Dubbed “The Cincinnati Sniper,” Connor Buczek was drafted second overall in the 2015 MLL Draft by the Florida Launch for his dodging capabilities, and his accurate stretch shooting. Connor finished his college career at Cornell University as a three-time USILA All-American, twice being named a first team All-American, a three-time first team All-Ivy League, a 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, and a two-time Tewaaraton Trophy finalist. Connor totaled 106 goals and 155 points in his career, good enough to place him in the top 20 on the Cornell points list. He was also the first midfielder in Cornell history to score 40 goals in a single season.
What head and shaft are you using?
I use Super Power head with a StringKing Metal Plus shaft.
Why the Metal Plus as opposed to the lighter Metal shaft?
The Metal Plus is a little sturdier and I have a tendency to break shafts so just tried that one first.
Do you string your own sticks? If not, who does?
I used to string my own sticks but started having one of our coaches, Pete Milliman, do it a couple of years ago. He’s our resident stick doctor at Cornell.
What kind of pocket are you using?
Placement: My pocket is pretty full, but the ball sits lower in the head.
Mesh: I use StringKing Type 3X mesh
Shooters: 4 stacked shooters across
Whip: 5/10
How do you tape your sticks?
I tape about 1/3 of the way up my sticks with a criss cross pattern the remainder of the way up. I also like to tape on a knob before my butt end to catch my hand.
Has anything changed from the setup you used in college to the setup you use in the MLL?
Nothing has changed. Since the stick rule change in college a few years ago, I have kept the same setup.
In 2009, Adam O’Neill, Harry Alford and Thomas Alford launched Lacrosse Playground as the preeminent site for lacrosse gearheads. For years Lacrosse Playground provided lacrosse fans with tutorials and tips on how to string a lacrosse head, up-close looks at the gear the top players used and sneak peeks at equipment and uniforms before they were released. More than 10 years and millions of visits later, Lacrosse Playground has relaunched with a focus on storytelling. Our mission is to provide comprehensive coverage of the latest lacrosse news, share insights into the sports betting and fantasy lacrosse world and showcase the lifestyles and personalities of the sport of lacrosse through articles, videos and podcasts.
Predicting the PLL Protected Player Rosters (Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast #129)
byPro Lacrosse Talk
On this episode of the Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast, Hutton Jackson and Adam Moore are joined by Lacrosse Playground contributor Brian Andrews. They discuss the Atlas cutting Scott Rodgers, Jeremy Thompson, Kyle Hartzell and Callum Robinson, the trade that sent Rob Pannell to the Redwoods and Chris Hogan, Dalton Crossan and Garrett Thul joining the PLL. They also discuss the retirement of Matt Danowski and Brett Schmidt, provide their predictions for the protected rosters particularly with Dillon Ward, Connor Fields, Paul Rabil, Joe Walters and Kyle Harrison, and theorize what it would take for Coach Sean Quirk to trade the top pick in the PLL Entry Draft and presumably the chance to draft Lyle Thompson.
—
Pro Lacrosse Talk is the flagship lacrosse podcast of the Lacrosse Playground network covering all three professional lacrosse leagues (NLL, PLL, Athletes Unlimited). Each week throughout the season we’ll recap the games, provide analysis on the teams and feature exclusive postgame and off-the-field interviews with professional lacrosse players, coaches and executives. If you’re a fan of lacrosse podcasts like the Unbuckled Chinstrap, The Inside Feed, Lacrosse Classified or The Crease Dive, then give us a listen.