DETROIT (8/15/2017) -- Three former University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse players will have a chance to win a professional championship as
Mike Birney '15,
Brandon Davenport '13 and
Chris Shevins '15 are part of the surging Ohio Machine of Major League Lacrosse.
The Machine will play the Denver Outlaws in Dallas on Saturday, August 19, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, for the Steinfeld Trophy. The game will air live on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. (EST).
It is a rematch of the 2016 championship, which saw Ohio fall to Denver in a last-minute thriller, 19-18.
Davenport and Shevins have been on the practice squad for two years, while Birney was drafted by Ohio in the 2017 MLL Supplemental Draft and has seen action in 12 games as a rookie. He has totaled three goals and two assists with 13 ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.
All three were part of the Titan team that won the 2013 MAAC Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Birney was a three-time All-MAAC selection who earned the MAAC's Most Outstanding Player in the championship campaign after scoring eight goals in the event, including the game winners against Marist and Siena, and helping the Titans win their only conference championship.
He finished his career third in school history with 16 man-up goals, fourth in total goals (63) and hat tricks (8), fifth in points (89), and tied for seventh in assists (26).
Davenport is still one of the Titan all-time leaders at the faceoff X, tallying a .456 faceoff winning percentage (334-of-732) with 170 ground balls and posting eight points on four goals and four assists. He ranks first in school history in faceoff wins, fourth in winning percentage and second in ground balls.
Shevins was a two-time team captain at defense and ended his career playing in 55 games and ranking sixth with 29 caused turnovers and also corralling 64 ground balls. As a senior, he led the Titans with a career-best 16 caused turnovers and tied for fifth with 25 ground balls.
Both teams were 9-5 during the season to share the regular season crown. They also split the season series with each winning on the road as Denver posted a 13-11 triumph and Ohio claiming a 13-12 victory.
