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Maga in

Sights and so ndsfrom th MLLColl giat Draft

Major n ws fromaro nd th L ag

N C ttytal s MLL Draft and

th Rattl rs’ 2012Championship goals

Wint r 2012 Draft Iss

PLUSJ r m Bolt s disc ss sth chall ng s of j g-gling his Arm d ti sand pla ing pro lacross

M t th 2012 1stRo nd Draft Pic s

Catching p with

past No. 1 MLLDraft Pic sChris Rotelli | Joe WaltersPat Heim | Paul Rabil



SLASH MAGAZINE SLASH MAGAZINE2 3wINTER 2012 wINTER 2012

A New Year is upon us and we’re pumped to welcome youto the twelfth season of amazing Major League Lacrosse action!

We enter the New Year with ex-citing changes, which will makethe 2012 MLL season the bestever. We’re thrilled to introduce the

expansion Charlotte Houndsand Ohio Machine to our fansthis year. With two new teamsand two additional regular sea-son games for each franchise, theLeague will be even more packed

with action and excitement thanin previous years. Our goal is toprovide you with the ultimate fanexperience each week!

As part of this goal, we arehappy to answer our fans’ over-

whelming demand for more MLLgames on TV. We will broadcast20 nationally televised live gamesthis season. This includes sixlive games on ESPN2, 14 gameson CBS Sports Network, 40 re-gionally telecast games and 46live games on ESPN3. With allof this great TV coverage it willbe impossible to miss MLL on

TV. In addition to live nationalgames, CBS Sports Network willair 18 episodes of our awesome30-minute magazine show, “In-side the MLL,” which takes you,the fan, behind-the-scenes withhighlights, analysis and exclusiveinterviews. Don’t forget to check out majorleaguelacrosse.com forthe best lacrosse highlights andMLL news!

While it’s easy to get excitedabout the season, it’s importantto note the major strides MLLhas made during its off-season.On January 13, MLL hosted itsmost successful Collegiate Draftever in Philadelphia, PA dur-ing the US Lacrosse NationalConvention. Fans and industry

leaders popped in to watch aseach of our eight teams draftedthe top college seniors from thebest lacrosse programs acrossthe country. The enthusiasm sur-rounding the event proves thatlacrosse really is the fastest grow-ing sport in our g reat country.It’s amazing to think how explo-sive Major League Lacrosse hasbecome. Many MLL veteransand legends attended our re-cent Collegiate Draft and notedthe undeniable advancementsthe League has made in such ashort time. Years ago, profes-sional lacrosse was a distant andunattainable dream. Today, it’s areality that’s being rooted in thecountry’s droves of youth play-ers. Today you have MLL Fat-heads on your bedroom walls.

Today you watch our stars battleit out on the felds. Today youhave a dream that CAN becomeyour reality.

We’re looking forward to seeing you this season where we know our stadiums will be packed withenthusiastic fans like yourself.

DON’T QUIT!

A LETTER FROM OUR FONDER

Dear Fans,

Mag

Wint r 2012 Iss

Visit s on th W b atwww.majorl ag lacross .com

fac boo .com/majorl ag lac

twitt r.com/MLL_Lacross

S laSh M agazine is th of cial ma azMajor L ag Lacross . It is p blish d fo r tima ar b th M ar ting and P blic R lations Dpartm nt of Major L ag Lacross (MLL). Two iss s ar distrib t d b ach of th L ag ’s ight ams on gam da s d ring th s ason. Two ad-ditional iss s ar availabl digitall d ring thMLL off-s ason at www.majorl ag lacross .com

Publication and ditorial of c s ar locat d atMLL H ad art rs in Boston, Massach s t

Major L ag Lacross (MLL), th pr mi r prf ssional o tdoor lacross l ag , was fo nd db Ja St inf ld and is h ad art r d in Boston, Massach s tts. Major L ag Lacross com-m nc d pla in J n of 2001 and will nt r itstw lfth s ason in 2012. MLL has contin d tl ad th sport of lacross into th mainstr am of comp titiv t am sports. Th l ag is mad pof ight t ams: Th Boston Cannons, CharlottHo nds, Ch sap a Ba haw s, D nv r O tlawsHamilton Nationals, Long Island Li ards, Ohio Ma-chin and Roch st r Rattl rs.

M arketing & P ublic r elationS M

e ditor

a SSiStant e ditor

S taff W riterS

a SSiStant g raPhic d eSigner

Al Morriss

Cassi Watson

Al Morriss

St v G gli lmo

Jordan Borrosh

St v G gli lmo

Jake SteinfeldFounder

Major League Lacrosse



SLASH MAGAZINEwINTER 2012

LeagUe t h earoUNdFrom

2012 MLL ALL-STARGAMe: FIRST-eVeR

MLL eVeNT TO BeHeLD IN FLORIDA

MLL TO HOST 2012CHAMPIONSHIPWeekeNeD IN BOS-TON, MASSACHu-SeTTS

MAx SeIBALD TRAD-eD TO LONG ISLANDLIzARDS BeFOReMLL DRAFT

ROBuST NATIONALTV SCHeDuLeANNOuNCeD FOR2012 SeASON

MLL ANALyST eVAN WASHBuRN AND eSPNANNOuNCeR quINT keSSeNICH BReAkDOWN eACH TeAM’S SeLeCTIONS IN THe

