Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/24/08
Defender Peter Jacobs, who played 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Wings, announced his retirement Monday from the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
Jacobs was drafted out of Johns Hopkins University in 1995 as the team’s second selection in the first round (6th overall) and was part of two Wings championship teams (1998 and 2001). In his 146 games played, Jacobs accumulated 107 points (30 goals and 77 assists), 996 loose balls, and won 1,774 face-offs. Last year Jacobs had two assists and 46 loose balls.
“Peter was a true professional the way he played and the way he prepared to play,” said Wings General Manager Lindsay Sanderson. “I held him in high regard from the first day I met him. He was very good at what he did and never got the respect he deserved across the league with his dominance on taking draws.”
Jacobs holds Wings records for career face-offs won and loose balls collected and is second in games played. He is also second all-time in the NLL for faceoff wins, only trailing New York’s Jamie Hanford.
Wings sign five, including Sweeney & Christmas
Sanderson announced Monday the signing of three players for 2009. Defender Thomas Hajek and forward Merrick Thomson were both signed to two year agreements, while transition player Rob Van Beek was signed to a one year deal.
Hajek will be entering his sixth year in Philadelphia in 2009. Last season he scored 9 points and collected 90 loose balls in 14 games played.
Thomson will be entering his second season in the National Lacrosse League in 2009. He scored 55 points (26 goals, 29 assists) in 15 games played last season on his way to being named to the NLL’s All-Rookie Team.
Van Beek scored 17 points and picked up 96 loose balls last season. This year will be his fifth in a Wings uniform.
Sanderson last week announced that defenders Kyle Sweeney (Springfield-Delco) and Shawn Nadelen have been signed to agreements for the 2009 season.
Nadelen will be entering his sixth year in the NLL. In 12 games played in 2008, he scored eight points and collected 88 loose balls.
Sweeney played in all 16 of the Wings games in 2008. He put up 25 points (five goals and 20 assists) and picked up 127 loose balls last season. Sweeney will be entering his fifth season in 2009.
Earlier this month, Sanderson announced that transition player John Christmas (Lower Merion) has been signed for 2009. Christmas scored 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) last year and collected 61 loose balls.
