Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/25/17
From Press Release and Staff Report
The New England Black Wolves have finalized the roster for the 2017-18 National Lacrosse League season.
Kevin Crowley (left), Brett Manney
The Black Wolves will be anchored by a core of returning veterans, including two-time NLL MVP Shawn Evans, and bolstered by a group of newcomers. “By all accounts, this was the toughest training camp the Black Wolves have had to date and the talent and skill level of the players selected certainly reflect that.” Black Wolves General Manager Rich Lisk said. “We made some tough decisions, but we are confident and excited about the product we will be putting on the field for the 2018 season.”
Among the returning veterans, Evans will look to build upon a year in which he led the team in points (103) and assists (65) and scored 100 points for a league record fifth consecutive time. He is joined by Kevin Crowley (Fusion Lacrosse co-founder, Shipley assistant coach), who had a career-best 45 goals in 2017 as well as Kevin Buchanan, Kyle Buchanan, Reilly O’Connor, Jay Thorimbert, Sheldon Burns, Derek Suddons and defenseman Brett Manney (Holy Ghost Prep, Delaware, NXT LC coach and NXT Showcase Director). Second-year players Seth Oakes, Doug Jamieson, Matt Spanger, Joel Coyle and Reilly O’Connor also return to the roster.
Newcomers to New England will be NLL veterans Aaron Bold, John LaFontaine, David Brock and Adam Bomberry. Bold, a two-time Champions Cup winner in goal, and LaFontaine were acquired via trade from the Saskatchewan Rush while Bomberry joined the team in a trade with the Rochester Knighthawks and Brock signed a free agent contract with the Black Wolves. They are joined by second-year forward Mark Cockerton and 2017 NLL Entry Draft selections Colton Watkinson and JP Kealey.
Season tickets and mini plans are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $15 and can be purchased by visiting blackwolves.com or calling 844-LAX-WOLF.
Kevin Crowley
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 230
Date of Birth: 11/13/88
Hometown: New Westminster, BC
College: Stony Brook University
High School: New Westminster Secondary School
Position: Forward
Shoots: Right
Joined NLL: Selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Wings
How Acquired:
Selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Wings…Traded to the Toronto Rock on March 31, 2015 for Garrett Billings…Traded back to the New England Black Wolves in exchange for Dan Lintner and New England’s second-round pick in the 2016 NLL Entry Draft.
NLL Career:
Has appeared in 64 NLL games…Has 128 goals, 154 assists and 267 points…In 2015, collected 24 goals and 39 assists with both New England and Toronto…Had six goals and six assists with the Rock in four games…Had five goals and seven assists in five playoff games for Toronto in 2015…Posted three-straight 70-plus-point seasons from 2012-14, including career-best 75 in 2014…Had three straight 30-goal seasons, including single-season career bests of 36 goals in 2012 and 2013…Had a single-season high of 42 assists in 2014…Named to the 2012 NLL All-Rookie Team…Selected to play in the 2012 NLL All-Star Game.
Other Lacrosse:
Chosen No. 1 overall by the Hamilton Nationals in the 2011 MLL Collegiate Draft…Has appeared in 53 MLL games, collecting 94 goals, 45 assists and 142 points…Traded to Charlotte Hounds on October 8, 2015…Was 2013 MLL MVP after scoring 38 goals while collecting a team-leading 55 points for Hamilton…Was also the 2013 MLL All-Star Game MVP and the 2013 Offensive Player of the Year…Three-time selection to the Canadian National team at the FIL World Championships…Earned a gold medal in 2014, scoring five goals in Canada’s 8-5 win over the United States in the title game in Colorado… Member of Team Canada, which was a finalist in the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships…In 2008, was a member of Team Canada squad that was a finalist in the U-19 World Lacrosse Championships.
College:
The all-time leader in Stony Brook program history with 223 career points…Had 131 goals and 92 assists…Unanimous American East Player of the Year…Scored five goals three times…Amassed 27 hat tricks…Scored more than one goal in 40 of 60 career games…Had 52 multi-point games…Had a career-high nine points against Sienna (2/20/10)…Scored a single-season career best 51 goals as a junior…A Tewaaraton Award finalist as a junior…Became just the fourth junior since 1995 to win the United States intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Enners Award in 2010…Only player in school history to record 100 or more goals and assists, and one of just 40 players in Division I history to accomplish the feat…One of three players in America East history to be a four-time first team selection…Majored in business management/psychology.
