We’re 4 weeks into the 2017 National Lacrosse League season, so let’s see what the Class of 2017 rookies are up to.
Kyle Jackson (Rochester): The left-hander out of Sarnia was pretty much thrown into the fire with the early absence of Cody Jamieson and now Dan Dawson for the last 2 games. And after a rough start in the Dec. 29 opener, he’s responded with 14 points in his last 2 games, which includes 3 assists in Saturday’s road loss to Saskatchewan. Considering his circumstances, his work is quite admirable.
Ryan Keenan (Saskatchewan): The left-hander out of Oshawa came into the league under a bit of pressure because, you know, his dad is a coach and GM in the league. And not only is he a coach/GM, but he’s HIS coach and GM. Still, Keenan’s stepped right into the loaded Rush lineup and performed well with a goal in all 3 games this season. On Saturday, he threw in a career-best 4 assists to give him 10 points this season, good enough to rank third on the team scoring list.
Josh Currier (Rochester): The right-hander out of Peterborough doesn’t have the volume of production that fellow rookie Jackson has, but he has been perhaps the most consistent Rochester rookie. In his 3 games, he’s got 11 points after getting 1 goal and 3 assists in Saturday’s road loss to Saskatchewan.
Tom Schreiber (Toronto): If you had told the right-hander out of East Meadow, N.Y., that he’d be second on the Rock in scoring with 8 points (1-7) through 2 games, he probably would have believed you. That’s how confident he’s looked on the floor during his 2 games with the Rock this season. He’s got a lot of eyes on him this season not just because he’s a rookie, but because he’s an American rookie. So far, so good and he’s setting the tone for a solid season ahead of him.
Holden Cattoni (Calgary): The lefty out of Calgary is living the dream, playing for his hometown team. More impressive, he’s not ball-watching or star-watching. He’s getting his hands dirty with all kinds of impressive work, which included his first NLL goal on a nifty drive and stick fake on Friday at Colorado. He’s got 3 points and has played all 3 games this season for the Roughnecks.
Dan Lomas (Rochester): The lefty-out of Burlington had an impressive debut on Jan. 7 with 2 goals and 3 assists against New England. Saturday night, he had 3 assists in the road loss to Saskatchewan and has shown that while he’s still adjusting to the NLL pace, he certainly knows what to do on the floor, and where to be.
Mike Messenger (Saskatchewan): The right-hander out of Surrey was one of the more celebrated rookie defenders coming into the season and he’s lived up to the hype. He’s big, at 6-2, 230, and has been effective in his own end. Further, he’s shown little timidity by getting involved on the rush with 3 point this season.
Kieran McArdle (Toronto): Much like his American counterpart and teammate Tom Schreiber, McCardle has plenty of eyes on him this season and the left-hander out of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., has looked very comfortable as a rookie. He’s got 5 points in 2 games, including 1 goal in each. He’s still learning, of course, like every rookie is but there’s no question he’s been impressive with his poise and contributions for being so new to the game at this level.
Challen Rogers (Toronto): The big right-hander out of Coquitlam has been a steady presence through 2 games on the back end, coming up with loose balls to keep opponents from extending possessions. He’s one of many new faces running with Toronto this season and his blue-collar approach is what makes it easier on everyone involved as the team searches for chemistry and identity.
Latrell Harris (Toronto): With 17 loose balls through 2 games, second-most on the team, the right-hander out of St. Catharines has been a pleasant addition to the Rock defense. He had a pair of assists in the opener against Toronto along with 10 loosies and showed he’s not shy, either, taking 5 shots.
Honorable mention
Georgia’s Bryan Cole has scored 1 goal in all 3 games this season … Georgia defender Connor Sellars scored his first NLL goal in Friday’s win over New England … Georgia defender Leo Stouros continued his solid play in the Swarm’s revamped back end. He scooped 3 loose balls and carded his first NLL point with an assist in the win over New England … Transition man Liam Byrnes made his NLL debut with the Swarm, scooping 2 loosies and causing 1 turnover against New England … Buffalo defenseman Adam Will, who played 2 games last winter to remain an official rookie, played his first game of 2017 and contributed 1 goal, 5 loosies and 2 caused turnovers in Saturday’s home win over Vancouver … Calgary defenseman Chad Cummings had 1 loosie and 1 caused turnover in Friday’s road win at Colorado … Colorado forward Jacob Ruest didn’t have any points in Friday’s home loss to Calgary, but he did contribute a pair of loosies … Colorado forward Zach Herreweyers was in the lineup for a second straight game and scored his first NLL goal. He also scooped 2 loosies and caused a turnover in Friday’s home loss to Calgary … Colorado defenseman Taylor Stuart had 1 assist and 2 loose balls in Friday’s home loss to Calgary … Rochester F Wayne Van Every cooled off a bit after scoring goals in each of his first 2 games. In Saturday’s road loss to Saskatchewan, Van Every was pointless but did scoop 3 loosies … Vancouver tranny Brendan Fowler notched his first NLL point with an assist in Saturday’s road loss to Buffalo. He also scooped a team-high 10 loose balls and won 27 of 39 faceoffs.