2012 MLL COLLeGAITe DRAFT THAT TOOkPLACe ON FRIDAy, JANuARy 13, 2012.

yOu CAN WATCH ONLIN

WWW.MAJORLeAGueLACROSSe.CO

A SNeAk Peek AT THe BOSTON CANNONS’ 2011 MLL CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS

WWW.BOSTONCANNONS.CO

2012league

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With th rst o rall pick in th 2012 MLL Coll iat Draft, th Lon Island Liz -ards s l ct d C n ll att ckm n r b P nn ll . Th Li ards hop that th 5 ft.10 in. Pann ll will b abl to st p in and ll th oid l ft by Matt Danowski, whoth trad d to th Charlott Ho nds as part of a bloc b st r d al that land dth m th rst o rall pick of th draft. Pann ll, th 2010 and 2011 I y L a uPla r of th y ar, was on of th cons ns s top tal nts in th draft. A thr -timAll-Am rican and two-tim Jac T rnb ll Award winn r for th Big R d, Pann ll

nish d th 2011 s ason with 89 points (42 oals and 47 assists). H is th onlylacross pla r to v r b nominat d for an eSPy Award in th cat gor of B stMal Coll g Athl t .

Th Ohio Machin s l ct d UV att ckm n St l St nwick with its ina g ralMLL Coll giat Draft pic . Th 2011 T waaraton Troph Winn r h lp d l ad thCa ali rs to th ir fth Di ision I National Championship with an unpr c d nt d20 points in th 2011 NCAA tournam nt. Stanwick rack d up 70 points on ths ason n rout to b in nam d a rst-t am All-Am rican and ACC Play r of th y ar. Th 6 foot Stanwic will loo to b com onl th s cond two-timT waaraton Troph winn r d ring his s nior s ason at Virginia. H is onl ththird T waaraton winn r to r c i th award b for his nal y ar of li ibility,following Mi Pow ll and Matt Danows i.

D spit sitting o t all of 2011, duk d f ns m n Mik M nl y was th thirdov rall pic b th Roch st r Rattl rs. Manl , who tor th ACL, MCL and m -nisc s in his l ft n , had start d v r gam for th Bl D vils b for b ingforc d to r d-shirt in 2011. In 2010 Manl was nam d a uSILA third-t am All-Am rican aft r scoopin up 44 round balls and forcin 17 turno rs. Th 6 ft. 1in. sh tdown d f nd r is a nativ of P nn yan, Ny, and proj cts as an imm diatstart r as a prof ssional.

With th fo rth ov rall s l ction in th 2012 Coll giat Draft, th D nv r O tlawss l ct d local att ckm n M k M tt ws f m t Univ sity f d nv . Matth ws stands an imposin 6 ft. 4 in. tall and w i hs in at 210 pounds. Hwas nam d a uSILA s cond-t am All-Am rican and eCAC Off nsiv Pla r of thY ar aft r an impr ssi 2011 campai n that saw him tally a t am-l adin 70points (46 oals and 24 assists) to o alon with 42 roundballs and 8 forc dt rnov rs. Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Matth ws combin s a nibl nd of sp d and footwor for a big man, hon d pla ing bo lacross growing

p. D nv r ac ir d th fo rth pic from th Long Island Li ards in a trad thats nt Mid ld r Max S ibald to th Lizards.

y Steve Guglielmo

C.J. C st bil b cam th s cond Blu d vil ta n in th Draft wh n hwas s l ct d fth by th Ch sap ak Bayhawks. Costabil was a USILA third-t am All-Am rican and All-ACC t am m mb r in 2011. H l d th Bl D vils in

roundballs with 95, and rank d s cond on th t am with 23 caus d turno rswhil scorin nin points (4 oals, 5 assists.) Th 6 ft. 1 in. LSM pro id d onof th most citing mom nts in D lacross histor in 2010 wh n h scor dth gam -winning goal in ov rtim of th National Championship gam againstNotr Dam . Costabil adds v rsatilit as a fac -off man who can complim nt af ll-tim FOGO.

With th ir s cond pick in th rst round of th 2012 Coll iat Draft, th D n -v r O tlaws s l ct d University of Virginia Mid elder Colin Briggs . Briggsda l d in Virginia’s Cind r lla r n thro gh th 2011 NCAA To rnam nt, pic -in up Most Outstandin Play r honors. H scor d 7 oals in th Ca ali rs’ 3tournam nt am s, includin a sta rin 5 in th nal a ainst Maryland. Forth s ason, Bri s talli d 41 points on 29 oals and 12 assists. H also add d27 roundballs. Th r dshirt s nior was an All-ACC and USILA s cond-t am All-Am rican in 2011.

P inc t n Univ sity d f ns m n C Wi m i was s l ct d s v nthov rall b th Hamilton Nationals. q int k ss nich said of Wi dmai r, th s condIv -l ag r ta n in th draft, “Wi dmai r ma b th top cov r d f nd r in thnation.” H has play d a ainst Rob Pann ll tim s and h ld th nation’s l ad -in scor r to 4 oals on 44 shots. Th 6 ft. 1 in. d f ns man was a rst-t amAll-Iv s l ction for th third cons c tiv ar in 2011. No Princ ton pla r has

r b n rst-t am All-I y four tim s. Wi dmai r nish d 2011 with 24 roundballs and co ld b an imm diat start r as a pro.

