Men's Lacrosse Trio Selected in 2020 NLL Entry Draft

Highlighted by second-round pick Mathieu Boissonneault, a total of three former Canisius men's lacrosse players were selected in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft held Thursday.

Boissonneault was taken 17th overall by the New York Riptide while Carter Stefaniak (89th overall/Buffalo Bandits) and Daniel Balawejder (90th overall/Toronto Rock) were selected with back-to-back picks in the sixth round.

With Thursday's selections, Canisius has now had 14 former players picked in the NLL Draft. The three draft picks are the most selections in a single draft for the Griffs and it also marked the third consecutive season at least one Canisius alum has been drafted, joining Connor Kearnan (11th overall/San Diego) and Holden Garlent (4th overall/Saskatchewan Rush), who were first-round picks in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

A native of Whitby, Ontario, Boissonneault appeared in 50 games during his four seasons with the Griffs, amassing 80 goals and 27 assists for 107 points. A two-time All-MAAC selection, Boissonneault recorded a majority of his points during his final two-plus campaigns on Main Street after spending his freshman season as a long-stick midfielder.

"It was a total surreal moment," Boissonneault said. "I was watching the draft with my dad nervously waiting to see if I would get picked. I was not sure when I was going to be selected and how long my night would last. But, once Jim Veltman said Mathieu, I went speechless and couldn't hold back my smile. I got super excited and my phone immediately started to blow up with texts and notifications. It was an awesome feeling to get drafted and to get a chance at the professional level."

Serving as team captain in his senior season, Boissonneault led the squad with 13 goals and ranked second on the team with 17 points. He became the 22nd player in program history to reach the 100-point plateau during the team's matchup with Michigan on Feb. 18.

A native of nearby Lancaster, N.Y., Stefaniak appeared in 52 games during his four-year career with the Griffs, recording 75 goals and 20 assists for 95 points. A two-time All-MAAC First Team selection, Stefaniak served as an assistant captain for the shortened 2020 season, finishing the campaign fourth on team in scoring with six points on five goals and an assist.

Balawejder took part in 51 games during his four seasons on Main Street recording 451 face off wins and 163 ground balls to go along with two goals and six assists. The Toronto, Ontario native appeared in all five games played by Canisius during the shortened 2020 season, pacing the squad in both face off wins (33) and ground balls (19).

"Tonight was another exciting evening for the Canisius lacrosse program as we had three players drafted into the National Lacrosse League," Canisius head coach Mark Miyashita, the first overall pick in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft, said. "The growth of Mathieu, Carter and Daniel academically, physically and lacrosse-wise since the arrival of our staff has been nothing short of amazing and being drafted represents the work that each of them has put forth. We look forward to all three proudly representing Canisius as they take the next step in their respective playing careers."

Founded in 1986, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) is the longest-running and most successful professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is currently comprised of 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Fort Worth (to begin play in 2021-22), Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.

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Players Mentioned

#92 Connor Kearnan: A; 5' 8"; Senior

#44 Holden Garlent: M; 6' 2"; Junior

#15 Daniel Balawejder: FO/D; 6' 0"; Senior

#45 Mathieu Boissonneault: A; 5' 6"; Senior

#7 Carter Stefaniak: M; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#92 Connor Kearnan
: 5' 8"; Senior
: A

#44 Holden Garlent
: 6' 2"; Junior
: M

#15 Daniel Balawejder
: 6' 0"; Senior
: FO/D

#45 Mathieu Boissonneault
: 5' 6"; Senior
: A

#7 Carter Stefaniak
: 5' 11"; Senior
: M