University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: PLL/Waterdogs Lacrosse Club
DeLuca Back In Goal, Ready For First Taste of the PLL
7/22/2020 11:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
This week, for the first time in over four years, Matt DeLuca will be wearing something other than Blue & Gold.
DeLuca, a two-time All-American goalie for Delaware men's lacrosse, is gearing up for his first taste of professional lacrosse with the Waterdogs Lacrosse Club in Herriman, Utah for the Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series from July 25 through August 9.
While DeLuca will be making his professional debut, the Waterdogs will be making their debut in the PLL as well. After an inaugural season with six clubs in 2019, the league announced late in the year that the Waterdogs would be joining as an expansion franchise.
On May 13, after DeLuca decided to not use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, the Waterdogs selected the Farmingdale, N.Y. product eighth overall in the 2020 college draft. He will become the first draftee in franchise history to suit up for the club.
"Once I made my decision to move on and not go back for a fifth year, the process of getting drafted kind of picked up. I started receiving some phone calls, talking to [Delaware] Coach [Ben] DeLuca a lot just about how to pursue the next level. Then finally got a call from Coach [Andrew] Copelan of the Waterdogs, he said he was interested and wanted to draft me and ended up taking me with the eighth pick, which I'm forever grateful for that, giving me the opportunity to play at the next level."
As with everything in 2020, the process of entering the league has been unusual for DeLuca. The first time the Waterdogs will all be together is when they arrive in Utah for the tournament. Earlier in the summer, he was able to go to a turf field where he's staying in Florida to face some shots from a friend, but as a part of the league's health protocols he has recently had to quarantine for the period leading up to his flight out west.
"I feel 100% safe. We are taking the utmost precaution to get the guys out there safely, the coaches out there safely, the training staff out there safely," DeLuca said of the procedures in place. "And then once we're out there and settled in, the testing procedure still continues. Following every safety protocol that the CDC would recommend is what we're doing and more, so I'd actually feel safer out there than I would, personally, in Florida where I'm at right now."
While the team hasn't been able to get together in person yet, DeLuca says the Waterdogs' veteran players have done a good job of establishing a culture via Zoom and GroupMe.
"I think we're going to be a pretty fast-paced team, very blue-collar style. We have a lot of really good midfielders that can play both ways, they can play both offense and defense," DeLuca said of the upstart Waterdogs. "We're definitely a team that's being slept on right now, so that gives us a nice chip on our shoulder. We have a great group of guys already building connections, so I'm excited to see what we can produce on the field."
The PLL has some differences in rules from the college game that give the professional league a quicker pace with the intention of packing more action into each game. The field is just 100 yards long and features a two-point arc 15 yards from the goal line. The quarters are just 12 minutes long with a 52-second shot clock, compared to the 15 minutes and 90 seconds in NCAA play.
The PLL Championship Series itself has a unique format this year as well. Instead of a full season, each squad will play four games against randomly chosen opponents. That round-robin portion will be used to seed all seven teams for the single-elimination bracket, with only the top seed earning a bye to the semifinals.Â
The difference in style means that the Waterdogs, with their fast pace and two-way midfielders, could be set up for immediate success. DeLuca's own game and 6-foot-6 frame in goal has the potential to transition well into professional lacrosse too.
"I think it'll translate well, just judging by some of the goalies that had some success last year and in recent years in pro lacrosse that had a more patient style," DeLuca said. "I think my size helps me a lot, and my lacrosse IQ, my knowledge of the game that Coach DeLuca has helped develop to an extreme."
DeLuca was a four-year standout for the Blue Hens, playing in 48 games and ranking in the top 5 in program history in goals-against average (9.90), total saves (573) and minutes played. In addition to being named an Honorable Mention All-American twice, he twice made the All-Colonial Athletic Association squad.
For the rookie goalie, the University of Delaware was crucial in the journey to becoming a professional athlete.
"It gave me everything that I would need to be successful on and off the field to this point," DeLuca said. "Coach DeLuca giving me the rundown of the game, but not only the lacrosse aspect, he helped me with the mental part of the game, the physical part, everything that you would need to be a successful lacrosse player. Coach Foss [Delaware assistant coach and another former Blue Hen goalie Noah Fossner] did the same as well, but we also focus a lot more on my game as a goalie and how to develop into a successful college player and a successful future pro player, hopefully."
"They've given me everything and more that I could ever need," DeLuca continued. "Now it's just all in my hands to go out there and show them what I've got."
