UFL Cheerleading Tryouts – JUNE 5

The United Football League’s Florida Tuskers are seeking qualified dancers and cheerleaders to take part in auditions for the team’s 2010 cheerleading squad. The dance team will perform at all four Tuskers home games at the Florida Citrus Bowl this fall and serve as goodwill ambassadors for the organization throughout the season.

The preliminary auditions will be held on Saturday, June 5 at Vibe Dance Studio (5100 Hanging Moss Road, Suite 570, Orlando, FL 32807). Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with auditions beginning at 10:30 a.m. Participants should come dressed in dance top and shorts and performing or athletic shoes.

The finals are scheduled for Saturday, June 19 at Orlando Fashion Square Mall (3201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL  32803).

A $25 fee for the tryout is required, along with a head shot and resume. UFL Cheer and Dance Development Director Billie O’Hara will lead the sessions.

“We are looking for cheerleaders and dancers with a passion for football,” said O’Hara. “This is a great opportunity for young women to be part of a professional football cheer team and perform before thousands of fans at the Citrus Bowl and in front of nationwide television audiences.”

Participants will be asked to learn a short, across-the-floor routine that may include high kicks, jazz technique, choreography and free style. Depending on the turnout, participants should plan on spending a good portion of the day at the preliminaries, which are closed to the public.

For additional information and frequently asked questions about the tryouts, visit UFL Football – Florida. For further info, email Tuskerscheer@gmail.com.

Youth Lacrosse Camps – JUNE 14-18

Casey Powell Lacrosse Camps are among the most highly attended and respected camps in the Northeast United States and now the Orlando Titans team captain is bringing sessions to Central Florida this summer.

Powell Lacrosse, in conjunction with the Orlando Titans Academy of Lacrosse, presents the Casey Powell Lacrosse Camps from June 14-18.

The day camps will be held June 14-15 at Sylvan Lake Park and June 16-18 at RD Keene Park with a special box lacrosse training camp slated for June 15-17 at Barber Park.

The registration fee for the two-day Sylvan Lake camp is $150, while the three-day Keene Park Camp is $200. Both camps will run from 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m. daily. Campers interested in attending both camps can do so for $300.

The camps are open to boys and girls ages 7-18 and will be directed by Casey Powell and other top professionals from the National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse, including two-time MLL champion Brett Queener. Campers will be divided into gender, skill and age groups by ability to allow for optimal training conditions.

Camp participants will receive individualized instruction (8:1 camper to counselor ratio) from the top pros in the game, take part in position seminars, participate in speed and footwork drills, participate in scrimmages and games, and will receive a Casey Powell camp jersey.  There will also be special training sessions for goalies.

The Box Lacrosse Training Camp at Barber Park is open to high school boys and is limited to the first 80 players signing up. The cost for the three-day Box Lacrosse Training Camp is $100.

For more information or to register for any of the Casey Powell Lacrosse Camps, visit Titans Academy of Lacrosse or Casey Powell Lacrosse.

Girls Soccer Summer Camps – JUNE 14-JULY 31

Amanda Cromwell’s Central Florida Soccer Academy is holding five girls soccer camps this summer on the campus of UCF.

Players from 4-14 years old can register for the day camp June 14-18 or the mini-day camp from July 19-21. Both camps run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and are designed for the emerging soccer player who needs repetitive technical skill work and thorough instruction on the tactical side of the game. Field players and goalkeepers are encouraged to attend.

The Elite Week 1 Camp is for girls from 10-18 years of age and will run from June 27-July 1. The Elite Week 2 Camp is for players 13-18 years old and goes from July 18-22. These overnight camps are designed for the advanced field player and goalkeeper. Olympic Development Program and/or premier club experience is recommended. Campers who would rather not stay on campus overnight can be day campers instead and should arrive at 8:30 a.m. and arrange to be picked up at 8:30 p.m.

