National Lacrosse League announces 2008 All-Pro Teams
Published on May 14, 2008 under National Lacrosse League (NLL) News Release
The National Lacrosse League has announced the 2008 First and Second All-Pro teams. The First Team All-Pro consists of the top three vote-getters for the league MVP award, Philadelphia's Athan Iannucci, New York's Casey Powell and Buffalo's John Tavares (listed alphabetically), as well as the 2008 Defenseman of the Year (Ryan Cousins), Transition Player of the Year (Mark Steenhuis), and Goaltender of the Year (Bob Watson). The Reebok 2008 League MVP will be announced on Thursday.
2008 FIRST TEAM ALL-PRO:
Athan Iannucci, Philadelphia Wings - Forward
Athan Iannucci set an NLL record this season with 71 goals, shattering Hall of Famer Gary Gait's previous mark. He also led the league with 100 points while carrying the Wings to the playoffs. The second-year forward out of Hofstra University also finished sixth in the league in loose balls with 138, leading all forwards. This is the first All-Pro selection of Iannucci's career.
Casey Powell, New York Titans - Forward
Casey Powell racked up 32 goals this season on his way to 86 points, eighth best in the league. The Captain of the Titans led the team to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth in just the second year of the franchise. Powell had 54 assists this year in 16 games with the Titans. This is Powell's second All-Pro selection.
John Tavares, Buffalo Bandits - Forward
John Tavares scored 29 goals and added 58 assists for 87 points, finishing seventh in the league in points this season. The All-Pro honors are his 14th First Team selection and his 16th overall. Tavares scooped up 91 loose balls in 16 games as he led the Bandits to the top overall seed in the East Division.
Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo Bandits - Transition
Mark Steenhuis finished seventh in the league with 34 goals on his way to 75 points for the Bandits in 2008. Steenhuis picked up 121 loose balls, good enough for number 12 on the leader board. Steenhuis was also named Transition Player of the Year for 2008. This is Steenhuis' first All-Pro selection.
Ryan Cousins, Minnesota Swarm - Defenseman
Ryan Cousins led the Minnesota Swarm to the playoffs for third consecutive seasons. As Captain, he led the Swarm to a 10-6 regular season record. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year this season. Playing every game for the Swarm in 2008, Cousins tallied 14 points as a defender as well as 87 loose balls. It is the second All-Pro selection of Cousins' career.
Bob Watson, Toronto Rock - Goaltender
Bob Watson lead the league with a 10.34 goals against average for any goalie with over 500 minutes played. In Watson's 15 games for the Rock, he piled up 513 saves. He won the Goaltender of the Year award in 2008. Watson was as consistent as ever with a 79% save percentage. This is the sixth time Watson will be honored with an All-Pro selection.
2008 SECOND TEAM ALL-PRO:
Colin Doyle, San Jose Stealth - Forward
Colin Doyle led the San Jose Stealth to a 9-7 record this season, making them the top seed in the West Division. Doyle finished sixth in the league with 88 points, 27 points and 61 assists. His 61 assists was good for second in the league. Doyle scored seven power play goals and collected 45 loose balls. It is the sixth Second Team All-Pro honor of Doyle's career. Doyle also previously has three First Team honors, including NLL MVP in 2005.
Gavin Prout, Colorado Mammoth - Forward
Gavin Prout led the Colorado Mammoth to a 9-7 record, tying them for first place in the West Division. He tied for the second highest points total in the league with 92. He led the league with 67 assists while also adding 25 goals of his own. The veteran also scored eight power play goals and collected 85 loose balls. This marks the fourth All-Pro selection for Prout.
Jeff Zywicki, San Jose Stealth - Forward
Jeff Zywicki finished second in the league with 48 goals scored. He also racked up 42 assists to bring his points total to 90, good enough for fifth best in the league. He carried the Stealth offensively, scoring nine power play goals and seven short handed goals. He also scooped up 105 loose balls. This is Zywicki's first selection as an All-Pro.
Geoff Snider, Philadelphia Wings - Transition
In 16 games for the Wings, Snider shattered the loose ball record by picking up 244 in 2008. He also had the best faceoff percentage in the league, winning 318 of 431. Snider also added 51 points for the Wings, 13 goals and 38 assists. This is the first All-Pro Selection for Snider, the second year player out of Denver University.
Scott Self, Chicago Shamrox - Defenseman
Scott Self served as the Assistant Captain for the Shamrox as they battled through a 6-10 year. Self provided Chicago with consistent defensive play, as well as some offensive aid. Self scored 15 points this season, 4 goals and 11 assists. He also collected 100 loose balls, ranking him 24th in the league.
Matt Vinc, New York Titans - Goaltender
In his first full season as a starter, Matt Vinc anchored the surging Titans to a 10-6 record in just their second season as a franchise. Vinc posted a 9-5 record this season in 888 minutes, third highest in the league. He finished the regular season with 562 saves in 16 games for New York. This is the young goalie's first selection as an All-Pro, and joins Casey Powell as the only Titans to be selected in their short history.
The award winners are chosen by a vote of the leagues coaches, general managers, and executives. Voting for the awards took place following the conclusion of the regular season and prior to the start of the playoffs.
The National Lacrosse League will continue its announcements of the 2008 season award winners on Thursday with the announcement of the Reebok Most Valuable Player Award for the 2008 NLL season. The MVP announcement comes just prior to the 2008 Edge NLL Championship Game on Saturday, May 17th, as the Buffalo Bandits host the Portland LumberJax at 7:30pm Eastern at HSBC Arena. The game will air on ESPN2 on Tuesday, May 20 at 2pm ET, and will air live on ESPN360, The Score Television Network in Canada and online at NLL.com. The game can also be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio channel 119.
National Lacrosse League Stories from May 14, 2008
- Tavares And Steenhuis Named To First All-Pro Team - Buffalo Bandits
- Mammoth's Prout named NLL All-Pro - Colorado Mammoth
- John J. Arlotta Signs Letter of Intent to Purchase NLL's Minnesota Swarm - Minnesota Swarm
- National Lacrosse League announces 2008 All-Pro Teams - NLL
- Jax Seek Historic Final In Championship Game - Portland Lumberjax
- Bandits Announce Pre-Game Party - Buffalo Bandits
- Wings Iannucci and Snider Selected as National Lacrosse League All-Pro's - Philadelphia Wings
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