The Washington Stealth added seven players in the 2012 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, which was held in Toronto, Ontario earlier this evening. The Stealth held five of the first 23 picks in the draft, including three in the second round.
With the Stealth’s first round pick traded to Edmonton during the 2012 season, the team first came to the podium to open the second round. With the 11th overall selection, the Stealth chose right-handed defenseman Tyler Garrison. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native appeared in 27 games for the Coquitlam Adanacs Junior ‘A’ lacrosse club last summer. At 6’2, 200 pounds, the athletic defender tallied 27 points (16g, 11a) as the captain of the Adanacs squad.
The Stealth also held the 12th overall pick, and used it to pick up another athletic defenseman in Bill Hostrawser from Belwood, Ontario. Hostrawser, 20, won the 2012 Minto Cup as a member of the Orangeville Northmen Junior ‘A’ squad. The 5’11â€, 180 pound righty won a pair of Minto Cups in Orangeville, also raising the trophy in 2010. He appeared in 20 games in 2012, tallying 10 assists.
“We feel like we have a lot of firepower up front, so Garrison and Hostrawser were two defensive players that were high on our list,†said Stealth Head Coach Chris Hall following the draft. “They add some youth and grit and will really fight with our returning veterans for playing time.â€
With the 19th overall pick (second round) the Stealth stayed on the defensive side of the ball with Justin Pychel from the Six Nations Junior ‘A’ lacrosse club. The 6’1â€, 210 pound lefty played in 14 games for Six Nations last summer and was credited with four assists. Pychel played four seasons of Junior ‘A’ lacrosse, appearing in 72 games, including three seasons with the St. Catherine Athletics.
The Stealth held two early third round picks at #21 and #23, the latter acquired in a trade with Philadelphia earlier in the offseason. With the 21st pick, the Stealth chose explosive left-handed forward Mitch Jones. Jones, who also attends Northern Michigan University on a hockey scholarship, was a sparkplug on the 2012 Minto Cup champion Orangeville team with 67 points in 11 regular season games. He went on to finish third in the Minto Cup tournament scoring, tallying 21 points (11g, 10a) in just four games.
“To get [Mitch Jones] at number 21 is a steal,†said Hall. “We came in looking for another weapon on the left side and there was no way we could pass up on a guy with his talent and the types of numbers he’s put up.â€
With the 23rd overall pick, the Stealth grabbed another defenseman in righty Tim Henderson. The 6’3â€, 220 pounder played his collegiate lacrosse at Army, where he was the 2012 Patriot League Defenseman of the Year and a team captain. Henderson was also a three-time All-Patriot League First-Team selection and earned All-American Honorable Mention honors in 2011. He also plays professional field lacrosse for the Long Island Lizards.
“[Tim Henderson] is a under-the-radar kind of guy,†said Hall. “We saw him play at the NCAA North-South game and were very impressed with his athleticism and style of play. We’re excited to see how he comes in and learns the indoor game.â€
In the fourth round, the Stealth selected left-handed transition player TJ Cowx with the 30th overall selection. Cowx plays his summer lacrosse with the Burnaby Lakers of the Western Lacrosse Association. In his rookie season, he appeared in 17 games and accumulated eight assists. He played three seasons of Junior ‘A’ lacrosse for the New Westminster Salmonbelles, where he notched 103 points (27g, 76) in 55 career games. Cowx also played a season at NCAA Division II Mars Hill College, where he tallied 59 points (41g, 18a) in 2012.
The Stealth’s final selection in the draft was Kyle Buchanan with the 48th overall pick (sixth round). Buchanan, a right-handed forward from Nepean, Ontario, played for the 2012 President’s Cup (Canadian National Senior ‘B’ Lacrosse Championship) St. Regis Braves last summer. In six tournament games, he tallied 13 points (8g, 5a). In 2011, the 5’8â€, 160 pounder had a breakout year with the Brooklin Redmen of Major Series Lacrosse. He tallied 60 points (25g, 35a) in 20 regular season games. Buchanan also played his collegiate lacrosse at Robert Morris University, where he was a three-year letter winner.
“I’m really ecstatic about our draft class,†said Stealth General Manager Doug Locker. “We’re bigger, meaner and deeper than we were yesterday and we caught some breaks to have guys fall to us that we didn’t expect. It’s going to make for a tremendous training camp.â€
The seven draftees will join the Stealth at training camp for the 2013 season in early December. The Stealth opens the 2013 National Lacrosse League regular season on January 5, when it plays host to the defending NLL Champion Rochester Knighthawks at the Comcast Arena at Everett.
