Back before the 2012 MLL Collegiate Draft, the Long Island Lizards and Charlotte Hounds pulled off a blockbuster trade. Charlotte would be getting the first overall pick in the draft, and they shipped it to Long Island along with Max Quinzani for two Lizards studs, Stephen Berger and Matt Danowski.
Long Island made the playoffs before losing in the first round to Denver, while Charlotte finished with the third worst record in Major League Lacrosse. But who won the trade? One year doesn’t determine the result in this case.
The Lizards got Quinzani, who was coming off of a great season with the Boston Cannons. The Cannons did not protect Quinzani because he told them he would not play for them in 2012. So the Hounds grabbed him in the Supplemental Draft.
Charlotte then shipped him to Long Island, where Quinzani determined he would not play MLL at all this season. So they lose him. Next was the top overall pick, Rob Pannell.
Pannell did not play MLL this season because he broke his foot with Cornell and got a fifth year to play NCAA lacrosse. They will get him in June of this season.
Meanwhile, an expansion franchise in Charlotte got a new face in Danowski, one of the most popular players in the league. Berger also was a strong player for them.
It didn’t matter in 2012, where they failed to make a playoff push. However, there is no doubt that they have gotten the better end of the trade thus far. Could it turn around for Long Island’s favor? That all depends on how good Pannell really is at the pro level.
