The 2019 Major League Draft happened Saturday night with some big moves shaking things up.
The Towson University Tigers led the way with three of the top 20 picks including faceoff specialist Alex Woodall who was selected by the Ohio Machine. Zach Goodrich went third overall to the Boston Cannons and Brendan Sunday went 13th to the Atlanta Blaze.
The University of Maryland and Penn State followed close behind with two picks each. Most teams were interested in runners, with attack, midfield and defense pulling in 18 of the top 20 spots. One goalie and one faceoff specialist rounded out the top lot.
This draft class will be highly scrutinized, perhaps more so than ever with the addition of the PLL and the push to take players away from Major League Lacrosse. Luckily, this class will be able to showcase their skills quickly and draw fans who love the college field game. MLL immediately gets the boost of the youth movement.
The rookies, combined with star players like Shawn Evans, Colin Heacock and Lyle Thompson should keep the fans coming back for more. One huge plus of this league is that players can get more involved in the community. This league can also create more of a family experience where parents know the players and kids can fall in love with their favourite players as they fall in love with the game.
Top 20 – Team by Team Recap
Atlanta added Brendan Sunday on attack and Dylan Gaines on defense. Sunday did not play in 2017 due to an upper body injury, but appears to have healed, scoring 17 goals and 11 assists in five games so far this season.
Boston had picks at three, four, and 12. They added Zach Goodrich for defense at three and Austin Henningsen who set the record for faceoffs won as a freshman in 2016 for Maryland. Rounding out Boston’s selections was Cornell’s Clarke Petterson, who just scored eight goals vs Towson on the weekend. Petterson, whose uncle is the late Dave Huntley, was an Honourable Mention All Ivy in 2017.
The Charlotte Hounds had only one of the top 20 picks, choosing Ryan Conrad from UVA at number five.
Chesapeake kept it local. They selected Curtis Corley from Maryland and Greyson Torain who grew up in Maryland. They also added Pat Spencer, who some had projected to be the first overall pick, Spencer, of Loyola, may prove to be the flashiest guy to enter the league this year. It will be interesting to see if he shows up to Chesapeake because there are rumours he will stay in school another year to play basketball.
Dallas went with Chris Sabia to strengthen their defense. They also added Craig Chick who was a First Team All Patriot as a junior.
Denver added a little hometown action with the selection of Max Tuttle, from Castle Rock. Tuttle, who now suits up for Sacred Heart, was the 2015 Colorado 5A Player of the Year. Denver also selected two attackers in Daniel Bucarao and Chris Aslanian.
Florida selected goaltender Tim Troutner from High Point second overall. He was the only goalie selected in the top 20 picks. Sean Eccles, a midfielder from Albany, was selected as the 11th pick.
Ohio had the highest number of picks including the top one which they turned into Woodall. Joining him was Penn State’s Nick Spillane, Villanova’s TJ Comizio and Army’s Johnny Surdick.
Of Note
- The New York Lizards did not make a pick until the third round when they selected Jack Tigh from Yale.
- Team Canada defenseman Ryland Rees was drafted by the Cannons at the end of the third round. Rees plays LSM at Stonybrook. He also won a Minto Cup with the Coquitlam Adanacs of the BCJALL this past summer.
- The Cannons also took Syracuse’s Tyson Bomberry 34th overall. Bomberry won three Minto Cups with the Six Nations Arrows (box) and three bronze medals in international field play with the Iroquois Nationals.
- Tyson Gibson, son of New England Black Wolves assistant coach Daryl Gibson, was taken by Atlanta at 41.
