With the MLL Collegiate Draft getting set to take place in just eight short days on Friday January 10th, 2014, we here are In Lacrosse We Trust are going to look at the top players at each position. This week we are looking at the offensive side of the ball, specifically at the attack unit.
There are many talented attackmen coming out this season. While there isn’t a bonfide superstar like Rob Pannell, Peter Baum and Logan Schuss, this class is very deep and features a lot of guys who can put up great scoring and passing numbers. For instance guys like St. Johns Kieran McArdle and two-thirds of the Thompson brothers scored almost as many goals as assists.
There is also no shortage of guys who will be good finishers at the next level. Think of a guy like a Eric Law or Stephen Mock. Virginia’s Mark Cockerton and Hobart’s Alex Love certainly can fill that type of role for a MLL team.
Here are the best attackmen in the nation and some lesser known guys to keep an eye on as the 2014 season progresses.
Kieran McArdle, St. Johns– (36G, 44A, 80 pts) The second team All-American ranked fifth in the nation in points scored while leading St. Johns to nine wins. He also put up five and six points against Notre Dame and Syracuse respectively, so you know those statistics weren’t inflated. He will likely build on those numbers this year.
Miles Thompson, Albany-(43G, 30A, 73 pts)- An Honorable Mention All-American last year might have gotten snubbed because he benefits so much from playing with his brother Lyle and cousin Ty. However, there is no mistake that he can play as he ranked seventh nationally in points and should only see those numbers grow this season. I also forget to mention that he missed six games and still put up big numbers.
Ty Thompson, Albany– (54G, 14A, 68 pts) Like his cousin Miles, Ty was a Honorable Mention All-American. Like Miles, he probably isn’t as appreciated because he benefits from playing with Miles and Lyle but he still ranked 12th nationally in total points, so there is no mistaken that he can play as well. All of them will be a big reason why Albany will scare people this season.
Justin Ward, Loyola– (27G, 36A, 63 pts) Took over for Lusby as quarterback of offense and should only see statistics grow with increased role and Sawyer gone.
Brandon Mangan, Yale– (39G, 25A, 64 pts)- The Honorable Mention All-American probably flies under the radar because he plays at Yale, however, he was the biggest reason why they shocked Penn State in the NCAA Tournament last year and won the Ivy League as well. He was the main focus of the offense and still put up numbers in a defensive heavy Ivy League. Against the nation’s top ranked defense (Penn) he had six points and two points in both meetings.
Mark Cockerton, Virginia (49G, 7A, 56 pts)- The third team All-American was a goal scoring machine and had two or more goals in every game last year except for two. He will be the beneficiary of being the focal point of many of Nick O’Reilly’s passes and should make Virginia’s offense scary.
Alex Love, Hofstra- (45G, 10A, 55 pts)- Like Mangan at Yale, this Honorable Mention All-American probably flies under the radar because he doesn’t play at the best school. Regardless, he can play with the best of them as evidenced by his seven point performance against Syracuse. He will make opponents weary about playing Hobart and will be on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List at the beginning of the season.
Nick O’Reilly Virginia- (23G, 38A, 61 pts)- The honorable mention All-American was the quarterback of the offense and should only see his statistics grow as the offense only loses Matt White. Him and Cockerton will combine to be one of the best one-two punches in the nation and be one of the best attack lines as well.
Jordan Wolf, Duke– (57G, 28A, 85 pts) The second team All-American was a constant for Duke last season and did a wonderful job being the quarterback on the offense. He put his name on the map with by recording 17 points over the four games of the NCAA Tournament. 11 of those points came during Championship Weekend as well and Duke brings back its entire offense. With so many options he may not duplicate these numbers, but he will be the go-to-guy when the Blue Devils need something to happen.
Josh Dionne, Duke– (45G 5 A, 50 pts) The Honorable Mention All-American is a great finisher for Duke. He will likely be a third option on a team that features sophomore Case Matheis and fellow classmate Jordan Wolf. One stat to think about though, is that he put 75 percent of his shots on cage last year.
Names to keep an eye on:
Ben McIntosh, Drexel (38 G,18 A 56 pts)
Cam Stone, Hobart, (20 G, 29 A, 49 pts)
Kevin Cernuto, St. Johns (32 G, 16 A, 48 pts)
Derek Maltz, Syracuse (32 G, 7 A, 39 pts)
Scott Klimchak, Rutgers (32 G, 6 A, 38 pts)
Matt Springer, Binghamton (36 G, 2 A, 38 pts)