Capping off what was an impr ssiv showing for duk Univ sity in th rstro nd, th Ohio Machin s l ct d r b t r t nz with th 8th o rall pick. Ro -tanz start d 14 am s in th mid ld for th Blu D ils in 2011 and play d in20. Th USILA All-Am rica honorabl m ntion s l ction total d 28 points (23goals and 5 assists), good for third on th t am. Th 6 ft. 3 in. middi pp d hisshooting p rc ntag to 36.5 p rc nt in 2011 from 22 p rc nt in 2010. Rotanalso scoop d 21 round balls as a junior. Rotanz was th rst of 5 mid ld rs thatth Machin too in its ina g ral Coll giat draft.

I thought from a predictability stand-point, the GMs and coaches stayedtrue to their wishes in the frst two

rounds. ESPN Announcer Quint Kessenich




MLL attackman JeremyBoltus discusses the hard-ships of juggling his servicein the Army with playing

professional lacrosse

That busy schedule isone of the reasons that Boltus fell so far in the2011 MLL Collegiate Draft.Army’s number two all-time leading scorer fell allthe way into the inal roundwhen the Hamilton Nation-als took him with the 43rdoverall pick. Because of hismilitary obligation, teamsjust weren’t sure what kind of commitment Boltuswould be able to give tothe sport. “Going into thedraft I literally had no ex-pectations,” says Boltus. “Iunderstand why I was se-lected 43rd. Because of myobligation to the Army, Iwas surprised to have been

drafted at all.”Boltus is used to being

overlooked and underesti-mated. Coming out of highschool, Army was the onlyDivision I team to activelyrecruit him. He respondedby authoring one of themost proli ic careers in thehistory of Army lacrosse.Boltus ranks second all-time in both points (214)and assists (124) in Black Knights history. He wasalso only the second Black Knight ever to be named a

inalist for the TewaaratonTrophy, after a senior sea-son that saw him tally 69points on 24 goals and 45assists.

Despite being selected inthe inal round of the draft,Boltus continued that dom-inance in the MLL. He wasnamed the 2011 Cascade

Rookie of the Year afterleading all rookies in scor-ing with 30 points. He alsoled the Nationals in goalswith 19. However, ques-tions about his ability tojuggle service with lacrossepersist.

Boltus was left unpro-tected in the 2012 MLLExpansion Draft by theHamilton Nationals due toquestions about his sum-mer availability. “I had along conversation with[General Manager] JodyGage before the expansiondraft and because of someof the uncertainty aroundmy being able to commit full-time they chose not to

retain me or protect me be-fore the draft,” Boltus says.“I understood that com-pletely.”

The Charlotte Houndswent on to select Boltuswith the second pick of the Expansion Draft. “It’shumbling knowing that theCharlotte Hounds see meas part of the foundationof the organization,” saidBoltus after the draft. Char-lotte’s pick is a classic caseof high-risk high-reward. If Boltus is able to continueto balance his Army obliga-tions with the team, thenthe Hounds just picked upone of the league’s most talented and exciting at-tackman.

“He is an outstanding tal-ent that has a tremendouswork ethic,” said Hounds’Head Coach Mike Cerino.

“We were very fortunateto draft last season’s MLL‘Rookie of the year.’

“After speaking withJeremy, and getting someclari ication on his sum -mer duties and obligations,the slight risk is worth thehigh reward. Jeremy will bea core building block of theHounds franchise and wefeel his best lacrosse is stillahead of him.”

For his part, Boltus is be-ing proactive. “In April I ammoving to an Army base inOklahoma,” says Boltus. “Ihave been in contact withthe base and they are allfor me playing on the week-ends as long as there is nocon lict. I understand that the Army and my trainingis my priority but on week-ends with nothing going on,my base is in favor of me

going out and promotinArmy lacrosse.”

Although he will mHamilton, Boltus is excitto take part in Charlotteinaugural season. “The scial networking and prmotion that the team doehas been incredible,” says. “The fan base seeso thrilled to have a crosse team.”

With the addition Boltus and trades for Mstalwarts like Matt Daowski and Stephen Bergethe Hounds are puttinthemselves in a strong position for their irst yea“When I heard that I wgoing to an expansiteam, I wasn’t sure what expect,” says Boltus. “Bseeing the moves that thehave made has shown thathey’re committed to wining an MLL championshright away. As a player, whmore could you ask for?”

The Charlotte Hounwill probably not enter th2012 season as favorites twin the Steinfeld TrophBut that underdog role iJeremy Boltus just ine. Hused to it by now.

By Steve Guglielmo

Left: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen; Right: Second Lt. Jeremy Boltus. Photo by Tommy Gilligan, West

Point Public Affairs.

