Rob Marshall has a championship bug.
After winning the the Founder’s Cup national Junior B championship with the Elora Mohawks this August in Saskatoon, Marshall was signed by the defending NLL Toronto Rock squad as a walk-on.
This past weekend in the OLA Major Series Draft, Marshall was picked up by yet another championship team: the two-time defending OLA Major champion Peterborough KC Lakers.
Marshall is a hot commodity in the lacrosse world these days, a quick, agile player who can excel at both ends of the floor.
The defending champion Rock like what they see with Marshall’s potential.
“He’s going to be one of these kids who’s going to be a really good player,” said Rock head coach and general manager Terry Sanderson. “He can play transition and he’s going to be a really good D guy with a bit of an offensive touch.”
“With time he’s going to be a really good one.”
In three starts with the Rock this season, Marshall has 12 loose balls and one shot on goal.
“I’ve noticed him play for the Rock in four different games he’s played,” said well-respected KC Lakers president Ted Higgins. “He’s extremely quick… and we hear that even in practices he’s quick, not just up and down the floor but laterally too.”
Because he’s graduating from a Jr. B system, Higgins said there is still a lot of room for learning and advancement and he said he sees a high level of potential with Marshall.
“He’ll have no trouble playing Major, and he could be one of the all-time greats playing Major,” Higgins said.
In the OLA Major Series, each team can protect four upcoming junior players from their affiliate Jr. A club. Higgins said this compels Major clubs to look to the Jr. B loop with scouting in years when the best draft eligible Jr. A players are already protected.
In the 2006 OLA Major Series Draft, three of the first seven picks were from Jr. B clubs.
“For the Jr. A caliber players, it was not a great draft,” Higgins said. “A lot of those Jr. A players were already protected by their affiliate teams. There wasn’t an abundance of great players coming out of the Jr. A system because of that.”
But Higgins said Marshall’s experience and championship win in his final year of Jr. B made him a hot commodity.
“We’re thrilled to have him.”
Chad Thompson, a graduate of the Orillia Rama Kings Jr. A and Barrie Tornado Jr. B systems, and a member for the NLL’s Philadelphia Wings was selected first overall in the draft, also by Peterborough, while Marshall’s Elora teammate Jamie Rooney, a player with the NLL’s Buffalo Bandits, was selected third overall by the St. Catharines Athletics.
Tyler Gibbons from the Owen Sound Flying Dutchmen Jr. B squad, the Rock’s first pick in this past summer’s NLL Entry Draft, went fourth in the OLA Major Series to the Six Nations Chiefs.
2006 Ontario Lacrosse Association Major Series Draft
(overall pick, player name, Jr. A club, Major club drafting player)
Round 1
1. Chad Thompson – Orillia Jr. A – Peterborough
2. Rob Marshall – Elora Jr. B – Peterborough
3. Jamie Rooney – Elora Jr. B – St. Catharines
4. Tyler Gibbons – Owen Sound Jr. B – Six Nations
5. Andrew Watt – Kitchener Jr. A – Peterborough
6. Mark Tinning – Kitchener Jr. A – Brampton
7. Mike Dube – Halton Hills Jr. B – Brampton
Round 2
8. Todd Bloxom – Kitchener & Mississauga Jr. A – St. Catharines
9. Brendon Sarazin – Ottawa Jr. A – Akwesasne
10. Eric Beatty – Oakville Jr. B – St. Catharines
11. Nick Inch – Kitchener Jr. A – Six Nations
12. Chris Bryan – Orangeville Jr. A – Akwesasne
13. Rick McCullough – Toronto Beaches Jr. A – Brooklin
14. Adam Delormier – Akwesasne Jr. B. – Akwesasne
Round 3
15. James Barton – Green Gaels Jr. B – Brooklin
16. Kevin Castor – Ottawa Jr. – Akwesasne
17. Travis Fowlie – Elora Jr. B – St. Catharines
18. Ryan Dryburgh – Kitchener Jr. A – Six Nations
19. Travis Galt – Orangeville Jr. A – Barrie
20. Joel Leveille – Burlington Jr. A – Brampton
21. Andrew Chapman – Toronto Beaches Jr. A – Peterborough
Round 4
22. Craig Henderson – Oakville Jr. B – Brooklin
23. Andrew Furlong – Brampton Jr. A – Brampton
24. Justin Settle – Burlington Jr. A – St. Catharines
25. Six Nations – PASS
26. Trevor Wagar – Burlington Jr. A – Barrie
27. Adrew Kingston – Burlington Jr. A – Brampton
28. Greg Elvins – Orillia Jr. A – Peterborough
Round 5
29. J.H. MacDonald – Green Gaels – Brooklin
30. Akwesasne – PASS
31. St. Catharines – PASS
32. Six Nations – PASS
33. Barrie – PASS
34. Jeff Farrer – Burlington Jr. A – Brampton
35. Coady Derks – Green Gaels – Peterborough
