In the third round of the 2017-18 NLL Draft, as the 28th pick and the Mammoth’s second pick of the night, the Mammoth selected Connor Cannizzaro, an attackman from The University of Denver, who Tyson Geick of NLL Productions described as someone who is “not afraid of contact”.

In his college lacrosse career at DU, Cannizzaro played and started in all 52 game appearances. In those games, Cannizzaro recorded 225 points making him the second leading scorer in DU’s DI history. Among numerous other titles, he also earned the titles of Tewaaraton Award Finalist in 2016 and the BIG EAST Attackman of the Year in 2016 and 2017. When the Pioneers ended their 2017 season at the NCAA Semifinals, Cannizzaro ended his season on a 58-game active point streak, the longest in the country.

When asked why Cannizzaro would be a good NLL Draft pick, The University of Denver Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach, Bill Tierney said, “In three words, he’s quick, skilled and tough.” He went on to say that not all shooters are scorers but that Cannizzaro “has a scorers touch”.

The Mammoth are excited to welcome Cannizzaro back to Denver along with Ryan Lee (RIT/Nanaimo), whom they selected as the 25th pick in the third round; Jarrod Neumann (Providence College), whom they selected as the 38th pick in the fourth round; and Rowan Kelly (Toronto Beaches Jr. A), whom they selected as the 55th pick in the sixth round.

There is something particularly special about welcoming a Denver Pioneer alumnus back to Denver, though. As Inside Lacrosse writer, Stephen Stamp said, “Guys who are in Denver, love Denver.”

Bill Tierney also said that DU lacrosse players are consistently drafted to NLL teams, such as the Colorado Mammoth because, “They will respond to coaching well. They have played against the best. They have played for big crowds. Pro-coaches won’t have to worry about that stuff.”

After the draft, Colorado Mammoth General Manager, Dan Carey said, “Our selections were strong. We’re excited to round out our roster with players who have high-potential and a strong work ethic.”

The Mammoth are headed to training camp in November. Their first home training camp weekend will take place November 3-5.