Jeremy Boltus leads a very busy life. Last season, playing with the Hamilton Nationals, heworked as a Second Lt. to West Point’s irst dutystation during the week. On weekends, Boltuswould drive six hours from West Point, NY, to Buf-falo before taking a shuttle into Canada to play inHamilton home games and practices. When theNationals played on the road, Boltus would ly tothe games. “I think of it like a business trip,” Boltussays. “You get to hang out with your friends onthe team and play a sport that you love in front of thousands of fans. That makes all of the travelingworthwhile. Sure, you get a little tired but then yourealize that you’re achieving a life-long dream.”

A Ba anc n Ac




sights sounds

a N d

to know the players but Ied to know the teams andals. That’s something view-fans can’t get through justg live on TV.”

nnouncer Evan Washburn on preparingfor a live event

2 0 1 2

M L L C o L L e g i a t e

d r a f t

, P h i L a d e L P h i a P a

Ohio Machine attackman Connor Martin(aka Con Bro Chill) giving the thumbs-up

2012 MLL Champion Boston Cannons : MikeFox, Steve Duffy, Jim Murphy, Kevin Barney

(left to right)MLL Commissioner

David Grosste Hounds midfelder

Smith

Inside Lacrosse columnistKyle Devitte

Hamilton Nationals attackman Casey Powell withMLL announcer Evan Washburn

Blockbuster Trade on MLL Draft DayThe Denver OuTlaws TraDeD Max seibalD TO The lOng islanD lizarDs in exchange

fOr DrafT picks

Just minutes prior tothe start of the 2012 Ma-jor League Lacrosse Colle-giate Draft, mid ielder MaxSeibald was traded fromthe Denver Outlaws to theLong Island Lizards.

In exchange for Seibald,the Outlaws received thefourth overall selection inthis year’s Collegiate Draft,a fourth round pick in the2013 MLL Collegiate Draft and mid ielder Christian

Pastirik.A three-year MLL veter-

an, Seibald scored 41 goals,including seven two-point markers, with 11 assists in28 games for the Outlaws.He played in 10 games last

season, scoring nine goals,including a pair of two-point tallies, with an assist.

In 2010, Seibald en-joyed his best season withthe Outlaws by scoring 20goals (2 two-point goals)with eight assists. With 30points, the former CornellUniversity standout rankedthird on the team.

Pastirik, who played col-legiately at Towson Univer-sity, appeared in one game

for the Lizards last year andtallied an assist in a victoryover Rochester on May 21.

The Outlaws used thefourth overall selection todraft Mark Matthews fromthe University of Denver.

MLL All-Star Game Set for Palm Beach County, FLThis will Mark The firsT-ever league evenT in The sTaTe Of flOriDa

MLL will host the 2012All-Star Game in Boca Ra-ton, FL. at Florida AtlanticUniversity (FAU) on Sat-urday, June 30 at 7:30 PM,ET. This will mark the irst event in League history that will take place in the state.

Returning to the All-Star Game this year is the“Young Guns vs. Old School”format, in which MLL vet-erans will compete against players who entered theleague in 2009 or later.

New to the All-Star Gamewill be the “MLL All-Star Ex-perience with Casey Powelland Tony Lowe,” which will

provide fans with the op-portunity to compete in atournament prior to thegame. MLL Legend CaseyPowell is a current at-tackman for the HamiltonNationals. He is the MLLall-time points leader with

392 points. He was namedthe MLL Offensive Playerof the Year in 2005 and isone of ten players in MLLhistory to earn at least tenBud Light MLL Player of theGame honors. Tony Loweis the founder of Snip-ers Lacrosse, the premierFlorida lacrosse program.The Long Island native is a

former Lehigh University la-crosse standout. This year’sMLL All-Star Game is a PalmBeach County Tourist Devel-opment Council funded proj-ect, supported by the PalmBeach County Sports Com-

mission.Tickets for the 2012

All-Star Game will be oon February 20 at Ticketmaster.com, by c1-800-745-3000, or by ing any Ticketmaster Ou




12

43

THe NuM-BeR OFF I R S TR O u N DPICkS TOWIN AN MLLCHAMPIONSHIP: PATHeIM (CANNONS),MIkey POWeLL (BAy-HAWkS), PAuL RABIL(CANNONS), ANDJOe WALTeRS (RAT-TLeRS).

4

39503

THe TOTAL NuMBeROF MLL COLLeGIATeDRAFTS SINCe THeINAuGuRAL MLLDRAFT IN 2001. LO-CATIONS OF THePReVIOuS DRAFTSINCLuDe BALTI-MORe, MD., LOWeLL,MA., HAVeRFORD,PA, FAIRFIeLD, CT,

STONy BROOk, N.y.,HOBOkeN, NJ, NeWHAVeN, CT, ANDPHILADeLPHIA, PA. THe ALL-TIMe NuM-

BeR OF PLAyeRSDRAFTeD FROM THeuNIVeRSITy OF VIR-GINIA. THIS NuM-BeR INCLuDeS THe2012 MLL DRAFTeeS(STeeLe STANWICk,COLIN BRIGGS,CHRIS BOCkLeT,MATT LOVeJOy ANDCHRIS CLeMeNTS).

THe TOTAL NuMBeR

OF COLLeGIATe PLAy-eRS SeLeCTeD By AMAJOR LeAGue LA-CROSSe TeAM DuR-ING AN MLL COLLeGIATe DRAFT SINCeTHe LeAGue’S IN-AuGuRAL DRAFT IN2001. TOP SCHOOLSMLL PLAyeRS CAMeFROM INCLuDe SyR-ACuSe, MARyLAND,JOHNS HOPkINS ANDDuke.

