By: Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications
TORONTO – It was another history-making day for the St. Bonaventure men's lacrosse program Saturday as the Bonnies had six players selected in the National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, led by first round picks Brett Dobson who went 11th overall to the Georgia Swarm as well as Zack Belter at No. 19 to the Buffalo Bandits.
Sean Westley followed in the second round to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs while Brett Beetow went in the third round to Georgia, followed by Austin Blumbergs in the fifth round to Buffalo and Jackson Rose in the sixth round to Panther City Lacrosse Club.
Belter, Blumbergs and Westley all retain their fifth-year eligibility granted by the NCAA following the pandemic and will be eligible to play for the Bonnies in the 2023 season before turning pro.Â
With their six selections, St. Bonaventure had more players picked than any other program. Jacksonville and Robert Morris were second with five apiece while Virginia and Syracuse each had four.Â
"It was a great day for our program and Bona Nation," St. Bonaventure head coach Randy Mearns said. "Each of these guys had a dream and they worked to make that dream a reality. We couldn't be more proud."
Dobson carved out another spot for himself in the program record books as he was drafted by a professional league for the second time this year. Currently a member of the Archers Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League, Dobson was picked 12th overall by the Archers in the PLL Draft back in May and upped that result by one spot in the NLL Draft.
With his selection at No. 11, Dobson now turns his attention to the box game and became the highest goalie picked in the NLL Draft since Dillon Ward was picked third overall in the 2013 draft.
A consensus All-American pick this year, Dobson finished his four-year Bonnies career in May by leading the nation in save percentage for the second year in a row. He earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades and made 569 saves in 41 career collegiate games with a .601 save percentage. A rising star on the international scene as well, the Canadian native helped Team Canada to the gold medal this summer at The World Games sixes tournament.Â
"We're incredibly excited for Brett; (Georgia head coach) Ed Comeau is getting a dynamic goalie," Mearns said. "He is so talented and competitive and he is absolutely ready to play in the NLL. It's been his dream to get drafted into the NLL and that opportunity came to fruition today."
The Swarm are based in Duluth, Ga., and won the league title in 2017.
Belter gave the Bandits three straight first round picks on defense and he joined his teammate Dobson in the opening round when he was picked eight selections later by his hometown squad.
Belter and Dobson's picks being so close together was fitting given how key both players have been to the Bonnies producing a top-five ranked defense nationally in each of the past two seasons.
A two-time All-MAAC honoree, Belter nabbed a First Team All-Conference award this year after ranking third among all MAAC players with 10 caused turnovers in six league games, causing multiple turnovers in four regular season outings. In eight total games counting postseason, he finished with 12 caused turnovers and 14 groundballs while the long pole helped the Bonnies' stingy defense allow less than nine goals per contest. Over his Bonnies career to this point, he leads the program with 48 caused turnovers and ranks fourth with 73 groundballs.
A native of Wheatfield, Belter joins a Bandits team that reached the NLL Finals this past spring and owns four league crowns including 1993 when Mearns suited up in Banditland. Â
"Zack has the size, athleticism, lacrosse IQÂ and unrelenting competitiveness to make him a mainstay in the NLL," Mearns said. "He gets to train like a professional lacrosse player while he competes for the Bonnies this season. We're so happy for him."
Westley gave Bona's three players drafted in the first 26 picks when his name was called No. 26 overall, and the third pick of the second round, by the expansion Las Vegas Desert Dogs who join the NLL this coming season. Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash, legends in the NHL and NBA respectively, are members of the team's ownership group.
The Bonnies all-time leader in goals (68), assists (51) and points (119), Westley was named the 2022 MAAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in both points and assists with 56 and 26 respectively while netting 30 goals. He also tallied six game-winners during the year and became the first player in program history to surpass 100 career points.
A native of Whitby, Ontario who grew up playing alongside Dobson before the pair joined the first recruiting class for the Bonnies when the program returned to the Division I level in 2019, he has also starred in the classroom, taking Academic All-America awards from both the College Sports Information Directors of America and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
"Sean is our captain and one of the smartest and most talented players I've ever coached," Mearns emphasized. "He will excel under (Las Vegas general manager and head coach) Shawn WIlliams and the Desert Dogs offensive system."
Another Western New York native from Lancaster, Beetow will join his former Bona teammate Dobson in Georgia after being drafted 58th overall by the Swarm.
A three-year member of the Bonnies after transferring from Tampa, he saw action in 31 games while netting 12 goals with 10 assists from the midfield.
Along the way he turned in some memorable moments – Beetow scored the game-winner in Bona's first-ever home win during the 2021 campaign against Manhattan, finding the net in the waning seconds. He also recorded a goal and an assist in the program's first postseason win vs. Detroit Mercy later that spring. In his final collegiate game, he tallied a hat trick in the MAAC Championship Game last May.
"Brett brings incredible energy and has the tenacity to play at the next level," Mearns assessed. "Playing in Canada over the summer in the Western Lacrosse Association will pay dividends for him."
A terrific two-way player at the college level, Blumbergs also was picked by the Bandits and will have the opportunity to play pro locally. The Penn Yan, N.Y. native is a three-time All-MAAC honoree, taking First Team recognition in 2021 and a Second Team nod in 2022 after being an All-Rookie Team pick as a freshman.Â
Over four seasons, he has posted 48 goals, 59 points and 39 groundballs in 43 career games.
"Austin is an incredible two-way middie that can play all over the field," Mearns said. "He took advantage of playing in the UCBLL and really adapted to the box game, being coached by Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne. He is also going to train like a professional and be ready for Bandits camp next fall."Â
Rose led the MAAC last year in goals, finding the back of the net 40 times en route to a school record. He also ranked second nationally in shot percentage at .548 and scored the game-winning tally in three Bonnies triumphs during their 11-4 campaign. He was named to the 2022Â MAAC All-Championship Team following a six-goal effort in a semifinal victory.
Like Belter, Blumbergs and Westley, he plans on using his fifth year of collegiate eligibility, but has transferred to Marquette for his final season after graduating from St. Bonaventure this spring.Â
"We are really excited for Jackson. He catches everything inside and can absolutely hammer the ball," Mearns said of the Lakeway, Texas native who was drafted by his hometown club of Panther City which calls Fort Worth home. "He's a Texas athlete who will get a chance to play in his home state."
The NLL is a professional box lacrosse league with 15 teams; 10 in the United States and five in Canada. The league ranks as one of the top worldwide indoor pro leagues for attendance, averaging between 8,900 and 10,700 spectators per game each season since 2004. The National Lacrosse League season runs from December through June.
St. Bonaventure has reached the final four of the MAAC postseason tournament in each of the past two seasons. The Bonnies will move to the newly formed Atlantic 10 men's lacrosse league for 2023.
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