Eight Players From CUFLA Schools Selected at NLL Draft

A trio of Guelph Gryphons and players from five other CUFLA schools were selected at the 2021 National Lacrosse League entry draft on Saturday, August 28. 

Jordan Ackie, who earlier in the month won World Junior Lacrosse Championship gold with Canada East, was the first CUFLA player picked. He was taken with the 8^th pick of the second round, 24^th overall, by the Georgia Swarm. Ackie played defence and took faceoffs for Kitchener-Waterloo of the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League. 

Two more Guelph defenders were taken in the draft. The Toronto Rock picked Curtis Hall 73^rd overall and the Buffalo Bandits rounded out their draft by choosing Hunter Aggus 86^th. Hall was Ackie's teammate in KW and was called up for a pair of games with Brooklin Lacrosse Club in Major Series Lacrosse this summer. He was also teammates with Aggus for the Paris RiverWolves in the Arena Lacrosse League. Aggus spent this summer's OJLL schedule with Six Nations after the Arrows acquired him from the Burlington Chiefs following the 2019 season. 

Taite Cattoni has enrolled at Trent University and he is entering as an NLL draft pick after Panther City Lacrosse Club—coached by Peterborough's Tracey Kelusky—chose him with the first pick of the third round, 33^rd overall. Cattoni is a lefty attack.

The next pick was held by the New York Riptide, and they also opted for a player from CUFLA, selecting goalie Will Johnston. The 19-year-old Johnston is a native of Nepean and played this summer for the Toronto Beaches in both the OJLL regular and Futures events. He is going to Carleton University. 

Queen's defender Carter McKenzie was taken 38^th by the Calgary Roughnecks.

Midfielder Jonathan Gagliardi helped Western win the 2019 Baggataway Cup and now he'll be hoping to chase an NLL Cup title with the Philadelphia Wings. Philly head coach and GM Paul Day, who is also the GM for the Peterborough Lakers, announced Gagliardi as the 55^th pick of the draft. 

Ethan Forgrave won't get to compete with McGill this year because the school announced that the lacrosse team isn't able to play this season. The Edmonton, Alberta native represented McGill at a pair of Baggataway Cup tournaments and now will be looking to represent the Saskatchewan Rush, who picked him with the 43^rd selection in the draft.