Edit: Three new players declared early and we have a mix up now with trades today between Philly and Minnesota.
Draft day is almost here! Not sure who your favorite team will pick? We aren’t either, but we spoke with team GMs, coaches and scouts to put together the most reliable mock draft possible.
FIRST ROUND
1. Minnesota– Logan Schuss: Everyone is in agreement that the Swarm are going to take Schuss, the InLax Prospects #1 prospect in 2013 and second overall. He averaged five points a game with the New Westminster Salmonbellies this season and he had 38 points with the Ohio Machine of MLL. Our WLA scout said about him, 6ft 210lbs Lefty Offence for New Westminster Sr Salmonbellies was all he was billed to be and more. He is the hands on favorite to win the WLA Rookie of the Year after putting up some sparkling numbers 29 goals 27 assists 56 points in just 12 games to lead all WLA Rookies in Scoring. Couple that with the stellar year he has had in the MLL TOP 15 in scoring in his rookie year with the OHIO Machine putting up gigantic number 27 goals 6 assists 33 points in just 10 games puts him in the drivers seat to be the MLL Rookie of the Year. Minnesota Swarm have already made it public they will be taking him 1st overall in the upcoming NLL Draft, could he be the 1st to win ROY in three leagues?
2. Minnesota- Jason Noble– Noble is the best defensive player in the draft and more than likely to go second overall. Our OLA scout told us Was a 4 year starter at Cornell on defense picking up 162 ground balls and causing 82 turnovers. While being a smaller defender he was still named the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year in Jr. A and was one of Kitchener-Waterloo’s 1st round pick (2nd overall) in the MSL. He started off in the MSL the same way he left off at Cornell and the Jr A level, earning MSL Player of the Week in Week 3. Scouts say he has top of the line positioning and footwork which make him such a great defender. In 11 games with Kitchener-Waterloo he had 8 goals, 5 assist for 13 points.
3. Colorado- Robert Church– Our NLL scout said of Church, Long term I’d say this guy is the best player in this draft if he stays healthy. Already an ACL victim, he struggles with some size and fitness disadvantages. Out of the Josh Sanderson, Ryan Benesch mold Church is very creative and a deadly shooter. Church will generate points his whole career and the fact that he’s right handed is his biggest drawback in this years draft with some top lefties finally available. He is the best righty shot in the draft and the Mammoth might want stability there; Colton Clark was a disappointment and there is no clarity on if Casey Powell will return.
4. Edmonton- Cody Bremner- Bremner is a late entry into the draft that will make a big impact. He is a lefty offensive player, something that the Rush need with Corey Small out for the season. He scored 54 points in 14 games this season with the Nanaimo Timbermen.
5. Minnesota- Scott Jones– Jones is an offensive righty who burst onto the scene this season. He averaged nearly four points per game and at 6’4 and 200 pounds, is a very physical player. He tells us his best strengths are his outside shot and my vision of the floor and says he bases his game off of Blaine Manning.
6. Calgary- Tor Reinholdt– Insert Tor Reinholdt, a star with the Langley Thunder. He told us his best skills are his speed and tenaciousness, and our WLA scout agreed. Our WLA scout told us “Gritty, tenacious, athletic lefty with a good stick. Transitions well and can finish in tight. Solid D man, willing to drop the gloves to give his team a boost.”
7. Minnesota- Nick Diachenko– Diachenko has fallen off on a few scouts lists but with four first rounders, the Swarm can afford a few risks. And the risk-reward potential is high for the Brooklin righty; he might be a work in progress but his talent level is worth it with some patience.
8. Vancouver- Dillon Ward– The top goalie in the draft, Ward slips just because how deep the draft class is and because Minnesota does not need a goaltender. However, the Stealth might want security after some disasters with backups in the past. Our OLA scout says about Ward, “He is one of the top goalies in both field and box lacrosse. While playing field lacrosse goalie at Bellermine University, he was one of the top goalies in the NCAA. Ward had the nations best save percentage and was a 3rd Team All- American. He currently also plays for the Hamilton Nationals of the MLL. Even though he has all those field lacrosse accolades, he prefers box lacrosse and excels at it even more than in field. Last year, he won the Minto Cup with Orangeville Northmen while being named the tournament MVP. Ward played for Kitchener-Waterloo in the MLS while compiling a .810 save percentage and with a 4 wins in the regular season. Most scouts seem to believe he has the potential to be a top goaltender in the NLL and some even think he has a chance to go in the 1st round”
9. Toronto- Ethan O’Connor- O’Connor is a defensive righty playing with Brampton. At 6’0 and 175lbs, he is a little bit undersized. However, after Noble he is the next best defenseman in the draft. He is very athletic and quick, and the Rock could use some young blood; Mike Hobbins, Chris White and Rob Marshall are all getting older.
