Three Cavaliers Selected in Major League Lacrosse Draft

Story Links

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Three members of this season’s Virginia men’s lacrosse team were selected Wednesday night in the 2009 Major League Lacrosse draft at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J.

Attackman Danny Glading was chosen by the Washington Bayhawks with the fifth overall pick, the second time the Bayhawks have selected a Cavalier attackman in the first round; they chose Matt Ward with the fourth pick in 2006.

Glading joins his older brother, Billy, as well as former UVa teammates Kyle Dixon and Ben Rubeor in Washington.

The Toronto Nationals selected the next two Cavaliers—longstick midfielder Mike Timms in the third round (25th overall pick) and attackman Garrett Billings in the fourth round (32nd overall pick).

The trio of players formed the nucleus of a Virginia squad that finished with a 15-3 record this season and advanced to the final four for the third time in their careers. Virginia won 58 games during their careers, the most by any UVa senior class.

Glading was a first-team All-American this season, while being named All-Atlantic Coast Conference for the third consecutive time. He was Virginia’s leading scorer with 63 total points and ranked 11th nationally in scoring. Glading also led the team with 31 assists and was third with 32 goals. He and Syracuse’s Kenny Nims were the only two players in the country this season to score at least 30 goals and add at least 30 assists; Nims was drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Machine.

A native of Bethesda, Md., Glading finished his career ranked in the top 10 in school history in goals (seventh), assists (tied for fifth) and points (tied for fifth). He finished his Virginia career with 119 goals and 104 assists to become only the sixth player in ACC history to reach 100 goals and 100 assists in a career.

“Danny was our first choice this year,” said Bayhawks head coach John Tucker following the draft. “He’s one of the best players in the country and has a lot of different skills he can put to use right away at the next level. His brother has been a great player for us, and I know Danny is going to fit in right away.”

Timms was considered the Cavaliers’ most valuable player this season by head coach Dom Starsia. A very underrated player throughout his career, he used his tremendous size (6-5, 229) to neutralize the opposition’s top midfielder. Timms received honorable mention All-America recognition for the third time in his career this season after scooping a career-high 60 ground balls, seventh nationally among longstick middies. He ranked second in the ACC with 31 caused turnovers and scored one goal.

Nationals’ president and general manager Stuart Brown said Timms moves “well off the wing” and could be a great player for the team in the future.

A native of western Canada, Billings was a third-team All-America selection this season. He led the team with 38 goals and was second with 59 points. He was the team’s goal leader in four games and had six games of at least three goals. Billings tied the 51-year old school record with eight goals against Stony Brook in the season’s third game. He is currently playing box (indoor) lacrosse with the Langley Thunder, his hometown team, in the Senior A Western Lacrosse Association and scored a goal and had two assists in his debut last night against the Coquitlam Adanacs.

Billings was one of two Canadian attackmen selected by the Nationals along with Corey Small from Albany.

“To be able to pick up two players like Corey Small and Garrett Billings as late as we did speaks volumes about the depth of this years draft,” said Brown. “Both players could be starters on some teams in this league, for us they will provide strength at the attack position.”