Four Rookies Sign with Blaze
Published on May 16, 2019 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Atlanta Blaze News Release
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Blaze organization is proud to announce that Towson University attackman Brendan Sunday, University of Denver defenseman Dylan Gaines, University of Denver midfielder Colton Jackson, and Lehigh University defenseman Eddie Bouhall have officially signed with the Atlanta Blaze of Major League Lacrosse (MLL).
This announcement comes after the news that incoming rookies TJ Comizio, Brett Craig, Jack Mangan, and Alex Woodall have signed with the Blaze.
Brendan Sunday, A, Towson
The Blaze selected Sunday with the 13 th overall pick (2 nd Round) in the 2019 MLL Collegiate Draft on March 9 th. Sunday was Atlanta's first selection in the draft. Sunday was the third player from Towson drafted in the top 13 picks, joining the #1 overall pick - and recent Blaze signee - Alex Woodall, as well as the #3 overall pick, Zach Goodrich, who was drafted by the Boston Cannons.
"Brendan had a breakthrough year for Towson," said Head Coach Liam Banks. "He was an absolute beast, scoring nearly 50 goals this year. He can see the field well and make passes off the dodge. He will be a tough matchup for other teams with his size and strength."
Sunday was the focal point of the offense this year for a Towson program that ranked #1 in the polls for the first time in school history. Towering at 6'5", Sunday is swift and can dodge with both hands. He started his 2019 college campaign strong and never let up, scoring a goal in every game this year. He tied multiple CAA Championship Tournament records with five assists and eight points in Towson's 18-11 win over Delaware on May 2 nd. Sunday ended 2019 with 49 goals, good for 3 rd all-time in CAA history. He also had 25 assists for 74 points and was named CAA Offensive Player of The Year.
Blaze Director of Player Personnel Spencer Ford, a Towson lacrosse legend and former MLL All-Star, cannot wait for another Tiger to light up the scoreboard at the professional level. "Brendan has done it all for the Tigers in his breakout season. He is a top-notch quadruple threat scorer: in tight, off the dodge, in the air, and with range. He will stretch the defense as a ball carrier and give us another special option in our offense."
Dylan Gaines, D, Denver
The Blaze selected Gaines with the 14 th overall pick in the 2019 MLL Collegiate Draft. Along with Woodall, Sunday, and Villanova's Comizio, Gaines becomes the 4 th top-15 collegiate draft pick to sign with the Blaze.
There was a lot to like about Gaines for Coach Banks. "Dylan is a smart, strong, and physical defender who has been the captain of the Denver defense for the last three years. Dylan's lacrosse IQ and communication skills are high-level. Dylan comes to the Blaze from a winning culture at Denver. We expect Dylan to be a major part of our defense for years to come."
Gaines was one of the best defenders in the NCAA over the last three years. His size, speed, and athleticism should help him excel at the professional level. Gaines captained a Denver defense that ranked 13 th (2017), 3 rd (2018), and 6 th (2019) nationally in goals allowed. He was able to record over 20 caused turnovers in each of the last two seasons, leading the Pioneers both times.
"At 6'2" and over 200 pounds, Dylan gives us another special talent with great size," said Spencer Ford. "He can cover the opponent's best offensive player, play off the ball, and get it into transition. He is physical and should enter the MLL with great comfort!"
Gaines was a USILA 3 rd Team All-American and 1 st Team All-Big East, winning Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. He followed that up with a second consecutive 1 st Team All-Big East to go along with a Media Honorable Mention All-American in 2019.
Colton Jackson, M, Denver
The Blaze selected Jackson with the 26 th overall pick (3 rd Round) in the 2019 MLL Collegiate Draft. Jackson will be reunited with his teammate Gaines on the Blaze roster.
Coach Banks had high praise for Jackson. "Colton can flat out shoot the ball and is a 2-point threat for us. On top of that, he is an outstanding young man who played four years under one of the all-time best coaches in Bill Tierney. Colton is a future star in this league."
A crafty righty, Jackson had been a perennial staple of the Denver offense. His impressive firepower and range helped lead Denver to their 7 th consecutive regular-season conference title. Jackson finished 2019 with 19 goals and 7 assists for 26 points. As one of the most accurate shooters in the country, he scored on 62% of his shots on goal. This year, Jackson also became the 18 th Pioneer in the Denver's history to reach 100 career points, ending his college career with 111.
Spencer Ford is excited to see Jackson light it up in a Blaze uniform this summer. "Talk about shooting fire! Colton shoots it as hard as we have seen. We are expecting him to be very similar to MLL legend Kyle Dixon. He will certainly stretch the defense and force the opposition to choose how they want to cover our offense."
Jackson built on his impressive resume this year, adding a 2 nd Team All-Big East award to his 1 st Team All-Big East and Honorable Mention All-American awards in both 2017 and 2018. In 2017, Jackson was also the recipient of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Elite 90 Award. He was also a 2015 U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American from his home state of Colorado.
Eddie Bouhall, D, Lehigh
The Blaze selected Eddie Bouhall with the 49 th overall pick (6 th Round) in the 2019 MLL Collegiate Draft.
Bouhall was Lehigh's dominant shutdown close defender, starting every game in his Sophomore and Junior seasons. He had a very strong start to his Senior season, until it was cut short by injury on March 12 th. Bouhall is expected to fully recover and join the Blaze in July.
Bouhall recorded double-digit caused turnovers each of his four years at Lehigh. He cracked the top 40 in NCAA Division I in caused turnovers in 2017, then followed that up with a top 20 national ranking in 2018. In the seven games Bouhall played this year, he averaged over 1.5 caused turnovers a game.
Spencer Ford expects great things from Bouhall, "Eddie is another tall and long defender who has a great lacrosse IQ. The past four years he has learned from a top two-way MLL legend in Kevin Cassese, so the expectations will be high. We believe he will step right in and be a leader on the defensive end of the field."
Bouhall was named 2 nd Team All-Patriot League in 2017 and 2018. He was also a 2x Under Armour All-American in 2014 and 2015 at Lynbrook High School in New York.
The Atlanta Blaze will kick off the 2019 season on Sunday, June 2 at 4 p.m. against the defending champion Denver Outlaws. All eight Atlanta Blaze home games are at Grady Stadium in Midtown Atlanta. Single-game tickets are on sale now at AtlantaBlaze.com/Tickets.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from May 16, 2019
- Four Rookies Sign with Blaze - Atlanta Blaze
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