ITHACA, N.Y. -- Three-time All-American and 2011 national player of the Year Rob Pannell was the first player selected in the 2012 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft on Friday evening by his hometown team, the Long Island Lizards. Additionally, midfielders Roy Lang (second round), Chris Langton (sixth round) and JJ Gilbane (sixth round) were also taken in the draft.

For the second year in a row, the MLL Collegiate Draft was held before the start of the upcoming NCAA season and only seniors with expiring eligibility were eligible to be drafted. With the move, drafted players can directly join their respective MLL teams following their senior seasons.

Pannell, a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and the Jack Turnbull Award winner as the Division I national attackman of the year, was a 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy finalist and a nominee for a 2011 ESPY in the category of Best Male Collegiate Athlete. Pannell was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Ivy League tournament and was named the Ivy League Player of the Week on four occasions. He led the nation in points per game (5.24), while ranking second overall in assists per game (2.76), and ninth overall in goals per game (2.47). He enters his senior year with the most career assists (140) and career points (236) of any active player in Division I men's lacrosse.

Lang was taken 11th overall in the second round by the Rochester Rattlers after earning the first All-America accolade of his career with a first-team selection after earning a unanimous first-team All-Ivy nod in 2011. A strong two-way player and a crucial part of the Big Red's face-off unit, Lang picked up 38 ground balls and caused eight turnovers. He also led the team with four game-winning goals, including a dramatic overtime tally against Penn on March 26, and registered Cornell's only man-down goal of the season against Yale in the Ivy League semifinal game. For his efforts against the Bulldogs and Harvard in the championship game, Lang was named to the 2011 Ivy League All-Tournament team.

Langton saw action in all 17 games on the Big Red's second offensive midfield during his junior season in 2011. He finished the year with eight goals and seven assists to go along with seven ground balls and one caused turnover. Of his eight goals, five came against Ivy League opponents, including man-up tallies against Penn and Brown. Langton's goal against Brown was also considered the game-winner. Langton was selected 42nd overall by the Ohio Machine.

Gilbane went six picks later, number 48 overall by the Boston Cannons. He saw a significant jump in playing time during his junior season as he moved onto the Big Red's second offensive midfield. He played in all 17 games and finished the year with 12 goals and two assists for 14 points. Gilbane also picked up 12 ground balls and caused two turnovers. He registered a career-high two goals against Brown, Harvard in the Ivy League championship game and Hartford in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Cornell opens the 2012 season with a visit to Hobart on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.