STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Stony Brook boasted the second overall pick in last year's National Lacrosse League draft, with the Rochester Knighthawks selecting America East Defensive Player of the Year Ryland Rees.

Three years earlier, fellow Stony Brook product Challen Rogers also was selected second overall, by the Toronto Rock.

In 2011, Kevin Crowley was drafted first overall, by the Philadelphia Wings.

And in 2008, Rhys Duch went third overall to the San Jose Stealth.

The latest candidate to join them as an NLL pick out of Stony Brook?

Harrison Matsuoka.

Matsuoka, back at Stony Brook after his senior year was cut short this past spring due to COVID-19, has generated substantial interest from NLL clubs as the Sept. 17 draft approaches.

The event will be held virtually for the first time in the league's history, with the New York Riptide owning the first overall pick among the 13 teams.

"I'm super-excited at the prospect of being considered in this year's NLL draft," Matsuoka said. "When I was a kid, it was always a dream of mine to play in the NLL. I can't believe I may have the opportunity to do that."
 
A 6-foot, 180-pound midfielder from Calgary, Alberta, Matsuoka captained the Seawolves for a third straight season in 2020 while earning America East Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition.

He was a second-team All-America East selection as a junior.

For his four-year collegiate career, Matsuoka has tallied six goals, seven assists, 74 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers in 48 games.

Typically, collegiate players are required to have exhausted or forfeited their NCAA eligibility in order to be draft-eligible.

As a result of COVID-19 cutting short the 2020 lacrosse season and student-athletes regaining that year of eligibility, all NCAA players who have completed four collegiate seasons — and who may return for a fifth season — also are eligible to be selected in the NLL draft next month.

For now, Matsuoka has extended his undergraduate studies in order to compete in the spring with the Seawolves in the event he is not playing professionally. Already a biology major and linguistics minor, he has added an ecosystems and human impact minor to his coursework.

Stony Brook's track record of performance is strong for its alumni in the NLL.

Rees was named to the NLL's All-Rookie team for his inaugural professional season. Rogers was an NLL All-Pro first-team honoree in 2018-19 while setting career highs with 16 goals, 15 assists and 31 points. Crowley tallied his 300th career goal in January. And Duch is a former NLL Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Pro first-team pick.

Duch has played the past two seasons with Matsuoka's hometown Calgary Roughnecks.

"I've been very fortunate that Stony Brook has produced so many great NLL players, including Rhys Duch, Kevin Crowley, Challen Rogers and Ryland Rees," Matsuoka said. "It has been great to be able to know them on and off the field and get advice and mentorship from guys at the pro level."