RUSH NAB TWO FIRST ROUNDERS IN 2020 NLL DRAFT

PHILADELPHIA – Players, coaches, and general managers from the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) 13 franchises, spread across North America, assembled virtually Thursday night for the League’s 2020 Draft Selection Show. Unlike years past, they may not have been in the same room, but that didn’t stop the NLL Entry Draft from being the moment of a lifetime for over 90 players drafted across 6 rounds. Team “war rooms” and player Zoom “rooms” were connected in real-time to produce a world-class broadcast event that was simultaneously streamed on B/R Live, @NLL Facebook, and YouTube.  The New York Riptide made their second consecutive first overall selection, taking Cornell forward Jeff Teat (Brampton, ON).

Vancouver, which had originally been slotted at No. 3, moved up one spot to No. 2, trading with Rochester to guarantee to get their man, Drexel defenseman Reid Bowering (Coquitlam, B.C.). Then Rochester, like New York having just completed its first NLL season as an expansion franchise, grabbed Robert Morris forward Ryan Smith (Burlington, ON) third. Rounding out the top five picks:  San Diego snagged Ohio State forward Tre Leclaire (Surrey, B.C.), and Calgary chose forward Tanner Cook (Courtice, ON) of North Carolina.

“We may not have been together in the past at Xfinity Live in Philadelphia or other cities and locations before that, but it was another memorable Entry Draft with some great young talent moving to the next level,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We are proud of the way NLL teams, players, and staff adjusted and produced such a top tier event that captured the excitement of the first major step towards the league’s 35th season.”

The first round continued with 16 total selections, as Georgia made the first of its four initial round picks at No. 6, grabbing University of Vermont transition Robert Hudson (Oakville, ON), then taking Ohio State defenseman Jeff Henrick (Orangeville, ON) at No. 8, Ethan Walker(Peterborough, ON) at No. 10 and Laine Hruska (Warman, SK.) at No. 13. Other first-rounders included forward Marshall Powless (Six Nations) at No. 7 and Connor McClelland (Brampton, ON) at No. 12 by Saskatchewan; Brad McCulley (Victoria, B.C.) at No. 9 by Buffalo; Ethan Riggs(Hamilton, ON) at No. 11 by Halifax;  Harrison Matsuoka (Calgary, AB) at No. 11 by Calgary; Mac O’Keefe (Syosset, N.Y.) at No. 15 by San Diego; and Jackson Suboch (Toronto) at No. 16 completing the round by Philadelphia.

The first round selections are listed below; the full list is updated at https://www.nll.com/2020draftpicks/.

First Round:

1. New York, Jeff Teat, Cornell Univ., Forward
2. Vancouver (from Rochester), Reid Bowering, Drexel Univ., Defenseman
3. Rochester (from Vancouver), Ryan Smith, Robert Morris Univ., Forward
4. San Diego, Tre Leclaire, Ohio State Univ., Forward
5. Calgary, Tanner Cook, Univ. of North Carolina, Forward
6. Georgia (from Colorado), Robert Hudson, Univ. of Vermont, Transition
7. Saskatchewan (from Philadelphia), Marshall Powless, Six Nations, Forward
8. Georgia, Jeff Henrick, Ohio State Univ., Defenseman
9. Buffalo, Brad McCulley, Robert Morris Univ., Forward
10.  Georgia (from Toronto), Ethan Walker, Univ. of Denver, Forward
11. Halifax, Ethan Riggs, Niagara College, Defenseman
12. Saskatchewan, Connor McClelland, Marquette University, Defenseman
13. Georgia (from New England), Laine Hruska, Saskatchewan SWAT, Goaltender
14. Calgary (from Halifax, compensatory), Harrison Matsuoka, Stony Brook Univ., Transition
15. San Diego (compensatory), Mac O’Keefe, Penn State Univ., Forward
16. Philadelphia (compensatory), Jackson Suboch, Univ. of Massachusetts, Defenseman

The NLL (www.nll.com) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Fort Worth (begins play 2021-22), Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.

(NLL PR)