Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Warriors General Manager Curt Malawsky announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Kevin Crowley and welcomed back defender and former Captain of the Warriors, Matt Beers. Both players have agreed to multi-year contracts, pending NLL approval.
“We would like to welcome Kevin Crowley to the Vancouver Warriors,” said Malawsky on Crowley. “He is a premiere right-hander in the NLL and has a high lacrosse IQ. He also possesses an excellent outside shot and soft hands inside, which makes him a very tough matchup. In addition to being a large piece of the offensive puzzle, Kevin’s size and strength will be a huge asset in grinding teams down defensively. Lastly, his commitment to lacrosse in BC aligns greatly with our organization, and we look forward to his contributions on and off the floor.”
“We are very fortunate to have Matt back home where he belongs,” said Malawsky on Beers. “It is unfortunate the way his last negotiations went in Vancouver, and we will work to rectify the past mistakes. He is a very important part of this team and lacrosse in BC and will be treated that way going forward.
“First and foremost, ‘Beersy’ is an exceptional leader, and he will provide us with another great role model and mentor for our younger guys,” continued Malawsky. “He is one of the fiercest competitors in the NLL and his compete-level is off the charts. The will and drive to win is a very important intangible and a large part of the culture we are looking to create here in Vancouver.”
Crowley, 34, appeared in 18 games with the San Diego Seals last season, collecting 46 points (41-32-46) and six penalty minutes, as well as an additional six points (3-3-6) in San Diego’s one playoff game. Throughout his 11-year NLL career, he has posted nine seasons with at least 70 points, including a personal-best 90-point campaign in 2016 and a league-leading 51 goals in 2018.
Collectively, the 6’4”, 200-pound right-handed forward has amassed 351 goals, 470 assists and 821 points in 183 regular season games, along with an additional 56 points (22-34-56) in 14 playoff appearances. He has twice been named an NLL All-Pro and was named to the 2012 NLL All-Rookie Team following a successful collegiate career with Stony Brook University that saw him earn All-American Status in 2010 and 2011.
A native of New Westminster, BC, Crowley was originally selected first overall by the Philadelphia Wings in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft.
Beers, 33, returns to Vancouver after a two-year stint with the Saskatchewan Rush, where he registered 12 points (3-9-12) in all 18 games last season to go along with 75 loose balls and 18 caused turnovers. In his 12-year NLL career, of which 10 seasons have been spent with the Warriors/Stealth franchise, Beers has appeared in 193 regular season games, recording 131 points (29-102-131) and 602 penalty minutes. On the defensive side, he has registered 1001 loose balls while his 210 caused turnovers rank eighth in the NLL since 2011.
The 6’3”, 205-pound right-handed defender has also appeared in 10 NLL playoff games throughout his career, posting five points (1-4-5) and winning an NLL Championship with the Washington Stealth during his rookie season in 2010. Beers also had a stellar junior lacrosse career, helping the Coquitlam Adanacs to a Minto Cup Championship in 2010.
A product of Coquitlam, BC, Beers was originally selected by the Washington Stealth in the second round, 13th overall in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft.
In addition to Crowley and Beers, the Warriors have added six other free agents in the first week of NLL Free Agency, including goaltender Keegan Melenychuk and defenders Ryan Dilks, Trent Kellner, Nash Moog, Tyler Sceviour, and Nick Scott.
“Good people make good teams and adding these three outstanding leaders in Ryan [Dilks], Matt and Kevin to our existing leadership and players will help us immensely as we start to create a culture and standard that is synonymous with Warriors lacrosse,” added Malawsky.
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