June 16, 2008

CHAPEL HILL - University of North Carolina women's lacrosse players Erica LaGrow and Amber Falcone will represent the United States later this month at the Prague Cup in preparation for the 2009 World Cup, U.S. Lacrosse recently announced.

LaGrow and Falcone are members of the U.S. Touring Team, which includes 18 players and six alternates that were selected from the U.S. Elite and Developmental teams following the US Lacrosse Champions Challenge in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Training camp for the Prague Cup begins this week.

"It is absolutely an honor to represent the USA and to compete with amazing people, LaGrow says. "I feel so grateful for this opportunity to play for the U.S. and the experiences that the program has given me. Lacrosse has afforded me many opportunities and to be able to travel to Europe while playing the sport I love with great people is the aspect I'm the most excited about."

"It is an amazing honor to be representing the United States with some of the best girls in the game of lacrosse right now," agrees Falcone. "When I look around at my teammates in the huddle and I catch a glimpse of the USA jersey I understand just how fortunate I am to be playing alongside them. I have realized that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I know I will learn even more about the game of lacrosse from my teammates and coaches."

The duo will represent the United States from June 25th to 28th in Prague, Czech Republic. Twelve teams will play in the women's tournament, six of which are national teams preparing for August's European Cup in Finland and the 2009 World Cup. The Prague Cup field will include five nations other than the USA -- the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Scotland and Wales.

"The competition will be tough but we have prepared well as a team and will continue to prepare during training camp this week," says LaGrow.

LaGrow, a senior midfielder in 2008, and Falcone, a junior defender, both earned All-ACC honors this past season. LaGrow was a four-year starter in the Tar Heel midfield and has been a member of the 2007-08 United States Elite women's lacrosse team. She was one of 24 players so honored and one of just three 2008 collegians on the squad (joining Duke's Caroline Cryer and Northwestern's Meredith Frank).

Falcone picked up All-America honors from four organizations, including first-team honors from Inside Lacrosse, WomensLax.com and WomensLacrosse.com and second-team recognition from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association, in 2008. A third-team All-America as a freshman in 2006 and a second-team honoree as a sophomore in 2007, Falcone is one of five three-time All-Americas in Carolina history, joining Brooke Crawford (1997-99), Kellie Thompson (2000-02), Porter Wilkinson (2000-02) and Jenn Cook (2005-07). Falcone has been a member of the 2007-08 United States Developmental women's lacrosse team.

Carolina went 13-7 in 2008, reaching the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The unseeded Tar Heels upset fourth-seeded Virginia on the road in the NCAA Tournament before losing in a national quarterfinal at fifth-seeded Syracuse.