SECOND ROUND
10. Buffalo- Adrian Sorichetti– Sorichetti ranks fifth overall on our prospects list but we have him dropping into the second round for a few reasons; he has only played a few MSL games this summer and when he did he didn’t play well. However, his upside is huge and being an Ontario guy Buffalo seems like a good bet for him to end up. Our OLA scout says of him “Sorichetti hadn’t played box lacrosse since 2011, so his first season in Brooklin this summer was a slow one playing in only 6 games for 1 goal, 1 assist. In the Jr A level, he led the Whitby Warriors to the 2011 Minto Cup with 24 points. He is known for being very athletic and known for playing aggressive defense (11 PIM in one game this year in MLS). Soirichetti is also left handed which is always a plus. At Hofstra he had 60 goals and 33 assist over his 4 years playing midfield for the Pride.”
11. Edmonton- Reid Acton– Acton’s stock has dropped also from a lack of playing. It is just hard to see him breaking the first round with his lack of playing. Our OLA scout says of him, “A big bodied defender who played at Loyola College. He led Loyola’s defense and team to eventually become the 2012 NCAA National Champions. Reid was named a 2012 and 2013 USILA Honorable Mention All- American. Acton picked up 85 groundballs and forced 13 turnovers during his time at Loyola. He is currently a defenseman for the Hamilton Nationals of the MLL. Acton didn’t get much playing time this summer in the MSL for Six Nations, playing in only one game. He is considered a project player due to not having played a lot of box lacrosse recently but many still think he has the talent to be a productive NLL player by using his size and defensive ability to battle offensive players.”
12. Philadelphia- Rob Pannell– A former Tewaaraton winner with Cornell and this year’s rookie of the year with MLL’s New York Lizards. Our resident NLL scout Brian Davies says of him, “His ability to find the open man (see Steve Mock’s goal totals) and his ability to score (see YouTube) will enable Pannell to find a home within a pro indoor offense. Pannell has the frame to be able to handle the abuse that comes with the indoor game and he is likely able to handle it as well from the assault defenses tried to put on him this past spring. The ability to play with either hand well will be to his benefit, but he will have to get used to playing in front of the cage now in the NLL.”
13. Edmonton- AJ Masson– Our rankings have Masson a bit lower than this, but teams draft to need and the Riggers could use a lefty with a scoring touch. Their only leftys at the moment are Dane Dobbie, Jeff Shattler, Aaron Pascas and Daryl Veltman. Meanwhile they are stacked on defense and on the right side of the offense so they might reach and make this pick.
14. Buffalo- Cam Flint– Flint could very well go earlier but we are looking at this from a team needs perspective. The former Jr Brampton player can play a solid D game on the transition game and he can score, scoring 44 points in a single Minto Cup a few years ago.
15. Calgary- Riley Loewen– Loewen scored 72 points with Burnaby in 2009 but has dropped off slightly since. He is 6’1 180 and a righty forward. In his first year in the WLA he scored 45 points and is a three year Sr ball veteran.
16. Toronto- Zach Palmer– Palmer is a lefty who is terrific with ball movement and might be under rated in this draft. He is an assists machine who is from Ontario so probably worth the risk of being a bit of a “project”
17. Vancouver- Karsen Leung– Ranked at #18 overall, our BCLL scout tells us “Leung has been a jack of all trades in his 2 years of Senior A ball in the WLA with Victoria’s Shamrocks. Leung is an offensive righty but due to an overload of talent this summer he been thrust into a transition/defensive role and seems to be adjusting quite well. While this has haulted showcasing his offensive talents for the coming draft it is making Leung a much more rounded player entering the NLL. Leung is a top 10 guy in most drafts and this draft could possibly be the same but again his right handed shot may push him to early second round status for 2014.”
18. Philadelphia- Jordan Houtby– Houtby is ranked #17 overall. The defender out of St. Catharines tells us he models his game off of Brodie Merrill and that his strong points are speed, transition skills, ground balls.
THIRD ROUND
19. Philadelphia- Matt Cockerton– Cockerton is a right handed shot who played college ball with Virginia where he won a championship. He played Jr B with Clarington and Jr A along with his brother Mark with the Whitby Warriors.
