B. J. Prager
Encyclopedia
William J. "B. J." Prager is a retired professional lacrosse
attackman who played professional field lacrosse
in the Major League Lacrosse
(MLL). He starred as a member of the Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
team from 1999 through 2002, where he was Ivy League
rookie of the year, a three-time United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
(USILA) All-American (twice third-team, once honorable mention), a four-time All-Ivy League selection (three-time first team), a team captain
and a NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player of a national champion team. For over a decade, he held the freshman goal scoring record at Princeton.
During his time at Princeton, the team qualified for the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
all four years, reached the championship game three times, won the championship game once and won four Ivy League championships. In his career, he has scored game-winning overtime goals in both state high school and national collegiate championship games as well as participated on two championship MLL teams.
. He began playing lacrosse in fifth grade. In high school, he played both lacrosse and soccer. He led Garden City High School to an undefeated 21–0 season culminating on his overtime game-winning goal in the 1997 New York State Public High School Athletic Association
Class B Lacrosse Championship. In 1996, the team had a 13–0–1 streak that included the Nassau County
and Long Island
Championships. During his high school career, he scored 154 goals.
tournament Most Outstanding Player. In both 2000 and 2002, he was a third team USILA All-American Team
selection, while he was an honorable mention in 2001. He was a first team All-Ivy League selection in 1999, 2000 & 2002 and a second team selection in 2001. He was a 2002 USILA Scholar All-American. He served as co-captain
of the 2002 team. His 25 goals as a freshman in 1999 was a Princeton freshman record. In 2010, Ivy League Rookie of the Year Mike Chanenchuk totaled 28 as a Princeton freshman to surpass Prager's record. During his four year career, Princeton won the Ivy League Conference outright each year, achieving undefeated 6–0 records in 1999–2001 and having a 5–1 record in 2002.
In 2000, Prager tore his anterior cruciate ligament
while he was the leading scorer with 23 goals in his first 8+ games and was lost for the remainder of the season. In the 2001 NCAA championship semifinals, Prager scored three goals against in a 12–11 victory. In the finals, he scored a total of four goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime
with an assist from Ryan Boyle
as well as the ninth goal in the 10–9 victory over Syracuse
. In the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
semifinals, he scored five goals in an 11–9 victory over Johns Hopkins, but in the 13–12 finals loss, Syracuse defenseman Solomon Bliss held him to one goal.
in an analyst training program. He played with the Bridgeport Barrage during the 2002
and 2003 MLL season
s and then the Philadelphia Barrage
from 2004
to 2006
. On July 19, 2003, Prager scored five goals in a 22–17 victory against the Baltimore Bayhawks
. The Barrage won the Steinfeld Cup
in both 2004 and 2006. In 2006, he scored the goal that ended the Denver Outlaws
' last lead possession of the game. He was second in the league in power play goals in 2004 and led both the 2004 and 2006 teams in shooting percentage. After retiring from professional play, Prager represented the New York Athletic Club.
.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
attackman who played professional field lacrosse
Field lacrosse
Field lacrosse, sometimes referred to as the "fastest sport on two feet," is a full contact outdoor men's sport played with ten players on each team. The sport originated among Native Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867....
in the Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
(MLL). He starred as a member of the Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
The Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team represents Princeton University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
team from 1999 through 2002, where he was Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
rookie of the year, a three-time United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
(USILA) All-American (twice third-team, once honorable mention), a four-time All-Ivy League selection (three-time first team), a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and a NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player of a national champion team. For over a decade, he held the freshman goal scoring record at Princeton.
During his time at Princeton, the team qualified for the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
all four years, reached the championship game three times, won the championship game once and won four Ivy League championships. In his career, he has scored game-winning overtime goals in both state high school and national collegiate championship games as well as participated on two championship MLL teams.
Background
Prager is from on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. He began playing lacrosse in fifth grade. In high school, he played both lacrosse and soccer. He led Garden City High School to an undefeated 21–0 season culminating on his overtime game-winning goal in the 1997 New York State Public High School Athletic Association
New York State Public High School Athletic Association
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is the governing body of interscholastic sports for many schools in New York. It consists of 768 member high schools from the state divided into 11 numbered sections...
Class B Lacrosse Championship. In 1996, the team had a 13–0–1 streak that included the Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
Championships. During his high school career, he scored 154 goals.
College career
At Princeton he earned the 1999 Men's Ivy League Rookie of the Year and the 2001 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship2001 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2001 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game was played at Rutgers Stadium in front of 24,135 fans. A Princeton goal with 41 seconds remaining in the first overtime period lifted second-seeded Tigers to a 10-9 victory against top-seeded Syracuse . With the victory, Princeton earned its sixth...
tournament Most Outstanding Player. In both 2000 and 2002, he was a third team USILA All-American Team
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
selection, while he was an honorable mention in 2001. He was a first team All-Ivy League selection in 1999, 2000 & 2002 and a second team selection in 2001. He was a 2002 USILA Scholar All-American. He served as co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the 2002 team. His 25 goals as a freshman in 1999 was a Princeton freshman record. In 2010, Ivy League Rookie of the Year Mike Chanenchuk totaled 28 as a Princeton freshman to surpass Prager's record. During his four year career, Princeton won the Ivy League Conference outright each year, achieving undefeated 6–0 records in 1999–2001 and having a 5–1 record in 2002.
