Rob Pannell

Rob Pannell
 Lacrosse player 
Born December 11, 1989
Smithtown, New York[1]
Position Attackman
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 195 pounds (88 kg)
NCAA team Cornell University
NLL team Philadelphia Wings
MLL Team New York Lizards
Nationality  United States
NLL Draft 50th overall, 2013
Philadelphia Wings
Shoots Right
Website RobPannell3.com
Career highlights

NCAA:

MLL:

  • MLL Rookie of the Year (2013)
  • MLL All-Star (2013, 2014)
  • MLL All-Pro (2014)

International:

  • Member of Team USA (2014)
  • All-World (2014)
  • FIL Most Outstanding Attackman (2014)

Rob Pannell (born December 11, 1989 in Smithtown, New York) is a American professional lacrosse player who plays for the New York Lizards and formerly for Cornell University.[1] He is the second leading scorer in men's Division I history, and holds the Cornell and Ivy League all-time scoring records.[2] He was the Ivy League's first-ever three-time Player of the Year award winner. He was voted the NCAA's Outstanding Player of the Year in Men's Lacrosse in both 2011 and 2013 when he was awarded the Lt. Raymond Enners Award by the USILA. He won the 2013 Tewaaraton Trophy which is awarded by The Tewaaraton Foundation to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player.

High school

Pannell attended Smithtown High School in Smithtown, NY on Long Island. He played on the varsity lacrosse team for three years and led Long Island in scoring his senior year. After the season was named to the high school All-American team.[3]

After graduating, he attended Deerfield Academy for a post-graduate year, and played basketball and lacrosse. He set a new Deerfield lacrosse record for points in a season (99). He earned the Stewart Lindsay, Jr. Award for the Outstanding Attackman in Division I high school lacrosse.[3]

College career

Freshman year (2009)

Pannell was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and he set the Cornell rookie record for points in a season, finishing with a team-high 67 points.[1][3] He earned third-team All-American honors after his first college season and was also on the first-team All-Ivy League team. Cornell made it to the final game of the 2009 NCAA championship and lost to Syracuse 10-9.

Sophomore year (2010)

Pannell was a first-team All-American, a first-team All-Ivy League selection, the Ivy League Player of the Year and the USILA’s Jack Turnbull Award winner as the outstanding attackman in Division I. Cornell made it to the final four of the NCAA tournament before losing to Notre Dame 12-7.

Junior year (2011)

Pannell was a first-team All-American, a first-team All-Ivy League selection, the Ivy League Player of the Year and the USILA’s Jack Turnbull Award winner as the outstanding attackman in Division I - all repeat awards/recognitions from the previous year.[4] Cornell made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament before losing to UVA 13-9.

Pannell was also voted the National Player of the Year by the coaches of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and presented with the Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player in men's college lacrosse.[1]

He was nominated for a 2011 ESPY for Best Male College Athlete.[5] He was one of five finalists in the category for 2011 and the only Lacrosse player to ever be nominated.[6] BYU basketball player Jimmer Fredette won the award that year.

Senior year (2012)

Before the start of his senior season at Cornell, the New York Lizards selected Pannell with the first overall pick in the 2012 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft.

Pannell scored 16 points in the first two games of his senior season, but he broke his left foot in the second game against Army.[7] Pannell attempted to rehabilitate his foot in time for the NCAA tournament, but he re-injured the foot in the month before the tournament.[7] Cornell did not make the NCAA tournament in 2012.

Pannell applied to the Ivy League for a fifth year of eligibility as he did not graduate after the spring semester in 2013 due to taking an incomplete credit in one of his classes.[7] The Ivy League does not grant medical redshirt years.

Fifth year (2013)

Pannell returned to Cornell University for the Spring semester in 2013 and was eligible to participate in the 2013 lacrosse season. He led Cornell in scoring for the fourth time in five years and after the end of the season was named a finalist (one of five) for the Tewaaraton Award for the most outstanding NCAA lacrosse players.[8][9] Pannell was also a finalist for that award in 2011, won by Steele Stanwick.[2][10] He was the Ivy League's first-ever three-time Player of the Year award winner.[11] Cornell made it to the semifinals of the 2013 NCAA championship, losing to Duke University 16-14. Pannell set the record of 354 all-time career NCAA points in this game, passing Matt Danowski.[12][13] He was once again voted the National Player of the Year by the coaches of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and received his second Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player in men's college lacrosse.[1] He also won the 2013 Tewaaraton Award which is annually awarded to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. The Tewaaraton Award was founded by The University Club of Washington, DC and is awarded every year by The Tewaaraton Foundation.

Professional career

Pannell was the #1 draft choice in the 2012 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft. He was selected by the New York Lizards.

Rookie Season

Pannell was very impressive in his rookie season. He recorded 42 points (25 goals and 17 assists) in 10 games. He ranked 2nd in overall points, 2nd in goals, and 4th in assists in the league among rookies.

He was selected to his first MLL All-Star game in 2013.

Pannell won 2013 Rookie of the Year.

Personal

Pannell helps at many lacrosse camps throughout the year.

In 2013 he signed a 5 year deal with Brine Lacrosse. He is also sponsored by Wheaties and will have a Fathead of him released in December 2013.

Pannell is the middle child of Susan and Bob Pannell. He has an older sister Genevieve and a younger brother James, who just completed his first season on UVA's lacrosse team, starting six of 15 games.[14]

Pannell's father played baseball and football at Brown. His uncle Jim Metzger is a former Half Hollow Hills High School and Hofstra University All-American Lacrosse player for whom the Men's and Women's Lacrosse offices at Hofstra are named.[1][15]

Statistics

   
Season GP G A PtsPPG
2009 17 25 42 67 3.9
2010 18 29 51 80 4.4
2011 17 42 47 89 5.2
2012 2 7 9 16 8.0
2013184755102 (a) 5.7
Totals72150204 (b) 354 (c) 4.9
(a) 10th in NCAA Division I single season points
(b) 3rd in career assists
(c) 1st in career points

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Cornell University Athletics - Rob Pannell - 2011 Men's Lacrosse". Cornellbigred.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Finalists | Tewaaraton Award". Tewaaraton.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Cornell University Athletics - Rob Pannell - 2013 Men's Lacrosse". Cornellbigred.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  4. "Cornell's Rob Pannell Nominated for an ESPY - Ivy League". Ivyleaguesports.com. 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  5. "2014 ESPY Awards, Sports Star Nominees, Winners, TV Schedule, Pictures". Chiff.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  6. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Rob Pannell In His Own Words: Part II – The Injury | Lacrosse Magazine". Laxmagazine.com. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  7. "Mission Statement | Tewaaraton Award". Tewaaraton.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  8. "Nominees | Tewaaraton Award". Tewaaraton.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  9. "Holman Tapped As Tewaaraton Finalist - University of North Carolina Tar Heels Official Athletic Site". Goheels.com. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  10. "Men's Lacrosse All-Ivy - 2013 - Ivy League". Ivyleaguesports.com. 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  11. "Pannell's Record-Breaking Career Comes to End | Lacrosse Magazine". Laxmagazine.com. 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  12. "Smithtown's Rob Pannell sets career scoring record, but Duke beats Cornell in NCAA lacrosse semifinal". Newsday. 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  13. "James Pannell Bio - VIRGINIASPORTS.COM - The University of Virginia Official Athletic Site". Virginiasports.Com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  14. "ATH: Hofstra Athletics Honors James C. Metzger; Leadership Gift Funds "Traditions Project" In Margiotta Hall And Supports Hofstra Lacrosse - GoHofstra.com - The Official Website of Hofstra Pride Athletics". GoHofstra.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.