TOTAL NuMBeR OFMLL PLAyeRS WHOHAVe BeeN DRAFT-eD FROM SyRACuSeuNIVeRSITy SINCeTHe FIRST eVeR MLLCOLLeGIATe DRAFTIN 2001. THIS ReP-ReSeNTS THe LARG-

eST NuMBeR OFATHLeTeS FROMANy SCHOOL IN THeHISTORy OF THeLeAGue. NOTABLePLAyeRS ARe MIkeyAND CASey POWeLL,MIke LeIVeLLe, DANHARDy, JOHN GAL-LOWAy AND JOVANMILLeR.

JeReMy BOLTuS WAS THe43RD OveRALL SeLeC -TION IN THe 2011 MLLCOLLeGIATe DRAFT ByTHe HAMILTON NATION-ALS FROM ARMy. THOuGHHe WAS DRAFTeD INTHe FINAL ROuND, He

PROVeD TO Be WORTHHIS WeIGHT IN GOLDAFTeR AN OuTSTAND-ING ROOkIe CAMPAIGN.BOLTuS eARNeD CAS-CADe ROOkIe OF THeyeAR HONORS AFTeRSCORINg 30 POINTS (19GOALS, 11 ASSISTS).He APPeAReD IN ALL 12ReGuLAR SeASON GAMeSAND IN TWO PLAyOFFGAMeS FOR THe NATION-

43

A BReAkDOWNOF ALL THINGSReLATeD TO THeMLL DRAFT

ALS. BOLTuS SCOReDTWO GOALS AND ADDeD ONe ASSIST DuRINGTHe 2011 MLL CHAMPI-ONSHIP WeekeND BuTFeLL SHORT TO THeBOSTON CANNONS INTHe CHAMPIONSHIPGAMe. BOLTuS WAS Se-LeCTeD By THe CHAR-LOTTe HOuNDS IN THe2012 MLL exPANSIONDRAFT.




n mber o eMLL caught up with soMe of the Most ceLebrated No. 1MLL coLLegiate draft picks iN the League’s history aNdgot their thoughts oN goiNg No.1, iN additioN to thegrowth of the League.

L L n p v w

There’s no doubt about it. Chris Rotelli is a MajorLeague Lacrosse pioneer.Unlike members of recent MLL Collegiate Draft class-es, Rotelli joined the leagueduring a time when the pos-sibility of playing profes-sional lacrosse was a brandnew concept. He was part of the electric movement

that has paved the way forprofessional lacrosse starstoday.

Just three days after win-ning the ‘03 National Cham-pionship with the Uni-versity of Virginia, Rotellicompeted in the WarriorMLL Challenge, a combinethat was held in conjunc-tion with the MLL Colle-giate Draft.

“It was really exciting,”the mid ielder remembers.“It was like a roller coaster.Not many of my classmatesor even I had thought muchabout playing pro lacrosse,but here we were doing this

pro combine and it was un-like anything we had everseen.”

Rotelli was the No. 1 over-all selection by the Bridge-port Barrage. “I was lat -tered. It was a great honorbecause there were a lot of talented players in thedraft.”

He was one of the guinea

pigs to test the additions of a shot clock and a 2-point arc, elements distinctive of MLL that increases speedand intensity. Rotelli real-ized irst-hand how dif i -cult the transition could be.

“All the players were a lit-tle bigger, a little faster, theyshot the ball a little harder,the goalies were better, andit was more physical. I think the refs let us get away withmore, so a guy coming out of college in his irst coupleof games was usually in abit of shock,” he laughs.

Rotelli played for sevenseasons and scored 109 ca-

By Aly Morrissey

Chris Rotelli (above) now works as a west coast representative for Cascade Helmets

MLL LeGeND AND2003 NO. 1 OVeRALLPICk CHRIS ROTeLLI(uVa) PLAyING FORSAN FANCISCODRAGONS

Former mLL standout Chris roteLLi heLped pave the way For today’s stars and

Continues to grow the sport oF LaCrosse on the west Coast

reer goals and had 47 assistsin the regular season. He ad-vanced to the playoffs threetimes, twice with the BostonCannons and once with SanFrancisco.

As for a Rotelli-return toMLL? He admits that he hasinterest, but not as a player.“I think a coaching rolemight be more in my wheel-house these days. Maybe if

a team comes back to SFrancisco.”

Today, Rotelli works wiCascade Helmets to avance the sport of lacrosson the west coast. His gois to protect lacrosse players with helmets like thCPXR and the PRO7, to generate more playein general, resulting in thgrowth of the sport.

Cascade Helmets as Seen at the 2012 US Lacrosse National Convention




A longtime Rochester Rat-tlers fan, Joe Walters ful-

illed his dream of starringon the team. He was the

irst overall selection in the2006 MLL draft by the Rat-tlers and remembers verywell the whirlwind of activ-ity surrounding the draft.

“The week of the draft

was so crazy,” recalls Wal-ters. “I had just played inthe Final Four and had theTewaaraton and All-Ameri-can banquet all in the sameweek as the draft.”

