NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



New York Lizards

New York Lizards College Draft Picks Progress Report Update

March 30, 2016 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New York Lizards News Release


Garden City, NY - As the New York Lizards quickly approach their season opener, there has been a lot of buzz about players - who will improve from last year, can the Championship team repeat. Shortly following the season opener, the Lizards draft picks will be eligible to join the team and all are excited to see what these young players can bring to the field dynamic.

Since our last collegiate player update, the Lizards draft picks have made some great strides in the senior season at their respective universities. Recently, the watch list for collegiate lacrosse's most prestigious trophy, the Tewaaraton Trophy, was released and included three Lizards' draft picks. The Tewaaraton Trophy is given annually to the top male and female lacrosse player in the country at the collegiate level. The selection committees are made up of top collegiate coaches and are appointed by the Tewaaraton Foundation.

See how our draft picks are progressing below:

James Pannell(Virginia, Attack)

James Pannell was selected with the 24th overall pick in the third round of the MLL Draft. In his senior year at Virginia, he has helped lead his team to garner votes for the top 25 overall rankings. The Cavaliers have attained a 5-5 record playing against top competition such as Loyola (MD), Syracuse, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania. Pannell played in nine games posting 21 goals, nine assists, 30 points, picking up 24 ground balls and even caused two turnovers. Only nine games into the season, Pannell has set a new, personal high for assists in a season. More recently, on March 29th against Johns Hopkins, Pannell went over 100 career points with four goals and one assist.

Pannell was placed on the Tewaaraton Watch List for the 2016 collegiate season and will look to continue his strong play. Prior to his senior season at Virginia, Pannell had accumulated 57 goals, 16 assists, 47 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Pannell is the younger brother of current Lizards' star Rob Pannell.

Jacob Richard(Marquette, Midfield)

Jacob Richard was selected with the 35th overall pick in the fourth round of the MLL Draft. In his senior year at Marquette, he has led the Golden Eagles to a 6-1 overall record. The Golden Eagles started off the season unranked and now received votes to be in the top 25 overall rankings. Richard was awarded the title of team captain for the 2016 Marquette squad. This season, Richard has amassed 30 ground balls and caused three turnovers. In his seven games this season, he has even scored two goals. This past week, Richard was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week. Prior to this season, Richard had accumulated eight goals, five assists, 13 points, 130 ground balls and caused 27 turnovers.

Ryan Ambler (Princeton, Attack)

Ryan Ambler was selected with the 39th overall pick in the fifth round of the MLL Draft. In his senior year at Princeton, Ambler was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List and was named team captain for the 2-5 Tigers. In seven games this season, Ambler has made 12 goals, assisted on 13 goals and picked up eight ground balls. Prior to this season, Ambler had accumulated 57 goals, 65 assists and 64 ground balls.

David Manning (Loyola MD, Defense)

David Manning was selected with the 43rd overall pick in the fifth round of the MLL Draft. In 2014, Manning started every game for the Greyhounds but was forced to miss the entire 2015 season due to a knee injury. Manning was named as the team captain for the 2016 season as one of the defensive anchors for the 16th overall ranked team in collegiate lacrosse. Additionally, Manning was named to the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-American Team.

At 6-3, the Greyhounds have racked up wins against both #9 Johns Hopkins and Virginia. In those two games, Manning caused two turnovers. On the season, Manning has started each game and picked up nine ground balls while causing eight turnovers.

Scott Bieda(Rutgers, Attack)

Scott Bieda was selected with the 70th overall pick in the eighth round of the MLL Draft. Rutgers, who started the season unranked, has now received votes for the top 25 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Rankings with a 7-2 overall record. Having been named to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List, being a Senior CLASS Award Nominee and the lone team captain for the Scarlet Knights, Bieda has played a large role in the team's success.

Bieda has gained 17 goals, 20 assists, 37 points and picked up 25 ground balls in the team's nine games. For the week of February 16 and 17, Bieda was named the Big 10 Player of the Week and the NCAA Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. Bieda has already accumulated separate games of five goals and five assists in two of their nine games. Prior to this season, Bieda held career totals of 62 goals, 66 assists and 56 ground balls.

The entire Lizards' organization and community is excited to see the contributions that these future rookies will bring when they join the MLL at the conclusion of their respective collegiate seasons. Follow along as these players get the chance to battle it out for a Division I Men's Championship and also for individual awards such as the Tewaaraton Trophy.

The Lizards will kick off the 2016 season at home in a Championship rematch against the Rochester Rattlers on Saturday, April 23rd at 5 p.m. Single game, group and season tickets are available by calling 1-855-NYLizards or visiting our website. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat for team news, trades and 2016 game information.

Check out the New York Lizards Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Lacrosse message board...

Major League Lacrosse Stories from March 30, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent New York Lizards Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central