HOBOKEN, N.J. - An America East all-time high five men's lacrosse standouts were chosen in the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft Wednesday night that was held at Stevens Institute of Technology and televised on ESPNU. The five choices were tied with the Ivy League for third most among the eight conferences that currently sponsor Division I men'slacrosse, trailing only the ACC (9) and ECAC (6).
UMBC's Peet Poillon was the first America East player chosen, going to the Boston Cannons in the third round with the 20th overall pick. University at Albany's Corey Small went two selections later to the Toronto Nationals followed by UMBC's Alex Hopmann, (35) and Jeremy Blevins (36), both to the Denver Outlaws. The Great Danes' Chris Schongar rounded out the selections as he was chosen 42nd by Toronto.
Poillon, a first-team All-America East midfielder for the Retrievers, ranked fourth among league leaders in both points (47) and assists (21) and eighth in goals (26).
Small, who earned second-team all-league honors for the second consecutive season, for the Great Danes led the conference in goals at 3.1 per game and was second in points (3.6 pg), despite playing in just 10 games due to mid-season leg surgery.
Hopmann, a first-team All-America East performer at UMBC, ranked second among conference leaders with 36 goals and fourth with 47 points.
Blevins, the conference's Player of the Year, led UMBC to its second-straight league title and fourth consecutive NCAA appearance. He finished the season ranked among national leaders in goals against average (8.00).
Schongar appeared in 63 career games as a defender for Albany and earned second-team all-conference accolades each of the past two seasons.
America East has now had 13 draftees in the past four years after accumulating just one in the first five drafts. That group does not include four-time all-conference choice Merrick Thomsen, who led Albany to three league crowns in four years, and currently paces MLL with 11 points and 10 goals in just two games this season. Brendan Mundforf, the 2006 Player of the Year for UMBC, went 21st overall in 2006 and is third in the early going with nine points and eight goals.