The New York Riptide announced today that 2020 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft First Overall Pick Jeff Teat has signed a two year contract. The deal is pending league approval.
Per team policy, no terms were released.
Jeff Teat Signs with New York Riptide
A three-time USILA All-American and a four-time Inside Lacrosse Media All-American, Teat became the first player in Big Red history to be selected No. 1 overall in an NLL Draft, and the third lacrosse player ever to be selected first overall in both indoor and outdoor professional lacrosse leagues.
“Today’s signing of Jeff Teat will go down as one of the most significant days in our franchise’s young history,” New York Riptide General Manager Jim Veltman said. “He is a generational player that we want Riptide fans to enjoy for years to come. Together with Jeff, we are committed to putting the best product possible on the floor and making today’s partnership official is a big step in that direction.”
Teat received All-Ivy accolades on three occasions, including unanimous All-Ivy selections in 2018 and 2019. Teat finished his college career third in the Cornell record books with 268 points and 152 assists while also cracking the top-10 in ninth place with 116 career goals. He is one of just two players in Big Red history to post three consecutive 30 goal, 30 assist seasons and is one of just four to record 70 points in three straight campaigns.
“I couldn’t be any more excited with the signing of Jeff Teat,” New York Riptide Head Coach Dan Ladouceur From drafting Jeff to the point of signing him there has been a building sense of anticipation and excitement. I cannot wait to have Jeff and the entire Riptide roster on the turf together so that we can start our journey toward building something very special on Long Island.”
As a freshman in 2017, he had 72 points, breaking the Cornell freshman record. During his sophomore season, Teat tallied 99 points and catapulted Cornell to an Ivy League Championship. His 99 points stands as the 24th all-time best single season point total in NCAA Division I history. For his junior season, in 2018, Teat was selected by the Cornell coaching staff to wear the team’s symbolic hardhat in honor of the late George Boiardi, which is given to a junior who epitomizes pride, respect and heart. In a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Cornell was 5-0 and Teat led all players with 27 points on 12 goals and 15 assists. Following that campaign, he was named the Cornell Sun’s Male Athlete of the Year. In 2018, he represented Canada at the FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship, winning a silver medal.
For all of his success in the field game, Teat has also had a storied indoor career. In 2013, he earned the Jimmy Thomson Memorial Award as the Ontario Lacrosse Association Midget A Most Valuable Player while also earning a spot on the All-Star Midget Team. The following season, he made the jump to Junior A with the Brampton Excelsiors at just 16 years old, taking home the Joey Nieuwendyk Award as the league’s Rookie of the Year as well as the Jim Clevely Memorial Award as Brampton’s Rookie of the Year after recording 89 points on 35 goals and 54 points in 19 games.
In 2015, Teat led the Excelsiors with 93 points on 35 goals and 58 assists and followed that in 2016 by leading the OJALL with 145 points on 56 goals and 89 points. His point total that year was the most in the league since John Grant Jr. recorded 160 points in 1994. For his efforts, he captured the Bobby Allan Award as the league’s leading scorer. It was the first of a string of three 110+ point seasons, all of which led the league in scoring, that Teat had to cap off his OJALL career with Brampton. In 2017 he had 136 points (45 goals, 91 assists) while picking up a trio of OJALL Awards. That year, he again captured the Bobby Allen Award as the league’s leading scorer and added the Dennis McIntosh Memorial Award as the league’s most valuable player and the Jim Veltman award as the most outstanding player to his resume. Teat wrapped up his junior career in 2018 with 112 points on 40 goals and 72 assists in 17 games and another Bobby Allan Award. In his Junior A career, he had 577 points on 213 goals and 364 assists in 98 regular season games and added 257 points on 95 goals and 162 assists in 45 career playoff games.
In 2019, Teat saw action in 18 games as a rookie for the Brampton Excelsiors in Major Series, finishing his first season with 80 points on 36 goals and 44 assists. That earned him the Bucko MacDonald Trophy as the MSL’s regular season leading scorer and the Gene Dopp Trophy as the MSL Rookie of the Year.
