Sports Media Report
The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced that Zach Currier of the Calgary Roughnecks has won the NLL Transition Player of the Year Award; Mitch de Snoo of the Toronto Rock claimed the Defensive Player of the Year Award; and Buffalo Bandits netminder Mat Vinc earned his NLL-record eighth Goaltender of the Year honors, as the league continued its unveiling of 2021-22 award winners this week.
Currier, 28, helped lead the Roughnecks to the second seed in the West Conference after a slow start to the season. The former first round pick from the 2017 NLL Entry Draft led the league in loose ball recoveries at 237. He also set a record for most caused turnovers in a season with 62, the next closest on the season recorded 39. Among defensemen and transition players, he ranked in the top 10 in points with 19, (10 goals, nine assists). It’s the first Transition Player of the Year award for Currier, who became the first Roughneck to win the award since Jeff Shattler in 2011. Currier won 56.8% of his faceoff draws through the season, taking the most he has through his NLL career and led the team in blocked shots at 11.
De Snoo, 29, ends Graeme Hossack’s reign as the Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first of his career and the first for the Rock since 2010 when Sandy Chapman claimed the title. The Rock, anchored by de Snoo, were the only team to allow fewer than 10 goals per game through the regular season. The defenseman was tied for second in the NLL with 39 caused turnovers, with his teammate Brad Kri. De Snoo led the Rock with 185 loose ball recoveries and 18 blocked shots while also contributing 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists.
Vinc, 40, has now claimed the Goaltender of the Year award in eight of the last 12 seasons with three different franchises (Orlando Titans, Rochester Knighthawks, and Buffalo Bandits). He was one of four goalies to surpass the 1,000 minutes played mark during the season and finished third in goals against average at 10.10. Vinc led the NLL in wins (14), saves (747) and save percentage (.807). With Vinc in net, the Bandits had the best record in the regular season at 14-4.
Through the season, Vinc hit multiple career milestones including his 13,000th career minute played (no other player has reached 12,000), 9,000th save (no other player has more than 7,500), and 130th regular season win (no other player has 110). Vinc also contributed with nine assists on the season, third among goalies.
All awards were voted on prior to the start of the 2022 playoffs and were based on regular season statistics.
