ROCK SIGN FACEOFF BEAST TD IERLAN
All-Time NCAA Faceoff Percentage Leader Ready To Head North
Oakville, ON – Toronto Rock Owner, President and GM Jamie Dawick announced today that Defender TD Ierlan has agreed to a one-year contract. The signing is pending league approval.
The Rock selected Ierlan in the 2nd round of the 2020 NLL Draft, 30th overall.
“We’re very pleased that he’s signed and committed to play,” said Dawick. “We felt fortunate to see him still on the board when we were on the clock at the 2020 draft. We weren’t sure how it would play out given that he hadn’t played indoor before. However, we believe he’s the best faceoff guy in the game and we’re excited to have him with the Rock.”
Ierlan also noted how much he was looking forward to becoming a part of the Rock City culture and feeling the energy the Rock City fans bring to the arena every night.
“I’m super excited to officially sign with the Rock organization,” said TD. “I can’t wait to head up north and start playing in front of all the fans and for one of the premier organizations in the NLL.”
Tristan David, more commonly known as TD, is excited to ply his trade in the NLL and learn some new responsibilities in the box game.
“I’m going to come in and do whatever the team asks,” explained Ierlan. “I anticipate that will be in a predominantly faceoff role and get the offence as many possessions as possible. And then, hopping in on defence after learning some more.”
Outdoors with Albany, Yale, and Denver, Ierlan won an unbelievable 75.3% of his faceoffs which is the highest by any player in NCAA DI history with 500 attempts. In the box, the Rock have found different levels of success in recent years, but those type of numbers put up by Ierlan are difference makers if he can translate them indoors. You can stop another team’s run or create momentum in a game with a faceoff man that’s this kind of dominant.
A three-sport high school sports star, Ierlan played football, lacrosse and got down on the mat being a champion wrestler. Perhaps his high school wrestling background built the foundation for what became the greatest NCAA faceoff man of all-time.
“We’re excited because he’s coming in as an inexperienced box player, much like Tom (Schreiber) and Kieran (McArdle), and he’s expressed an excitement and a desire to learn the indoor game and become an accomplished player in the NLL,” said Rock Head Coach Matt Sawyer. “Geographically, being in Western New York, he’s got the travel flexibility to come and practice, which is where a lot of the work will be done. We hope TD can learn the defensive side of the game and become the valuable player we project him to be.”
The Toronto Rock Home Opener is scheduled for Saturday, December 4 at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre. Tickets for the game are now on sale to the general public through ticketmaster.ca and torontorock.com.
For more information on Toronto Rock Season Memberships, please contact a Toronto Rock account executive at 416-596-3075 or visit torontorock.com.