- Kyle Pless from Rutgers had the distinction of being chosen last in the draft at 63 by Denver.
|
1 |
Ohio |
Alex Woodall |
Towson |
|
2 |
Florida |
Tim Troutner |
High Point |
|
3 |
Boston |
Zach Goodrich |
Towson |
|
4 |
Boston |
Austin Henningsen |
UMD |
|
5 |
Charlotte |
Ryan Conrad |
UVA |
|
6 |
Denver |
Max Tuttle |
Sacred Heart |
|
7 |
Chesapeake |
Pat Spencer |
Loyola |
|
8 |
Dallas |
Chris Sabia |
Penn State |
|
9 |
Denver |
Daniel Bucaro |
Georgetown |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
Ohio |
Nick Spillaine |
Penn State |
|
11 |
Florida |
Sean Eccles |
Albany |
|
12 |
Boston |
Clarke Petterson |
Cornell |
|
13 |
Atlanta |
Brendon Sunday |
Towson |
|
14 |
Atlanta |
Dylan Gaines |
Denver |
|
15 |
Ohio |
TJ Comizio |
Villanova |
|
16 |
Chesapeake |
Greyson Torain |
Navy |
|
17 |
Dallas |
Craig Chick |
Lehigh |
|
18 |
Denver |
Chris Aslanian |
Hobart |
|
|
|
|
|
|
19 |
Ohio |
Johnny Surdick |
Army |
|
20 |
Chesapeake |
Curtis Corley |
Maryland |
|
21 |
Boston |
Nick DeCaprio |
Michigan |
|
22 |
Dallas |
Isaac Paparo |
Umass |
|
23 |
Charlotte |
Matt Neufeldt |
Denver |
|
24 |
New York |
Jack Tigh |
Yale |
|
25 |
Chesapeake |
Noah Richard |
Marquette |
|
26 |
Atlanta |
Colton Jackson |
Denver |
|
27 |
Boston |
Ryland Rees |
Stonybrook |
|
28 |
Ohio |
Chris Young |
High Point |
|
29 |
Florida |
Tyler Dunn |
Upenn |
|
30 |
Boston |
Brent Noseworthy |
Michigan |
|
31 |
Dallas |
Teddy Hatfield |
Richmond |
|
32 |
Charlotte |
Austin Fusco |
Syracuse |
|
33 |
New York |
John Daniggelis |
Yale |
|
34 |
Boston |
Tyson Bomberry |
Syracuse |
|
35 |
Dallas |
Jack Jasinski |
Ohio |
|
36 |
Denver |
Brandon Jones |
Air Foce |
|
37 |
Ohio |
Matt Borges |
Ohio |
|
38 |
Florida |
Joseph Sessa |
Yale |
|
39 |
Atlanta |
Brett Craig |
Seton Hill |
|
40 |
Florida |
Andrew Kew |
Tampa |
|
41 |
Atlanta |
Tyson Gibson |
Robert Morris |
|
42 |
New York |
Connor Farrell |
LIU Post |
|
43 |
Chesapeake |
Austin French |
Denver |
|
44 |
Dallas |
Joe Saggese |
Sacred Heart |
|
45 |
Denver |
Kyle Marr |
Hopkins |
|
46 |
Ohio |
Sam Cleveland |
Colgate |
|
47 |
Florida |
Eric Applegate |
Jacksonville |
|
48 |
Dallas |
Lucas Wittenberg |
Georgetown |
|
49 |
Atlanta |
Eddie Bouhall |
Lehigh |
|
50 |
Charlotte |
Brendan Gleason |
Notre Dame |
|
51 |
New York |
Dan Dolan |
UMD |
|
52 |
Chesapeake |
Warren Jeffrey |
Vermont |
|
53 |
Dallas |
Fleet Wallace |
Cornell |
|
54 |
Denver |
Jack Rowlett |
UNC |
|
55 |
Boston |
James Burr |
Boston University |
|
56 |
Florida |
Reed Malas |
Bucknell |
|
57 |
New York |
Decker Curran |
Michigan |
|
58 |
Atlanta |
Jake McCulloch |
Cornell |
|
59 |
Ohio |
Alex Heger |
Robert Morris |
|
60 |
New York |
Brendan Kearns |
Providence |
|
61 |
Chesapeake |
John Prendergast |
Duke |
|
62 |
Dallas |
Landon Kramer |
Sacred Heart |
|
63 |
Denver |
Kyle Pless |
Rutgers |
— with files from Anna Taylor
