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The 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship kicks off Thursday, July 10th at Dick’s Sporting Goods Field in Denver. Once again, the Charlottesville Lacrosse Community will be well represented, sending one referee, seven players (from five countries) in the World Tournament, three coaches (three nations), and eight players in the Masters and Grandmasters divisions.

For Team USA, former University of Virginia Steel Stanwick makes the trip as an alternate.

University of Virginia Associate Head Coach Mark Van Arsdale will serve as the offensive coordinator for the Iroquois Nationals.

Lynchburg College assistant coach and Charlottesville Herd member Max Silberlicht heads the coaching staff for Latvia.

New Zealand rosters four players: Charlottesville Herd members Alex, Andrew, and John Pritzlaff, as well as former AHS player Jack Riggins. The Pritzlaff brothers contributed to the New Zealand effort in the 2010 World Championships in Manchester, England. New Zealand placed 15th.

Chris Perzinski returns to anchor the Polish defense with his second trip to the World Championships. Perzinski, an assistant coach at Lynchburg College and player for the Charlottesville Herd, helped lead Poland to a 14th place finish in their 2010 inaugural championship outing.

Albemarle High School goalie Nathaniel Gaspar joins the squad for Slovakia. This is the country’s first trip to the World Championships

Virginia redshirt freshman Dickson Smith was selected as a player for Sweden. Smith sat out the bulk of the 2013 season at Virginia after sustaining a lower extremity injury.

UVa junior Tanner Ottenbreit is the volunteer defensive coordinator for Uganda. No stranger to international competition, Ottenbreit was a member of the 2012 USA U-19 Team that won a gold medal at the World Championships in Turku, Finland.

Charlottesville Herd founder Jim Loffredo is playing for two teams: Shazam in the 30+ Masters division and Southern Empire in the 40+ Masters division.

In the 45+ Grandmasters division, the Bayswater Rocks (Perth, Australia) have added five players from Charlottesville: Jim Bain, DeK Bowen, Tom Garland, Tom McCrystal, and Sean Stalfort. This is McCrystal’s second campaign with the Bayswater Rocks at the World Championships, playing with them in 2006 in London, Ontario. Garland played with the team several decades ago when he lived and worked in Perth.

Rodney Rullman returns to the World Championships for Team Harley (50+ Grandmaster), joined by Mike “Bum” Phillips. Returning from retirement as an active player, Rullman will also see time with USA Players/Atlantic Sportswear (55+ Grandmaster) and the Cloudsplitters (60+ Grandmaster)

College referee and COMA lacrosse player Michael Cross has been selected as a referee for the tournament.

Also of note: Stan Cockerton, the president of the Federation of International Lacrosse, the sport’s international governing body, is the father of University of Virginia player Mark Cockerton.