Hounds Build out Preseason Roster in Supplemental Draft
December 11, 2013 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Charlotte Hounds News Release
Major League Lacrosse today held its 2014 Supplemental Draft, giving teams the opportunity to build out their 23-man protected rosters to a 40-man preseason roster. The draft consisted of 12 rounds and the Charlotte Hounds had 14 picks (due to offseason trades with the Ohio Machine and Boston Cannons), including the seventh overall. With that pick, the Hounds selected Jake Smith, a 2013 graduate of UMass. The six-foot, 190 pound defenseman was the Cannons' fourth-round (30th overall) selection in the 2013 MLL Collegiate Draft, and saw playing time in one game late last season. Smith left UMass as the Minutemen's active leader in caused turnovers (54) and owned the most career groundball among defensemen (79).
The Hounds in 2013 -- only their second season in the league -- fell just short of an MLL title with a 10-9 loss to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the championship game. The Hounds posted a 7-7 regular-season record to secure the fourth and final playoff spot, then beat the previously undefeated Denver Outlaws by a score of 17-14 to advance to the title game.
Below is a complete roundup of the Hounds' supplemental draftees, who will join the members of the previously announced 23-man protected roster at training camp in early April and vie for a spot on the team's 25-man active roster, to be announced prior to the start of the 2014 season.
1st round, 7th overall: Jake Smith, D (UMass '13 -- 1 year MLL experience, most recently with Cannons)
2nd round, 11th overall: Mike Gabel, G (Vermont '05 -- 8 years MLL experience, most recently with Cannons)
2nd round, 15th overall: Davis Butts, M (Loyola Md. '13 -- Outlaws Draftee)
3rd round, 23rd overall: David Emala, M (North Carolina '13 -- Rattlers Draftee)
4th round, 31st overall: Michael Noone, M (Lehigh '13)
5th round, 33rd overall: Anthony Biscardi, M (UMass '12 -- 2 years MLL experience, most recently with Machine)
5th round, 39th overall: Dean Gibbons, A (Harvard '11)
6th round, 47th overall: Pierce Bassett, G (Johns Hopkins '13)
7th round, 55th overall: Dylan Ayers, D (St. John's '13)
8th round, 63rd overall: Joseph Lustgarden, A (UMBC '13)
9th round, 71st overall: Peter Mezzanotte, M (Towson '11 -- 2 years MLL experience, most recently with Outlaws)
10th round, 79th overall: Tom Harris, A (Hartford '08 -- Hounds practice squad in '13)
11th round, 87th overall: Zach Cummings, M (Limestone '13)
12th round, 95th overall: Kyle Miller, D (Johns Hopkins '07)
The Hounds will open the 2014 season at home against the Machine on Saturday, April 26. It will be the first game to be a part of The Fireball Cup rivalry series. Thanks to a new partnership with Fireball Whiskey, the Hounds and Machine -- the 2012 MLL expansion teams -- will now play bi-annually for The Fireball Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the game. For the game played in Charlotte, the Hounds will partner with a local Fire Station on a fundraiser via ticket sales. Hounds season-ticket packages are available at charlottehounds.com/tickets .
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from December 11, 2013
- Cannons Add 12 Players in Supplemental Draft - Boston Cannons
- Lizards Acquire Hartzell in Three-Team Trade and Turri from Outlaws - MLL
- Ohio Machine Bolsters 2014 Roster with MLL Veterans and All-Stars - Ohio Machine
- BayHawks Add NLL Standout Cameron Holding in Supplemental Draft - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- Hounds Build out Preseason Roster in Supplemental Draft - Charlotte Hounds
- Ohio Machine Trades for MLL All-Star and Standout 2013 Rookie - Ohio Machine
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