The New York Lizards had their unofficial start to the 2015 MLL season as they added 12 players to their roster by way of the MLL Supplemental Draft. The Lizards picked sixth in the draft and here are the 12 players they drafted from Wednesday.
Shamel Bratton, M: The Lizards get Bratton back after picking him up from the LXM Player Pool shortly after the LXM-MLL merger. Last season, he played in three games with the Lizards in 2014 and had one assist. Bratton was a star in college at Virginia but faced off the field issues his senior season before ultimately being dismissed from the team. Bratton is a great two-way midfielder and should bring some youth and athleticism to possibly the weakest group on the Lizards.
Shane Sturgis, A: Sturgis was a stud at Penn State in 2014. He had 50 points, which led the Nittany Lions. Sturgis put up some impressive performances and was the only viable threat on an offense that struggled to score. He played his rookie year for the Boston Cannons. He was a very good college player but it will be hard to crack an attack unit of Rob Pannell, Ned Crotty, Tommy Palasek and Matt Gibson.
Stephen Peyser, M: Peyser has a very interesting 2013. He was on the Lizards until he was traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the middle of the year. He only had four points for the Bayhawks in five games played. It is funny that they got several picks for him and now get him back for 2015. He has a good shot at making the lineup and contributing.
Lee Coppersmith, M: Coppersmith hasn’t played much since being picked 22nd overall by the Boston Cannons in 2013. He played in one game in 2014 for the Launch and three games for the Cannons in his rookie season. At Johns Hopkins, Coppersmith was a very nice two-way midfielder but should find his value on the defensive end in the MLL. Maybe he makes it as a rotation player for Lizards at SSDM.
Cody Jamieson, A: Jamieson could be a steal if he chooses to play in the MLL this season. He skipped last season after previously playing for the Hamilton Nationals. He was a 20-point scorer for three straight seasons and could provide some nice depth to a thin attack unit.
Chris Piccirilli, D: The recent Villanova graduate started 31 games for the Wildcats throughout his career. He registered 15 points during his tenure and his 40 caused turnovers rank sixth all-time in Wildcats history. Piccirilli gets to reunite with former Wildcat teammate Brian Karalunas and has a decent shot to make the defense.
Anthony Biscardi, M: The UMass graduate hasn’t seen much action in the MLL> Biscardi has played a total of three games in two seasons for the Ohio Machine from 2012-2013.
Matt Poskay, M: It is realy a shcoker to see a former league MVP this low on the list but Poskay’s play has declined since winning the MVP several seasons ago. He played eight seasons with the Boston Cannons from 2006-2013. With the Cannons, he recorded 267 career points. Poskay is one of the best inside finishers in the game and if he makes the roster, maybe the Lizards could find themselves with a pleasant late-round gem.
Andrew Casimir, D: Casimir was a 2011 graduate of Dowling College and was a starter for Dowling in his last three seasons.
Max Van Bourgondien, M: Van Bourgondien was a teammates of Rob Pannell’s at Cornell. In his senior year, Max recorded 43 points while played on the first line midfield. He played one game in 2013 for the Lizards before suffering a season-ending injury. Likely a long shot to make the roster given how 2013 ended and the fact he wasn’t on a roster in 2014.
Rhamel Bratton, M: Bratton will join his brother Shamel on the Lizards. Rhamel also played with Shamel at Virginia and is more defensive-minded than his brother. He could provide some depth for one or both of the Unterstein brothers if he makes the roster.
Chris Coppolecchia, D: Coppolecchia is a defenseman out of Quinnipiac and is likely to be a long shot to make the roster.
