Gagliardi Retires from Pro Lacrosse New goals off the Field in Business and Coaching

New York, May 5, 2010 – John Gagliardi today announced that he will not be returning to the Long Island Lizards for the start of the 2010 Major League Lacrosse season and will retire from playing professionally. John will instead concentrate his efforts on growing his 15-person lacrosse equipment company Maverik Lacrosse, teaching players the intricacies of lacrosse at his award winning No Limit Lacrosse camps and playing with his newly formed Maverik Elite team at the Vail and Lake Placid tournaments this summer.

“I have enjoyed every minute of my time playing lacrosse from the first time I picked up a stick as a fifth grader with my Manhasset PAL team to playing at Johns Hopkins and for Team USA as well as my last game with the Long Island Lizards,” said Gagliardi. “I have been very fortunate to play this wonderful game at every level and have seen first hand the growth of our sport in areas of the country I never imagined. It's my goal to help develop and grow our game in any way possible so that kids everywhere can play lacrosse and enjoy the same experiences I had during my playing days. Going forward, my focus will continue to be on steadily growing Maverik Lacrosse and coaching kids on Long Island and across the US."

Gagliradi’s accolades include playing on four championship teams, being selected 11 times as an All-Star in college and professionally, twice being named as an All-American at Johns Hopkins University as defenseman and playing for Team USA at the Lacrosse World Cup in 1999 and 2006. John’s professional playing career began indoors with the New York Saints and the Philadelphia Wings where he won a championship and was selected to the NLL All-Star team. John's outdoor professional career began in 2001 with the MLL's (Major League Lacrosse) Long Island Lizards. The MLL which was in its infancy leveraged Gagliardi's fan appeal placing him on the leagues original promotional poster with Casey Powell and Mark Millon. It did not take John long to show the world he was among the best to ever pick up a defensive pole earning consecutive MLL All-Star appearances from 2002 through 2008.

About Maverik Lacrosse
Maverik Lacrosse LLC (www.maveriklacrosse.com ) founded in 2005 by John Gagliardi, Team USA Player and All-World Defenseman and Jay Jalbert, All-World Midfielder, is a lacrosse equipment manufacturer whose products are designed and developed by the world's top lacrosse players for lacrosse players. Team Maverik creates, tests, plays, develops and delivers innovative products that perform and exceed the professional demands of its founders. Maverik's headquarters are based in Long Island City, NY.