Saskatchewan adds Bowen, seven total in 2023 draft

Sep 16, 2023

SASKATOON - On Saturday, the Saskatchewan Rush selected seven players during the 2023 NLL Entry Draft. 

With the 12th overall selection in round one, GM Derek Keenan and company picked Levi Anderson from the Miners Lacrosse Club. 

Anderson, a 6'4 forward who currently plays NCAA at St Joseph's, was a standout at the 2023 Presidents Cup. In 21 senior games this summer, Levi averaged 5.5 points per game. 

In the second round, the Rush had three picks where they landed goaltender Thomas Kiazyk (20), forward Jake Bowen (20) and Josh Zawada (29). 

Kiazyk, a 6'3 goaltender from Ontario, won the Founders Cup in 2022 with the Nepean Knights. He posted an .881 save percentage this past season, with a .892 SV% in the playoffs. Thomas currently attends Carleton University. 

Bowen, who took the Edmonton Miners to a Minto Cup final in 2022, had 27 points in 16 games with the Langley Senior A Thunder this summer in the WLA. Jake's father, Jamey, played and coached for the Edmonton Rush.

Zawada, an American who is transfering to Duke University, played juniors in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League. In 51 NCAA games, he has 213 points. At the 2018 Minto Cup, Josh had a goal and six assists in four games while playing with Saskatchewan's first round pick, Anderson. 

In the 4th round, Saskatchewan picked up Curtis Bukta, a forward out of Newberry College at 58th overall. In 2019, he won a Minto Cup with the Orangeville Northmen, before finishing his junior career in Mimico.

With the 72nd pick overall, in the 5th round, the Rush stayed in province and went with local defender Sam Marshall. Marshall, played his Junior A lacrosse with the SWAT program, while representing Canada at the IIJL World Juniors on numerous occasions. 

To finish off the draft, Saskatchewan selected Whitby product Scott Reed in the 6th round, 87th overall. In 2022, he won a Minto Cup with the Whitby Warriors. Reed spent the summer with the Brooklin Merchants in Ontario Series Lacrosse.

Full draft results can be found here.

National Lacrosse League training camps open up in November.