On Monday September 22, at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre the Nation Lacrosse League hosted the 2014 NLL Entry Draft. There were a total of 55 players who were drafted. So how well did the Colorado Mammoth fare in the draft? With so many talented players available, it was necessary for each team to review their draft picks; what draft picks they were willing to trade in order to obtain a higher pick in the draft; and what players would bring the most to their team in areas where they were in need of improvement.
The Mammoth came out big in the first round with the fourth overall pick and chose Eli McLaughlin from Coquitlam. They were in need of a left-handed scorer and they got one. McLaughlin has a great head for the game and sees the ball well. He was the top-three scoring leader for the Coquitlam Junior Adanacs; the top left-handed scorer in the country; fourth in the league in scoring with 44 goals and 31 assists. During his 2011-2013 career with the Delta Islanders Junior A League, he played in 47 games, had 96 goals, and 69 assists. With John Grant Jr. about to turn 40, the Mammoth need to start getting players ready to take over that spot, one which will be a tough one to fill.
The Mammoth received another first round pick, seventh overall from the Edmonton Rush in exchange for the 13th overall pick in 2014 and a second round selection in 2015. They picked up Robert Hope from Pfeiffer University. The 6’5” 192 lb senior played attack during his college career. He went off to play box lacrosse for the Peterborough Lakers in Ontario’s senior summer league and was a teammate of Mammoth players Grant Jr. and Adam Jones. He was an outstanding player during his college career. In 2011 he had 15 of 16 starts and led the team in assists; in 2012 he had 13 of 17 starts, was fifth in goals 13, and second in assists 16; 2013 he started all 17 games, was fifth in the league in goals with 19, first in assists with 25, and second in points with 44; during his 2014 season he started all 14 games, was fourth in scoring with 18 goals, 18 assists, a shot percentage of .500, SOG percentage of .806, and three GWGs. He’s sure to be a dependable defender for the Mammoth, and will add to the height of the players that were recently drafted including Michael Simon at 6’3” 230 lbs and Colin Boucher at 6’5” 235 lbs, which will give Dillon Ward some great protection in front of the net.
The Mammoth gave up its second-round selection this year and received the 17th overall selection from the New England Black Wolves in exchange for the rights to Mike McNamara. The complicated trade included a trade from Calgary via Toronto via New England, where they picked up Alexis Buque from American International College. Buque is 5’10” 225 lbs, covers the net and plays his angles well. During his two-year college career at Davenport University, a DII program in Michigan, he played in 11 games, five starts with a 6-2 record as a freshman. His second year was equally good with a 6-4 record and he was named to the First All-Conference team. He was also the IL Indoor’s Junior Goalie of the Year, and First Team All-Canadian in 2013. Buque played for the New Westminster Salmon Bellies in the WLA and posted an .820 save percentage as their primary starter during his first Senior A summer. He had a strong career with the Whitby Warriors; and was named the OLA Junior A league’s top goalie in 2013 where he helped the Warriors win the Minto Cup that summer. Having a strong backup netminder will take some of the pressure off second year player Dillon Ward who was just signed to a five-year deal with the Mammoth.
In the fourth round, Colorado had the 32nd overall pick and chose Zach Rogers from Providence College. Rogers played 15 games for Providence during the 2014 season. He led the Friars with 22 caused turnovers, and finished second among his teammates in ground balls, with a career-high 46. During his college career, Rogers appeared in 58 games and had 110 ground balls. The 6’5” 210 lb defenseman is currently playing for the Langley Thunder of the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). The Thunder were two-time WLA Champions in 2011 and 2012. He appeared in four games for the Thunder who currently sit in second place in the WLA standings with a 6-5 record. Again, yet another tall player to add to an already extremely strong defensive unit.
The Mammoth had two picks in the fifth round and the 41st pick overall was D.J. Giacobbo from Canisius College. Another tall defender at 6’1” 182 lbs, the Mammoth are really looking for height in their defense. During Giacobbo’s college career, he started in 28 of 47 games, had two assists, 54 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers. He had a career high in 2013 with five ground balls and three caused turnovers, but missed five games during the season due to injury. Obviously, the Mammoth staff feels that he’s got what it takes to play defense for the Mammoth.
The Mammoth in a trade with Buffalo also had the 42nd overall pick in the fifth round and latched on to Terry Ellis from Denver University. Terry also played for the Denver Outlaws during their historic 2014 season. With Ellis here in Colorado, the Mammoth had a bit of an advantage in being able to watch first-hand how he was on the field. By the way he plays you wouldn’t know that he didn’t start playing lacrosse until his sophomore year in high school where he achieved All-State and All-Conference honors in his Junior and Senior years. During his high school career he broke school records for points in a season with 78, points in a game with 10, and points in a playoff game with nine. He plays Defensive Midfielder, an often unappreciated but equally important position. While watching him play for the Outlaws this summer I also saw first-hand how strong his defense was; how he can control the offense well and keep players from getting inside the box to score.
The final pick for the Mammoth came in the sixth round with the 50th overall pick. They took Mike Crampton from the US Air Force Academy. He boasts a 5’10” 165 lb frame, plays attack and is one of four team captains in 2014. He scored at least one goal in 29 consecutive games. With 79 career goals, he has the second most by a Falcon since 1994. During his 2013 college career, he was second-team All-ECAC on attack; team MVP; team captain; and the first Falcon since 2009 to reach the 100-point mark. He has broken multiple records during his college career, including recording the team-leading hat tricks during the 2013 season. It’s hard to say if there are any awards that Crampton hasn’t achieved. His desire to play hard, knowledge and love of the game will make him an asset to the Mammoth.
So now it comes down to training camp. Being drafted doesn’t guarantee anyone a spot on the team. It’s all about practicing hard, and not only showing the coach for the team you were drafted by, but every other coach out there the type of player you are. Reason being, if you get cut during training camp, there’s that possibility you will be picked up by another team. Injuries occur during training camp; and injuries occur during the season. Players must always play hard and be ready, because you never know what other opportunities might arise.
That being said, the Mammoth veterans will have to prove themselves as well to guarantee a spot on the team. Colorado has been very aggressive this year in its acquisitions; signing key players to long-term contracts; and drafting other players as well. With the new coaching staff, all of whom are recent former players; fans will see a different type of game on the field. Players will respect the coaches more because they know the game; they aren’t removed from it and can genuinely show the players what it’s all about being out on the floor for box lacrosse.
