The New York Lizards were the talk of the 2013 MLL Collegiate Draft. They had the best draft night of any team in the league and that was without a selection until the fifth round.
The Lizards used their picks (and midfielder Will Mangan) to walk away late Friday night with David Earl, Steven Waldeck and Mark Matthews. That’s not including Jack Reid, who was acquired earlier in the offseason for a pair of late draft picks.
Earl is an All-Star that will be part of a dangerous starting midfield line including Max Seibald and Stephen Peyser.
Waldeck is a local guy (Stony Brook graduate) that Lizards GM Casey Hilpert says the team has been after for a couple of seasons now. He’ll improve the defense, along with Reid.
Mark Matthews is an immensely talented attackman that scores in bunches. He was a fan favorite in Denver and burned the Lizards in the semi-finals of the MLL Championship Weekend.
The Lizards projected attack for next year will be Matthews, 2013 rookie (and 2012 No. 1 pick) Rob Pannel, and 2012 MLL Rookie of the Year Matt Gibson. That’s a young core that should remain in place for years to come.
New York didn’t come up completely empty in the draft, though. In the fifth round New York selected Syracuse midfielder and captain JoJo Marasco. He’s a strong dodger that plays well in transition. He should do well with Seibald as a mentor.
The team picked up Hofstra’s John Antoniades in the sixth round for added face-off depth behind Greg Gurenlian. In the seventh round the team selected Notre Dame midfielder Steven Murphy and six-foot-three Hofstra defender Mark Mullen.
New York selected Stony Brook midfielder Jeff Tundo in the eighth round. Tundo had 45 points last season after transferring from Ohio St., including an impressive 28 assists.
The Lizards had a great draft night. They added some proven MLL talent to give the team a scary starting lineup and picked up some valuable, local pieces late in the draft. Any of those draft picks can make a contribution at the pro level and no pick was a reach.
The Lizards management and coaching staff wants this squad to be more than a one hit wonder. The moves they made Friday should go a long way to helping ensure that.
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