Men's lacrosse: Army's Brendan Nichtern drafted by pros, up for top award
It’s been quite a week for Army lacrosse standout Brendan Nichtern.
First, there was the heartbreak of losing in the Patriot League finals to Boston University on Sunday, denying the Black Knights of their first NCAA tournament berth since winning the league in 2019 when Nichtern was a freshman.
On Tuesday, the senior attack joined a list of impressive Black Knights who have been drafted for professional action, chosen ninth overall by the Chrome Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League draft. He was the first pick in the second round.
Then came the news on Thursday when Nichtern was named one of five finalists for The Tewaaraton Award, presented to the top collegian in the nation. John Walker in 2005 and Jeremy Boltus in 2011 were previous finalists for Army.
“Brendan is one of the finest players and leaders in our rich history at the Academy,’’ said head coach Joe Alberici. “His statistics undeniably tell the story of his impact on the program, but his leadership and competitive drive have proved to be invaluable. I am happy and proud of him for being named one of the top five players in the nation.’’
The other four nominees for The Tewaaraton are Chris Gray of North Carolina, Logan Wisnauskas of Maryland, Sam Handley of Pennsylvania and Connor Shellenberger of Virginia. The award will be announced on June 2.
Nichtern is the two-time Patriot League offensive player of the year, and was named second-team All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine – he was similarly honored in 2021. He set the Army single-season records for points (101) and assists (60), ranking No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in Patriot League history. He finished his 116-game career with 284 points and 168 assists, both ranking No. 2 in league history. His career 3.17 assists per match leads all active Division I players and his 5.36 points per game ranks second.
A pair of recent West Point grads have also been chosen in the first round of the PLL draft: Johnny Surdick by the Chaos in 2019 and Tom Rigney by Chrome in 2020. Major League Lacrosse, which was recently absorbed by the PLL, had drafted 14 Army players between 2002-19, notably former Team USA player Garrett Thul in 2013.
It is believed Nichtern will use his personal time to play a summer schedule with the Chrome. West Point graduates are allowed to play professionally and defer military service requirements, as permitted by the Pentagon. Nichtern will graduate West Point as a second lieutenant on May 21 with a degree in law and legal studies.
Chrome finished last in the PLL 2021 season at 2-7. Chrome opens the season on June 5 in Albany, taking on Archers at 3:45 p.m. in a match televised by subscription ESPN+. The league hosts multiple matches in weekend play, slated for Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 10-11; Long Island on June 17-18; June 24-25 in Baltimore; July 1-2 in Minneapolis; July 23-24 in Fairfield, Connecticut; July 30-31 in Dallas; Aug. 5-6 in Denver; Aug. 12-13 in Salt Lake City, Utah; Aug. 20-21 in Seattle; quarterfinals in Boston on Sept. 3; semifinals in Washington D.C., on Sept. 11; and the finals in Philadelphia on Sept. 18.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army lacrosse's Brendan Nichtern drafted by PLL's Chrome
