As the Bishops’ head coach, Pressler was named the NCAC Coach of the Year for four consecutive years (1988-1990.)

The weekend’s events included the inter-squad “Red and Black” game held on Saturday morning showcasing the upperclassmen and this years’ freshmen class. The talent on the field was viewed by over 70 spectators including parents, friends and alumni. The traditional alumni versus varsity lacrosse game played later on Saturday, had over 30 players on the alumni squad, represented by classes from 1965 through 2007—it was a great turnout for the annual event, and witnessed by a crowd of alumni, parents and friends of OWU lacrosse. It was a “win-win” game as the alumni took an early lead, only to see the varsity respond in an overwhelming display of offensive prowess. As usual the “last goal wins rule” was once again put into play and the resurging offensive power of the 10 man alumni team on the field stole the day. This ensured the 100% winning record of the Alumni vs. the Bishops for the fourth consecutive year.

The highlight of OWU Alumni Lacrosse Reunion Weekend was the OWU Lacrosse Alumni Association banquet in which the following awards were presented:

• The 2007 Fred Myers Award » given to an Alumni or friend of the lacrosse program for their outstanding leadership role in promoting the national reputation of the team. The 2007 recipient honored was Mike Pressler. Presenter: Chris Cortina, Class of 1998.
• The 2007 OWU Legends Award » given to an Alumni or friend of the University Lacrosse program who exemplifies the Alumni Lacrosse experience and acts as a catalyst for the traditions surrounding OWU Lacrosse. The 2007 recipient honored was Reg Ungberg. Presenter: Annie Seiler, Class of 1974.
• The 2007 Alumni Award » given to a current player who best exemplifies OWU's desire to reach an NCAA Championship. The 2007 recipient honored was Adam Guy. Presenter: Matt Anderies,Class of 2006.

One of the post banquet activities included former Head Coach Mike Pressler making himself available for an impromptu book signing, “It’s Not About the Truth.” Coach Pressler took the time to sign over 100 books to the delight of lacrosse alumni, friends and family attending the banquet.

Save the Dates

Mark your calendars for future OWU Lacrosse Alumni Events to which all of you are invited to participate, attend and support:

• August 2008 » Summit Lacrosse Tournament, Lake Placid, New York – The OWU Lacrosse Legends will be competing in all divisions of the tournament this year: 2 teams in the Men’s Open-Elite Division, a Women’s Alumni Open Division Team, and teams in the men’s Masters, Grand Masters and Super Grand Masters Lacrosse division.
• Homecoming Weekend in October 2008 » TENTATIVE – Homecoming 2008 for the next OWU Alumni Lacrosse Association Reunion to continue to celebrate our rich history and presentation of OWU Alumni Lacrosse Awards.

Watch for details for these future events or contact Brenda DeWitt, Alumni Relations Office at bedewitt@owu.edu.

OWU Lacrosse Alumni Needed for National Tournament Teams

Additionally, efforts are underway to fill out the rosters of the OWU Lacrosse Legends Tournament teams to compete in Summit Lacrosse Tournament this August 2008.

Elite Division (ages 22-32): contact Chris Cortina chriscortina29@hotmail.com

Masters Division (ages 33-44): contact Jim Loffredo, laxjack3@yahoo.com)

Grand Masters Division (ages 45-50) and Super Grand Masters (ages 50+): contact Steve Corrigan, stevecorrigan2@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your continued support of OWU Lacrosse and we hope you will make an effort to join and participate on one of these OWU Tournament Lacrosse Teams.