B. J. Prager

B. J. Prager
— Lacrosse player —
Position Attackman
NCAA team Princeton University
Former MLL teams Bridgeport Barrage (2002–2003)
Philadelphia Barrage (2004–2006)
Nationality United States
NLL Draft 70th overall, 2002
Vancouver Ravens
Pro career 2002–2006
Website MLL webpage
Career highlights
College highlights
Records
  • Princeton freshman year goals (25, 1999–2010)
Professional highlights

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.

Background

Prager is from Garden City, New York on Long Island.[1] He began playing lacrosse in fifth grade.[2] In high school, he played both lacrosse and soccer.[3] 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.[4] In 1996, the team had a 13–0–1 streak that included the Nassau County and Long Island Championships.[5] During his high school career, he scored 154 goals.[4]

College career

At Princeton he earned the 1999 Men's Ivy League Rookie of the Year[6] and the 2001 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament Most Outstanding Player.[7] In both 2000 and 2002, he was a third team USILA All-American Team selection,[8][9] while he was an honorable mention in 2001.[10] He was a first team All-Ivy League selection in 1999, 2000 & 2002 and a second team selection in 2001.[11][12][13][14] He was a 2002 USILA Scholar All-American.[15] He served as co-captain of the 2002 team.[16] His 25 goals as a freshman in 1999 was a Princeton freshman record.[17] In 2010, Ivy League Rookie of the Year Mike Chanenchuk totaled 28 as a Princeton freshman to surpass Prager's record.[18][19][20] 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.[11][12][13][14]

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.[3][21] In the 2001 NCAA championship semifinals, Prager scored three goals against Towson State in a 12–11 victory.[22] 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.[23][24][25] In the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship semifinals, he scored five goals in an 11–9 victory over Johns Hopkins,[26] but in the 13–12 finals loss, Syracuse defenseman Solomon Bliss held him to one goal.[27]

Professional career

After graduating, Prager worked for Lehman Brothers in an analyst training program.[2] He played with the Bridgeport Barrage during the 2002 and 2003 MLL seasons and then the Philadelphia Barrage from 2004 to 2006.[28] On July 19, 2003, Prager scored five goals in a 22–17 victory against the Baltimore Bayhawks.[29] 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.[30] He was second in the league in power play goals in 2004 and led both the 2004 and 2006 teams in shooting percentage.[31][32] After retiring from professional play, Prager represented the New York Athletic Club.[33]

Personal

His father is Bill Prager.[3] 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.[2] Another brother, Pat, played lacrosse at C.W. Post.[2]

Statistics

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:[28]

    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

References

  1. ↑ Wallace, William N. (1999-05-19). "Lacrosse: Notebook; Johns Hopkins Tries For Revenge at Hofstra". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Russell, Chandra (2002-03-15). "Q & A with B. J. Prager of m. lacrosse". The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Silver, Zach (2002-04-02). "A storybook career nearing its close: Princeton's B.J. Prager returned last season to dominate the Ivies". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  4. 1 2 "Season Highlights". GardenCityLacrosse.com. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  5. ↑ Molinet, Jason (1996-11-16). "Garden City Marches On / Prager keys boys victory". Newsday. p. A36. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  6. ↑ "Men's Ivy League Outstanding Performers". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
  7. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse" (PDF). Princeton University. p. 23. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  8. ↑ "2002 Division I USILA All-American Team" (PDF). United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  9. ↑ "USILA 2000 Division I All-Americans" (PDF). United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  10. ↑ "USILA 2001 Division I All-Americans" (PDF). United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  11. 1 2 "1999 Ivy Men's Lacrosse". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on 2005-01-22. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  12. 1 2 "2000 Ivy Men's Lacrosse". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on 2005-01-22. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  13. 1 2 "2001 Ivy Men's Lacrosse". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on 2005-01-22. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  14. 1 2 "2002 Ivy Men's Lacrosse". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on 2005-01-13. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  15. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse" (PDF). Princeton University. p. 25. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  16. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse" (PDF). Princeton University. p. 21. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  17. ↑ "From Princeton Athletics". Inside Lacrosse. Street & Smith's Sports Group. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  18. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse" (PDF). Princeton University. p. 26. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  19. ↑ "Chanenchuk Named Ivy Rookie Of the Year; Four Tigers First-Team". Princeton University. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  20. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse: Pannell, balance rule All-Ivy honors". Inside Lacrosse. Street & Smith's Sports Group. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  21. ↑ Litsky, Frank (2000-04-27). "Lacrosse: Notebook; Share of Title Proves Costly". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  22. ↑ Litsky, Frank (2001-05-27). "Lacrosse; Syracuse and Princeton Earn Rematch for Title". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  23. ↑ "Men's Lacrosse" (PDF). Princeton University. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  24. ↑ Litsky, Frank (2001-05-29). "Lacrosse; Tigers Come Through When It Counts for the Title". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  25. ↑ "Men's lacrosse team wins national championship". Princeton University. 2001-05-28. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  26. ↑ Litsky, Frank (2002-05-26). "Lacrosse; Princeton and Syracuse to Meet Again in Final". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  27. ↑ "Lacrosse; Syracuse Holds Off Princeton for the Title". The New York Times. 2002-05-28. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  28. 1 2 "2010 Major League Lacrosse Player Encyclopedia" (PDF). Major League Lacrosse. p. 109. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  29. ↑ Zrebiec, Jeff (2003-07-20). "Bayhawks can't stop Barrage, lose, 22-17: Previously winless team hands defending champs 2nd straight home defeat". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  30. ↑ "Barrage roll over Outlaws en route to 2nd MLL Championship". Lax.com. 2006-08-27. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  31. ↑ "2007 Major League Lacrosse Record Book: 2004" (PDF). Major League Lacrosse. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  32. ↑ "2007 Major League Lacrosse Record Book: 2006" (PDF). Major League Lacrosse. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  33. ↑ Sweeney, Kyle. "NYAC Men's Lacrosse Championship Game". New York Athletic Club. Retrieved 2010-08-20.

External links

Preceded by
Liam Banks		 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player
2001 		Succeeded by
Mike Powell
Preceded by
Keith Cynar		 Men's Lacrosse Ivy League Rookie of the Year
2000 		Succeeded by
Matt Primm

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