The Super Elite Camp is scheduled for July 28-31 and is for players from 16-18 years old. This four-day overnight camp is designed for high-level field players and goalkeepers. Super Elite Camp is limited to 50 players. Those interested in attending are encouraged to send an email to info@centralfloridasocceracademy.com with Super Elite in the subject line. For more information and to register for these camps, visit Central Florida Soccer Academy.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Casey Powell scores a goal from behind the net in a first round playoff game against Boston on May 1. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Bershaw/Orlando Titans)

Powell led the Titans in scoring this season with 80 points in 14 games, including a career-high 44 goals which were good for second in the NLL behind the 46 goals scored by Washington’s Lewis Ratcliff. Powell’s 3.14 goals per game were best in the league in 2010.

Powell accomplished the feat despite missing two games with a knee injury. He returned to the lineup to score 22 goals and earn game MVP honors five times in his final seven games of the season. He also scored three goals or more in a game in 11 out of the 16 total games he played.

Perhaps most impressive was his effort in the Titans first postseason game in Orlando against Boston, where he scored five goals and had two assists to help the Titans crawl out of a 7-3 hole and advance with a 12-11 win. The Titans fell one game short of the Champion’s Cup final with a 15-10 loss to Toronto in the next round.

The veteran credited his team for helping him earn the MVP award by explaining, “We had a great defense, a great goaltender and great coaching this season and that made my job a lot easier.”

Matt Vinc (Photo by Scott McCall)

And speaking of goaltenders, Vinc led the NLL in minutes played (902), total saves (609), saves-per-game (40.6), save percentage (.810), and regular season wins (10); while ranking third in goals against average (9.51).

His 609 saves tied his 2009 total as the third highest in NLL history, which he could have improved on had he not sat out the season finale once the Titans already had the division in hand. The all-time single-season saves record of 644 was set by Albany’s Rob Blasell in 2002.

Both Powell and Vinc, affectionately referred to as “VNO” by the home crowd, were named to the first unit of the NLL All-Pro Team. Orlando defenseman John Orsen and transition/forward Jordan Hall were named to the second team. The Titans led all teams with four total selections.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

The 2010 Eastern Division Champions of the National Lacrosse League finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and are scheduled to host the Boston Blazers (8-8), who backed their way into the postseason, on Saturday at Amway Arena at 7:35 p.m.

The Titans lost twice to Boston – on Jan. 23 (13-9) and Feb. 20 (12-11) – before coming away with a 13-10 win on April 3.

(Photo by Scott McCall)

The Toronto Rock (9-7) take on the Buffalo Bandits (8-8) in the other divisional semifinal playoff game in the East, while in the Western Division the Washington Stealth (11-5) meet up with the Minnesota Swarm (5-11) and the defending-champion Calgary Roughnecks (10-6) take on the Edmonton Rush (10-6).

The NLL Divisional Finals take place the weekend of May 7-9.

Although the Titans have scored just 172 goals this season (No. 6 among playoff qualifiers), they have given up a league-low 154 goals.

Leading the way offensively in 2010 has been Casey Powell with 44 goals (second-best in NLL) and 36 assists in 14 games and Jordan Hall with 16 goals and 58 assists (fourth-best in NLL) in 15 games. Defensively, Matt Vinc led the league in saves (609) and wins (10) this year while allowing just 9.51 goals against per game.

The Titans are looking to return to the NLL Champion’s Cup one year after falling to Calgary 12-10 in overtime. That appearance in the finals came after the team finished its third season in New York before relocating to Orlando.

Visit the team’s website to purchase tickets ranging between $31-$38. A fan fest outside of the arena will get started beforehand at 6 p.m.

With the win, the Titans (4-2) moved percentage points in front of the Toronto Rock (6-4) for first place in the Eastern Division. In the recent power poll – put together by NLL Insider columnist and poll administrator Brian Shanahan – the Titans passed over Toronto, Calgary (4-3) and former No. 1 Washington (6-3) for the top spot.

Wrote Shanahan: “Matt Vinc, Casey Powell, and a strong defense have made the Titans the hardest team to beat right now. We’ll see if they really belong here after they complete three games in the next two weekends.”

On Wednesday, Powell was named both the National Lacrosse League Offensive and Overall Player of the Week while Vinc earned his second NLL Defensive Player of the Week honor. Orlando has been awarded four player of the week honors this season.

Powell scored four goals and had four assists for the Titans last week. Vinc tied his own team record for saves with 52 on 63 shots against in the win. Vinc currently leads the league in saves per game, save percentage and goals against average.

