Rookies are always an impactful part of the National Lacrosse League season. This season we saw Mark Matthews in Edmonton have the best season you could imagine from a rookie, but there were plenty more who were huge impacts on their team.In Edmonton alone we saw their eighth overall pick Curtis Knight emerge as a scoring threat. “I really enjoyed my first NLL experience.” said Knight. “I thought it was a very fast paced game and it suited my style and in turn I had a lot of fun playing it. It was also a great learning experience playing with older and better players every game.”
“I feel the NLL is a good league for rookies.” said Minnesota Swarm third round pick Kiel Matisz. “The NLL mimics the lacrosse M.O. “the fastest game on two feet”. As a rookie and a younger guy in the league that is supposed to be what you bring to your team, speed and young legs. That being said there are many guys that fill a different but equally as important role on their respective teams, but as a general consesus I’d say the league is getting younger and faster.
“I loved my first year in the NLL. Getting the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream is always a blessing.”
The Swarm had four first round draft picks and each one of them made an impact. Matisz, the second of the Swarm picks, made a run for rookie of the year if not for Matthews in Edmonton.
“The biggest thing I learned this year is to embrace the role your are given on the team and that your role is just as valuable as all your other teammates in that locker room. I believe that I developed a quiet confidence once I embraced my role in Minnesota. Overall, I think I learned to be comfortable with the role I was given on the Swarm.”
“I felt that being a rookie and only having one practice a week, you have to learn so fast.” says Colorado Mammoth draft pick Jaeden Gastaldo. “It was a pretty big jump coming out of junior, but it was made easier with great leadership and coaching. It is a very competitive league, so it is tough as a rookie, but I felt that you can develop your game quite fast in this league.”
Gastaldo was a right handed transition player drafted to Colorado in the fifth round. He didn’t have the star power of a top round pick, but he still got the entire NLL rookie experience.
“I just hope to be given another shot next season.” he says. “I feel that having played one season, I now know how to prepare for the NLL, and I know what I need to work on. Playing my first season in the WLA this summer will also help me develop and get better. I learned how competitive a 9 team league is. Each game you have to improve as a team and produce as a player in order to stay competitive in this league.”
Knight, the after mentioned eighth overall pick, also saw success and enjoyed his first season in the league. “I learned a lot this year from my coaching staff and my teammates. I also learned a lot from experience in playing each game this year. It is hard to say the biggest thing I learned because I learned so much. I guess the biggest thing I learned was how to compete and play at the highest level of box lacrosse.”
I’m hoping to play with the Rush again of course. I am expecting our team to be even better than this year. It seems as though our chemistry keeps growing and our team gets better every game.”
