The National Lacrosse League has announced that Portland LumberJax transition player Brodie Merrill has won Transition Player of the Year; Buffalo Bandits defenseman Billy Dee Smith has been named Defensive Player of the Year, and goaltender Ken Montour has won the Goaltender of the Year Award for the 2009 season.

Billy Dee Smith captured this year's Defenseman of the Year award in his sixth season in the league. Smith played in 13 games for the Bandits during the regular season, accumulating 47 loose balls - the second highest total of his career - in the process. He served as a key member of a Bandits defense that allowed the third lowest number of goals during the regular season (170), which equates to an average of 10.63 goals/game. Smith collected a total of 33 penalty minutes, and also assisted the offense with a career-best 12 points on five goals and seven assists during the season.

Transition player Brodie Merrill may have just had his best season yet. The four-time All-Star set career-high's in assists (33) and loose balls collected (216) as the Portland LumberJax finished second in the West Division. For his efforts, the Georgetown University alum has been named the league's Transition Player of the Year. Merrill also scored 14 goals as he finished with 47 points.

Playing in his seventh season in the NLL, Bandits goaltender Ken Montour submitted the best statistical season of his career. After beginning the season in a rotation with teammate Mike Thompson, Montour quickly established himself as the top goaltender on the Buffalo roster. At the end of the regular season, Montour posted the top goals against average (9.57) and save percentage (81.3%) in the league; he was the only starting goaltender with a goals against average under 10. He finished in a tie for second most wins amongst all goaltenders while compiling an 8-3 record and totaled the seventh most saves in the league with 451.

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The National Lacrosse League has announced that San Jose Stealth forward Rhys Duch has won the Rookie of the Year Award for the 2009 season. Duch made an immediate impact in his first season in the NLL. He played in all 16 regular season games for San Jose, scoring 35 goals and 54 assists for 89 points, the seventh best total in the league. The 89 points represents a new league record for rookie scoring, breaking the mark previously held by Gavin Prout, who scored 82 points as a rookie in 2002.

Duch was drafted out of SUNY-Stony Brook (Long Island, NY) by San Jose with the third overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft. The rookie's contributions played an important role as San Jose finished 7-9 and made it to the West Division Final. Duch is a member of the 2009 All-Rookie Team, which the league announced today.

The additional members of the All-Rookie Team are as follows:

Kevin Buchanan, Minnesota Swarm (Forward): Buchanan made his way onto the 2009 All-Rookie Team despite only playing in 11 games this year. The Ohio State University grad made the most of his time on the field, finishing third on the Swarm in goals (22) and tied for fourth in points (45). His 45 points during the regular season placed him third amongst all rookies and 50th in the league. Buchanan also picked up 58 loose balls during the season.

Daryl Veltman, Boston Blazers (Forward): Veltman played in 15 games for the expansion Blazers and finished in the top 15 league wide in goals, assists and points. The #1 overall draft pick in 2008 scored 34 goals and tallied 43 assists for 77 points. Veltman also picked up 92 loose balls, the fourth highest total on the Blazers team. He finished a close second to Rhys Duch in the Rookie of the Year voting.

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2009-05-12