Walters came out of col-lege as one of the most decorated players in thecountry. A four-time All-American, Walters is theall-time leading goal andpoint scorer in the historyof University of Marylandlacrosse. He won the 2003ACC Rookie of the Year,2004 ACC Player of the Yearand 2006 Jack Turnbullaward and was a inalist forthe 2006 Tewaaraton Tro-phy.

“I remember being sostressed out about all of thetravel,” says Walters. “But at

the same time, I was excit-ed. I just wanted to get out there and start my careeras a professional lacrosseplayer.”

A Rochester, NY-native,Walters had been a fanof the Rattlers since theleague’s inception in 2001.

“Going into the draft, Iwas anxious,” he says. “Ihad spoken to Rochester

the day before the draft andthey had mentioned that they were interested in me,but I didn’t know anythingfor sure. When I heard myname called, it was a sur-real feeling because I re-member going to the gamesgrowing up and hoping that someday it would be me out

there. Seeing my name onthe back of that jersey andknowing that I was goingto get that chance to play infront of my hometown fanswas humbling.”

In addition to playing forhis hometown team, Wal-ters also got the chance toplay with one of his favoriteplayers. “I was so excitedto play with John Grant Jr.When I walked into thelocker room the irst time,he didn’t really say much,”Walters laughs. “He’s kindof like that. A little standoff-ish. But over the next fewgames we became goodfriends and started to reallyplay well together and de-velop great chemistry.”

The transition from col-lege to the MLL is incred-

ibly dif icult. Not only is thegame much faster and thecompetition much better,but players who were usedto being the best playeron their college team haveto adapt to being just onepiece of the puzzle. “I wasvery nervous my irst yearin the league. Nervousabout itting in and hold -ing my own. I didn’t want to

mess up,” says Walters, whocredits Grant Jr. with help-ing to ease that transition.As Walters became com-fortable, he began to t hrive.In nine games as a rookiehe totaled 21 points. “Whenyou play nervous, it showsin your game. You aren’t assharp.”

Now, six years later, Wal-ters inds himself playingthe role of veteran men-

tor. “This past year we hadso many rookies and I re-ally took more of a veteranleadership role,” he says.

“Myself, Jordan Hall,Brodie Merrill and Geoff Snider all wanted to helpour young guys get thechance to step up and makebig plays. You want to giveyounger players the chanceto prove themselves. You

don’t want them to saway from making that bplay.”

In his career, Walters hascored 189 points (11goals including six twpoint goals and 69 assists.

He helped the Rattlewin the 2009 Steinfeld Trphy and led the Nationato the 2011 championshigame. He is excited to gthe chance to play wi

some of this year’s draees as lacrosse continuto grow and expand. “Tway the game continues evolve is great,” he says.

“With the TV deals tthe league has now anbeing able to play in froof thousands of fans atravel all over the countit is great for the sport angreat for the league.”

By Steve Guglielmo

Joe Walters and MLL Commissioner David Gross at the 2006 MLLCollegiate Draft in Fair eld, Ct.

f m s l n h l nmLL attaCkman Joe waLters remembers being a rattLers Fan beFore being draFted

no. 1 by his hometown team



SLASH MAGAZINE18 wINTER 2012

y Aly Morrissey

Pat Heim and MLL Commissioner David Gross at the 2007 MLLCollegiate Draft in Stony Brook, N.Y.

He’ll tell you that it wasck. But those who havellowed the career of Bos-n Cannons Mid ielder Pat eim know he was chosen

the No. 1 overall selec-on by the Chicago Ma-hine for a reason.

In 2007, the name Pat eim wasn’t even a whis-

r amidst speculations aswhich college seniors

ould be drafted by a Ma-r League Lacrosse team.he mid ielder was inish -g a tumultuous seasonith the Penn State Nittanyons, who ended their sea-n with a 5-8 record.

“We didn’t really havegood year at Penn State,”eim admits. “We weren’t ally ranked towards the

nd of the year and we werever on TV.” This naturallyade it dif icult for Heim tocure an invitation to the

007 MLL Collegiate Draft.ut despite the Nittany Li-ns’ lackluster year, Heim’srsonal achievementsere impressive.

A irst team All-ECAClection, Heim scored 14

oals with four assists fore Nittany Lions in his se-or year and was named ase team’s George Pittengerward winner, which goes

the team’s most out-anding senior. He endeds Penn State career with

8 goals and 27 assists.ut Heim wasn’t ready to

hang up his cleats. He wasdetermined to play profes-sionally for Major LeagueLacrosse.

Four hundred milessouthwest of Penn State,Duke University Attack-man Matt Danowski wasgranted an extra year of collegiate eligibility, whichshook things up for the en-suing draft. The attackmanhad been the projected No.1 draft pick which meant the spot was now up forgrabs. Heim saw an oppor-tunity. “I made some phonecalls myself and my coachmade some calls on my be-half. MLL invited me twodays before the combine. Ipacked my bags, called mydad and went up to StonyBrook for the draft.”

