Rochester Knighthawks General Manager and Vice President of Lacrosse Operations Dan Carey announced today that the team has acquired defenseman Mike Manley from the New York Riptide in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft as well as additional fifth and sixth-round picks in the 2021 NLL Entry Draft.
“Mike is a strong athlete who has a lot of character,” said Carey. “His experience is a welcome addition to our current roster. He’s familiar with the Rochester area as well as a few of our players, so it should be a seamless transition for him.”
^Photo courtesy of New York Riptide
Manley, 31, appeared in six games last season for the Riptide after being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NLL Expansion Draft. In those six games with New York, he recorded eight penalty minutes and recovered 19 loose balls.
A native of nearby Penn Yan, Manley has notched 20 points (5+20) and collected 245 loose balls in 64 games over his six-year NLL career, including one assist during a nine-game stint with the former Knighthawks franchise between 2016 and 2019. He spent the 2015 season with the New England Black Wolves and the previous two years with the Philadelphia Wings, who drafted Manley in fourth round (32nd overall) of the 2012 NLL Entry Draft.
Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound defenseman played four seasons of collegiate lacrosse at Duke University, where he totaled eight points (4+4) and started 74 of 75 games for the Blue Devils. Manley was a three-time All-American selection at Duke, earning back-to-back Second Team honors in 2011 and 2012, and was named the 2007 ACC Freshman of the Year.
Manley currently plays professional field lacrosse for Chrome of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). He’s also a product of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), where he was a two-time MLL All-Star in 2013-14 as a member of the former Rochester Rattlers and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2014 season. In 2016, Manley was named the co-MLL Defensive Player of the Year.
