Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"June 7, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
June
7, 2002
Army senior lacrosse star Tim Pearson began a very memorable Saturday accepting his diploma as a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, and capped off the day being selected by the Long Island Lizards in the 2002 Major League Lacrosse College Entry Draft held inside Cawley Stadium in Lowell, Mass.
The MLL defending champions made Pearson the 20th overall pick in the fourth round of the six-round draft, taking the Army star with their final selection of the day. Pearson fell to the Lizards when the champs traded legendary attackman Paul Gait to the Boston Cannons for goalkeeper Mark Abeles and their fourth round choice.
The entry draft was the culmination of a full day of activities to kick off the 2002 MLL season. The day began with the "Warrior Major League Lacrosse Challenge" featuring 40 of the nation’s top seniors split up into two teams playing an exhibition game in front of scouts for the right to be drafted later that evening.
Pearson was invited to, but did not participate in, the senior all-star exhibition in order to attend the graduation ceremony at West Point. The newly commissioned second lieutenant will report to his Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Ala., in August to begin his five-year commitment to the United States Army.
Army’s captain was the seventh attackman selected in the 2002 draft. The Lizards, who scored a league-best 244 goals en route to the title a year ago, needed to rebuild their offense after trading both Paul and twin brother Gary Gait in the off season. Pearson was one of three acquisitions by Long Island on draft day as the team restructured its offense. The Lizards selected Massachusetts’ attackman Dan Paccione in the second round and acquired Nick Hartofolis in a trade with the Bridgeport Barrage earlier in the evening.
The Black Knights’ top offensive threat is the first Army player ever chosen in a professional lacrosse league draft and is the only player from a Patriot League school ever to be drafted in the MLL College Entry Draft.
Pearson finished the season with 21 goals and a record-tying 42 assists for the Black Knights.