NLL Insider Top 50: Kyle Sweeney #24

December 21st, 2009 by Paul Tutka

Kyle Sweeney (Photo: Dave Sanders)

Let’s drop the “American”.

As in, let’s drop using his nationality when describing the Philadelphia Wings’ Kyle Sweeney. He very well could be the top American defender in the National Lacrosse League today, but the fact of the matter is, based on his play over the past two plus seasons, Sweeney has transformed into one of the best defenders in the game, period.

American, Canadian, Native or even Chinese, Kyle Sweeney is a top five defender in today’s pro grame, there’s no debating it.

Like we mentioned with Scott Self and his one-year stay in Edmonton last year ealier in the Top 50, Sweeney helps lead a Wings’ D that may give up their fair share of goals, but on paper, these guys are one of the most versatile defensive casts in the game, but find themselves on a team that plays a back-and-forth, constant press style of ball that breeds high scores.

While we’ve mentioned several times that the Wings dropped close to 40 goals last season, the team also allowed a substantially fewer almost 30 goals in ‘09, a big reason for that, the play of Kyle Sweeney.

Sweeney is tenacious on loosies (finished within the league’s top ten for the second straight season with 130 LB), a slick O press kick-start (led all pure defenders with 25Pts last year), and seemingly never takes a shift off in a high paced playing environment where defenders usually have their work cut out for them.

While his athleticism always made him a threat, even as a rookie outta Georgetown University during the ‘05 season, Sweeney’s box lacrosse IQ has jumped multiple points over the past couple winters, the Wings most consistent, reliable and always improving D guy.

Fact: A staple in the Wings’ own end, and elsewhere on the rug at times too, Sweeney is the only Wing player that has not missed a single game over the past three seasons, his last game out of the Wings lineup going back to very early in the ‘06 season. The Wings’ current Iron Man, their career Iron Man of course being Kevin Finneran, has played in 63 consecutive games (regular season and playoffs) leading into the 2010 season, easily the franchise’s best current stretch.

# (last year)
24 (34) Kyle Sweeney, Philadelphia Wings
25 (15) Scott Self, Minnesota Swarm
26 (NR) Dan Teat, Philadelphia Wings
27 (5) Jeff Zywicki, Washington Stealth
28 (38) Brian Langtry, Colorado Mammoth
29 (44) Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
30 (41) Jeff Shattler, Calgary Roughnecks
31 (NR) Dane Dobbie, Calgary Roughnecks
32 (NR) Merrick Thomson, Philadelphia Wings
33 (NR) Daryl Veltman, Boston Blazers
34 (NR) Ian Hawksbee, Edmonton Rush
35 (NR) Phil Sanderson, Toronto Rock
36 (11) Ryan Cousins, Minnesota Swarm
37 (NR) Tyler Codron, Toronto Rock
38 (33) Luke Wiles, Washington Stealth
39 (47) Steve Toll, Rochester Knighthawks
40 (19) Blaine Manning, Toronto Rock
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