Nolan Godfrey

Nolan Godfrey
Born	March 31, 1981 (1981-03-31) (age 30), Haverhill, Massachusetts
Position	Midfield/FO (field) Transition/FO (box)
Height Weight	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 193 pounds (88 kg)
NCAA Team	Merrimack College
MLL Team F. Teams	free agent Philadelphia Barrage Boston Cannons
Nationality	United States
Shoots	Right
Website	http://faceoffclub.com
Career Highlights
College highlights NCAA All-American, Second Team, (2005) Northeast-10 All-Conference, First Team, (2005) NEILA All-New England, Midfielder (2005, 2006) NEILA Senior East-West All-Star Game (2006) Northeast-10 All-Academic (2006) Draft history 2006 NLL Entry Draft Buffalo Bandits: 4th round, 50th pick 2007 MLL Supplemental Draft Philadelphia Barrage: 1st round, 10th pick

Nolan Godfrey is a professional lacrosse player, entrepreneur, and entertainer in the United States. A former All-American at Merrimack College, he has experience in Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League, Senior A level box lacrosse in the Western Lacrosse Association, and for USA Indoor. Perhaps the most impressive fact about Godfrey's career is that while he only began playing the sport one month short of his 21st birthday, four years later he was an NCAA All-American and the year following was drafted to the MLL in the 1st Round.^[1]

Godfrey is the president of Elite Player Development, LLC. His company provides a wealth of lacrosse development and college recruiting programs throughout New England, the Southeastern and the Midwestern United States, and Europe. Godfrey also utilizes his professional background in the coaching and sport psychology fields to contract speaking engagements with executive management and non-profit organizations to aid in their productivity and personnel management success.

Godfrey has a unique background in the entertainment industry with Hollywood film acting experience along with acting, stunt performing, and production work in television. He was recently involved with MTV's upcoming Teen Wolf series as a sports choreographer and technical advisor, stunt double, actor, and camera operator for several episodes to debut in the summer of 2011^[2].

Background

Born Nolan Patrick Godfrey on March 31, 1981 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Godfrey is the son of Dennis Godfrey and Martha Corcoran. He has a sister Megan and a brother Logan. His brother played Division III lacrosse as an attackman for Salem State College. His father played Division I football at Boston University and UMass-Amherst. Godfrey attended and graduated from Haverhill High School.

College career

2005 season

Godfrey arrived to play for Merrimack College when they were at the tail end of a rebuilding era (3-9 in 2003, 6-8 in 2004). The opposing coaches of the Northeast-10 Conference had a cynical view of the program as the Warriors were ranked #6 in the league's preseason poll.^[3] Progress came slowly as the Warriors started with a bleak 3–4 record through the first half of the year. However, they used consecutive overtime victories over nationally ranked NE10 opponents Bentley College and Bryant University two days apart to rip off a string of 8 straight wins to close out the regular season at 11-4. This gave them the luxury of a quarterfinal bye in the conference playoffs with home-field advantage in the next round. Godfrey dominated top specialists from both of those two league foes going a combined 19 for 31 on draws (winning both overtime FO) versus Bentley and Bryant^[4] to bring Merrimack into the Division II Top 10 poll the following week for the first time in 5 years.^[5] The Warriors would never again leave the Top 10 rankings during Godfrey's career with them.

What was arguably Godfrey's best career game certainly came at a proper time, as he went 21 for 23 on face-offs with 12 ground balls in a semi-final playoff match with Bryant University.^[6] Godfrey won the final 11 draws of the game (including both in 2OT), but Merrimack fell to Bryant 10-9 in the second overtime. His efforts did not go unnoticed as Godfrey collected All-American (second team), All-Conference (first team), and All-New England honors for the 2005 year. He finished second nationally with a .682 success rate on face-offs.^[7]

2006 season

Prior to the 2006 season, Godfrey was named to the Inside Lacrosse preseason All-America team.^[8] He entered the season a team captain and his team had momentum from the previous spring coupled with one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country.

Merrimack started strong with a 9-3 record heading into a nationally televised game with NE10 rival LeMoyne College. During one 5 quarter stretch over two games, Godfrey won 29 consecutive draws. Merrimack dropped a conference loss to LeMoyne but rebounded with a season-closing win over Saint Anselm.

The Warriors once again hosted the Bryant Bulldogs in the NE10 Semi-final, this time advancing to the title game with a 12-10 win.^[9] En route to victory Godfrey edged out current Denver Outlaws face-off specialist Andrew Hennessey, going 12 for 22 on draws.^[10] Godfrey and teammates traveled to LeMoyne for the second time in two weeks and started the fourth quarter of the NE10 Conference Championship game within reach 6-3, though closed out as league runners-up as LeMoyne won 10-3.^[11]

Godfrey capped off a workhorse campaign leading the nation in face-off attempts (345) and ground balls (131) and ranking second in face-off wins (211). He finished his Merrimack career with a 22-10 record and several school records in all face-off and ground ball categories (see Table 1.0 below).