Personal:
Son of Warren and Debbie Crowley…Has one sister…First player ever to be drafted No. 1 by both the MLL and NLL…Was MVP of the 2006 provincial lacrosse playoffs while at Westminster Secondary School…Prior to Stony Brook, played one season of club lacrosse at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia…Scored 28 goals and handed out 16 assists.
Brett Manney
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 220
Date of Birth: 9/21/85
Hometown: Newtown, PA
College: Delaware
High School: Holy Ghost Prep (Bensalem, PA)
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Joined NLL: Signed a free agent contract with the San Jose Stealth on September 11, 2008.
How Acquired:
Traded by Stealth to the Philadelphia Wings on September 14, 2010 in exchange for Bobby Snider…Signed one-year contract with Wings on December 22, 2011…Signed one-year contract with Wings on December 3, 2012…Signed one-year contract with Wings on December 6, 2013…Signed one-year contract with the Black Wolves on November 5, 2014…Signed one-year contract with New England on August 5, 2015.
NLL Career:
Has appeared in 102 games in seven seasons…Appeared in 18 games in 2015 for New England, finishing with career highs in goals (3), assists (7), forced turnovers (18) and loose balls (64)… Has 306 loose balls and 66 forced turnovers in his career…Had five assists and 61 loose balls in 16 games during the 2011 season…Won the NLL Championship with the Washington Stealth in 2010.
Other Lacrosse:
Was a member of the 2015 US Men’s National team that won a bronze medal at the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship…Selected in the fourth round (31st overall) by the Washington Bayhawks in the 2008 MLL Collegiate Draft…Was selected in the second round (12th overall) in the 2010 MLL Supplemental Draft by the Chesapeake Bayhawks…Played in 10 games in the MLL over five seasons…Picked up 10 ground balls.
College:
Four-time letterman and captain as a senior at Delaware…Saw action in 50 games for the Blue Hens, starting four…Scored five goals and dished out five assists…Collected 87 ground ball and caused 25 turnovers in his career…Appeared in three CAA title games, capturing the title in 2007…That title was the first for a male sports team at Delaware…Advanced to the NCAA Final Four that season…Selected to play in the North South All-Star Game.
Personal:
Son of Jim and Kathy Manney…Has a twin brother, Ryan, and sister Megan…Ryan played one year of lacrosse at Delaware and Megan was the captain of the soccer team at Monmouth University…Graduated with a degree in English from Delaware…A finalist for the National Student Leader Award and was received Delaware’s Outstanding Contribution award for athletics his senior year…Broadcasted Delaware basketball and football games while a student…Also played soccer and basketball at Holy Ghost…Is the only member of the Holy Ghost Prep Hall of Fame to be inducted for multiple sports (soccer, basketball and lacrosse)…Earned numerous all-league and all-area honors in soccer, basketball and lacrosse…Was Bucks County Basketball Player of the Year as a senior…Freshman class president and was selected as Holy Ghost’s Scholar Athlete as a senior.
Active Roster
No. Name Pos. Hometown
77 Aaron Bold G Victoria, BC
10 Adam Bomberry D Akwesasne, NY
4 David Brock D Burlington, ON
27 Kevin Buchanan F Cockeysville, MD
91 Kyle Buchanan F Nepean, ON
71 Sheldon Burns D Whitby, ON
41 Mark Cockerton F Oshawa, ON
24 Joel Coyle D Orangeville, ON
21 Kevin Crowley F New Westminster, BC
15 Shawn Evans F Peterborough, ON
30 Doug Jamieson G Ohsweken, ON
83 JP Kealey F Ottawa, ON
33 John LaFontaine T Whitby, ON
13 Brett Manney D Newtown, PA
9 Reilly O’Connor F Whitby, ON
12 Seth Oakes F Akwesasne, NY
45 Matt Spanger D Toronto, ON
7 Derek Suddons D Whitby, ON
75 Jay Thorimbert T Niagara-On-The Lake, ON
17 Colton Watkinson T Burlington, ON
Practice Roster
No. Name
22 Nick Chaykowsky F Bradford, ON
44 Anthony Joaquim T Guelph, ON
23 Nick Mariano F Yorktown Heights, NY
67 Rance Vigneaux G Guilford, ON