Lacrosse Editorial – Rookies Shine Bright In The 2022 NLL

In this editorial I thought I would look at how some of the brightest rookies have done so far in their first year in the NLL.  Helping their teams to be contenders and eventual champions, all the while learning on the fly to be professional on and off the floor.

Jeff Teat:

In his Junior A career, had 577 points on 213 goals and 364 assists in 98 regular season games and added 257 points on 95 goals and 162 assists in 45 career playoff games. In 2019, saw action in 18 games as a rookie for the Brampton Excelsiors in Major Series, finishing his first season with 80 points on 36 goals and 44 assists. Earned the Bucko MacDonald Trophy as the MSL’s regular season leading scorer and the Gene Dopp Trophy as the MSL Rookie of the Year.

Selected in the first round (1st overall) in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft. Three-time USILA All-American and a four-time Inside Lacrosse Media All-American. First player in Cornell University history to be selected No. 1 overall in an NLL Draft, and the third lacrosse player ever to be selected first overall in both indoor and outdoor professional lacrosse leagues.

To date, Jeff has 20 goals, 44 assists, with 66 loose balls, and one game winning goal.  Always dangerous on the floor, Jeff has the ability to see the play developing before it happens, always seemingly in the right place at the right time.

Patrick Dodds:

Dodds was the 21st selection in the 2020 NLL Draft by the Calgary Roughnecks from the Victoria Shamrocks. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, Dodds led the Shamrocks to the Minto Cup in 2019.  Claimed by the Panther City Lacrosse Club (PCLC) in the 2021 expansion draft, Patrick was expected to be a force on offense, and hasn’t disappointed.

Patrick has 19 goals, 36 assists, with 42 loose balls, and 2 game winning goals.  An integral part of Dan Teat’s offense, Dodds has taken full advantage of his opportunity, being more and more the go to guy for Panther City.

Tehoka Nanticoke:

The Bandits selected Nanticoke in the first round of the 2021 NLL Entry Draft (No. 3 overall).  Nanticoke was the No. 1 high school lacrosse recruit in 2017 and played collegiately at the University of Albany.  In 40 career games for the Great Danes from 2017 to 2021, Nanticoke recorded 170 points (109+61) and picked up 45 ground balls.

Nanticoke led Albany in goals (50) and points (82) as a freshman in 2018 and was named the America East Rookie of the Year. Tehoka was also named to the America East All-Conference First Team in both 2018 and 2019.  A native of Six Nations, Ontario, Nanticoke was a member of the Iroquois Nationals at the 2019 World Lacrosse Men’s Indoor World Championships.

In the NLL Tehoka has 24 goals, 12 assists, 24 loose balls, and 4 game winning goals.  Nanticoke has a very talented squad of players around him, which makes it even more difficult to stand out.  Tehoka’s talent and drive have been a big part of the Bandits 9-1 start to the 2021/22 season.

TD Ierlan:

An All-Time NCAA Faceoff Percentage Leader with Albany, Yale, and Denver, Ierlan won an unbelievable 75.3% of his faceoffs which is the highest by any player in NCAA DI history with 500 or more attempts. 

Ierlan has faced Trevor Baptiste, Jake Withers, Jay Thorimbert, as well as Joey Nardella, the very best faceoff men in the game today.  He has more than held his own. 

As a faceoff guy, Ierlan doesn’t get the floor time the others get.  TD makes the most of his time though.  In his last game, Ierlan won the draw, scoring unassisted like an old pro.

TD’s stats… 1g, 1a, 61 loose balls, and going 150 for 254 on faceoffs for a a .591%.  As TD gets more comfortable with the box game, he will be a major force in NLL for years to come.

Tre Leclaire:

The BCJALL Rookie of the Year with the Delta Junior Islanders in 2015 with 94 points, Leclaire also earned First Team All-Star honors and was the team’s offensive MVP. In 2016, he had 62 points in just 15 games due to national team commitments. In 2020, he was a compensatory selection by the Langley Thunder in the 2020 WLA Draft. Internationally, Leclaire represented Canada at the 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship, winning a silver medal outdoors in Israel. He had three goals and one assist in seven games during the tournament. In 2016, he also earned a silver medal with Team Canada at the U-19 World Championships. His 11 goals and three assists, including a hat trick in the championship game, earned Leclaire a spot on the All-World Team.

Collegiately, Leclaire sits second on the all-time list at Ohio State with 135 goals and his 173 career points is the sixth best in Buckeyes history. A three-time All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten selection, he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors while setting an Ohio State freshman record with 49 goals. Leclaire scored at least 26 goals in each season of his career and was sixth in the country in career goals scored among active players through the 2020 season. In his COVID-19 shortened senior season, he led the Buckeyes with 34 points (26 goals, 6 assists) and ranked second in the Big Ten in total goals and third in goals per game at 3.71.

Leclaire has looked very comfortable in his first year, fitting nicely into the offensive schemes of the San Diego Seals.

Tre has 11 goals, 24 assists, 36 loose balls, and 1 game winning goal in his 10 game career.  Being noticed in a sea of talent that  San Diego has is already a feat, and Leclaire is only going to get stronger the more comfortable he gets in the NLL.

While there are many more rookies that have made their mark so far this year, these have risen to the top of their teams, putting them in conversation for Rookie of the Year of the NLL.