Major League Lacrosse is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020. Some of the best lacrosse players in the world have suited up in the league, and with careful consideration, we are revealing the top 20 players in league history through the end of this week.
Today, we unveil Nos. 15-11. We will continue with five more players each day until we reveal the final five picks on Friday. Follow along and join in on the discussion on Twitter (@uslacrossemag).
Note: All-Star appearances include appearances with Team U.S.A. when the setup was the U.S. national team vs. MLL All-Stars.
MLL All-Time 20
15. Joe Walters
The No. 1 overall pick in 2006 did not disappoint over his 12-year MLL career. The do-it-all offensive weapon amassed 503 points in his career, en route to playing in nine All-Star Games and winning two championships. He was MVP of the 2008 championship weekend, which culminated in a 16-6 win for the Rochester Rattlers.
14. Brian Dougherty
A legendary player who inspired a number of other goalies, especially in the Philadelphia area. Dougherty won three championships and played in three All-Star Games. His .627 save percentage was the best in the league in 2006. He was a three-time Goalie of the Year (2003, 2006, 2007).
13. Nicky Polanco
The intense defender was a first-round draft pick in 2002. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards (2004, 2005), played in six All-Star Games and won three championships. He scooped up 449 ground balls over the course of his 14-year career.
12. Tom Schreiber
His MLL career wasn’t the longest, lasting five seasons. And in 2018, he only played in four games due to injury. That said, his MLL tenure was incredibly impactful. He was one of five players to win two MLL MVPs (2016, 2017), and he played in the All-Star Game every season. In 2017, he helped the Ohio Machine win their first MLL championship.
11. Greg Gurenlian
The man they call “Beast” rewrote the record book for faceoff specialists, amassing 993 ground balls, 2,004 faceoff wins and 3,387 faceoffs attempted. His 2015 stands out most. He set MLL records for single-season faceoff winning percentage (73.3) and faceoff wins in a season (280), and he helped the Lizards win the MLL championship. He became the first faceoff specialist to be named MLL MVP.