The Minnesota Swarm today announced that the team has signed 2012 first-round draft picks F Kiel Matisz (No. 3 overall), F Shayne Jackson (No. 4 overall) and D Alex Crepinsek (No. 10 overall) to one-year deals.
Matisz, 23, was a two-time captain at Robert Morris University and never missed a game during his four-year career from 2009-12. As a senior this past spring, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward notched a team-high 40 goals and helped lead the Colonials to their first-ever league title. Following the 2012 season, the Stoney Creek, Ontario native was named a Tewaaraton Award nominee, USILA All-American (third team), Lowe’s Senior Class Award winner (second team) and the NEC Player of the Year & Offensive Player of the Year. This past summer, Matisz was teammates with Swarm defensemen Jeff Gilbert and Dan Ball on the MSL’s Brooklin Redmen and recorded 40 points (18g, 22a) in 12 contests.
“Kiel is truly the full package,” Swarm associate general manager and head coach Joe Sullivan said. “He brings size, leadership, smarts, and a great presence on the floor because he can do a lot of things; he’s a dynamic, physical player that can play on defense and offense. When you can wrap that all up in one player, he’s going to have an immediate impact in this league.”
Jackson, 21, became the first player in Limestone College history to be named a Tewaaraton Award finalist and recorded 153 points (59g, 94a) in 36 games from 2011-12. During his senior season, Jackson helped lead Limestone to the 2012 Division II Championship game, and as a junior, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound forward was named the Lacrosse Magazine Online National Division II Player of the Year after notching a career-high 82 points (32g, 50a). Before spending time at Limestone, Jackson helped Onondaga CC win two NJCAA National Championships and was the 2010 NJCAA Player of the Year after racking up 121 points (58g, 63a). Jackson played a crucial role in helping the WLA’s Langley Thunder earn a trip to the Mann Cup in 2012 and ranked fourth on the team with 38 points (18g, 20a).
“Shayne is a pure offensive player; he plays a great Eastern style game inside and out, and he can muck with the best of them,” Sullivan said. “He’s got a great outside shot and we’re going to leverage that to free up the players that are out there with him.”
Crepinsek, 23, was a four-year midfielder at RIT and started all 19 games during his senior season in 2012, while ranking second on the team with 66 loose balls. The Oakville, Ontario native also added 12 points (5g, 7a). In summer ball, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound defenseman spent the past two seasons with the MSL’s Ajax Rock and recorded 12 points (7g, 5a) in 17 games.
“Alex can be a shutdown guy for us,” Sullivan said. “When you can find yourself a rookie that can be a shutdown type player, that’s unbelievable. We got fortunate to find Alex in the draft when we did. He’s a smart young man that’s going to be able to pick up our system really quickly and he’ll be able to make an impact.”
The contracts are currently pending league approval.
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