20. Buffalo- JJ LaForet– LaForet is a defender out of Ontario who bases his game off of Patrick Merrill. Our BCALL scout says of him, “JJ Laforet is a beast! He takes every shutdown opportunity personally and almost never fails. The ultimate teammate, and a great leader, he is someone that you want to go to war with! Also, very underrated at the offensive end of the floor, given the opportunity he will bury his chances.”
21. Minnesota- Keegan Bal– Bal is a righty forward who has put up numbers in British Columbia. Last season scored 57 pointsin 16 games and is the 12th ranked prospect on the InLax Prospects top 50.
22. Philadelphia- Kyle Lindsay– Ranked #16 overall on InLax Prospects. Lindsay is a big, 6’3 righty defenseman. He helped bring the Whitby Warriors to their last two Minto Cup championships and he has the ability to take faceoffs.
23. Minnesota- Nick Weiss– Weiss is a righty transition man who played for Jr Peterborough Lakers. He picked up 28 points in 19 games with the Jr Lakers this season and is very physical.
24. Calgary- Luke Laidlaw– Laidlaw led Jr B in Ontario with 114 points on the season with the Halton Hills Bulldogs. He can play transition and still put up scoring numbers while still being solid coming from the back end. He is very versatile to different roles, something the Roughnecks need.
25. Toronto- Danny Vyse– Vyse is a 5’10 defender who has played in CLax with the Ohsweken Demons and is a very physical defender who is not afraid to get in a fight here or there. He sometimes can get overaggressive which leads to penalties, but again the Rock need to rebuild for a younger defense.
26. Vancouver- Steven Neufield– At 6’8 and 270 pounds, Neufield is easily projected as a very strong defender in this league. Our WLA scout said of him “Currently toiling with the Junior A Adanacs towering presence , big body very soft hands , 6ft 8 inches 270lb he has no problems creating space Offensive Righty currently has played 9 games and has 13 G & 11A for 24 pts. He’s finally getting a chance in Junior A after a couple years of playing behind Church, Dinsdale, McIntosh . He kind of reminds me of the Morgan boys, Rich, Peter and David.”
27. Rochester- James Delaney– Delaney is a smaller righty forward that tells us he bases his game of off Rhys Duch. One of our scouts says “Here is a guy that has jumped around so much in the last few years in pursuit of his lax degree for the pros. Delaney put in solid year and registered solid numbers for the POCO Saints in the BC Junior ranks before heading off to Calgary in hopes of getting to the Minto Cup. A slow start in Coquitlam Sr A this year got him moved to Nanaimo at the deadline and that resulted in floortime and production from Delaney. Coach Toth opened the door for this goal scoring Junior to take his game to the Senior level just in time for the draft. Look for him to be a late 3rd round pick in this deep draft.”
28. Toronto- Cameron Mann-Mann is a smallish righty defender who has played with the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks this past season. Previously he played with Hamilton in Jr B and with Burlington of Jr A.
FOURTH ROUND
29. Minnesota- Jeff Swift– Swift has scored 40 points or more in each of the past four seasons with the Jr Peterborough Lakers. The forward is very “swift” and quick but has been seen as a depth player to some; However, as said before, Minnesota can afford to do this.
30. Minnesota- Nick Soubry- The 6’0 220lbs lefty defenseman doesn’t score much but he is a solid defender. He played Jr B with the Burlington Chiefs and the Oakville Buzz with 32 career points.
31. Colorado- Spencer England– The next goalie we have being selected is Spencer England. The Mammoth really could use a goalie, and if they don’t trade for one England could be the guy. A BCJALL scout tells us “No goalie improved more over the last 3 years in he BCJALL. Spencer emerged this year as a legitimate starter. Winning big games with his calm confidence. The big save was there when it was needed most. Ball control and communication are what sets Spencer apart from most other JrA goalies . Spencer does not throw out errant passes. This is vital for game management to either protect a lead or reduce a deficit. Communication to his defense is Spencers strongest asset. Having a set of trusted eyes with the vision to determine offensive schemes allows a defense to exert pressure where necessary.”
32. Philadelphia- Kevin Neufield– A 6’5 left defender and the brother of Steven Neufield. Our WLA scout says of him, “Another product of Coq Junior A program, 6ft 3″ 190 lb Lefty D , has got into 6 games with the Senior Adanacs and is finding his way in the WLA with a strong start to the season”
33. Colorado- Dylan Goddard– If Goddard put up the numbers he did in Jr A or in Sr ball, he would be a sure fire first round guy. However, his 123 points came in Jr B. The lefty shooter would have a very good chance of breaking camp with Colorado so the second round seems like the best bet.
34. Calgary- Kyle Dobbie– The brother of Roughnecks forward Dane Dobbie. Put up 60 points in 2012 with the Jr Salmonbellies and 87 the year before with Jr B Elora.
