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MLL Supplemental Draft – Names & Grades

Below you can find each Major League Lacrosse franchise’s supplemental draft picks for 2013. I take a look at who got selected, and what impact these draft classes could have on each team. I am not looking at each draft class compared to the other team’s draft classes. I am looking at how the team drafted in order to address their current needs.

The biggest names in the game might not be involved in this draft, but this is where teams fill holes and build strong foundations. So pay attention… it’s important!

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan

Florida Launch

Billy Eisenreich, Brett Garber, Kyle Wimer, Grant Kaleikau, Chazz Woodson, Chris Mattes, Nick O’Hara, Zach Palmer, Trevor Timmerburg, Steve Panarelli, Mario Ventiquattro, Scott Kahoe

I really like Florida’s draft class. They are clearly cleaning house with the Nationals roster, picking up more “local” guys, and making big strides. Chazz Woodson is a no brainer. Wimer and Garber are proven, Eisenreich can produce, Kaleikau is a stud down on attack and Zach Palmer could fit in perfectly with Powell. I also like the Panarelli and O’Hara pick ups as you get two dogged defenders with good sticks and toughness. I am intrigued to see if Scott Kahoe can resurrect his MLL career and make an impact.

Grade: B+ (So many needs, so few local players to choose from, but they did very well overall.)

chazz_woodson_ohio_machine

Ohio Machine

Bill McGlone, Dana Wilber, Ryan Nizolek, Max Van Bourgondien, Bobby Eilers, Bobby Datillo, Stefan Schroder, Cody Salaja, Connor English, Kevin Mack, Kyle Feeney, Bobby Tyler

Ohio did pretty well in this draft, as they tried to address some serious existing holes. Bill McGlone could make an immediate impact for the Machine in the midfield as he has experience and is a proven player at this level. Wilber and Eilers could also get a good shot at making the team through the midfield. Van Bourgondien and English are scorers who could find a spot on the team, and I really like the selection of Bobby Tyler (main photo) as he has size and vision for a midfielder, uses traditional sometimes, and is an Ohio native. Tyler is a sleeper pick to have a long and productive MLL career. Ryan Nizolek is another guy who could see time right away. He has been on the cusp of starting consistently for Boston most recently, and could make an impact for Ohio.

Grade: B (Nothing amazing, but solid overall.)

Chesapeake Bayhawks

Cameron Holding, JJ Morrissey, Tyler Fiorito, TC DiBartolo, Kyle Rubisch, Andrew Sellers, Jack Forster, Jon Hayes, Sam Ford, Anthony Santomo, Will Harrington, Justin Smith, Jovan Miller, Jordan McBride, Jimmy Dailey

The Bayhawks are still loaded with talent from last year, and this draft only made them stronger. They picked up 2 goalies early (which seems like more of a defensive move against other teams) but also picked up 3 d-mids, a couple athletic poles (I like Rubisch and Sellers especially) and a number of attackmen. It’s a diverse group of players in Chesapeake already, and since the Bayhawks already looks so strong, this draft group only makes it more daunting for other MLL teams heading in to 2014. It looks like the Bayhawks were looking for another d-mid, a younger pole, a couple goalies, and a finisher on attack. I think they found ALL of that.

Grade: A- (Addressed holes well, drafted in bunches to fill holes)

Boston Cannons

Jack Rice, Nick O’Reilly, Dan DiMaria, Kyle Smith, Tom Celetani, Colin Fleming, Gerry Reilly, Michael Maggio, Kevin Kaminski, Eric Hagarty, Thomas Keith

Boston needs to replenish their attack, find another pole, and restock a midfield that is limited in terms of production. They certainly drafted attack-heavy this time around, and did ok in that regard. At least one of these guys should push for some time, but I’m not sure the roster has really been improved. DiMaria or Celetani could step in at D, and provide some young legs and a solid boost. Boston needed more help at the midfield than they picked up, but I could see Thomas Keith eventually playing a little bit.

Grade: C (they traded away some picks, but didn’t really address their personnel issues.)