The Titans are on the road at No. 10 Buffalo (2-6) this Saturday and return home to Amway Arena against No. 9 Philadelphia (2-6) on Friday, March 12. They will then be at No. 7 Rochester (5-4) the very next day.

Matt Vinc (Photo by Scott McCall)

Following last week’s 12-5 win at Colorado, Vinc was named National Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week as he made 47 saves on 52 shot attempts. The limited offensive output for the Mammoth – who managed just two goals against Vinc and the Titans until less than five minutes remained – set a new franchise-record low.

With the win the Titans improved to 3-1 on the year. Vinc is clearly a major player in the team’s success. He is currently near the top of the statistical rankings for goalkeepers with an 8.55 goals against average, 38.5 saves per game and .819 save percentage. His best season in the net came a year ago when he allowed 11.33 goals per game.

“[Vinc] is an incredible goalkeeper and has played a huge role in our early success,” said Comeau. “Last week’s game in Colorado was possibly the best regular season effort we have had and a lot of credit for that goes to [Vinc] and our defenseman.”

The Canisius College alum began his career as the sixth overall selection by the San Jose Stealth in 2006, before joining the Titans as a full-time starter in New York in 2007. He entered the 2010 season with an 11.90 goals against average through 50 career games played.

The Titans return to action in Orlando on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Amway Arena against the Boston Blazers.

• Orlando Predators host tryouts for the 2011 season on Saturday, Nov. 13. Click for MORE INFO.

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Local professional sports teams are hosting a variety of events throughout the area over the next two months as the Orlando Predators hold football tryouts; the Orlando Titans put on a lacrosse clinic; and the Orlando Magic keep kids busy over spring break with basketball camps.

– Orlando Predators Football Tryouts –

With the inaugural Arena Football One (AF1) season just two months away, the Orlando Predators are hosting open tryouts outside the Citrus Bowl at Thunder Field this Saturday, Feb. 13 and again Saturday, March 6.

As in year’s past, the organization will sign at least one player to its roster from the pool of players who tried out.

Registration for both days begins at 8 a.m. with tryouts starting promptly at 9 a.m. at 1610 West Church Street. Cost for each participant is $65 in advance and $75 (cash only) the morning of workouts.

Tryouts will consist of a series of agility drills and the 40-yard dash, to be timed on natural grass. Proper footwear is required along with a kicking tee for placekickers who plan to attend.

For more information contact Jen Menzel by email at jmenzel@orlandopredators.com with “Player Tryout Registration Information” in subject line or by phone at 407-648-4444.

– Orlando Titans Lacrosse Clinic –

The first professional lacrosse team in the state of Florida is taking time off from its regular season schedule to host a one-hour youth lacrosse clinic at Amway Arena on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The clinic, as part of the Titans Academy of Lacrosse, is for kids between third and eighth grade. The clinic will be held from 9-10 a.m. and will focus on shooting, passing, and defensive drills taught by Titans players Casey Powell and Pat Maddalena.

Participants are asked to bring their own helmet, stick and gloves with them to the arena.

Cost of the clinic is $30 and includes a free ticket to the game between the Titans and the Boston Blazers later that night. Additional family tickets for the game will be made available for $15 if purchased during registration.

Registration can be completed by phone at 407-601-6516 or by mail with a check or money order made out to Orlando Titans and sent to 7901 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 9, Orlando, FL 32819.

– Orlando Magic Basketball Programs –

Beginning this weekend, in conjunction with the National Basketball Academy, the Orlando Magic’s youth basketball programs will be held throughout the spring with camps and clinics scheduled across Central Florida.

STUFF’s Mini Dragon Dribblers instructional sessions are for kids between kindergarten and third grade, beginning this Sunday, Feb. 14 at RDV Sportsplex from 5-6 p.m. Kids will learn the fundamentals of the game over the course of seven weeks and receive motivational and educational practice time. Kids will also receive Magic prizes, a certificate of achievement, and a ticket to a Magic home game.

