No Saints Next Season As Sale Falls Through

The New York Saints professional indoor lacrosse team will

suspend operations for the 2003-2004 season, the National Lacrosse League has

announced.

The Saints' current ownership group and the NLL had worked extensively to

sell the team in time for the upcoming season. The team was in negotiations

with a Wall Street investment group, and according to Saints owner Mike Gongas,

had a binding contract signed and delivered. But the funding to complete the

deal was never transferred into the Saints' account and didn't meet Friday's 5

p.m. deadline imposed by the league to continue operations.

"We had a deal in place but the money had not been transferred to our

account as of this date," Gongas said. "We are still diligently working on

completing the sale of the team. We missed the deadline imposed by the league

and therefore they have no choice but to move forward with the league schedule.

There will be no New York Saints this season. We have every intention of

getting the team back on the field in 2004-2005."

The Saints have played professional lacrosse at Nassau Coliseum since 1989,

winning three league titles but never an NLL championship. The team hadn't

made the playoffs in five years and posted a 3-11 record last season. According

to Gongas, the NLL and the new entity interested in buying the Saints were

trying to secure eight home dates at the Coliseum, and that deal hadn't been

completed yet.

Gongas said the loss of the Saints will not have a significant impact on

the Coliseum because the team's home dates last year were worked around the

schedules of the Islanders and the Dragons.

"We were the number three tenant in the venue and that gave us third choice

of dates," Gongas said. "And that severely affected our attendance."

Said Saints assistant coach Jim Mule, "It's a disappointing day for the

Saints' players and the fans of Long Island. There will be no more indoor

lacrosse for at least one year. And that's terrible. We thought there was a

deal in place, but I guess not."

The office of the commissioner has granted unrestricted free agency to the

remaining Saints players.

"It's unfortunate that we're not playing," Saints four-year defenseman

Brian Spallina said. "We want to play here in New York. Our team has a local

flavor."