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Westervelt has become one of the sport's most dominating American finishers. (Larry Palumbo)

Every Tuesday Insider will release our next series of National Lacrosse League ball players ranked in our 2011 Top 50, our number one ranked player announced on the eve of the NLL season opener. Click here for a breakdown to find out what goes into selecting our Top 50, and check out this week’s next best below and after the jump.

45 (NR) Drew Westervelt, Philadelphia Wings
Westervelt’s 72-points last year was one of the highest totals for the Wings franchise from over the past several seasons, right up there with Athan Iannucci’s epic 2008 campaign. And oddly enough, for a team that sports more Americans on their roster than any other team in the league almost yearly, Westervelt’s point total from a season ago is the first time since Jake Bergey led the Wings in regular season points in 2001 that a US born player led the franchise in that column. In just three seasons in the NLL, Westervelt has slowly become one of the game’s top power forwards, already sitting at 71-goals on his career and a likely cornerstone player as Philadelphia looks to rework their franchise’s fortunes this upcoming season.

2011: What kind of additional damage can Westervelt do with former teammate and friend Brendan Mundorf on the floor? The two find themselves together in Philly after the Wings picked up Mundorf in the Orlando Titans dispersal, Denver Outlaws coach Brian Reese telling Inside Lacrosse that his MLL pair have, “a truly unique bond.”

44 (NR) Pat Merrill, Toronto Rock
When Merrill was originally drafted by the Rock first overall at the 2002 entry draft, many were hyping the already Mann Cup winner (Coquitlam Adanacs 2001) as a two-way worker that would start out the back door but also finish going the other way. While his scoring prowess hasn’t lived up to the hype (averages about a goal every 11 games over his career), his defensive skills have developed into some of the best in the sport today, Merrill a defensive on-and-off floor leader on a variety of levels. Merrill is as gritty, physical and punishing as they come, a D leader the Titans organization built their backend around as they went from expansion punching bag to Cup contenders and almost winners the past two pro seasons. A member on Team Canada’s silver medal roster this past summer, Merrill is a pure defensive standout who can fire up the troops maybe better than any player in the league today. The Rock’s off-season steal has been a regular mention in Insider’s 20Q when players are asked about inspirational pre-game chats (check out Jordan Hall’s interview where he mentions Merrill’s lack of pearly whites potentially even enhancing his leadership skills).

Fearless in his appraoch and never afraid to get his hands dirty, Merrill is one of the game's top defensive leaders. (Palumbo)

2011: Now back with the team that originally drafted him in Toronto, Merrill finds himself in an up tempo, high pressure defensive system he’s already excelled in playing for Troy Cordingley and Terry Sanderson in Brampton when they won a pair of Mann Cups. Will Merrill’s in demand yet thankless job finally get the mainstream recognition it’s really failed to garner in the NLL? The Rock’s D should be scary good in 2011, the addition of a vet like Merrill a big reason for that.

Numbers: Merrill already sits at 351 career regular season penalty minutes, ranking him amongst the ten most penalized players in the league’s history. The NLL all-time leader? Rochester Knighthawks defender Kyle Laverty, who sits at 534 and counting heading into the 2011 season.

43 (NR) Curtis Hodgson, Washington Stealth
It really is mind boggling how little ink and praise Curtis Hodgson gets in the NLL. Few are as steady, experienced and able as Hodgson, who has already won two WLA Defender of the Year honours during his impressive career, also a five-time year-end All-Pro member in the western loop too. Hodgson was also arguably the best pure defender for the for the champion Washington Stealth last year, one of the best defensive defenders during this year’s Mann Cup for the New Westminster Salmonbellies as well. Bellies Head Coach Bob Salt described Hodgson as “absolutely awesome” (BC Local News) in post-Mann talk, a difference maker for the almost champs against the Peterborough Lakers. He may not have the explosiveness of a smash mouth type defender or the wheels of up-and-down two-way D guy, but few in the game make as few mistakes, read the floor as well, and shutdown offensive opportunities like Hodgson.

Curtis Hodgson won a Champion's Cup and almost this year's Mann Cup too. (Photo: Matt J. Wiater)

Honourable Mention: Although it was his suspension due to a brawl with the Minnesota Swarm that grabbed  him 2010 headlines, Hodgson’s NLL teammate Mike Grimes strung together a really impressive season for the Stealth last year, following that up with arguably an even better WLA season, the league’s Defender of the Year while suiting up for the Langley Thunder (Langley Advance). Look for big things from Grimes this winter as he continues to climb the league’s defensive ranks playing and starring in one of the best D units in lacrosse.

Check out the brawl Grimes was smack dab in the middle of last year against Minny…

42 (NR) Paul Rabil, Washington Stealth
We were tough on Rabil coming out of his rookie year. After missing the San Jose Stealth’s training camp and looking like a rookie, well, a rookie without a training camp under his belt and coming from a field only background, many were pretty stunned when Rabil was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team over the likes of more impressive first year guys like Jon Harnett and Greg Downing to name a few. Last year though, that was all very, very, very much legit. Rabil went from a rook learning the ropes to a full fledged difference  maker for the best team in the league. Versatile, athletic, quick, and a rifle of a shot that he can pull the trigger on no matter which hand it’s in, Paul Rabil was one of the top two-way players in the NLL in 2010, period. Zero hype, all substance.

2011: How much better can he get? His 2010 has left us slivating at the thought.

Plus… Check out Rabil’s recent feature in the New York Times, entitled, “Can Paul Rabil Make Lacrosse Sexy?”

After lackluster NLL efforts, the Evans brothers were instrumental in Peterborough's epic Mann Cup win. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

41 (29) Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
Based on his season with the Knighthawks alone, Shawn Evans woulda been on the outside of this year’s Top 50, no doubt. He set a career low in goals (11), posted his smallest helper and total digits since his rookie year (34A, 45Pts) and featured on a Rochester team that ranked dead last in offense. His summer however… legendary. Evans went on to lead the MSL in points, was a regular season MVP contender and then topped it off with a Mann Cup performance that not only helped the Peterborough Lakers win the gold, Evans set single series offensive records and was named the Cup’s MVP. Not too shabby.

2011: With a dysfunctional offense in Rochester, where does this year’s Mann Cup MVP fit in? He has the chops to lead a cast, but continues to find himself in an almost secondary role with the K’Hawks. No way he buries only 11 in 2011 no matter what kinda gig he’s handed by Hasen and Co.

# (last year)
50 (NR) Rory Smith, Minnesota Swarm
49 (NR) Jamie Shewchuk, Colorado Mammoth
48 (NR) Curtis Manning, Calgary Roughnecks
47 (NR) Alex Gajic, Colorado Mammoth
46 (25) Scott Self, Buffalo Bandits
45 (NR) Drew Westervelt, Philadelphia Wings
44 (NR) Pat Merrill, Toronto Rock
43 (NR) Curtis Hodgson, Washington Stealth
42 (NR) Paul Rabil, Washington Stealth
41 (29) Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks

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