A wave of U.S. talent is about to kiss the NLL shore via the annual entry draft.
“I see a significant uptick in interest by American players,” said Brian Lemon, NLL vice president of lacrosse operations. “There have been more enquiries from American players than in year’s past.”
There are numerous explanations:
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Tom Schreiber’s instant NLL stardom. The Long Island-raised forward was 2017 NLL Rookie of the Year with no previous indoor experience, proving once again to Americans that they can be just as good as Canadians at box lacrosse if they give it a go.
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The star status in the NCAA and in the MLL of so many Canadian and First Nations players who grew up playing indoor lacrosse, most recently Hofstra’s Josh Byrne, has emphatically driven home the reality that skills developed indoors are a benefit in the field game.
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The world indoor championship, introduced in 2003 and growing in importance, is another opportunity for players to wear U.S. colors internationally, and those with NLL experience have a leg up on field-only players when tryouts for roster spots are held every four years.
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American NCAA players can hear the loud talk of NLL expansion as well as anybody else. More NLL roster spots will soon open up.
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The proliferation of indoor youth leagues in the United States. “That’s an important one,” said Lemon, who was impressed by the eagerness of youngsters to play the indoor game while attending the recent U.S. box nationals in San Jose, Calif. “The numbers continue to rise in the United States.”
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NLL rookie pay will exceed $10,000 next season and, as seniority progresses, salaries in the NLL are higher than what players can make in the MLL.
It all adds up to a scenario that helps the NLL grow.
“The stars are aligning,” Lemon suggested. “Each one of those factors is stimulating the other factors. It’s a good time for the development of box lacrosse.”
Americans who have completed their NCAA careers and who have confirmed to the NLL their interest to be selected in the Sept. 18 entry draft in Oakville, Ontario, include the last two Tewaaraton Award winners (Maryland’s Matt Rambo and Brown’s Dylan Molloy) and a host of other players.
A closer look at the list of potential members of the 2017 draft class, per NLL officials, with their field lacrosse positions:
Name |
Pos |
College |
Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Bruckner | M | Duke | Belle Terre, N.Y. |
| Christian Burgdorf | D | Denver | Westfield, N.J. |
| Connor Cannizzaro | A | Denver | Cazenovia, N.Y. |
| Isaiah Davis-Allen | SSDM | Maryland | Springfield, Va. |
| Ryan Drenner | A | Towson | Finksburg, Md. |
| Jake Froccaro | M | Villanova | Port Washington, N.Y. |
| Luke Goldstock | A | North Carolina | Niskayuna, N.Y. |
| Colin Heacock | A | Maryland | Catonsville, Md. |
| Tucker James | A | Bryant | Essex Falls, N.J. |
| Tate Jozokos | SSDM | North Carolina | Wolfeboro, N.H. |
| Larken Kemp | LSM | Brown | Greenwich, Conn. |
| Dylan Molloy | A | Brown | Setauket, N.Y. |
| Tom Moore | A | Binghamton | West Islip, N.Y. |
| Adam Osika | M | Albany | Mason, Ohio |
| Austin Pifani | D | North Carolina | Roslyn, Pa. |
| Matt Rambo | A | Maryland | Glenside, Pa. |
| Eric Scott | M | Yale | Basking Ridge, N.J. |
| Joe Seider | A | Towson | Sparks, Md. |
Schreiber, who is from Long Island, was not drafted into the NLL coming out of Princeton but was contacted by the Toronto Rock after he was named 2016 MVP in the MLL. Rock owner-GM Jamie Dawick offered him a tryout because his team needed a right-hand shooter with vet Rob Hellyer ruled out for the season after surgery. Schreiber made the team and neither he nor Dawick have regretted the partnership. With Schreiber’s help, the Rock went from a non-playoff entity to the East Division final.
“The success of Schreiber and other Americans can only help draw more American players to the NLL,” says Dave Succamore, executive director of the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association. “And the NLL talking about the influx of players they will need down the road, with the Americans playing a role in that, should help draw them.
“The NLL getting more exposure has been a plus as well.”
Byrne, from British Columbia, is expected to be the first player selected, by Buffalo, Sept. 18. He just set an MLL rookie record with 39 goals for the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He then joined his West Coast club team for indoor playoffs.
Many Americans have had impressive NLL careers over the years. Casey Powell, from upstate New York, was league MVP in 2010. Top rookie honors have gone to, besides Schreiber, Ryan Boyle (2005), Brian Langtry (2003), Jesse Hubbard (1999) and Charlie Lockwood (1995).
Americans Kevin Buchanan, Greg Downing, Mitch Belisle, Joel White, John Ranagan, Brent Adams, Kieran McArdle, Ryan Hotaling, Brett Manney, Chris O’Dougherty, Nick Ossello and Blaze Riorden are among U.S. players currently on NLL rosters.
So, there’s nothing new about Americans gaining prominence in the NLL. It’s a matter of numbers, and they are growing.