Midfielder Paul Rabil from Johns Hopkins University was selected by the Boston Cannons with the first overall pick in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft, which took place at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Rabil led his team in scoring for the third straight season with 36 goals and 14 assists for 50 points. He also led the Blue Jays to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 14 goals, 3 assists, in four playoff games. He scored 6 goals and added 1 assist in the NCAA Championship game versus Syracuse.
With the second overall pick, the New Jersey Pride selected attackman Matt Danowksi from Duke University. Danowski is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history with 353 career points. Danowski scored 36 goals and assisted on another 48 this past season for the Blue Devils. Danowski was predicted to go first overall in the 2007 MLL Collegiate Draft, however he elected to take advantage of an additional year of eligibility, which was granted late last season.
New Jersey followed that pick by selecting attackman Mike Leveille from Syracuse. Later, to begin the third round, New Jersey would trade Leveille and the 23rd pick to the Chicago Machine for Johns Hopkins’ Stephen Peyser, Chicago’s selection with the sixth overall pick, and the 21st and 30th overall picks in the 2008 Draft.
The draft was actually punctuated by a number of trades. Early in the day, The Cannons acquired the first overall pick earlier in the day when they traded their fourth and sixth overall selections to the Chicago Machine. The Cannons then traded their eighth overall pick, which they had received from Rochester earlier in the day for midfielder Brett Bucktooth, for Chicago’s Sean Morris, a Massachusetts native.
Long Island Lizards traded their 5th overall pick to the Los Angeles Riptide in exchange for Spencer Ford, and the 14th and 19th overall picks in the 2008 Draft. Later in the same round, Los Angeles traded their 25th overall pick and Sean Lindsay to San Francisco for Kevin Huntley, the 17th overall pick, and a 2009 First Round Draft Pick.
The 2008 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft concluded with Brian Danvers from the University of Massachusetts being selected by the Long Island Lizards.
The Major League Lacrosse season continues this weekend with all ten teams in action this Saturday.
2008 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft
Round 1:
1) Boston - Paul Rabil M (Johns Hopkins)
2) New Jersey - Matt Danowski A (Duke)
3) New Jersey - Mike Leveille A (Syracuse) **
4) Chicago - Stephen Peyser M (Johns Hopkins) **
5) Los Angeles * - Kevin Buchanan A (Ohio State)
6) Chicago - Steven Brooks M (Syracuse)
7) San Francisco - Mike Podgajny M (Notre Dame)
8) Chicago - Terry Kimener M (UMBC)
9) New Jersey - Joe Cinosky D (Maryland)
10) New Jersey - Jordan Levine M (Albany)
Round 2:
11) Chicago -Will Barrow M (Virginia)
12) New Jersey - Tony McDevitt D (Duke)
13) Denver - Dan Cocoziello D (Princeton)
14) Long Island * - Ben Rubeor A (Virginia)
15) Washington - Matt Bocklet D (Johns Hopkins)
16) San Francisco - Matt Lalli M (Colgate)
17) San Francisco - Kevin Huntley A (Johns Hopkins) ***
18) Rochester - Kyle Guadagnolo D (Syracuse)
19) Long Island * - Jerry Lambe D (Georgetown)
20) New Jersey - Kevin Unterstein M (Hofstra)
Round 3:
21) New Jersey ** - Dan Brennan M (Syracuse)
22) Rochester - Nick O'Hara D (Duke)
23) Chicago ** - Brendan Cannon A (Georgetown)
24) Los Angeles - Mike McDonald M (Le Moyne)
25) San Francisco *** - Brendan Loftus M (Syracuse)
26) Boston - Paul Manesis M (UMass)
27) Denver - Mike Ward M (Duke)
28) Rochester - Adam Fullerton G (Army)
29) Los Angeles - Joey Kemp G (Notre Dame)
30) New Jersey ** - Alex Hewit G (Princeton)
Round 4:
31) Washington - Brett Manney M (Delaware)
32) San Francisco - Ryan Cranston M (Lynchburg)
33) New Jersey - Matthew Hickman A (Salisbury)
34) Washington - Sean Dougherty D (Notre Dame)
35) Long Island - Mike Unterstein M (Hofstra)
36) San Francisco - Sean Krygier D (UMass)
37) Washington - Paul Richards M (Loyola)
38) Boston - Chris Eck FO (Colgate)
39) San Francisco - Daryl Veltman A (Hobart)
40) Long Island - Jon Engelke A (Towson)
Round 5:
41) Chicago - Bud Petite G (Virginia)
42) San Francisco - Tom Michaelsen M (St. Johns)
43) New Jersey - Nick Mirabito A (Navy)
44) Washington - Brekan Kohlitz FO (Michigan)
45) Long Island - Ryan Heath A (Cortland)
46) Boston - Tony Tanzi M (Sacred Heart)
47) Denver - Peter Striebel M (Princeton)
48) Rochester - Brett Queener G (Albany)
49) Los Angeles - Taylor Clagett FO (Notre Dame)
50) Long Island - Brian Danvers D (UMass)
* Long Island trades 5th overall pick to Los Angeles for Spencer Ford, the 14th and 19th overall picks in the 2008 Draft
** New Jersey trades Mike Leveille and the 23rd pick to Chicago for Stephen Peyser, the 21st and 30th overall picks in the 2008 Draft
*** Los Angeles trades the 25th overall pick and Sean Lindsay to San Francisco for Kevin Huntley and a 2009 First Round Draft Pick
