Jacksonville, Florida - The second annual Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic is set for Feb. 19, 2012 at EverBank Field with Final Four participant Denver playing Ohio State while host Jacksonville takes on Navy. “We are excited to bring this event back with another slate of good teams,” said JU director of athletics Alan Verlander.
“Thanks to our corporate partnership with Moe’s Southwest Grill, we’re able to bring some of the best teams in the country to our great city and expose them to this great game.”
Reserved seat tickets are $20 with club seats available for $35 via Ticketmaster or the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena box office. There is also a special Family Four Pack available for $85 that includes four tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks and a parking pass.
“Moe’s Southwest Grill is a young and growing company much like the sport of lacrosse and we are excited to be the title sponsor for the event again this year,” said Brett Campbell, director of marketing for Moe’s Southwest Grill. “Moe’s has some deep ties to the lacrosse community and our participation in this event continues our commitment to help in the growth of the game.”
Denver-Ohio State will open the event with a 2 p.m. faceoff, followed by the JU-Navy matchup immediately afterwards.
“Hosting an event of this magnitude with such a young program shows the vision and the commitment to lacrosse in our area,” said JU head coach Guy Van Arsdale. “Having both games televised will make this a special event that will not only help our program, but also help grow the game in Jacksonville and throughout Florida.”
Last year’s event saw Georgetown hold off a late JU rally for a 15-12 win before Notre Dame defeated Duke in a rematch of the 2009 national title game, 12-7.
“This is another national event that we are always looking to bring to Jacksonville,” said Michael Bouda, Director of the Sports & Entertainment Board for the city of Jacksonville. “The growth of lacrosse in our area has been tremendous and their support has made this event a huge success.”
TEAM CAPSULES Denver: Fresh off its first Final Four appearance, Denver comes into the season looking to build on its record setting campaign. The Pioneers, under the guidance of legendary head coach Bill Tierney, posted a 15-3 record last season. Jacksonville: In his first season as head coach at JU, Guy Van Arsdale will lead the Dolphins into their third season. Jacksonville is looking to continue its rapid growth as a program, building off last year’s fourth place finish in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference behind the now seasoned veterans Cameron Mann, Jake Ziegler and goaltender Pete DeLuca. Ohio State: The Buckeyes will be making their first trip to the First Coast after an 8-8 record last season, looking to atone for an 11-4 loss last season to Denver in the ECAC Tournament semifinals. Navy: After a coaching change in the offseason, Ricky Sowell takes over an established program with the goal of building a perennial national power. Sowell looks to turnaround a Navy team that went 4-9 last season.