35. Toronto- Mitch Wilde– Out of Brooklin and played for the Whitby Warriors. A very athletic transition player with a focus on defense. At 6’3, his type of athleticism is rare.
36. Vancouver- Eric Crepinsek– Brother of Minnesota Swarm defender Alex Crepinsek. He is a solid defender like his brother and can play a transition type role if needed as well. He is 6’0 and 170lbs.
37. Rochester- Tucker Durkin-Durkin would be only the second American taken in this draft. He plays for the Hamilton Nationals in MLL, owned by Curt Styres, so it seems like Rochester would be a good fit for the defender.
FIFTH ROUND
38. Buffalo- Niall Caravello– Caravello is another Orangeville player who has risen from that program to become a solid player. He is a very good defensive player and can be a point per game guy with an emphasis on asssists.
39. Minnesota- Nick Stone– Our BCJALL scout said of this righty forward, “Nick Stone is another player who can continue to improve on his already impressive resume through hard work and determination. Nick has an indomitable spirit that refuses to be denied. Nicks hard work on loose balls and ability to crash and bang are assets all teams continually look for as they are in high demand”.
40. Colorado- Dominik Pesek– By far the most intriguing player in the draft. Pesek is Czech and has played the last few seasons with the Jr Victoria Shamrocks. Was fourth on the team with 59 points, and he told us “The biggest leap I think will be playing with adults, they have more experience and are stronger and tougher.”
41. Vancouver- Daniel Perreault– Perreault is the son of Vancouver Stealth coach Dan Perreault. He played with the Jr Salmonbellies and scored 27 points in 2013.
42. Edmonton- Kirby Zdrill– Zdrill is from Edmonton, making him an attractive pick for the Rush. In 2010 he put up 62 points with the Eclipse and and 47 in 2011.
43. Calgary- Blake Duncan– The third goalie in the draft. Duncan is a 6’2 goaltender out of New Westminster who plays Sr A with Maple Ridge. He says his strong point is his leadership abilities on the floor.
44. Toronto- Chris Wardle– Wardle made a big impact with 90 points for the Jr Shamrocks this past season. He had 46 goals, good for third in the league, and is a big left handed shooter.
45. Vancouver- Devon Casey– Another Jr Shamrock. This 5’10 righty shooter can play offensive and have a transition game but considers himself a play maker. Scored 87 points this season.
46. Rochester- Garrett McIntosh– A righty defender, McIntosh is 6’3 220lbs and from Coquitlam. He is a transition type player who can create some offense on the other end through his strong defensive ability.
SIXTH ROUND
47. Buffalo– JoJo Marasco– With the Lizards in MLL Marasco came on very strong at the end of the season. Marasco did play in 11 games for the Toronto Beaches a few years ago, so he has more box experience than most Americans coming into the draft.
48. Calgary- Quinn Smith– Righty forward who put up 76 points with Jr Salmonbellies. Our WLA scout says “Quinn Smith 5 ft 11″ 185 lbs. Lefty Offence.. Crafty veteran from Kamloops BC put up some decent numbers in 2013 regular season 27 g, 49 a 76 pts in just 19 games, is not afraid to cut the middle and has developed into a leader on and off the floor.”
49. Colorado- Dane Schoor– Put up 59 points two years ago with the Jr Shamrocks. Righty forward at 5’10, 165lbs. Smaller but has quick hands and can put the ball in the net.
50. Philadelphia- Davide Diruscio– 6’4 275lbs goaltender. Declared early last year but an injury held him out. His size helps and hurts him, as he can sometimes but a little slower on low shots, but he should become a legitimate NLL goalie.
51. Edmonton- Emerson Clark– Physical player who helped win a title with the Whitby Warriors coached by Edmonton GM and head coach Derek Keenan. Keenan knows Clark better than anyone else, leading to him being drafted here.
52. Edmonton- Sam Goodman– Lefty defenseman who played with the Coquitlam Adanacs. At 6’1 220lbs he has decent size and had 29 penalty minutes in 2013.
53. Toronto- Corey Kloepfer– Another defender for Toronto. Kloepfer played most of his junior career with Barrie and is out of Gilford, Ontario. However, he has not played box in several years.
54. Vancouver- Sean Lundstrom– Played with the Jr Langley Thunder.Scored 67 points in the regular season and 20 more in the playoffs.
55. Rochester- Jesse Johnson– Lefty transition man scored 27 points as a career high with the Arrows in 2011. Also added nine points with Ohsweken Demons of CLax.