The Waterdogs start their tournament by facing Atlas Lacrosse Club Sunday, July 26 at 4 p.m. on NBC.
DeLuca, a two-time All-American goalie for Delaware men's lacrosse, is gearing up for his first taste of professional lacrosse with the Waterdogs Lacrosse Club in Herriman, Utah for the Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series from July 25 through August 9.
While DeLuca will be making his professional debut, the Waterdogs will be making their debut in the PLL as well. After an inaugural season with six clubs in 2019, the league announced late in the year that the Waterdogs would be joining as an expansion franchise.
On May 13, after DeLuca decided to not use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, the Waterdogs selected the Farmingdale, N.Y. product eighth overall in the 2020 college draft. He will become the first draftee in franchise history to suit up for the club.
"Once I made my decision to move on and not go back for a fifth year, the process of getting drafted kind of picked up. I started receiving some phone calls, talking to [Delaware] Coach [Ben] DeLuca a lot just about how to pursue the next level. Then finally got a call from Coach [Andrew] Copelan of the Waterdogs, he said he was interested and wanted to draft me and ended up taking me with the eighth pick, which I'm forever grateful for that, giving me the opportunity to play at the next level."
As with everything in 2020, the process of entering the league has been unusual for DeLuca. The first time the Waterdogs will all be together is when they arrive in Utah for the tournament. Earlier in the summer, he was able to go to a turf field where he's staying in Florida to face some shots from a friend, but as a part of the league's health protocols he has recently had to quarantine for the period leading up to his flight out west.
"I feel 100% safe. We are taking the utmost precaution to get the guys out there safely, the coaches out there safely, the training staff out there safely," DeLuca said of the procedures in place. "And then once we're out there and settled in, the testing procedure still continues. Following every safety protocol that the CDC would recommend is what we're doing and more, so I'd actually feel safer out there than I would, personally, in Florida where I'm at right now."
While the team hasn't been able to get together in person yet, DeLuca says the Waterdogs' veteran players have done a good job of establishing a culture via Zoom and GroupMe.
"I think we're going to be a pretty fast-paced team, very blue-collar style. We have a lot of really good midfielders that can play both ways, they can play both offense and defense," DeLuca said of the upstart Waterdogs. "We're definitely a team that's being slept on right now, so that gives us a nice chip on our shoulder. We have a great group of guys already building connections, so I'm excited to see what we can produce on the field."
The PLL has some differences in rules from the college game that give the professional league a quicker pace with the intention of packing more action into each game. The field is just 100 yards long and features a two-point arc 15 yards from the goal line. The quarters are just 12 minutes long with a 52-second shot clock, compared to the 15 minutes and 90 seconds in NCAA play.
The PLL Championship Series itself has a unique format this year as well. Instead of a full season, each squad will play four games against randomly chosen opponents. That round-robin portion will be used to seed all seven teams for the single-elimination bracket, with only the top seed earning a bye to the semifinals.Â
The difference in style means that the Waterdogs, with their fast pace and two-way midfielders, could be set up for immediate success. DeLuca's own game and 6-foot-6 frame in goal has the potential to transition well into professional lacrosse too.
"I think it'll translate well, just judging by some of the goalies that had some success last year and in recent years in pro lacrosse that had a more patient style," DeLuca said. "I think my size helps me a lot, and my lacrosse IQ, my knowledge of the game that Coach DeLuca has helped develop to an extreme."
DeLuca was a four-year standout for the Blue Hens, playing in 48 games and ranking in the top 5 in program history in goals-against average (9.90), total saves (573) and minutes played. In addition to being named an Honorable Mention All-American twice, he twice made the All-Colonial Athletic Association squad.
For the rookie goalie, the University of Delaware was crucial in the journey to becoming a professional athlete.
"It gave me everything that I would need to be successful on and off the field to this point," DeLuca said. "Coach DeLuca giving me the rundown of the game, but not only the lacrosse aspect, he helped me with the mental part of the game, the physical part, everything that you would need to be a successful lacrosse player. Coach Foss [Delaware assistant coach and another former Blue Hen goalie Noah Fossner] did the same as well, but we also focus a lot more on my game as a goalie and how to develop into a successful college player and a successful future pro player, hopefully."
"They've given me everything and more that I could ever need," DeLuca continued. "Now it's just all in my hands to go out there and show them what I've got."
The Waterdogs start their tournament by facing Atlas Lacrosse Club Sunday, July 26 at 4 p.m. on NBC.
Players Mentioned
GK
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