/
.
Four Cavaliers Selected in the 2010 NLL Draft
Story Links
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four Virginia men’s lacrosse players were selected in the 2010 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft in Toronto, Canada. Ken Clausen was selected 22nd overall by the Colorado Mammoth in the third round, Ryan Nizolek was selected 33rd overall by the Philadelphia Rock in the fourth round, Brian Carroll was selected 41st overall by the Washington Stealth in the fourth round and rounding out the quartet was Max Pomper, selected 53rd overall by the Philadelphia Wings in the sixth round of the indoor league’s 2010 entry draft.
Clausen (Downington, Pa.), along with Carroll, set the UVa career record for games played. Clausen started 70 games, every contest during his four-year career, and became the first player in program history to be named a three-time first-team All-American.
A Tewaaraton Trophy finalist, Clausen recorded a ground ball in 68 of his 70 contests. In 2010 Virginia led the nation in groundballs per game with 37.17 and Clausen finished eighth in the nation in caused turnovers per game with a 2.06 average. He was also a Major League Lacrosse first round selection by the Denver Outlaws and just completed his rookie campaign in the league.
Nizolek (Madison, Conn.), along with Clausen, helped lead a UVa defense that allowed only two teams to exceed its goals scored average per game. Towson and Duke (national semifinal game) were the two squads to accomplish the feat on the UVa defense and both failed to exceed the goals scored per game average by a full goal. Nizolek finished his senior campaign appearing in 15 games, while collecting 31 ground balls and dishing out three assists in transition. Nizolek was a fifth round selection by the MLL’s Boston Cannons.
Carroll, a Towson, Md., native, scored his final career goal with 1:21 left in the national semifinal game against Duke, tying the score 13-13. The score put Carroll in a tie with Pete Eldredge for most goals by a UVa midfielder with 94. Eldredge set the standard in 1972. Carroll was also a first round selection in the MLL by Chesapeake and scored three goals in the MLL playoff final to help the Bayhawks to the 2010 MLL Championship.
Pomper (Huntington, N.Y.) was UVa’s lone remaining member of the 2006 NCAA title team. The short-stick defensive midfielder appeared in all 18 of UVa’s contests in 2010, scoring two goals and picking up nine ground balls.