LACROSSE CAPTAIN ANDREW HENNESSEY SELECTED IN SECOND ROUND OF 2010 MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE DRAFT
June 7, 2010
BRYANT’S ANDREW HENNESSEY SELECTED IN SECOND ROUND OF 2010 MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE DRAFT
Wading River, N.Y. native taken by Denver Outlaws with 11th overall pick
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Fifth-year senior captain
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After one of them most impressive careers in Bryant men’s lacrosse history, graduate student and 2010 captain Andrew Hennessey (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) will be a rookie once again. Only this time, he will be playing as a professional, selected by the Denver Outlaws with the 11th overall pick in Sunday’s 2010 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) draft.
A second-round choice and third overall pick for the Outlaws, Hennessey, a faceoff specialist, fills a big hole for Denver and will be looked toward as part of a one-two punch at the faceoff X.
“I am certainly not surprised about Andrew Hennessey’s success at the faceoff X over the last four years at both the Division II and Division I levels, and without question, Andrew will again be dominant at his position at the professional level,” said Bryant University and Team USA head coach Mike Pressler. “He was absolutely outstanding yesterday against [Team USA faceoff man] Alex Smith. I think the Outlaws certainly made a very smart pick in a guy who is going to be a heck of a pro.”
Hennessey capped off an extraordinary career in 2010, leaving Smithfield, R.I. as the program’s as the all-time leader in faceoff winning percentage with a .684 success rate (824-of-1204) after leading the Division I ranks in the category each of the last two seasons. He owns four of the top-5 spots in the Bulldog record books for single-season faceoff winning percentage, including the top two, and ranks second in Bryant men’s lacrosse history with 345 career ground balls and a pair of 100+ ground ball seasons.
“Andrew going so high in the draft is certainly also great for Bryant University,” said Pressler. “It gives us that much more notoriety, exciting notoriety, as we make our transition to Division I.”
A two-time Division II All-American, Hennessey garnered another long list of postseason accolades following the 2010 season, including All-Northeast Conference honors, a First Team All-New England nod, a USILA North/South Game selection and Bryant’s Athlete of the Year award. He also played for the College All-Stars in Sunday’s 2010 Warrior Major League Lacrosse Challenge vs. Team USA.
Hennessey’s selection marks the Bryant lacrosse program’s second-consecutive year with a MLL draftee, after 2009 captain Zack Greer was selected third overall by the Long Island Lizards. He also becomes the third player associated with Bulldog men’s lacrosse to currently play in the professional ranks, joining Greer and assistant coach Matt Zash (Long Island Lizards (MLL), New York Titans (NLL)).
“Zack was no secret – the world knew about him,” said Pressler. “But Andrew was a four-year guy here at Bryant, and for a player to come through our program from beginning to end and get drafted so high is certainly a tribute to his team and his program, as well as how far we’ve come so quickly.”
Hennessey becomes the sixth Bryant University athlete and second Bulldog lacrosse player to be drafted into the professional ranks of his respective sport, joining Greer and a quartet of baseball players (Pat McKenna, 2009, Detroit Tigers; Doug Johnson, 2002, Colorado Rockies; Glenn Tatro, 1991, Baltimore Orioles; Keith MacWhorter, 1976, Los Angeles Dodgers).
The Bulldogs finished the 2010 season 12-5 overall in just the program’s second year at the Division I level. Sunday’s draft, held at Yale University, featured 48 selections over eight rounds with two draft picks coming out of the Northeast Conference.