Dragons Score Big In 2006 MLL Collegiate Draft
June 1, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
San Francisco Dragons News Release
San Francisco, CA - The San Francisco Dragons, in what Major League Lacrosse is calling "What could be the steal of the draft" chose Syracuse attackman Joe Yavoli as their first pick, 19th overall in the 2006 MLL Collegiate Draft on Wednesday night.
"We were surprised that Joe was still available when our pick came around," said Dragons GM Doug Locker, "and we picked him up with no hesitation." Locker continued, "He addresses a lot of our needs as a team, and was definitely a steal." One of the speediest players in the game at any level, Yavoli had 23 goals and 16 assists for Syracuse in '06. "He adds punch to our team. He's a speedy player with a tremendous shot, and we expect him to dress for this Saturday's game in Chicago," said Locker.
The Dragons' second pick (22nd overall) was Virginia defensemen Steve Holmes. In a draft that was characterized by an offensive obsession, the Dragons chose to go for defense with their second pick. Per Locker, "We saw that offense was being over-valued early on in the draft and were elated that someone of Holmes' caliber was available. He is quite simply one of the top defensemen in the country." Locker also qualified the Dragons' second pick as another "steal."
In Round 3, with the 24th and 25th overall picks, the Dragons chose defenseman Steven McElduff of North Carolina and midfielder Kyle Dowd of Duke University, respectively. "We felt McElduff was ignored both because he's not an offensive player and because the UNC team was 4-10 this season. That doesn't change the fact that he is a terrifically talented defenseman," said Locker. In Kyle Dowd, Locker sees another underrated talent and is looking for him to make an immediate impact.
Rounding off the draft were the fourth round picks, midfielder Brad Heritage of Dartmouth University (33rd overall) and defenseman Michael Abou Jaude of Bucknell University (41st overall). According to Locker, "Heritage has all the tools to be a solid MLL midfielder and we were excited to be able draft a local in Abou Jaude." A two-time All Patriot League defenseman at Bucknell, Abou Jaude played for St. Ignatius high school in San Francisco.
Overall, Locker was extremely pleased with the 2006 MLL Collegiate Draft. "I don't think that the draft could have gone any better for us. When you look at our team pre-draft and then post-draft it's amazing how much we've improved." The Dragons take the field Saturday against the Chicago Machine. Locker expects several of the newly drafted players to dress for the game.
About the San Francisco Dragons
The San Francisco Dragons, Northern California's newest professional sports franchise, will begin its inaugural season in May of 2006 as a member of the 10-team Major League Lacrosse (MLL) league. The Dragons, based at historic Kezar Stadium's 9,044-seat track & field facility, will provide fun, affordable family entertainment showcasing America's "fastest growing team sport" in addition to becoming the foremost resource for the lacrosse community.
The Dragons play 12 games in the regular season, with its six home games
being played at Kezar Stadium. The inaugural game was played May 28th with
over 5,600 fans in attendance. Season, group and individual tickets for the
Dragons are available. For tickets or more information, call 415-573-2525 or
www.sfdragons.com 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.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from June 1, 2006
