Professional Lacrosse Coming to Bridgeview

By Todd McClamroch in News on Dec 19, 2006 1:49PM

Professional Lacrosse is coming to Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The Chicago Machine announced they will play their home games at Toyota Park. Although the 20,000 seat stadium was built as the home of the Chicago Fire, it is also an excellent facility for concerts and sports other than soccer.

The Machine played their inaugural season at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. John H.
Meister, the Machine's President, is excited about the move as it will bring fans closer to the game. He said, "The stadium is designed to allow our fans to sit right behind the players – no track between – which will bring them much closer to the action. The move from a small college campus to Toyota Park is reflective of the growth of the lacrosse community in Chicagoland and provides us a home we can grow into."

The Chicago Machine joined Major League Lacrosse (MLL) last season along with four other expansion teams. The front office hopes a change of venue and the hiring of new coach Lelan Rogers will help the team earn its first franchise victory in 2007. The team went 0-12 in their inaugural season, the only team in the league to go winless. On May 19, the Machine will host their first home game at Toyota Park.