HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Pat Farrell and redshirt-senior Austin Geisler of the High Point University men’s lacrosse team were selected in the seventh round of Friday night’s Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft.
The pair becomes the first two players in the program’s three-year history to be selected in the MLL Draft.
“I’m really proud of both Pat and Austin,” head coach Jon Torpey said. “Both of these young men work tirelessly to compete at the highest level each and every day and this is a great testament to their abilities.”
Farrell was taken with the second pick of the seventh round by the Florida Launch and Geisler quickly followed when the Ohio Machine took him with the fourth pick of the same round.
“To have the opportunity to pursue lacrosse at a high level after graduation is such an amazing accomplishment,” Torpey continued. “I know both Pat and Austin will do whatever it takes to help those two organizations succeed.”
Farrell has been one of the top defenders for the Panthers during their first two seasons of competition. In 2014 the Jamison, Pa. native caused a team-high 16 turnovers and tallied 16 groundballs en route to earning All-Atlantic Sun honors. He will return for the 2015 season to once again anchor the squad’s defense.
Geisler will be back in goal for the Panthers this season after being named 2014 Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year. The Fredericksburg, Va. native led the conference and finished second in the nation in saves per game with 13.63. He was also among the country’s leaders in goals-against average allowing 9.48 per contest to finish 20th nationally.
Both Farrell and Geisler were named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference Team on Thursday as the Panthers were picked second in the league’s coaches’ poll.
HPU will open the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 1 at home against Delaware at noon before hosting No. 3 Duke on Saturday, Feb. 7 at noon.