NLL Insider Top 50: Sean Pollock #41

November 2nd, 2009 by Paul Tutka

Sean Pollock, Minnesota Swarm

Outside of Chad Culp, every player that outpointed Sean Pollock during his first season with the Minnesota Swarm in ‘05 has found their way outta Minny one way or another.

Gone are Craig Conn, D’Arcy Berthiaume, Jamie Taylor, Ryder Bateman, Kelly Hall, and then just this off-season, Ryan Ward, all six players topping Pollock’s pro sophomore 25-points in 13 games.

Last year, Pollock finished scaling the Swarm leaderboard, leading the team in points with 65-scratches on the score-sheet, and although Minnesota has made major changes throughout their lineup for 2010, the always improving Pollock looks like he ain’t going anywhere, the Swarm knowing exactly what they’re gonna get out of the six-year vet.

The year Pollock really increased his pro stock was his second year in Minny, where he went from fringe player to one of the most consistent forwards in the league. Yeah, you read that right. In fact, consistency is maybe the strongest part of Pollock’s game from top-to-bottom.

Currently riding an elevan game scoring streak, Pollock has only had four regular season games where he hasn’t registered at least a point in his five years in Minny (even during his first year there, when he was lower on the depth charts and playing fewer minutes), a trend usually only seen in the sport’s top scorers and playmakers. Guess what, he’s one of them.

In most of those games where Pollock failed to post a point, he was usually spending five minutes or more in the bin, including that epic season opening OT win the Swarm had over the Toronto Rock in ‘08, a game he still had some decent impact on.

So, whether the Swarm’s makeover ends up punching their ticket back into the playoffs, or they repeat ’09’s meltdownish season, one reoccurring theme will almost surely be present, and his name is Sean Pollock.

Fact: Previous to playing with both the K-W Braves and Burlington Chiefs in his final season of junior ball, Pollock was a career Jr. B player in the OLA, playing for both the Sarnia Pacers and Wallaceburg Red Devils. The ‘09 Swarm leading point-getter was drafted by the Columbus Landsharks 40th overall while playing for the Pacers. Along with Pollock, five other Swarm players were drafted that day, including Culp (9th New York Saints), Nick Patterson (19th Vancouver Ravens), Brock Boyle (24th Albany Attack, former Swarm full-timer who has recently re-signed heading into training camp), Riley Kemp (50th Calgary Roughnecks, injured) and Noah Talbot (82nd Vancouver Ravens). Also selected on the day, during the Montreal Express Dispersal Draft, was current Swarm defender Eric Pacey (7th Ottawa Rebel) and newly appointed Minny assistant coach, Aime Caines (6th Buffalo Bandits).

Bonus footage from Minnesota Swarm vs. Toronto Rock ‘08 season opener

# (last year)
41 (37) Sean Pollock, Minnesota Swarm
42 (NR) Mike Carnegie, Calgary Roughnecks
43 (NR) Scott Stewart, Edmonton Rush
44 (NR) Kaleb Toth, Calgary Roughnecks
45 (NR) Matt Disher, Edmonton Rush
46 (23) Ryan Ward, Edmonton Rush
47 (NR) Kyle Ross, Boston Blazers
48 (NR) Matt King, Calgary Roughnecks
49 (NR) Mac Allen, Rochester Knighthawks
50 (NR) Nick Inch, Minnesota Swarm