Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Midfielder Michael Podgajny is the first Notre Dame player to be selected in the first round of the MLL Draft.

 
Fighting Irish Have Four Players Selected In MLL Draft

Podgajny, Kemp, Dougherty and Clagett all taken in the five-round draft.

May 29, 2008

HOBOKEN, N.J. - A total of four Notre Dame players were selected in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft on Wednesday, May 28 at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Michael Podgajny (M), Joey Kemp (G), Sean Dougherty (D) and Taylor Clagett (M/FO) all heard their names called in the eighth annual MLL Draft. The four picks were the most ever for Notre Dame in a single draft.

Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley) was the first Notre Dame player taken off the board as he went to the San Francisco Dragons with the seventh pick overall in the first round. The midfielder became the first MLL Draft first-round pick in the history of the Fighting Irish program. In 2008, Podgajny tallied 34 points on 25 goals and nine assists en route to being named an honorable mention All-American for the second straight season. The senior started all 16 games in which he played and he notched at least one point in 14 of the contests. He finished his career with 68 goals and 36 assists in 53 games.

Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) went to the Los Angeles Riptide in the third round with the 29th pick overall. Earlier this week, Kemp became just the second first-team All-American in program history as he received the 2008 Kelly Award for Outstanding Goalie in Division I from the USILA. The senior co-captain started all 17 games in goal for the Irish and ranked third nationally with a .635 save percentage and fourth with a 6.69 goals-against average. That was the third All-America accolade for Kemp, who garnered honorable mention distinction the past two seasons. Kemp concluded his Fighting Irish career as the program record holder in career victories (40), goals-against average (7.20), saves (633), minutes played for a goaltender (3189:46) and games started for a goaltender (56).

Dougherty (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep) was chosen in the fourth round with the 34th pick overall by the Washington Bayhawks. The defenseman copped third-team All-America honors this season as he helped anchor a Fighting Irish defense that ranked fifth among all NCAA Division I squads by allowing just 7.04 goals per game. Dougherty started all 17 games this season and was part of a defense that held opponents to six goals or fewer on eight occasions throughout the campaign. In his stellar four-year career, he played in 58 games, including 47 starts, for Notre Dame and scooped up 126 ground balls.

Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha) was selected in the fifth round as the 49th overall pick by the Los Angeles Riptide. The midfielder has been one of the nation's top faceoff specialists during his collegiate career. He finished the 2008 season ranked fourth in all of NCAA Division I with a .619 (203-328) winning percentage. For his career, he posted a .602 winning percentage (624-1036) in addition to notching eight points on five goals and three assists in 54 games.

All-Time Notre Dame Selections In MLL Collegiate Draft
Player         Position	Year	Team	              Round    Pick
Steve Bishko	  M	2001	Rochester Rattlers	3	13
Tom Glatzel	  A	2001	Baltimore Bayhawks	4	22
David Ulrich	  A	2001	Baltimore Bayhawks	5	27
Devin Ryan	  M	2002	Bridgeport Barrage	4	19
Brian Giordano 	  M	2005	Boston Cannons	        4	23
D.J. Driscoll	  D	2006	Los Angeles Riptide	2	11
Pat Walsh	  A	2006 	Long Island Lizards	4	34
Brian Hubschmann  M	2007	Long Island Lizards	5	41
Michael Podgajny  M	2008	San Francisco Dragons	1	7
Joey Kemp	  G	2008	Los Angeles Riptide	3	29
Sean Dougherty	  D	2008	Washington Bayhawks	4	34
Taylor Clagett	  M/FO	2008	Los Angeles Riptide	5	49