Meet the First Round MLL Draftees

By Steve Guglielmo | 1/17/12 1:30 PM

By Steve Guglielmo
Staff Writer

The MLL Collegiate Draft gives teams an opportunity to select the best college seniors in the country. First round draft picks can shape a franchise for years to come. Conversely, the transition from the college game to the professional game can be challenging for athletes who aren't used to the fast pace of MLL. This year’s first-round draftees are the cream of the crop and could become MLL staples if they play in 2012. Get to know this year’s first round picks below.

1. Rob Pannell, Attack, Cornell University

With the first overall pick in the 2012 MLL Collegiate Draft, the Long Island Lizards selected Cornell Attackman Rob Pannell. The Lizards hope that the 5 ft. 10 in. Pannell will be able to step in and fill the void left by Matt Danowski, who they traded to the Charlotte Hounds as part of a blockbuster deal that landed them the first overall pick of the draft. Pannell, the 2010 and 2011 Ivy League Player of the Year, was one of the consensus top talents in the draft. A three-time All-American and two-time Jack Turnbull Award winner for the Big Red, Pannell finished the 2011 season with 89 points (42 goals and 47 assists). He is the only lacrosse player to ever be nominated for an ESPY Award in the category of Best Male College Athlete. According to MLL analyst Quint Kessenich, Pannell projects to be a perennial All-Star as a pro.

2. Steele Stanwick, Attack, University of Virginia

The Ohio Machine selected UVa Attackman Steele Stanwick with its inaugural MLL Collegiate Draft pick. The 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy Winner helped lead the Cavaliers to their fifth Division I National Championship with an unprecedented 20 points in the 2011 NCAA tournament. Stanwick racked up 70 points on the season en route to being named a first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year. The 6 foot Stanwick will look to become only the second two-time Tewaaraton Trophy winner during his senior season at Virginia. He is only the third Tewaaraton winner to receive the award before his final year of eligibility, following Mike Powell and Matt Danowski.

3. Mike Manley, Defense, Duke University

Despite sitting out all of 2011, Duke Defenseman Mike Manley was the third overall pick by the Rochester Rattlers. Manley, who tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee, had started every game for the Blue Devils before being forced to red-shirt in 2011. In 2010 Manley was named a USILA third-team All-American after scooping up 44 ground balls and forcing 17 turnovers. The 6 ft. 1 in. shutdown defender is a native of Penn Yan, NY, and projects as an immediate starter as a professional.

4. Mark Matthews, Attack, University of Denver

With the fourth overall selection in the 2012 Collegiate Draft, the Denver Outlaws selected local Attackman Mark Matthews from the University of Denver. Matthews stands an imposing 6 ft. 4 in. tall and weighs in at 210 pounds. He was named a USILA second-team All-American and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year after an impressive 2011 campaign that saw him tally a team-leading 70 points (46 goals and 24 assists) to go along with 42 groundballs and 8 forced turnovers. Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Matthews combines a unique blend of speed and footwork for a big man, honed playing box lacrosse growing up. Denver acquired the fourth pick from the Long Island Lizards in a trade that sent Midfielder Max Seibald to the Lizards.

5. C.J. Costabile, Longstick Midfielder, Duke University

C.J. Costabile became the second Blue Devil taken in the Draft when he was selected fifth by the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Costabile was a USILA third-team All-American and All-ACC team member in 2011. He led the Blue Devils in groundballs with 95, and ranked second on the team with 23 caused turnovers while scoring 9 points (four goals, five assists.) The 6 ft. 1 in. LSM provided one of the most exciting moments in Duke lacrosse history in 2010 when he scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the National Championship game against Notre Dame. Costabile adds additional versatility as a face-off man who can compliment a full-time FOGO.

6. Colin Briggs, Midfield, University of Virginia

With their second pick in the first round of the 2012 Collegiate Draft, the Denver Outlaws selected University of Virginia Midfielder Colin Briggs. Briggs dazzled in Virginia’s Cinderella run through the 2011 NCAA Tournament, picking up Most Outstanding Player honors. He scored 7 goals in the Cavaliers’ 3 tournament games, including a staggering 5 in the final against Maryland. For the season, Briggs tallied 41 points on 29 goals and 12 assists. He also added 27 groundballs. The redshirt senior was an All-ACC and USILA second-team All-American in 2011.

7. Chad Wiedmaier, Defense, Princeton University

Princeton University Defenseman Chad Wiedmaier was selected seventh overall by the Hamilton Nationals. Quint Kessenich said of Wiedmaier, the second Ivy-leaguer taken in the draft, “Wiedmaier may be the top cover defender in the nation.” He has played against Rob Pannell five times and held the nation’s leading scorer to 4 goals on 44 shots. The 6 ft. 1 in. defenseman was a first-team All-Ivy selection for the third consecutive year in 2011. No Princeton player has ever been first-team All-Ivy four times. Wiedmaier finished 2011 with 24 ground balls and could be an immediate starter as a pro.

8. Robert Rotanz, Midfield, Duke University

Capping off what was an impressive showing for Duke University in the first round, the Ohio Machine selected Robert Rotanz with the 8^th overall pick. Rotanz started 14 games in the midfield for the Blue Devils in 2011 and played in 20. The USILA All-America honorable mention selection totaled 28 points (23 goals and 5 assists), good for third on the team. The 6 ft. 3 in. middie upped his shooting percentage to 36.5 percent in 2011 from 22 percent in 2010. Rotanz also scooped 21 ground balls as a junior. Rotanz was the first of 5 midfielders that the Machine took in its inaugural Collegiate draft.