BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland's
Pat Spencer added another honor to his collection as the most-decorated player in Greyhounds men's lacrosse history on Wednesday morning when he was the first overall pick in the Premier Lacrosse League's Inaugural Collegiate Draft.
Spencer, who ranks in the top-five all-time of both points and assists in NCAA Division I, was selected first overall by the PLL's Archers to become the first collegiate player ever selected by the new league.
This season, Spencer has scored 40 goals to go with 50 assists for 90 points. He had seven points on four goals and three assists, moving into third in career points in the process with 356 career points. During the game, he passed two other PLL players, former Duke standouts Matt Danowski and Justin Guterding, as well as Cornell's Rob Pannell.
Spencer's 216 assists are third all-time, five back of Tim Nelson (221, North Carolina State/Syracuse, 1982, 1983-85) in second and nine behind record-holder Lyle Thompson (225, Albany, 2012-15).
His point and assist totals are both Loyola and Patriot League records, while he is second all-time at Loyola with 140 career goals.
A three-time All-American at Loyola, Spencer is also a three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. He was named the 2018 winner of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) J.I. (Jack) Turnbull Award as the Attacker of the Year. He has been a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award in each of the last two seasons.
Spencer is the first Loyola player to be selected first in a professional lacrosse league draft since 2001 when Gavin Prout was the opening pick of the National Lacrosse League draft by the New York Saints. Prout went on to post 318 goals, 651 assists and 968 points in 13 seasons in the NLL. Matt Shearer, who played one season at Loyola (1997) was the first Loyola first-overall pick when he was the top pick of the NLL's Baltimore Thunder.
Loyola and Spencer close the 2019 regular-season on Friday, April 26, when they face Lafayette College in a 7:30 p.m. game in Easton, Pennsylvania.