Professional career

National Lacrosse League

Nolan Godfrey was initially drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in the 4th round (50th overall selection) of the 2006 NLL Entry Draft^[12] at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Major League Lacrosse

In December 2006, Godfrey was selected with the tenth overall pick in the 1st round of the 2007 MLL Supplemental Draft by the defending MLL Champion Philadelphia Barrage.^[13] He was acquired prior to the 2008 season by his hometown Boston Cannons.^[14] Godfrey began each of his two MLL seasons with his respective teams, though went to Canada both summers to play Senior level indoor box lacrosse.

Team USA Indoor

Godfrey prepared for the 2008 indoor season by playing transition for Team USA Indoor at the Warrior Cup in Six Nations (Ontario, Canada) and on their Developmental Team's arena exhibition tour.^[15]

Canadian Lacrosse Association

Perhaps the strongest part of Godfrey's lacrosse skill set lies on the box lacrosse floor. He was one of the first Americans to embark on an extended career in Canadian box lacrosse and his first season up North was chronicled in a journal series published in Inside Lacrosse magazine in late 2006.^[16] His initial experience in the Canadian ranks was unique as he was part of a CLA record 3 consecutive ties with Brooklin of the Ontario Lacrosse Association in 2006. Godfrey got an example of excellence in winning loose balls as his Canadian debut was against the Ajax-Pickering Rock and Jim Veltman who is considered the greatest loose ball player in the history of box lacrosse.^[17]

Godfrey has been one of the most dominant players in the face-off circle in recent memory in the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA). However, face-offs have less impact on the box game comparative to field lacrosse with the 30-second shot clock and frequent changes of possession.^[18] Therefore, maintaining a roster spot on a Canadian team meant that Godfrey needed to add value in other facets than the draw circle. In addition to full-time duties taking draws, Godfrey has split time at the defensive end as well as in the transition position. His two-way play in 2007 gave rise to a burst of scoring output that had not been typical of previous years. Godfrey finished with 9 points (3g, 6a) in 7 games played between the Valleyfield and Longueuil franchises in the province of Quebec.

His career evolved to the highest level of play in Canada in the summer of 2008 when he signed and suited up with the Nanaimo Timbermen of the Senior A Western Lacrosse Association in British Columbia. This highlight was dulled shortly into his season when he dislocated his shoulder and was sidelined for the remaining games.

Defined by scrappy play and a proficiency in winning loose balls in the open floor, Godfrey's protection of his teams has racked up 76 penalty minutes in 23 career games. Fighting is a 5-minute penalty in CLA play. He has experience in the United States as a welterweight competitor in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), but has had several fighting opponents on the Canadian lacrosse floor.

Godfrey's commitment to the indoor game was evident in 2009 when he partnered with Essex, VT businessman Jeff Culkin in starting the first American box lacrosse franchise to compete in an otherwise exclusively Canadian league.^[19] The two co-owners debuted the Vermont Voyageurs in their inaugural season competing in the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League (QSLL) in 2009. Culkin remains as majority owner and General Manager while Godfrey serves as minority owner and Vice President of Marketing and Player Personnel.

Coaching and business career

Godfrey is an experienced coach with time in the NCAA ranks at Division II Saint Anselm College, founder of two Massachusetts boys high school programs (Haverhill High School and Central Catholic High School), Massachusetts Division I state finalist with Billerica Memorial High School,^[20] and growing the Texas landscape as former head coach of St. Andrew's Episcopal in Austin^[21] and Plano Senior High School.^[22] He has toured Europe on several occasions to grow the game on a grassroots level by running camps in Spain, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Scotland, and Finland. Godfrey was a guest clinician at the 2008 European Lacrosse Championships in Lahti, Finland and blogged about the trip in Inside Lacrosse.^[23] He has also coached for the Spanish National Team in 2007.^[24]

An innovative entrepreneur of the sport, Godfrey is known as a preeminent clinician of the face-off position^[25] through his company, FaceOff Club. US Lacrosse has invited him to be a featured speaker at their 2011 National Convention in Baltimore.^[26] Godfrey's business pursuits extend also to Claddagh Lacrosse and Southern Combat Lacrosse.

