PAINESVILLE, OH. (October 27, 2007) - The addition of football, men's and women's track and field and women's golf wasn't enough for Lake Erie College - lacrosse, for both men and women, has now been added to the Storm's athletic offerings and is slated to compete as an intercollegiate sport in the spring of 2010.

According to US Lacrosse, the sport's national governing body, lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States. Youth membership (ages 15 and under) in US Lacrosse has more than tripled since 1999 from 40,000 to more than 125,000. Throughout the past 10 years, no sport has grown faster at the high school level with an estimated 169,000 high school players.

Considered to be America's first sport, lacrosse is also the fastest-growing sport over the last five years at the NCAA level. More than 400 college club programs are in existence, the majority of which compete under the umbrella of US Lacrosse and its "intercollegiate associates" level. Local institutions that compete in the Division II and III level include Oberlin College, The College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Mercyhurst College and Seton Hill.

"A growing sport, we hope that lacrosse will attract more students from geographically diverse regions and also strengthen our move to Division II," said President Michael T. Victor.

Current varsity athletic offerings at Lake Erie College include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field and volleyball for women and baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track and field for men. Football was played this academic year as a club sport. Storm athletics currently compete at the NCAA Division III level; however, the College is in the process of completing an exploratory year to reclassify to Division II status. This will allow Lake Erie to offer athletic scholarships in addition to academic aid.