The Review

Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: File Photo Former Hens' midfielder Jordan Hall was deported to Canada after the NLL season was canceled.

When Delaware alumnus Jordan Hall was selected by the New York Titans as the No. 1 overall pick in the National Lacrosse League Draft last spring, the midfielder thought he would spend this upcoming winter living in New York City and beginning his career with his new team.

Hall's plans abruptly changed on Oct. 16 when the NLL announced the complete cancellation of the upcoming 2008 season due to the Professional Lacrosse Players Association's executive committee rejecting the league's last Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal.

Hall is from Canada and does not have U.S. citizenship. He had to return to Canada since he is currently unemployed by the NLL.

"I didn't find out that the season was canceled until everyone else," Hall said. "As a player, I am upset that there is no season. I don't think it helps out the sport.

"I think that the owners and the players lose this year and it's tough to deal with."

The NLL, founded in 1986, is an indoor professional lacrosse league that operates during the winter.

Three former Delaware lacrosse players from last year's Hens' team, including Hall, were selected in the 2007 NLL Draft. Defender Rob Smith was chosen as the 29th overall pick, joining Hall on the Titans. Three picks later, midfielder Alex Smith was selected 32nd overall by the Boston Blazers.

"When I found out that the season was canceled, I was upset because I was looking forward to playing this fall," Alex Smith said. "I feel really bad for Jordan Hall though because he had to leave the country. I was talking to him and he went from having a job lined up to having to leave for Canada."

Hall said ever since Sept. 11, 2001, it has been difficult to get a green card. If he is not working in the United States, he cannot live in the country. Hall said he would like to be working, living and playing in the same city and thought it was going to happen this year, but now he has to live in Canada.

"I love being home, but it's frustrating that I'm not playing in the NLL this year," he said.

Hall, Rob and Alex all played pivotal roles in leading the Hens' lacrosse team to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament this past spring. Hall and Alex are former team captains and Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw had nothing but praise for the three players.

"The leadership that these three guys showed this past season was fantastic," Shillinglaw said. "It wasn't only their athletic ability. They are a lot of the reason that we had the success that we had."

Although Hall will not be playing in the NLL this year, he still plays plenty of lacrosse. He said during the summer he played for the Chicago Machine, a Major League Lacrosse team and he currently plays as much as he can.

He now plays in a beer league and said he wants to continue working on his game until he can join a better league.

All three players maintain regular contact with the university's lacrosse team and staff.

"We were down at a tournament [on Oct. 20] in Baltimore and we saw Alex there," Shillinglaw said. "He also stops by practice occasionally. He just likes to be around the team. Rob Smith is actually finishing his MBA degree at the university so we see him frequently. We are also in constant contact with Jordan."

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