In 2000, Prager tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
while he was the leading scorer with 23 goals in his first 8+ games and was lost for the remainder of the season. In the 2001 NCAA championship semifinals, Prager scored three goals against in a 12–11 victory. In the finals, he scored a total of four goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
with an assist from Ryan Boyle
Ryan Boyle
Ryan J. Boyle is a lacrosse player who plays professional field lacrosse for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse . He most recently played professional box lacrosse for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League until his release in 2011...
as well as the ninth goal in the 10–9 victory over Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
. In the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
In the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse National Championship game, Syracuse defeated Princeton by a score of 13-12. The game was a rematch of the 2001 championship game, which was won by Princeton. This time, Syracuse was victorious, led by Michael Powell's four goals and three assists.-...
semifinals, he scored five goals in an 11–9 victory over Johns Hopkins, but in the 13–12 finals loss, Syracuse defenseman Solomon Bliss held him to one goal.
Professional career
After graduating, Prager worked for Lehman BrothersLehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
in an analyst training program. He played with the Bridgeport Barrage during the 2002
2002 MLL season
2002 Major League Lacrosse season was the 2nd season of the league. The season began on June 6 and concluded with the championship game on September 1, 2002.-General information:Baltimore moved its home games to Ravens Stadium...
and 2003 MLL season
2003 MLL season
2003 Major League Lacrosse season was the 3rd season of the league. The season began on May 31 and concluded with the championship game on August 24, 2003.-General information:Schedule was reduced from 14 to 12 games....
s and then the Philadelphia Barrage
Philadelphia Barrage
The Philadelphia Barrage were a Men's Field Lacrosse team that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from the 2004 season until the 2008 season when they became a traveling team. Since the 2001 season, they have played in Major League Lacrosse. They started playing in the American Division, but...
from 2004
2004 MLL season
2004 Major League Lacrosse season was the 4th season of the league. The season began on May 22 and concluded with the championship game on August 22, 2004.-General information:...
to 2006
2006 MLL season
2006 Major League Lacrosse season was the 6th season of the league. The season began on May 20 and concluded with the championship game on August 27, 2006.-General information:...
. On July 19, 2003, Prager scored five goals in a 22–17 victory against the Baltimore Bayhawks
Baltimore Bayhawks
The Chesapeake Bayhawks are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland. They have played in the MLL since the 2001 season. From the league's inception in 2001 through 2005, they were in the National Division and from 2006 to 2008, they were in the...
. The Barrage won the Steinfeld Cup
Steinfeld Cup
The Steinfeld Cup is the trophy given annually to the winners ofthe New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship. It is named after MLL founder Jake Steinfeld...
in both 2004 and 2006. In 2006, he scored the goal that ended the Denver Outlaws
Denver Outlaws
The Denver Outlaws are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team. From 2006 to 2008, they were in the Western Conference. With the MLL contraction in the 2009 season from 10 to 6 teams The...
' last lead possession of the game. He was second in the league in power play goals in 2004 and led both the 2004 and 2006 teams in shooting percentage. After retiring from professional play, Prager represented the New York Athletic Club.
Personal
His father is Bill Prager. Prager is from a family of competitive lacrosse players: His younger brother, Matt, who was in the class of 2005, played at Princeton. The 2002 season was the first time the two of them played on the same organized team. Another brother, Pat, played lacrosse at C.W. PostLong Island University C.W. Post Campus
The C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is a private institution of higher education located in Brookville in Nassau County, New York, United States...
.
Princeton University
| Season | GP | G | A | Pts | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 2000 | 15 | 23 | 4 | 27 | -- | |
| 2001 | 15 | 36 | 4 | 40 | -- | |
| 2002 | 15 | 26 | 2 | 28 | -- | |
| Totals | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
MLL
The following are his MLL career stats:| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | G | 2ptG | A | Pts | LB | PIM | GP | G | 2ptG | A | Pts | LB | PIM | ||
| 2002 | Bridgeport | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003 | Bridgeport | 11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004 | Philadelphia | 11 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 2.5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | Philadelphia | 11 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 13 | 2.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | Philadelphia | 10 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 29 | 10 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | ||
| MLL Totals | 51 | 87 | 0 | 12 | 180 | 39 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 0 | |||
External links
- Prager at the Major League LacrosseMajor League LacrosseMajor League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...