The Buffalo Bandits selected seven players in the 2021 NLL Entry Draft Saturday night, forming a draft class composed of five forwards, a transition player and a goaltender. The team also acquired forward Connor Fields from the San Diego Seals in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2021 NLL Entry Draft (No. 13 overall) and a second-round pick in the 2022 NLL Entry Draft.
Can’t wait to be a part of the @NLLBandits! It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, I can’t wait to get in front of Banditland!! https://t.co/zFg4zwkqYm
— Connor Fields (@connorfields05) August 29, 2021
Fields (6’0”, 180 lbs., 10/10/1995), a native of East Amherst, New York, joins the Bandits after he led NLL rookies in goals (18) and points (44) in 2019-20 and was named a Rookie of the Year finalist. Fields was selected by the Seals in the first round (10th overall) of the 2018 NLL Entry Draft after a four-year career at the University of Albany. The forward left the program as the second-highest scorer in school history with 364 points (199+165) in 69 career games.
The Bandits selected forward Tehoka Nanticoke (6’1”, 248 lbs., 1/18/1998) with the team’s first pick of the night (No. 3 overall). Nanticoke was the No. 1 high school lacrosse recruit in 2017 and played collegiately at the University of Albany. In 40 career games for the Great Danes from 2017 to 2021, Nanticoke recorded 170 points (109+61) and picked up 45 ground balls.
Grew up going to bandit games was even a ball boy for them a few games. Words don’t do justice for how grateful I am to be joining @NLLBandits and to make this long awaited jump to the next level. Thankful for opportunity. Now time to work #jobsnotfinished https://t.co/EEwn2kgH3Y
— TN1 (@Tehoka1) August 29, 2021
Nanticoke led Albany in goals (50) and points (82) as a freshman in 2018 and was named the America East Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the America East All-Conference First Team in both 2018 and 2019. A native of Six Nations, Ontario, Nanticoke was a member of the Iroquois Nationals at the 2019 World Lacrosse Men’s Indoor World Championships.
A warm welcome for @Tehoka1 from @IanMacKay_94! 🤝
“I couldn’t be more excited to be teammates.”#LetsGoBandits | @SenecaBuffalo pic.twitter.com/VFkWCjl9x7
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) August 29, 2021
Thomas Vaesen (6’0”, 185 lbs) was the team’s second first-round pick (14th overall). He has played collegiately for the University of Montevallo for the last four seasons and led the Falcons in goals in each of his last three seasons. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Vaesen has recorded 226 points (174+52) in 50 career games for the Falcons.
Buffalo’s second-round pick, No. 26 overall, was used to select forward Colin Munro. Munro (5’10”, 165 lbs., 2/2/1998) spent the last two seasons with Georgetown University after playing his first two collegiate seasons for the University of North Carolina. In 22 games for the Hoyas in 2020 and 2021, the Denver native registered 15 points (11+4).
The Bandits selected forward Carson Rees (5’11”, 175 lbs., 11/24/1998) with the first of their two fourth-round picks (57th overall). Rees tallied team-highs in goals (41), assists (25), and points (66) in 12 games for Chestnut Hill College last season. The Port Coquitlam, British Columbia native ranked eighth in Division II with an average of 3.42 points per game.
Buffalo also selected forward Nick Miller (6’0”, 175 lbs., 10/24/1998) during the fourth round (62nd overall). Miller tallied 69 points (45+24) in 16 games last season for St. John Fisher College, earning recognition as a Third Team All-American by the USILA. He concluded the season as the college’s all-time leader in both points (256) and goals (180).
Miller scored 16 points (11+5) with the Hawkeyes of the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League, which concluded its inaugural season this summer. The league is co-sponsored by the Bandits and the Rochester Knighthawks.
Nick Miller of the Hawkeyes has been selected by the Buffalo Bandits in the NLL Draft! @NickNjmiller21 | @SJFC_MLax pic.twitter.com/S3tZBteeJb
— Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (@UpstateBoxLax) August 29, 2021
The Bandits turned to a goaltender in the fifth round, selecting Kyle Hebert with the 72nd overall pick in the draft. A native of Burlington, Ontario, Hebert (5’11”, 185 lbs., 3/22/1998) played collegiate lacrosse for Stony Brook University, where he logged a 8.28 career goals-against average.
Transition player Hunter Aggus (6’2”, 210 lbs., 1/11/2000) rounded out the Bandits’ draft class, coming off the board in the sixth round at No. 86 overall. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Aggus played seven games for the Six Nations Arrows of the OJALL in 2021. Aggus has also played two seasons for the Paris RiverWolves of the Arena Lacrosse League, totaling 19 points (11+8) in 23 contests in 2019 and 2020.