Rochester Rattlers

David DiMaria, Steve Ianzito, Dan Hardy, Andrew Scalley, Jeff Fraccaro, Luke Cometi, Ryan Clarke, Matt Casey, Clayton del Prince, Bryant Schmidt, James Carroll, Jason LaShomb

Did you play attack, or go to Syracuse? Rochester probably looked at drafting you early. The Rattlers picked up offensive guys (or guys who could create transition) with their first 8 picks, and it’s clear they like their D and goalie. Who wouldn’t? Ianzito stepped in to the LXM no problem for a game, I see him making this team. If Hardy and Cometi come in to camp in shape, they could both be dangerous for Rochester. A couple of D3 guys were in the mix for Rochester as well, and I always like seeing that. Casey is proven and Clarke can rip the ball.

Grade: B (Rochester did well, potentially improving on O, but it’s nothing new. Why will this type of upstate drafting start to work again?)

ND/Cuse Game Photos by Tommy Gilligan

Charlotte Hounds

Jake Smith, Mike Gabel, Davis Butts, Davey Emala, Michael Noone, Anthony Biscardi, Deane Gibbons, Pierce Bassett, Dylan Ayers, Joseph Lustgarden, Peter Mezzanotte, Thomas Harris, Zach Cummings, Kyle Miller

Charlotte did big things last year with a young squad, and they keep this going in the supplemental draft. They picked up a couple of really solid goalies, got Davis Butts (to add to their stock of Loyola players) and added a couple of athletic defensemen to the roster. Charlotte focused on finding their type of players instead of just addressing holes, and this should help the team continue on its quick upward trajectory. I like Smith, Gabel/Bassett, Butts, Gibbons, and maybe one or two other guys on the above list to see good time with Charlotte.

Grade: B+ (Good players were picked up, making a strong TEAM stronger.)

New York Lizards

Brendan Buckley, Josh Offit, Thomas Guadagnolo, Jerry Ragonese, Brett Moyer, Vito DeMola, Steve Dircks, Chris Passavia

New York traded away a ton of their picks, and therefore had a very small number of pick ups to work with. They did pretty well in certain places, and took risks in other places. Buckley is a stud, but who knows how much he will be available due to military commitments. Offit is a scorer and should definitely help. Guadagnolo and Dircks should provide good help with the long poles, and that was a big area of concern, but are either an enforcer? DeMola has been with the team for years, and plays from time to time. Will Moyer and Passavia report back in great shape? If they do, it’s a huge help. If not? Who knows. I like Ragonese as a back up FoGo pick as he and Gurenlian know each other very well.

Grade: C- (Too many question marks combined with a small class for a team with a lot of needs.)

In an interesting side development, the New York Lizards have picked up Devon Wills out of the player pool. Wills is the first female player to be signed to an MLL team. We’ll keep you updated on her progress with the team. One thing I don’t understand is how this “Grows the Game.” A number of people and places have said this, but I don’t see it. Yes, it is notable and interesting, but is Devon Wills getting signed to a 40 person roster truly creating more opportunities for people to play? Not all interesting news is #GTG news, sadly.

Passavia (left) back in New York?
Passavia (left) back in New York?

Denver Outlaws

Ken Clausen, Matt Callahan, Greg Rogowski, Landon Carr, Sean Rogers, Chase Bailey, Andrew Wascavage, MJ Kiekebelt, Roger Ferguson, Ethan Vedder, Steve Schoeffel, Ben Brown

Defense, defense, defense. That was Denver’s need and that was their focus with this draft class. Clausen, Callahan, Kiekebelt, Ferguson, and Vedder are all viable poles, and each could be an impact player in 2014. This is a great group of defenders. Rogowski is a nice pick up on the attack, and his box skills could pair him well with Grant Jr. Rogers is another scorer with potential, and I’m interested to see if Bailey can crack a line up. Denver also got two back up goalies and a 2 good middies.

Grade: A (They filled their area of need, and beefed up and already strong squad. The good get better!)

No one failed this draft. Certain efforts weren’t truly excellent, but every single team picked up at least one or two players who will contribute in some way. Certain teams may have picked up as many as 5 or 6 guys who can help.

Chesapeake and Denver both solidified their already strong rosters. They will both return with a vengeance. Charlotte stuck to their guns, and are seemingly following the CHE and DEN lead in that regard. Florida is in the midst of a massive change in player personnel, but I think they got some stable guys to rely on in this draft. Those four teams really did well in my book. Rochester and Ohio did well, and Boston and New York seemingly struggled to find great picks, although they too landed a couple gems.

Don’t be surprised to see a number of the guys listed above on rosters at some point in 2014.