Forward Dylan Riley agrees to a 2-year deal with Rochester.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks announced today that the team has signed forward Dylan Riley to a two-year deal. The 21-year-old was the Knighthawks’ fifth-round selection (62nd overall) in the 2018 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
“It feels amazing. It’s something I have been working for my whole life,” he said. “Signing my first pro contract with an organization like this feels pretty surreal.”
During the 2018 season, Riley notched six points (3+3) in nine games with the Western Lacrosse Association’s Langley Thunder. In 2017, he played his Junior “A” ball with the Orangeville Northmen and posted 13 points (9+4) in seven games. He also appeared in one Senior “A” game as a call-up for the Six Nations Chiefs. It was with the Northmen, however, that Knighthawks assistant coach Marshall Abrams, who also coaches the Six Nations Arrows, first noticed the hulking 6-foot-5, 250-pound forward.
“I watched him play Junior A with Orangeville, and he really stood out,” said Abrams. “He is another one who could surprise some people. He was a late draft pick, but he’s a big guy with good hands. He has that quality that no one else has with his size and speed. He is one of my dark horses.”
The Windsor, ONT., native spent the majority of his career with the hometown Windsor Clippers. In five seasons at the Junior “B” level, Riley amassed 94 goals and 74 assists in 68 regular season games. In the postseason, he registered 45 goals and 36 assists in 40 contests.
“He creates a lot of horsepower out there and is certainly what we need,” said Knighthawks Owner and General Manager Curt Styres. “We need someone who can make some room (on the floor) and if he gets a shot, to take it and score. He does both of those things very well.”
“He is 6-foot-5 and 250-ish. I don’t think you can pass on size like that, especially because he has some pretty good hands on him when he has the ball,” said Knighthawks President of Lacrosse Operations Jake Henhawk. “He’s deceptively fast and is a big body who can push guys around and create some space. When he gets the ball in the middle, he knows what to do with it. He’s a good teammate and is willing to do whatever it takes (to win).”
At the collegiate level, Riley played at Davenport University and was named a 2018 MCLA Division I Honorable Mention All-American, finishing with 42 goals and 23 assists. In 2017, Riley was a midfielder at Florida Tech, which followed a one-year stint at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex. In 2015, Riley began his college career at Howard Community College, scoring 28 goals and chipping in nine assists for 37 points en route to Second Team All-Region and Second Team All-MD JUCO honors.
“I think it helped me develop my box game,” he said. “Always having a stick in my hands in practice and games allowed me to improve as a player.”
This weekend, Riley will attend Knighthawks training camp as he fights for one of the spots on the right side of the offense.
“I am looking forward to it,” he said. “I have been doing a lot of work recently, especially since the draft. I am looking forward to putting forth a great effort and showing what I am capable of.”