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Major League Lacrosse Team Drafts First Ever Female Player

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Caroline Cryer, an attacker, from Centennial and Devon Wills, goalie, of Denver, were on the USA 2009 Elite World Cup Team that won the FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup 2009 in Prague. Joe Amon / The Denver Post

The New York Lizards have acquired Devon Wills, former goalie on Dartmouth's Women's Lacrosse team, via the Supplemental Draft. Wills, the goalie for the Team USA women's squad, is set to become the first ever female Major League Lacrosse player if she makes next year's Lizards.

From the team's official statement:

"Medallion Financial has been one of the biggest proponents of women and minority businesses having invested over $2 billion with them" said Lizard's owner and president of Medallion Financial, Andrew Murstein . "Through our ownership of Richard Petty Motorsports in NASCAR, we've seen first-hand how great it is for a sport to have a woman athlete compete effectively at the highest level. Lacrosse is already one of the fastest growing sports in the US and this will only further accelerate that growth. Devon is a terrific young woman who is a great role model to female athletes everywhere."

Wills, of course, isn't the first netminder to attempt to break a gender barrier in a contact sport. Manon Rhéaume famously tried out for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992, appearing in preseason action but not making the team.