Heim entered upstateN.Y. with a level-headedmindset and agreed to playwith the same intensitythat made him such a threat in college. He would leavethe rest up to fate, or luck,as he calls it. To everyone’ssurprise, the mid ielderwho had lown under theradar until days before thedraft tested number one inall of the physical tests im-plemented by MLL. His per-formance on the ield wasequally as impressive, ashe scored three goals in thecombine, proving he was anoffensive weapon not to beoverlooked. He had every-

one’s attention now.In a bar back home, his

friends watched in awe astheir teammate, who hadbarely received a last-min-ute invitation, was namedas the irst overall selectionin the 2007 MLL CollegiateDraft.

“Everyone asks me thesame thing, which is ‘wereyou surprised?’” Heimlaughs. “I tell them, ‘Yes. I

had no idea. It was the luck of the draw because [MLL]invited me last-minute andI ended up getting draftedNo. 1.’ It’s kind of a fun sto-ry.”

Heim took the League bystorm. He scored four goalsfor the Machine in his irst game, earning him MLL

Rookie of the Week honors.He was also one of the fewrookies named as an MLLAll-Star in 2007. In 2011he made the MLL All-Starroster again, scoring twounassisted goals for TeamWarrior, who won by a last second, game-winning goal.

Last season Heim alsoachieved the ultimate feat by leading the Boston Can-nons to their irst-ever MLL

Championship in Annapo-lis, MD.

It’s obvious that Heim’stalent is creating opportu-nities for himself and forhis team, which has madehim such a successful ath-lete in Major League La-crosse. And to think, he al-most didn’t make the draft.

h m s n n el v n h the mLL Champion didn’t reCeive an invitation to the 2007 mLL Combine

untiL two days prior to going no. 1




It was evident that Roch-ester Rattlers attackmanNed Crotty was in a differ-ent class from the start.While the 2010 MLL draft class was competing in agame against Team USA ina last-ditch effort to dis-play their skills, Ned wasn’t wearing a rookie jersey. Hewas sporting the colors of

the red, white and blue.“To be able to play forTeam USA against myfriends and other drafteeswas a fun yet humbling ex-perience,” Crotty says. “It was unique because the col-lege players were lookingto get drafted while I waslooking to get recognizedby an MLL team and de inemy role on Team USA.”

Crotty paints a busypicture as his collegiatelacrosse career came to ahead in the spring of 2010.He led Duke University toits irst National Champi -onship, was the recipient of the Tewaaraton Trophy,and was the No. 1 overallselection by the ChicagoMachine in the MLL Colle-giate Draft.

“To go No. 1 overall ina professional sport was anamazing experience,” he re-calls. “To be in a room withsuch great players and tohear MLL CommissionerDave Gross call my namewas a proud moment anda cool transition from col-lege.”

Crotty was ready tostart a new chapter in his

lacrosse career with anMLL team stacked withveterans. “They were in-credibly inviting,” Crotty re-members. “We had a gamethe Saturday following thedraft and they came up tome and introduced them-selves and immediately ranme through the offensiverun. It made the transitiona smooth one.”

The transition from thecollegiate level to MLL hasproved to be challengingfor many, but thanks to hiscareer at Duke, Crotty saysthe change was less taxingbecause of their up-tempostyle of play that preparedhim for additions like theshot clock and the 2-point arc.

Despite the acceptancefrom longtime veterans, thepressure was tangible forCrotty. “It was intimidatingstepping in with the playersI had grown up watching.Only so many guys madeit into the League with sixteams at that time and ev-erybody could do every-thing.”

But the more Crotty

played, the more chemis-try was formed with hisveteran teammates likethe Leveille brothers, ChrisRotelli and Bill McGlone.They assured him he hadbeen drafted for a reason,encouraging him to becomfortable, to dodge fre-quently, and to understandhe was not stuck within asystem. Crotty scored 11

By Aly Morrissey

Ned Crotty and MLL Commissioner Gross at the 2010 MLL Col-legiate Draft

d r , w & blned Crotty pLayed For team usa against his FeLLow draFtees in the 2010 mLL Combine

NeD CROTTy PLAyS FOR TeAMuSA DuRING THe 2010 MLL

WARRIOR CHALLeNGe

NeD CROTTy COMPeTeSIN THe FReeSTyLeCOMPeTITION, 2011MLL ALL-STAR GAMe INBOSTON

To go No. 1 overall ina professional sportwas an amazing ex-perience. To be in aroom with such greatplayers and to hear MLL Commissioner Dave Gross call myname was a proudmoment.Rochester Rattlers attackman,Ned Crotty

goals and posted 13 assistsin just seven games duringhis rookie campaign.

In his sophomore efforts,Crotty had a break throughperformance, leading theLeague in points (both heand Paul Rabil scored 50points) and cementing hisplace in MLL as a seriousoffensive threat.

“My role became greaterwith the loss of the Leveille

Brothers and I was sud-denly a veteran. More wasasked of me, my comfort level rose and I was lookedat as a go-to guy on attack,”Crotty said of his 2011 sea-son with the Rochester Rat-tlers who went 2-10. They

inished last in the Leagueand endured a mid-seasoncoaching change.

“I know people knocked

Rochester last year, but you looked at the individal scoreboards, we werenlosing by much. If ylooked at our roster, moof our team was made up guys in their irst or seconyears. We had a lot of yountalent.”

