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Florida Launch’s Casey Powell Named Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in .
From Press Release The Syracuse alum led the league in points and assists in 2014 Boston (August 21, 2014) – Major League Lacrosse, the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced Florida Launch’s Casey Powell as the 2014 Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player. MLL coaches and general managers voted for the athletes they thought had stand out seasons. Powell’s impressive performance on the newest team in the league made him an easy choice for this year’s award. “This is a great honor,” says Powell, in regards to receiving the award. “I would like to thank the coaching staff, my teammates and all the fans in Florida as well as the MLL Coaches and GMs who voted for me.” A three-time All-American attackman and midfielder out of Syracuse University, Powell was hands down the most influential player on the Launch, and possibly in the league as a whole this year. With 30 goals and 33 assists, totaling 63 points, he led his team by 14 and the league by seven, and claimed the All-Time Points title with 468. Aside from his scoring abilities, Powell also ranked seventh in the league for groundballs (18). One would think that after his years of experience and the multiple accolades he’s received, it might be difficult for Powell to set new goals and stay focused. However, there is one motivating factor that is ever present in the Launch leader’s mind.  Casey’s brother Ryan is the only person in MLL history to have won two MVP awards. When rumors of Casey winning the MVP title surfaced, Ryan made sure to remind his brother, “If you win it, you’ll always be one behind me.” The Powell brothers will be the first siblings in MLL history to have both won MVP. The family rivalry drives Casey to continue pushing his limits.  “We always tried to get better in our backyard, and try to perfect our game in between practices,” Powell said about playing with his brothers. “We love the battle and we love to compete. [It] is what the MLL is all about.” Despite his brother’s claims, Powell is no stranger to success on the field. He was named Warrior Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. He has two championship victories under his belt (2008 and 2013), and two Warrior Offensive Player of the Year awards (2005 and 2014).  He may be missing a second MVP award, but at the rate he’s playing, who knows what Powell will accomplish in upcoming seasons. With 10 years in the league, it’s hard not to take note of Powell’s age as a professional athlete.  At 38, Powell is the oldest player to win MVP (just a couple months older than Gary Gait was when he won Co-MVP in 2005). He has managed to remain one of the league’s most successful players by using his age to his advantage.  “I just try to bring my veteran experience to the game”, says Powell. Clearly, that experience is paying off. In terms of the other contenders for this year’s MVP, Denver’s John Grant Jr. was voted second in the running for the prestigious award with 23 points. Rochester’s John Galloway, the 2014 Warrior Goalkeeper of the Year, placed third in the running, just four points behind Grant (21). While the Florida Launch won’t be competing in this year’s Championship, Powell is expected to be at the game greeting his many fans. You will not want to miss the opportunity to run into him at the Championship showdown between the Denver Outlaws and the Rochester Rattlers this Saturday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m. in Kennesaw, Ga. Get your ticketsHERE. Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player Voting Results The Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player is determined based on the total number of points each player receives. Every vote is assigned a point total, with first place receiving five points, second place receiving three points and third place receiving one point.
1stPlace Votes 2ndPlace Votes 3rdPlace Votes Total
Casey Powell Florida 5 2 0 31
John Grant Jr. Denver 2 4 3 25
John Galloway Rochester 3 2 0 21
Marcus Holman Ohio 2 1 1 14
Paul Rabil Boston 0 2 7 13
Jeremy Sieverts Denver 2 0 0 10
Rob Pannell New York 1 0 2 7
Kyle Harrison Ohio 0 2 0 6
Mike Manley Rochester 0 2 0 6
Jordan Wolf Rochester 0 0 2 2
 

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