The Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse completed a blockbuster trade to acquire midfielder Kevin Crowley from the Chesapeake Bayhawks at the league’s 12-player protected roster deadline. In exchange for Crowley, the Hounds send the Bayhawks two draft picks – the 11th overall selection in the 2016 Collegiate Draft and 15th overall selection in the 2016 Supplemental Draft.
A native of New Westminster, B.C., Crowley has appeared in 53 MLL games since 2011, recording 94 goals (including three 2-point goals) and 45 assists for a total of 142 points. In 2013, Crowley was named MLL’s Warrior MVP and All-Star Game MVP as a member of the now defunct Hamilton Nationals. The midfielder was selected first overall by the Nationals in the 2011 MLL Collegiate Draft. When the club folded prior to the 2014 season, Crowley transitioned to the Florida Launch for eight games before being traded to the Bayhawks.
“I’m excited for a new opportunity with this team,” Crowley said. “I’ve always appreciated their loyal fans and can’t wait to represent Charlotte in a Hounds jersey.”
The midfielder also is a standout in box lacrosse and international lacrosse. Crowley reigns as the only player in the sport to be drafted first overall in both MLL and National League Lacrosse (NLL). He has thrice been selected to play with the Canadian National Team at the FIL World Championships, earning a Gold Medal in 2014. Canada beat the United States 8-5 in the championship, with five of those goals coming from Crowley.
A graduate of Stony Brook University, Crowley is one of only two players in school history to record 100 or more goals and assists in the same season. He earned the USILA Enners Award in 2010, given to the nation’s most outstanding D-I lacrosse player. The midfielder ranks as Stony Brook’s second all-time leader in points, with 232.
Crowley will now be placed on the Hounds’ 12-man protected roster, with the remaining list to be announced at 12:00pm ET on Oct. 8.
The 2016 MLL Expansion Draft will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 2:00pm ET via conference call. The Expansion Draft will consist of 15 total rounds, where the Atlanta Blaze will make 15 straight picks, barring any trades. The 2016 MLL Supplemental Draft will follow one month later on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 2:00pm ET via conference call. The Supplemental Draft will give teams the opportunity to build-out their protected rosters to a 40-man preseason roster.
The final opportunity for the Hounds and other MLL teams to round out their rosters will be the 2016 MLL Collegiate Draft. Typically held in conjunction with the US Lacrosse National Convention, the MLL has not yet announced a date or location for the 2016 Collegiate Draft. MLL training camps will begin in late March, with a 25-man active roster and 6-man practice squad to be determined the week before the first games are played. The MLL season will commence in mid- to late-April.
