# 1997 NLL Draft

The 1997 NLL Draft composed of nine rounds where 72 lacrosse players were selected. The draft was completed on a conference call with all the teams coaches.

## 1st round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 1 | Baltimore Thunder | Matt Shearer | F | Loyola College |
| 2 | Boston Blazers | Brenden Glass$^#$ | | University of Massachusetts |
| 3 | Ontario Raiders | Ken Millin | F | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 4 | Syracuse Smash | Jim Rankin | G | Western Canada |
| 5 | New York Saints | Tom Wreggitt$^#$ | | Peterborough Lakers (MSL) |
| 6 | Philadelphia Wings | Rusty Kruger | F | Orangeville, Ontario |
| 7 | Buffalo Bandits | Casey Zaph | F | Peterborough Lakers (MSL) |
| 8 | Buffalo Bandits | Marty O'Brien | F | Whitby Warriors (OLL Jr. A) |

## 2nd round

* Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Pro Team and had won at least one NLL Award  $^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 9 | Baltimore Thunder | Michael Watson$^#$ | F | University of Virginia |
| 10 | Boston Blazers | Mike Tughan$^#$ | | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 11 | Ontario Raiders | Derek Malawsky | F | New Westminster Salmonbellies (WLA) |
| 12 | Syracuse Smash | John Wilson | F | Burnaby, British Columbia |
| 13 | New York Saints | Danen Reisig | D | Victoria Shamrocks (WLA) |
| 14 | Philadelphia Wings | Verigin Tutty$^#$ | | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 15 | Buffalo Bandits | Bob Henry | F | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 16 | Rochester Knighthawks | Josh Sanderson* | F | Orangeville Northmen (OLL Jr. A) |

## 3rd round

$^x$ Denotes player who won at least one NLL Award  $^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 17 | Baltimore Thunder | Andrew Ross | F | United States Naval Academy |
| 18 | Boston Blazers | Cam Woods$^x$ | D | Brooklin Redmen (MSL) |
| 19 | Ontario Raiders | Chris Langdale | D | Ontario |
| 20 | Syracuse Smash | Jason Johnson$^#$ | | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 21 | New York Saints | Jeff Gombar$^#$ | G | North Shore Indians (WLA) |
| 22 | Philadelphia Wings | Brad Downey$^#$ | | Coquitlam Adanacs (WLA) |
| 23 | Buffalo Bandits | Gary Scott | F | Orangeville, Ontario |
| 24 | Rochester Knighthawks | Kevin Dance | F | Brampton Excelsiors (MSL) |

## 4th round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 25 | Baltimore Thunder | Billy Evans$^#$ | | Johns Hopkins University |
| 26 | Boston Blazers | Scott Ronson$^#$ | | Niagara Falls Gamblers (MSL) |
| 27 | Ontario Raiders | Glenn Clark | D | Brooklin Redmen (MSL) |
| 28 | Syracuse Smash | Brent Rothfuss | F | Nazareth College |
| 29 | New York Saints | John Gagliardi | F | Johns Hopkins University |
| 30 | Philadelphia Wings | Dave Stilley | D | Duke University |
| 31 | Buffalo Bandits | Clay Hill | D | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 32 | Rochester Knighthawks | Bob Fisher | F | St. Catharines Athletics (MSL) |

## 5th round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 33 | Baltimore Thunder | Doug Knight | F | University of Virginia |
| 34 | Boston Blazers | Jason Fivek$^#$ | | Colgate University |
| 35 | Ontario Raiders | R. Phillips$^#$ | G | Peterborough Lakers (MSL) |
| 36 | Syracuse Smash | Ryan Kells | F | Niagara Falls Gamblers (MSL) |
| 37 | New York Saints | Jason Osier$^#$ | | Princeton University |
| 38 | Philadelphia Wings | Jake Bergey | F | Salisbury State University |
| 39 | Buffalo Bandits | Sean Howe$^#$ | | St. Catharines Athletics (MSL) |
| 40 | Rochester Knighthawks | Pat Cougevan | | Syracuse University |

## 6th round

$^x$ Denotes player who won at least one NLL Award  $^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 41 | Baltimore Thunder | Jason Wade$^#$ | | University of North Carolina |
| 42 | Boston Blazers | Paul Judge$^#$ | | Hofstra University |
| 43 | Ontario Raiders | Steve Toll$^x$ | D | Niagara Falls Gamblers (MSL) |
| 44 | Syracuse Smash | Warren Blackwell | F | Victoria Shamrocks (WLA) |
| 45 | New York Saints | Jim Gonnella$^#$ | | Duke University |
| 46 | Philadelphia Wings | G. Atterbury$^#$ | | Washington College |
| 47 | Buffalo Bandits | Cort Knodel$^#$ | | Canisius College |
| 48 | Rochester Knighthawks | Dan Garrett$^#$ | D | Nazareth College |

## 7th round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 49 | Baltimore Thunder | David Curry$^#$ | | University of Virginia |
| 50 | Boston Blazers | B. Proefrock$^#$ | | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| 51 | Ontario Raiders | Pat Jones | D | Whitby Warriors (OLL Jr. A) |
| 52 | Syracuse Smash | Tony Henderson | F | Niagara Falls Gamblers (MSL) |
| 53 | New York Saints | Chris Grande$^#$ | | University of Massachusetts |
| 54 | Philadelphia Wings | Jude Collins | F | University of North Carolina |
| 55 | Buffalo Bandits | Chris Clark | F | Michigan State University |
| 56 | Rochester Knighthawks | Phil Sanderson | D | Orangeville Northmen (OLL Jr. A) |

## 8th round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 57 | Baltimore Thunder | M. Marchant$^#$ | | Mount Washington College |
| 58 | Boston Blazers | Steve Rogie$^#$ | | Michigan State University |
| 59 | Ontario Raiders | Kris Bryde | F | Coquitlam Adanacs (WLA) |
| 60 | Syracuse Smash | Jim Roberts$^#$ | | Brooklin Redmen (MSL) |
| 61 | New York Saints | Craig Kahoun$^#$ | | Butler University |
| 62 | Philadelphia Wings | Werner Krueger | F | Johns Hopkins University |
| 63 | Buffalo Bandits | Chris Levis | G | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 64 | Rochester Knighthawks | Rory Thorpe$^#$ | | Syracuse University |

## 9th round

$^#$ Denotes player who never played in the NLL regular season or playoffs
| Pick # | NLL team | Player | Position | Club/college |
| 65 | Baltimore Thunder | Brian Volpe$^#$ | | Loyola College |
| 66 | Boston Blazers | Alex Nephew$^#$ | | Denison University |
| 67 | Ontario Raiders | Chad Squire | F | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 68 | Syracuse Smash | Bill Genie$^#$ | | Six Nations Chiefs (MSL) |
| 69 | New York Saints | Brian Kuczma$^#$ | | Johns Hopkins University |
| 70 | Philadelphia Wings | Tim Lucky$^#$ | | Mount Washington College |
| 71 | Buffalo Bandits | Jeff Hanson | F | Burnaby Lakers (MSL) |
| 72 | Rochester Knighthawks | Matt Kerwick | F | Hobart and William Smith Colleges |