Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Michael Abou Jaoude Selected in Fourth Round of MLL Draft by San Francisco Dragons
5/31/2006 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
May 31, 2006
Click HERE for entire 2006 MLL Draft
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Defenseman Michael Abou Jaoude, a 2006 Bucknell graduate and a native of San Francisco, was selected in the fourth round of the Major League Lacrosse collegiate draft by his hometown San Francisco Dragons on Wednesday night.
Abou Jaoude, who played in the North-South Senior All-Star Game last Friday at Villanova, spent Wednesday on the campus of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. Along with many of the sport's top collegiate players, he was involved in an all day event in which the draft prospects received physicals, went through an interview process with the MLL teams and competed in the Warrior Major League Challenge.
A two-time All-Patriot League defenseman, Abou Jaoude impressed the scouts enough to be the 41st overall pick in the draft. Maryland attackman Joe Walters was selected No. 1 by the Rochester Rattlers.
Abou Jaoude is the fourth Bison to be drafted by the MLL in as many years. Goalie Justin Sussman, a two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, was selected by the Baltimore Bayhawks in the fourth round of the 2003 draft, defenseman Blaise Fletcher was picked in the fifth round of the 2004 draft by the Bayhawks and All-America attackman Chris Cara went to the Long Island Lizards in the third round last year.
Two other Patriot League players -- Navy's Jon Birsner and Matt Russell -- were also drafted, both in the fifth and final round. Birsner went to the New Jersey Pride and Russell to Baltimore.
Abou Jaoude joins a Dragons squad that has just started its inaugural season and is off to an 0-1 start. Former Nazareth College star Brian Silcott is head coach of the expansion Dragons, while former college national players of the year Ryan Powell (Syracuse) and Chris Rotelli (Virginia) lend star power to the roster.
