The Denver Outlaws drafted nine players during the MLL Collegiate Draft on Friday January 10, 2014 including three from the University of Denver.
The Outlaws took midfielder Jeremy Noble from the University of Denver in the first round as the sixth-overall pick. Noble has 54 goals and 44 assists (98 points) in 44 career games in his first three years with the Pioneers. Noble is a two-time All-American at the University of Denver and a 2013 Tewaaraton Award Watch List member.
Denver’s second round pick came at No. 16 overall, and they selected Brent Hiken, a face-off specialist from Stevenson University. Hiken ranked fourth in the nation with a .709 face-off percentage (202 of 285 won) and is an USILA Honorable Mention All-American.
In the third round, and the 22nd pick overall, the Outlaws added defenseman Ty Sounders from Lehigh. Sounders started all 50 games he has played and caused 42 turnovers with 95 ground balls in his three-year collegiate career and is a two-time All-American.
The Outlaws used their fourth-round pick, 30th overall, on Colin Dunster, a midfielder from Bryant University. Ranking fourth in the NEC, Dunster averaged 2.0 goals per game as a sophomore, leading the Bulldogs in points (50) and goals (36).
In the fifth round, the Outlaws selected another University of Denver player, goalie Jamie Faus. Faus earned USILA honorable-mention All-America honors in 2011 and has posted 8.71 goals-against average in 39 career games for the Pioneers, has 328 saves on 595 shots in his three-year career, a record of 22-8 and a .551 save percentage during that time.
The Outlaws had two picks in the sixth round. They chose defenseman James Connelly from Delaware. Connelly, a fifth-year defenseman, was one of the team’s top defensemen a year ago. He started each of the final 11 games of the season and recorded two assists, 18 groundballs, and 11 caused turnovers. For his career, he has appeared in 27 games and registered 34 groundballs and 20 caused turnovers. He was also selected as the co-captain for the 2014 University of Delaware men’s lacrosse squad. He is a gifted player who leads by example. His exceptional leadership skills will help motivate and direct the team with the team’s goal of winning the Colonial Athletic Association title and getting back to the NCAA tournament.
Also selected in the sixth round was midfielder Nick Fernandez from Princeton. Fernandez has been a shortstick defensive midfielder and a close defender in his career. He battled through injuries as a freshman before becoming one of the team’s starting SSDMs his sophomore year. Last season, as Princeton rebuilt its defense, Fernandez was switched to close defense, where he started all 15 games. The versatility of being able to play with either a shortstick or longstick is very important with MLL’s smaller rosters.
In the seventh round, Denver drafted midfielder Terry Ellis, the third member of the team’s 2014 draft class from the University of Denver. Ellis saw action in all 19 games in 2013, with two assists, 12 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. In ECAC games only, he finished tied for 15th in caused turnovers with 6. In 2009 he was named a First Team All-Conference and All-State Midfielder and in 2008 named a First Team All-Conference and First Team All-State Attackman.
The Outlaws concluded their selections by picking Ben McIntosh, a defenseman out of Drexel with the 62nd overall choice in the 2014 Collegiate Draft. McIntosh was recently named a Preseason Second Team All-American by Face-Off Yearbook. He was an Honorable Mention All-American a year ago after having a stellar offensive season for the Dragons. He had 38 goals as a junior and finished the year second in the CAA in goals per game. He also had 18 assists for 56 points, placing him second in the CAA in points per game. McIntosh led the CAA with six game-winning goals and had eight goals on man-up situations.
OUTLAWS 2014 COLLEGIATE DRAFT PICKS
Round Pick Player Position College
1 6 Jeremy Noble Midfield University of Denver
2 16 Brent Hiken Faceoff Stevensen
3 22 Ty Souders Defense Lehigh
4 30 Colin Dunster Midfield Bryant
5 38 Jamie Faus Goalie University of Denver
6 43 James Connelly Defense Delaware
6 46 Nick Fernandez Midfield Princeton
7 54 Terry Ellis Midfield University of Denver
8 62 Ben McIntosh Defense Drexel
In the end, the Outlaws added four midfielders, three defensemen, one goalie and one faceoff specialist in the draft.
