'Gansett Grays Score Berth in Regional Championship

The state's only over-40 men's lacrosse team, the Gansett Grays, will be heading to Brown University's Meister-Kavan Field in Providence tomorrow to compete for the Olde New England Lacrosse League Championship.

Their berth in the championship game came after they upset the no. 2 seed Woburn Bald Eagles in an 8-7 comeback victory in last week's semifinals. They finished their regular seasion with a 6 and 2 record and will be facing the current champs, the Billerica Fakawee.

The game starts at 11:15 a.m. 

“Although we’ve all remained active since college, some of us haven’t picked up a stick in 20+ years.  Given the opportunity to get back on the field again, we have so much more appreciation for the game and for being part of this team,” said Steve Danyla, a team founder.  

According to a release, ‘Gansett Grays is a team of passionate high school, collegiate and club lacrosse players whose competitive spirit and love for the game hasn’t diminished with age.  

Peter Moubayed counts himself among the diehard players.  Moubayed earned all-state honors twice while serving as captain at Providence Country Day and went on to play at Gettysburg College before becoming a coach of Providence Youth Lacrosse.  “As a coach, I found myself standing on the sidelines and fighting the urge to jump onto the field with the players and join in.”  Coaching Providence Youth Lacrosse is where he got reacquainted with fellow board member Steve Danyla, a former player at Ithaca.  “Steve had the idea to establish a local adult team and together we helped bring these talented athletes together, founding the ‘Gansett Grays in ’09.”

Standouts on the ‘Gansett Grays include:

• David Evans: two-time All-American at Brown University who was once named Ivy League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.  Played for the National Lacrosse League’s Baltimore Thunder for two years before joining the Boston Cannons in the team’s inaugural Major League Lacrosse season and was a six-time All-Star before retiring in 2006. During his tenure with the Cannons, Evans won the league's fastest shot contest three years in a row and holds the record for the fastest shot (109 MPH) in the world. He was the Cannon's Most Valuable Player in 2002 and Offensive MVP in 2001 and holds the Cannon’s record as the all-time leading goal scorer (133).
• Mark Chafee: High School All-American and captain at Providence Country Day and collegiate player at Middlebury College.  He is currently head coach of the Narragansett High School boys varsity lacrosse team.
• Marty Kelly: two-time High School All-American, captain of the Nazareth College national championship team, a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and recipient of the NCAA’s Turnbull Award, an annual honor given to the Division III outstanding attack-man.  He is currently the head coach of Roger Williams University’s men’s lacrosse team.

ONELL (www.onell.org) was founded in 2004 as a recreational league in Nashua, New Hampshire.  Since that time, the popularity of the sport has burgeoned and the league has flourished.  Currently ONELL boasts an astounding roster of 20 ultra-competitive over-40 teams and 14 over-30 teams located throughout New England.  ‘Gansett Grays is the sole representative from the State of Rhode Island in the league.

Narragansett Beer, team sponsor, will host a post-game party, Saturday at 1:00, at the Hot Club, 575 Water Street, in Providence.  “Win or lose, we’ll all be celebrating because we’ve had the opportunity to continue playing the game we love,” added Moubayed.  The party is open to the public and all are invited to attend.