Powell, McArdle & Fletcher named MLL Players of the Week

May 20, 2014 - 2:30 PM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Major League Lacrosse, the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced Week 4's Warrior Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week and the Cascade Rookie of the Week today. This week, Casey Powell of the Florida Launch was awarded offensive honors for the second consecutive week, and rookie Joe Fletcher of the New York Lizards was recognized for his outstanding defensive performance during his first game in the League. Rookie attackman Kieran McArdle of the Florida Launch earned the first year's award in his second week in the League.

Casey Powell helped the Launch defeat the Chesapeake Bayhawks 15-12 for the club's first ever away game in League history with seven points. In doing so, he was also able to regain the lead for All-Time points in the League with a total of 428 over 10 MLL seasons. He netted one goal of his own and contributed six assists in the game against the Bayhawks. With a season point total already reaching 23 (11 goals and 12 assists), Powell is on track to break the single-season points record which is presently upheld at 72.

Joe Fletcher walked in his graduation at Loyola and immediately flew to Ohio to play his first MLL game this past Saturday. The defenseman made a quick impact, helping to keep the Ohio Machine in single digits as the Lizards earned the win 11-9. The boxscore of the game reports that Fletcher collected two ground balls, but the rookie did much more to help preserve the victory for the visitors.

Cascade Rookie of the Week was awarded to Kieran McArdle, who has now had two standout games with the Florida Launch to mark his entrance into professional lacrosse. In the Launch's victory over the reigning champion Bayhawks, McArdle netted five goals and had one assist. Three of his goals were unassisted charges he led to the net, and two others were assisted by Powell.

The MLL breaks next week for the 2014 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships and reconvenes for the final week in May. Fletcher and the Lizards will be back in action Friday, May 30, as they host the Boston Cannons. Powell, McArdle and the Florida Launch will continue their road trip Sunday, June 1, as they visit the Rochester Rattlers. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com and on several regional networks.