Hempstead, NY - Seven Hofstra Men's Lacrosse alumni, all members of the New York Lizards, earned championship rings last weekend with a 15-12 victory over the Rochester Rattlers in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse Championship Game in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Lizards, which recorded a 10-4 regular season record before defeating the Boston Cannons and the Rattlers on the way to the franchise's third MLL title, equaled, by most accounts, the second-highest amount of rostered players from one college on a championship team in league history. Only the Lizards' 2003 Championship squad, which consisted of eight Johns Hopkins players on the overall roster, had more.

The seven Hofstra alums, which included four who saw action in the title game, were defenseman Brian Spallina, '00; midfielder Kevin Unterstein, '08; midfielder Steve DeNapoli, '11; defenseman Mike Skudin, '11; defenseman Nicky Polanco, '02; midfielder Mike Unterstein, '08 and midfielder Mike Malave, '15.

Spallina, who picked up one ground ball in the championship contest, earned his seventh MLL Championship ring after titles in 2001 with the Long Island Lizards, 2004, 2006 and 2007 with Philadelphia and 2012 and 2013 with the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
Kevin Unterstein, who tallied two ground balls and one shot in the title game, earned his first ring in his first championship game appearance.

DeNapoli, who recorded one ground ball and two shots against the Rattlers, also earned his first ring in his first title game visit.  Skudin, who also played in the championship game, completed the Hofstra trio who played in their first title game and earned the ring.

Hofstra alum who is no stranger to MLL title games is Nicky Polanco. Sidelined with an injury for the playoffs, Polanco picked up his fourth title ring. He has seen his teams go to the playoffs seven times, winning titles with Philadelphia in 2004 and Chesapeake in 2012 and 2013.

Mike Unterstein and Mike Malave saw limited action for the Lizards in 2015 and both are on their first MLL Championship teams.

On a side note, an eighth Hofstra alum is also bringing home a championship ring this summer but not a MLL bobble and not as a player. Midfielder John Orsen, '06, who earned a MLL Championship ring as a player with the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2012, picked up a 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse ring as an assistant coach at Denver University.