Stealth take Koneczny, Zash in Orlando dispersal draft

The Washington Stealth added two defensemen Friday via the Orlando Titans player dispersal draft.

With the 10th pick in the first round, Washington selected left-handed defenseman Chet Koneczny. Koneczny, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound Nova Scotia native, recorded 12 points (two goals, 12 assists) for the Titans last season.

Originally drafted in the third round of the 2004 NLL entry draft by the Toronto Rock, Koneczny corralled 78 loose balls, including 12 in the 2010 East Division Final — a 15-10 loss for the Titans.

A graduate of York University in Toronto, Koneczny played his first professional season in the NLL last year. Prior, he was part of the Rock practice squad in 2005 and 2006 and played for several teams in the Ontario Lacrosse Association. He signed as a free agent with Orlando before last season’s training camp.

Koneczny, 26, has been playing this summer for the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association and now that he is part of the Stealth, Washington GM Doug Locker said Koneczny will probably move to Victoria full-time to focus on lacrosse and his teaching career.

On an interesting note, Koneczny played internationally for the Czech Republic at July’s FIL World (Field) Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England.

Matt Zash, another defenseman, was Washington’s pick in the dispersal draft’s second round (20th overall). Zash, a 5-11, 190-pound Duke University graduate, was selected 32nd overall by the New York Titans in 2006.

Zash earned a career-high 79 loose balls in 2009. This past season the 26-year-old Massapequa, N.Y., native, scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in 10 games for Orlando. Zash also collected 39 loose balls.

He plays in the summer for the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse.

Zash still needs to be signed to a new contract, according to Locker. The Stealth inherited the second year of Koneczny’s two-year deal with the Titans.