Hofstra Alum Nicky Polanco Among the Inaugural Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame Class
Hunter Peters
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2022) – Hofstra University alum and former Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) men’s lacrosse player Nicky Polanco was among the members of the inaugural Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame Class announced by the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) on Tuesday.
Players are eligible for the Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame if they had a minimum five-year playing career in the PLL and/or Major League Lacrosse (MLL), retired from professional play for at least three years, and must be nominated by a member of the Hall of Fame Committee while receiving a 75-percent majority vote of approval for election.
A 2002 graduate of Hofstra, Polanco was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season following a junior campaign in which he earned second-team All-CAA honors.
Polanco was the fourth-overall pick in the 2002 MLL Collegiate Draft by the Bridgeport Barrage. He won three MLL titles (2004, 2012, 2013) and was named the MLL Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005 during his professional career.
Eleven players make up the inaugural class of the Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, including Polanco and current league member alumni John Grant Jr. (’99) of Delaware and Mark Millon (’94) of UMass. Grant and Millon graduated before the inaugural CAA Men’s Lacrosse season in 2001.
The inaugural Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees include Mark Millon, Casey Powell and John Grant Jr. at attack, Jay Jalbert, Gary Gait and Matt Striebel at midfield, John Gagliardi, Nicky Polanco and Pat McCabe at defense, Paul Cantabene at face-off, and Brian Dougherty in goal.
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