Men's Lacrosse | 9/19/2017 11:08:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY – Two former RIT men's lacrosse standouts were selected in the 2017 National Lacrosse League draft held on Monday Sept. 18 in Oakville, Ontario.
Ryan Lee (Sharon, Ontario/The Hill Academy) was selected 25th overall by the Colorado Mammoth, while
Braden Wallace (Oakville, Ontario/Abbey Park) was picked 60th by the Buffalo Bandits.
"It is great to see a couple of Tigers drafted again this year," said RIT head coach
Jake Coon. "Both of these young men are worthy of being drafted."
Lee and Wallace helped guide the Tigers to an impressive 97-10 overall record, four straight Liberty League regular season and tournament titles, four trips to the NCAA Tournament, including an appearance in the 2017 National Championship game.
Lee, the 2015 and 2017 Lt. Col. J.I. (Jack) Turnbull Award winner as USILA's outstanding attackman in Division III, finished his illustrious career as RIT's all-time leading scorer with 373 points on a program-record 237 goals and 136 assists. He tallied a single-season program-record 110 points in 2017 on 64 goals and 46 assists in 22 games, ranking him fifth in all of Division III.
Lee was the first player in program history to surpass the 300-point barrier, and is sixth all-time in Division III history with 373 career points, and eighthd all-time with 237 goals. He finished as a four time All-American, including a first-team All-American selection in his last three seasons. Lee is a four-time All-Liberty League First Team selection, the 2014 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, and a two-time Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year.
"Ryan is a great pick up for Colorado," said Coon. "We feel he has the ability to not only play in the NLL, but excel and become a top player in time."
Wallace played in all 23 games in 2017, tallying career highs in points (52), goals (34) and assists (18). He scored four goals versus Salisbury in the NCAA Division III Championship. Wallace finished his career 27th all time in scoring with 141 career points and is 22nd all time with 94 career goals. Wallace, a co-captain in 2017, was a two-time All-American selection, garnering first team honors in 2017.
"I am happy to see someone giving Braden a chance," said Coon. "He has battled through adversity and continued to produce. He is a tremendous leader on and off the field, and steps up under pressure."
