VANCOUVER, B.C. --- Tusculum University graduate Keegan Bell was selected by the Vancouver Warriors in the fifth round of the 2019 National Lacrosse League entry player draft late Tuesday night.
Bell, the 67th overall pick and the fourth selection of the fifth round, is the third former Pioneer selected by the Warriors in the last two years, joining the Wade cousins, Dallas and Nate, who were both chosen in 2018.
"We couldn't be more excited for Keegan. He is truly a Tusculum success story on and off the field," said Tusculum head coach Richard Carrington, who recruited Bell and coached him for all four years of his Pioneer career. "He went from being an underwhelming high school student to becoming our program's first Scholar All-American. He is also one of our program's most decorated student-athletes on the field. More importantly, he's one of the best people I know."
The 6-5, 230-pound Bell, a native of nearby Port Coquitlam, B.C., played in the Western Lacrosse Association during the summer and scored 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 16 games for both Langley and Victoria. Bell was the second of three draft picks by the Warriors.
"Keegan is a big-bodied right-hand forward with a heavy outside shot," said Vancouver general manager Dan Richardson in a statement posted on the team's Web site. "Keegan will head to camp looking to find a spot on the team."
Bell concluded a distinguished four-year career at Tusculum in the spring of 2019 by scoring a school single-season record 44 goals and establishing a new program record with 59 points. He was named first-team All-South Atlantic Conference and ranked in the top 30 in Division II in both goals per game (3.14, 13th) and points per game (4.21, 29th). Bell also set single-game records with seven goals and 10 points in a victory over Lees-McRae, and had six games of five goals or more during the 2019 season.
Bell capped the year by being selected as the SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award for men's lacrosse, along with Scholar All-America recognition from the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. He is the first Tusculum men's lacrosse student-athlete to receive each honor.
For his career, Bell ranks fourth in program history with 88 goals and 134 points, and is second all-time with 46 assists. He graduated from Tusculum in May, 2019 with a 3.72 cumulative grade-point average as an athletic training major.
Dallas Wade will begin his second season with Vancouver after playing in 15 games during the 2018-19 campaign. A defender, Wade had a goal and an assist and collected 32 loose balls during his rookie season with the Warriors. Nate Wade, currently a free agent, played in two games with the Warriors last season.
The Warriors will open their 18-game 2019-20 NLL season on Friday, Nov. 29 at home against defending champion Calgary.