HAIFA, ISRAEL — Ted Bergman, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2015, will return to the Israel Premier Lacrosse League this summer as a franchise player for Haifa LC.
Bergman, who had an eye-popping 66.9% save percentage and a 6.63 goals against average for Haifa LC in 2015, recently graduated from Wesleyan University, where he was named a First-Team All-American in his Senior season. He joins Russian midfielder Eugene Arkhipov and Ithaca graduate Cody Swing as franchise players for Haifa. Ivan Cohen, who was named IPLL Coach of the Year in 2016 with Kiryat Gat LC, was also announced as Haifa’s head coach for the 2017 season.
Bergman, who was also named First Team All-NESCAC and First Team All-New England, enjoyed a breakout senior campaign in which he led the conference in goals-against average (9.45) and saves (241). He started all 22 games for Wesleyan between the posts, and logged 1251:15 minutes, while posting a 55.0 save percentage. Bergman and the Cardinals’ defense held opponents to single-digits in 15 of their 22 games.
Arkhipov, who captains Moscow LC, led the Russian national team with a staggering 14 goals and 15 assists at the 2016 European Championships in Budapest — good for 12th in Europe — which followed a 13-goal performance at the 2014 World Championships in Denver. He recently earned MVP honors at the Zombies Cup in Belgrade, Serbia, leading his club to the title.
Swing was fantastic on the defensive end for Ithaca, earning an Empire 8 All-Tournament Team nod and finishing his Senior season with 26 caused turnovers and 27 ground balls, both career bests.
Haifa is earning a reputation as the “Buffalo Bills” of the IPLL; they were finalists in both 2015 and 2016, losing in the IPLL Championship Game to Barak Netanya LC and Be’er Sheva LC, respectively. They open the 2017 season on July 20th against the expansion Sderot LC.