Rochester selects Josh Currier and Kyle Jackson with the 6th and 7th picks.
TORONTO, ONTARIO — The Rochester Knighthawks went with offense by selecting forwards Josh Currier and Kyle Jackson with the sixth and seventh overall picks in the 2016 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft on Monday night here.
The 23-year-old Currier, who was selected sixth overall, was a three-time 30-goal scorer during his Junior “A” career with the Peterborough Lakers. In four seasons with the hometown Lakers, Currier posted 124 goals and 102 assists for 226 points in 71 games.
During his collegiate career, the righty finished his tenure at Virginia Wesleyan as one of the greatest players to ever play at the Division III school. He was the only Marlin to be named an All-American all four years, earning First Team honors in 2016, Second Team accolades in 2014, and Honorable Mention status in 2013 and 2015.
He graduated as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s (ODAC) all-time leader in career points with 353. He also ranked third in goals with 214 and second in assists with 139. Three times he was chosen as the ODAC Player of the Year (2013, 2014 and 2016), while earning First Team All-ODAC honors all four seasons.
In 2016, he made school history by becoming the first Virginia Wesleyan College men’s lacrosse player to be named State Player of the Year. He preceded that honor by receiving a South Region First Team selection as he topped the conference charts with 88 goals and was second with 32 assists. He also led Division III lacrosse in points per game (7.06) and goals per game (5.18).
Jackson joins the Knighthawks after being taken seventh overall and becomes the first player in University of Michigan history to be selected in the NLL Entry Draft. Jackson, who was a four-year starter, was Michigan’s all-time leading scorer with 88 goals and 25 assists for 113 points.
While playing for the Wolverines, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound lefty was a two-time team Offensive MVP (2015-16), an All-ECAC First Team selection (2014), and Michigan’s Most Valuable Player (2016). As a senior, he posted 29 goals in nine games and set a new single-season school record for points with 36.
Before leaving to play in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Sarnia, Ontario native played at The Hill Academy. Jackson also played five seasons of Junior “A” ball with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves, where he notched eye-popping numbers. In 87 games, he recorded 140 goals and 118 assists for 198 points.