His business experience is complemented by graduate work at Boston University in their Master's program in Coaching and Sport Psychology. BU boasts one of the only such programs in the nation and their research is focused through their Institute for Athletic Coach Education. Godfrey has taken his higher education and advanced his business to contracting speaking engagements with major corporations and organizations to train their executives and upper management in the topics of team leadership, group coaching, positive psychology, and motivation.

Personal

Godfrey is also involved in the entertainment industry and has appeared in two Hollywood productions. He has produced several documentaries of the lacrosse and sports cultures in several European nations. His latest work has been with MTV in their upcoming "Teen Wolf" series in the area of sports choreography and technical advisory, stunt doubling, acting, and camera operation.^[27]

Honors/Achievements

Honors

• NCAA All-American (2005) - Second Team, Specialist
• Northeast 10 All-Conference (2005) - First Team, Specialist
• NEILA All-New England (2005, 2006) - Midfielder
• NEILA Senior East-West All-Star Game (2006)
• Northeast-10 All-Academic (2006)^[28]

Achievements (Table 1.0)

• NCAA Statistical Leader in Ground Balls (2006) - 131
• NCAA Statistical Runner-up in Face-off Wins (2006) - 211
• NCAA Statistical Runner-up in Face-off Wins (2006) - 197
• NCAA Statistical Runner-up in Face-off Percentage (2006) - .682

Godfrey is the Merrimack College record holder in all of these single-season categories^[29]

Statistics

NCAA

Season	School			GP	FO win	FO att	FO%	GB
2005	Merrimack			16	197	289	.682	89
2006	Merrimack			16	211	345	.612	131
NCAA Totals				32	408	634	.643	220

Canadian Lacrosse Association

Season	Team	League	Province		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	LB	FO win	FO att	FO%
2006	Brooklin	OLA Sr.B	Ontario		3	0	1	1	8	13	7	11	.636
2007	Valleyfield	QSLL Sr.B	Quebec		6	2	6	8	22	79	95	114	.833
2007 (trade)	Longueuil	QSLL Sr.B	Quebec		1	1	0	1	6	8	11	14	.786
2008	Nanaimo	WLA Sr.A	British Columbia		2	0	0	0	4	7	11	16	.688
2009	Vermont	QSLL Sr.B	Quebec		7	0	0	0	12	44	108	131	.824
2011	Vermont	QSLL Sr.B	Quebec		4	0	0	0	24	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CLA Totals					23	3	7	10	76	151	232	286	.811

References

1. ^ http://www.hgazette.com/sports/x1723394619/Godfrey-s-pro-lacrosse-career-grows
2. ^ http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/02/teen-wolf-mtv-sets-premiere-date.html
3. ^ http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/mlax/2004/news/2005Mar8_Pre_Poll
4. ^ http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/mlax/2004/news/2005Apr7Mack
5. ^ http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=847
6. ^ http://kahuna.merrimack.edu/~athletics/mlax/05/GAME16.HTM
7. ^ http://www.northeast10.org/sports/mlax/2005-06/news/2006091406mergodfreynll
8. ^ http://www.lemoynedolphins.com/sports/mlax/2006/news/20051219_mlaxFACEOFFAA
9. ^ http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=3961
10. ^ http://merrimackathletics.com/sports/mlax/Old_Stats/2006/game15.htm
11. ^ http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=4009
12. ^ http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=322
13. ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3403699
14. ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3567150
15. ^ http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=9200
16. ^ http://www.northeast10.org/sports/mlax/2005-06/news/2006091406mergodfreynll
17. ^ http://nll.com/article.php?id=3787
18. ^ http://nll.com/uploads/2008rulebook.pdf
19. ^ http://www.ilindoor.com/2009/05/01/champlain-challenge-cup-set-for-vermont/
20. ^ http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=848
21. ^ http://www.sasaustin.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=489345&sdm=2
22. ^ http://www.westsidelax.com/Nolan-Godfrey-Named-New-Plano-Head-Coach
23. ^ http://insidelacrosse.com/blog/2008/08/25/european-championships-atmosphere-lahti
24. ^ http://forums.insidelacrosse.com/showthread.php?t=95348
25. ^ http://www.wikihow.com/Face-off-in-Lacrosse
26. ^ http://laxmagazine.com/blogs/dasilva/111110_us_lacrosse_convention_speakers_boast_broad_backgrounds
27. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1567432/fullcredits#cast
28. ^ http://www.northeast10.org/sports/mlax/2005-06/news/2060522ne10mlaxallacademic
29. ^ http://merrimackathletics.com/sports/mlax/2010-11/Record_Book.pdf

Persondata
Name	Godfrey, Nolan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 31, 1981
Place of birth	Haverhill, Massachusetts
Date of death
Place of death