In the past, Rocheswas considered a premieteam and won several MLChampionships and Crot

is determined to lead hteam to another victor“We are more than capabof accomplishing it tyear. We weren’t happwith the way we ended laseason. Now that we havthe maturity and anotheyear of experience, we agoing to make a big push the championships.”



SLASH MAGAZINE 2wINTER 2012

SeeN aNd heard

WHO MADe IT OuTON TOP AFTeR THe

MLL exPANSIONDRAFT?

WHO MADe IT OuTON TOP AFTeR THe

MLL COLLeGIATeDRAFT?

WHO WILL Be THe BeST ALL-AROuND PLAyeR THIS SeASON?

With 40% of th ot s, you said BillyBitt r! Bitt r was trad d from th

O tlaws to th n w CharlottHo nds. In his roo i campaign,Bitt r post d [stats stats statsstats]. His sophomor ffort will

b in on April 28 for th Houndsagainst th [t am nam t am

nam ].

In a clos s cond, o said N d Crot-t , who was th 2010 MLL Roo iof th y ar and l d th l ag inpoints last ar with Pa l Rabil(50 points). This s ason h willloo to l ad th Roch st r Rat-tl rs to th Championshipsaft r coming in last plac lasts ason.

MLL: Tell us a little bit about Shoot 2 Score Lacrosse and what youcovered on the demo field at the 2012 US Lacrosse National Conven

tion.

Buggs Combs: Shoot 2 Score is a shooting school that Devon Britts anstarted about ive years ago. Essentially, we go to different places acrosthe country and conduct shooting drills. We review their shooting tech-niques and they leave with a DVD of the various drills we’ve covered. Athe Convention, we presented ways to become a better shooter by con-ducting drills using high school athletes to execute them, giving coachesa preview of our camps. We provided tips and tricks for coaches to teachtheir players, such as iguring out where the goalie is before shooting, thbest percentage shot and how to create it.

MLL: You’re coming off a ruptured Achilles Tendon. How has t he re-covery process been going?

BC: It’s been going well. In the beginning it was very slow. It’s a 10-moninjury but in the past two months I’ve been making signi icant progresI’m lucky I have a great doctor and physical therapists.

MLL: You were recently picked up by the expansion Ohio Machine.What are your thoughts on returning to the league after a hiatus?

BC: I think that the one thing the injury gave me was a summer off, so feel really refreshed with my body in the best shape I’ve been in since played in the league. Everything the Machine has done so far has been

irst class from drafting to welcoming guys to the team. We have a vergood core of veterans like Greg Bice and Anthony Kelly and a lot of youas well. I’m very excited.

Buggs Combs at the 2012 US Lacrosse National Convention

we always lOve hearing frOM Our fans. check OuTMajOrleaguelacrOsse.cOM fOr The laTesT pOlls abOuT

The league, TeaMs anD players.

we caughT up wiTh OhiO Machine aTTackMan buggs cOMbs aTThe us naTiOnal cOnvenTiOn in philaDelphia, pa.



SLASH MAGAZINE 2wINTER 2012

Every year there is at least one player that eachm is vying for the opportunity to draft. Though it was

four years ago that Paul Rabil took Major Leagueosse by storm with his athleticism and gravitationalhe has veteran advice that could mold the MLL draft-

of tomorrow.

“The 2008 draft was right after the Nationalmpionship game and I played for Johns Hopkinsnst my fellow draftees,” remembers Rabil of the year

was drafted to the Boston Cannons. “I was very awareow talented everyone was.”

The transition from the collegiate level to thepaced professional level generally creates a tangiblesure, even for athletes who starred on their college

ms. But not for Paul Rabil. “There wasn’t that muchsure. I felt like I had an opportunity in the MLL to tryrent things that I may not have done in the collegee. The college game is so much more regimented andt…being able to showcase some of my athleticismlong distance shooting in the MLL made me more ex-d than nervous.”

Despite the quick transition from college to Ma-League Lacrosse, Rabil was excited to get started. Not n playing alongside MLL Legend Mikey Powell couldmidate him. “I had always looked up to Mike when Iyounger,” he said. “Anytime you get a chance to playsomeone that you’ve looked up to and tried to em-

e is a great experience. Being able to set him up fors was a lot of fun.”

In his rookie campaign, Rabil scored an impres-sive 24 goals in just nine games. He went on to win MLLOffensive Player of the Year and Bud Light MLL MVP of the Year awards in both 2009 and 2011. He tied for irst in points last season (both he and Ned Crotty scored 50points) and has continued to be an MLL icon and a fan-favorite.

As the irst overall selection in the 2008 MLL Col -legiate Draft. Rabil has sage advice for irst rounders likeRob Pannell and Steele Stanwick. “Don’t take it for grantedin any way shape or form. It’s an opportunity that you onlyget once in your lifetime and whether it’s in lacrosse orany other sport, it can really shape the rest of your life interms of how you position yourself with a team, how hardyou work and how much longevity you’ll create out of yourcareer. I was very humbled by the experience and continueto work each day to try to make sure the Cannons are re-

Jordan Borrosh

Spotlight rabil : advice for 2012 draft class

The college game is so

much more regimentedand strict…being ableto showcase some of

my athleticism and longdistance shooting in theMLL made me more ex-

cited than nervous.Boston Cannons Midfelder, Paul Rabil



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