The Premier Lacrosse League conducted its first-ever expansion draft with Waterdogs LC coach Andy Copelan selecting the team’s inaugural eighteen players from the league’s unprotected player list.
The draft was held at NBC Sports Studios in Stamford, CT and saw Andy Copelan make his picks, while Paul Burmeister hosted and PLL analyst Ryan Boyle provided analysis on each of Copelan’s picks.
When asked about his team’s selections Copelan stated, “Today is a great day for the Waterdogs LC. My staff and I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with these eighteen talented players and winners. This draft class is versatile, well balanced and made up of guys of the highest character.”
| Pick | Player | Position | Former Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Connor Kelly | Midfield | Whipsnakes |
| 2. | Christian Cuccinello | Attack | Archers |
| 3. | Brodie Merrill | Defense | Chaos |
| 4. | Charlie Cipriano | Goalkeeper | Chaos |
| 5. | Ben Reeves | Attack | Whipsnakes |
| 6. | Kyle McClancy | Midfield | Chaos |
| 7. | Kieran McArdle | Attack | Atlas |
| 8. | Brian Karalunas | Defense | Redwoods |
| 9. | Ben McIntosh | Midfield | Archers |
| 10. | Drew Snider | Midfield | Whipsnakes |
| 11. | Ryan Drenner | Attack | Whipsnakes |
| 12. | Noah Richard | LSM | Atlas |
| 13. | Steven DeNapoli | SSDM | Atlas |
| 14. | Wes Berg | Attack | Redwoods |
| 15. | Chris Sabia | Defense | Chrome |
| 16. | Ryan Conrad | Midfield | Atlas |
| 17. | Dan Eipp | Midfield | Archers |
| 18. | Drew Simoneau | Faceoff | Chrome |
The roster features some obvious picks, as well as a few that were unexpected. Some notable players that were available, but went undrafted and will return to their original teams are:
Adam Ghitelman (G, Archers)
Austin Pifanni (D, Atlas)
Cade Van Raaphorst (Atlas)
Chris Cloutier (A, Atlas)
Curtis Dickson (A, Chaos)
Jack Kelly (G, Redwoods)
Jack Near (M, Redwoods)
Joe Fletcher (D, Chrome)
Joel Tinney (M, Atlas)
Joey Sankey (A/M, Archers)
Miles Thompson (A, Chaos)
Pat Harbeson (M, Redwoods)
Romar Dennis (M, Chrome)
Sergio Salcido (M, Redwoods)
Waterdogs LC is the first PLL expansion team and will join the original six clubs this summer in the PLL’s second season. Let us know your thoughts on the Waterdogs roster and which picks surprised you the most in the comments.
