Steven Brooks was picked 22nd overall by Chicago in Sunday's NLL Draft.
Brooks Leads Orange Selections in 2008 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft
9/7/2008 2:42:15 PM | Men's Lacrosse
BOSTON – Five members of Syracuse’s 2008 national championship team were selected in the 2008 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft Sunday at the TD Banknorth Garden. Midfielder Steven Brooks was the Orange’s highest selection, going in the second round (22nd overall) to Chicago.
In addition to Brooks, defenseman Kyle Guadagnolo (29th overall) and midfielder Brendan Loftus (30th overall) were selected back-to-back in the third round by the Rochester Knighthawks. Attackman Mike Leveille (36th overall) was tabbed by Philadelphia with the final pick in the third round and faceoff specialist Danny Brennan was taken by the Boston Blazers with the first pick of the sixth round (63rd overall).
All five former Orange men picked on Sunday were active member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) rosters during the summer.
Brooks won the Lt. Donald C. MacLaughlin, Jr. Award as nation’s top midfielder in his final year at Syracuse. He ranked third on the team in points (41) and goals (28). He had five game-winning tallies and tied his career high with four scores at Johns Hopkins on March 15, including the golden goal in overtime. For his career, Brooks scored 67 goals and notched 101 points.
Playing for the MLL’s Chicago Machine, Brooks was one of two rookies to make the MLL All-Star team. He finished second on the Machine with 23 goals.
Guadagnolo started 46 consecutive games for the Orange from 2006-08. He registered a personal-best 36 ground balls in 2008 and finished with 109 for his career. He helped anchor an SU defense that posted a 7.62 goals-against average this season, its lowest mark since 1970.
On the professional level, Guadagnolo helped the Rochester Rattlers win the MLL Championship last month. He competed in four games for the Rattlers and scooped up seven ground balls.
Loftus surpassed his career totals in goals, assists and points in his final collegiate season. He scored 25 goals, recorded four assists and tallied 29 points. He notched a career-best four goals, including the game-winner in double overtime, against Georgetown during the regular season. Loftus contributed two goals in the team’s victory against Johns Hopkins in the national title game.
Loftus scored 17 goals and finished with 19 points for the MLL’s San Francisco Dragons in 2008.
Leveille, a first-team All-American and the Tewaaraton Trophy winner as college lacrosse’s player of the year, was named the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Championship. He tallied 19 points, including 11 goals, in the Orange’s four tournament victories. He concluded the season ranked third nationally in points per game (4.61), seventh in goals per game (2.72) and seventh in assists per contest (1.89). Leveille led Syracuse with 49 goals and 83 total points. He finished his SU career ninth in school history in goals (132), 12th in career assists (83) and 12th in career points (215).
Leveille was Brooks’ teammate with the Chicago Machine this past year and ranked second on the team with 36 points. He tied for the team lead in assists with 18.
Brennan led the nation in faceoff winning percentage. He won 66.7 percent of his draws, including 19 in the Orange’s semifinal win against Virginia. He was 214-for-321 at the X in 2008 and finished with the fourth-best single-season faceoff winning percentage in school history. His 214 victories ranks fourth on SU’s season record list and his 485 career faceoff wins is second on the program’s all-time ledger.
As a member of the New Jersey Pride, Brennan played in four games. He had 23 ground balls and 61-of-123 (.496) on faceoffs.
Sunday’s draft consisted of six rounds and 76 total selections. The NLL season gets underway in December.
Friday, June 05
Sunday, May 24
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Saturday, May 23