The Orlando Magic Parent/Child Game-Day Clinic will be held on Sunday, March 28 from 1-3 p.m. at RDV Sportsplex. It’s a unique opportunity for a parent and child to take part in a basketball clinic before going on to attend that night’s game at Amway Arena against the Denver Nuggets. The group will be recognized on the jumbotron that night and be able to take a group photo after the game at center court.

The Orlando Magic Spring Break Camps will be held in three different locations – RDV Sportsplex (March 29-April 2 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.), Pro-Health & Fitness Center in Viera (April 5-9 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Lake Mary Preparatory School (April 5-9 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) – for kids of all skill levels between the ages of 7-16. The camps are designed to improve each participant’s game through a variety of drills and contests. Kids will receive a camp T-shirt, giveaways, prizes, awards and a ticket to a Magic home game.

More information on these sessions is available at www.OrlandoMagicCamps.com or by calling 407-916-HOOP.

Greg Peyser (Photo by Scott McCall)

Peyser scooped up a season-high 16 loose balls for the Titans and had two assists while helping hold off the Knighthawks, who managed just 32 shots on goal, in a 13-8 win for the Titans.

Also factoring in on the first league award for the team this season was Peyser’s 60-percent (12-for-20) effort on faceoffs on the night. Two of the faceoffs won by the four-year player led to goals in the final period of play during a tight game down the stretch.

The Johns Hopkins alum entered 2010 with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points over 30 games over three seasons of play while the Titans were stationed in New York between 2007-09. Through three games this season, Peyser has one goal and four assists to his credit for the 2-1 Titans, and has won 39 of 66 faceoffs thus far.

Orlando will be back at Amway Arena on Feb. 20 against Boston for “Hometown Heroes Night”, where current and retired military personal will be honored along with public safety officers, following road games at Colorado (Feb. 5) and Philadelphia (Feb. 6).

– More Orlando Titans –

Matt DaSilva at Lacrosse Magazine

Forum at NLL Insider

Pat Maddalena, Mike McLellan and Bill Greer each scored twice and goalie Matt Vinc had 41 saves on the night. Greer scored Orlando’s first-ever goal in the first period on an assist from Jarett Park. Jordan Hall finished with six assists for the Titans.

– More Orlando Titans –

Jeff Leadbeater at From Tusk Til Dawn

Gary W. Green at Orlando Sentinel

Zach McCann at Orlando Sentinel

– Opening Night game photos by Scott McCall –

Indoor lacrosse makes its official debut in the state of Florida with the dropping of the ball at 7:35 p.m.

The Orlando Titans will debut at Amway Arena against Philadelphia on Friday. (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Last season the Titans finished as the Eastern Conference Champions, while competing out of New York, before going on to fall to the Calgary Roughnecks in the Champion’s Cup Finals, 12-10.

The Titans were lead by head coach Ed Comeau, who won a title as head coach in Rochester in 2007, as they finished the year with a 10-6 record in only their third season of play. The Titans previously finished 4-12 in 2007 and 9-7 in 2008 under former head coach Adam Mueller.

The new team in Orlando is joined by Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Rochester and Toronto in the East while Calgary is joined by Denver, Edmonton, Minnesota and Washington in the Western Conference.

Opening Night Watch
Forwards Casey Powell and Pat Maddalena each have scored 101 goals for the Titans since the team’s initial season in ’07. Powell also leads the team in career assists with 150 while Maddalena has compiled 142 assists of his own. Goalie Matt Vinc leads the franchise with 1,590 saves.

Head coach Ed Comeau oversees a faceoff last week at practice. (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

There are four Titans players who have been named to the United States 23-man roster for the FIL World Lacrosse Championship, scheduled to take place this July in England. Among them are Brendan Mundorf, Ryan Boyle, Matt Zash and Stephen Peyser, while Vinc, Matt Brown, Jordan Hall and Pat Merrill are among the potential prospects for the Canadian team.

Opening Nights Details
– Dropping the ceremonial first ball will be James Pica, junior quarterback at East River High School. Pica made the news a month back when while on his way to school one morning he witnessed a serious automobile accident on State Road 50 and pulled over to rush to the aide of a victim.

– Singing the National Anthem before the start of the game will be former ‘N Sync member, Chris Kirkpatrick.

– Pre-game festivities will also include the recognition of more than 500 local youth lacrosse players.

