5/12/23 – The 2023 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) draft is officially in the books as teams have now picked stars of the college game to join them at the professional level. The draft was headlined by three defenders being taken in a row, Gavin Adler (Cornell), Owen Grant (Delaware), and Brett Makar (Maryland). Atlas selected Adler with the first overall pick and added Makar with the third pick.
Coming out of the draft Atlas looks like the winner of the 2023 draft. Picking up two of the best defenders in the country within the first three picks will create the lockdown defense needed to win. Selecting attackman Kyle Long out of Maryland is also a great value pick in the fourth round. The Whipsnakes had the definition of an all-around draft. A player from every set position, besides goalie, was taken by the Whipsnakes. Attackman Tucker Dordevic, faceoff Petey LaSalla, midfielder Garrett Leadmon, and long-stick midfielder Elijah Gash.
Cannons Lacrosse Club only made two selections this year. Matt Campbell has five games this season with four or more goals. While the Villanova midfielder can score consistently at the college level, he also finds teammates around the field who can score themselves.
The club scene is where almost all of these new PLL athletes started to play the game of lacrosse. Hundreds of teams from numerous lacrosse clubs littered all along the East Coast and other emerging hotbeds around the country. Eclipse 2018 Lacrosse Club had two players drafted by the PLL this year with attackmen Brian Minicus and Xander Dickson, both of whom were drafted in the second round. Minicus is going to Chaos and Dickson will take his talents to Atlas. Dukes Lacrosse Club also produced two players in the draft in FOGO’s Mike Sisselberger and Zach Cole.
Interestingly, not one goalie was selected in the 2023 PLL draft, but next year could be different when Syracuse’s Will Mark is available.
Georgetown (4) led the way with the most players selected in the draft. Tucker Dordevic and Will Bowen went back-to-back in the first round. While Brian Minicus went off the board in the second and James Reilly went with the final pick.
2023 PLL Draft Results:
Atlas:
Gavin Adler, Defense, Cornell – Sting Lacrosse
Brett Makar, Defense, Maryland
Xander Dickson, Attack, Virginia – Eclipse
Payton Rezanka, SSDM, Loyola – Mission Lacrosse, 3d San Diego, RC San Diego
Kyle Long, Attack, Maryland – Big 4 HHH & Dukes Lacrosse Club
Redwoods:
Owen Grant, Defense, Delaware – Toronto Beaches (Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “A” Lacrosse League)
Brian Tevlin, Midfield, Notre Dame – Leading Edge
Cole Kirst, Midfield, Syracuse
Zach Cole, Faceoff, Saint Joseph’s – Dukes Lacrosse Club
Chrome:
Sam Handley, Midfield, Penn – 3D National
Troy Hettinger, LSM, Jacksonville – Roughriders
Jack Myers, Attack, Ohio State
Cross Ferrara, Attack, Salisbury – HT CE Lacrosse
Archers:
Mike Sisselberger, Faceoff, Lehigh – Dukes Lacrosse Club (Elite)
Connor Mahar, SSDM, North Carolina – FCA MD
Piper Bond, SSDM, Penn – FCA MD
Cam Wyers, Defense, Loyola – SweetLax
Whipsnakes:
Tucker Dordevic, Attack, Georgetown – Rhino’s & West Coast Starz
Petey LaSalla, Faceoff, Virginia – Team Long Island
Garrett Leadmon, Midfield, Duke – Blackwolf
Elijah Gash, Defense, Albany – Team Sconnies
Chaos:
Will Bowen, Defense, Georgetown – Laxachusetts
Brian Minicus, Attack, Georgetown – Eclipse
Tye Kurtz, Attack, Delaware – Kitchener-Waterloo Braves (Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “A” Lacrosse League
Nick Rowlett, Faceoff, Michigan – Virginia Lacrosse Club (VLC)
Levi Anderson, Attack, Saint Joseph’s – Jr. A. Raiders
Waterdogs:
Thomas McConvey, Midfield, Virginia – Edge Lacrosse
Alex Mazzone, Defense, Johns Hopkins
Chris Fake, Defense, Notre Dame – Blue Star
James Reilly, Faceoff, Georgetown – NXT Lacrosse
Cannons:
Matt Campbell, Midfield, Villanova
Grant Ammann, Defense, High Point