Rockets Add Local Flavor To College Draft Selections
July 26, 2012 - Professional Lacrosse League (PLL-1)
Reading Rockets News Release
Reading, PA - July 26, 2012 - The Reading Rockets of the Professional Lacrosse League made ten selections in the inaugural PLL College Draft, and included Pennsylvania natives Brett Schmidt and Dylan Hoff.
The Rockets used their first selection, second overall, to pick University of Virginia star Steele Stanwick, who is currently playing with the Ohio Machine of the MLL. The Baltimore native has won the Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the top American college lacrosse player, and the Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's top attacker.
In the second round, Reading looked to the defensive side of the game, selecting Quinnipiac's Chris Coppolecchia. The 6' 210 pound defenseman from Somers, NY led the NCAA in caused turnovers per game. The team added attackman Billy Eisenreich in round three. The 6'2" 177 pound Bucknell grad completed his college career with a 66 point season in 16 games.
The Rockets went back to defense in round four, selecting Curry College goalkeeper Michael Hibbard. The Massachusetts product averaged 15.83 savers per game as a senior. High scoring Matt Cannone of Salisbury, who registered 130 points for the Seagulls as a senior, was taken in the fifth round.
Maple Glen, PA defenseman Brett Schmidt, who played college lacrosse at Mount St. Marys, was taken in the sixth and with back to back picks, the Rockets took 6'4" Ben Knapton of Hartford University and Joe Cummings from the University of Maryland. Knapton was third in the nation in caused turnovers for the Hawks and Cummings was a team leader as an Attacker/Midfielder for the Terps.
The final rounds of the draft saw Reading select high scoring local product Dylan Hoff out of Lynchburg College. The Chester Springs native posted 51 goals and 80 points in 19 games for the Hornets, setting a school record for scoring. Andrew Collins of Drexel University, a defensive midfielder, was the final pick of the draft for the Rockets.
"All in all, I think our draft gives us a nice mix of players in various roles," said Rockets General Manager Andy Makal. "Some of these guys have experience in the MLL, and we hope they bring that to the indoor game and use the indoor experience to help their outdoor game."
The team will be holding a press conference to officially announce the team on Tuesday July 31st 2012 at10 am in the Sovereign Center lobby in Reading. The press conference will be followed by a meet and greet.
The Reading Rockets are a professional indoor lacrosse organization in the Professional Lacrosse League (PLL). To learn more about the team, league, schedule or corporate partnership opportunities, contact the staff at (610) 314-7323 or log on to website.
Professional Lacrosse League Stories from July 26, 2012
- Rascals Introduce Fraser as Head Coach - New Jersey Rascals
- Rockets Add Local Flavor To College Draft Selections - Reading Rockets
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