– Can’t make it out to the arena? Tune into ESPN 1080 AM as Marc Daniels and Dan Pearson will be on hand to call the game, or you can see all the action for yourself on Bright House Sports Network (Channel 47) with Tom Morgan leading the broadcast.

– More Orlando Titans Coverage –

Titans official Website

Jeff Leadbeater at Bleacher Report

Zach McCann at Orlando Sentinel

Bob Chavez at NLL Insider

He’s never forgotten those words. And just like that the 33-year old national championship out of Syracuse, and legend in both the indoor and outdoor game of lacrosse, was at Amway Arena taking part in one of those “big things.”

Titans forward Casey Powell signed a two-year contract with Orlando and announced the formation of the Titans Academy of Lacrosse last month. (Photo courtesy of NLL/Orlando Titans)

Powell signed a two-year deal with the Orlando Titans – the first professional lacrosse team in the state of Florida – moments before announcing the formation of the Titans Academy of Lacrosse, which he hopes will play a key role in improving player, coaching and referee skills at all levels of the game throughout the area.

“Number one on my priority list here in the Orlando area is to help gain exposure to the sport (of lacrosse),” said Powell. “And I think we can do that through hard work and effort.”

Working closely with Powell, the team’s marquee player and captain, is Titans Director of Lacrosse Development Nate Snyder.

The first order of business for the two before the season gets underway on Jan. 8 is a winter lacrosse camp at Barber Park from Dec. 28-31, hosted by players and staff from the newest addition to Orlando’s sports landscape.

It’s a small piece to a broader puzzle that Titans President Steve Donner is planning to put together.

Upon announcing the relocation of the Titans (after three years in New York) back in August, Donner spoke of bringing a championship-caliber team to town that Orlando fans could be proud of while also making a long-term commitment to help turn Florida into the “next power-state of lacrosse.”

Considered the fastest growing participation sport in the country, and one that has seen such a drastic increase at the high school level throughout the state over the past decade, the new franchise found a budding hotbed of interest by way of youth players and enthusiasts who have yet to be exposed to lacrosse at the professional level.

The signing of Powell will likely help provide both a competitive team and those contributions to the lacrosse community that Donner envisions.

“Just as important in our signing (of Powell) is his commitment to grow the game,” said Donner. “For us it’s a win-win.”

Steve Donner (seated from left), Casey Powell and Nate Snyder outside Amway Arena last month. (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Referred to as a “game-breaking player who can make a difference on the field and in the locker room,” Powell will be an easy target for local fans to root for. He led the Titans to the championship game last season while in New York as the team’s leading goal scorer as his career-high 40 goals and 85 points ranked fifth and eighth in the league, respectively. For his efforts he was named 2009 Inside Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Year.

Through seven seasons in the indoor National Lacrosse League the all-star has scored 176 goals and dished out 258 assists in just 90 games. While competing on the green grass of the outdoor lacrosse fields, he is the all-time leading scorer in the history of Major League Lacrosse with 197 goals and 186 assists to his credit.

While the majority of his playing career has revolved around a rabid following in the northeastern part of the country, where the sport is most prevalent, Powell has already been adjusting to the warmer climate in Central Florida this time of year.

He’s spent the past two months getting accustomed to the surroundings and says he’s been “overwhelmed with the support from the lacrosse community.”

When the season gets underway at Amway Arena the Titans roster will feature four players from the U.S. National Team, including Powell who was captain of the 2006 squad, and three players from the Canadian National Team.

“We’re going to be a lot of fun to watch, we’re going to be very high-scoring,” said Powell. “And our defense is very tough, we have one of the best goaltenders in the league.”

Whether it’ll be enough to make a run at another appearance in the championship game – this time while representing Orlando – won’t be known until the season winds down in April.

What the Titans will soon find out though is whether local sports fans who have witnessed the comings and goings of minor league hockey, arena football and indoor soccer over the past several years care enough about an 11-team league to even show a mild form of interest.

For Powell and his Titan teammates, that little bit might be plenty enough to get them started.

– More Orlando Titans Coverage –

Message board at NLL Insider

Details on radio deal at MLN Sports

Video footage at WFTV

Official National Lacrosse League site at NLL