University of North Carolina Athletics
MLL Rookie of the Year Chris Cloutier
GoHeels Exclusive: Cloutier’s Magical Run From NCAA Champ To MLL Rookie Of The Year
October 10, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse, Featured Writers
Read a where are they now feature on the stellar Tar Heel
By Jeff Friday, UNC Athletics Communications Student Assistant
The senior Carolina men's lacrosse attackman sat in his living room in Chapel Hill, N.C. It was April 18, 2018. He had just gotten out of practice, preparing for the final game of the regular season. Postseason hopes were still intact depending on the result of its match the following Saturday against Notre Dame.
Chris Cloutier sat down on the couches with his housemates and teammates and turned on the TV. It was an important night for the sport of lacrosse: draft night. The Major League Lacrosse (the professional field lacrosse league), draft started at 6:30 p.m. There were high hopes of hearing a couple of the graduating Tar Heels' names called and seeing their dreams of being a professional athlete come true and Cloutier was one of them.
The first round, only nine picks, went by. Nothing for the Kitchener, Ontario native. Then the second round came and went. Followed by the third. After the third, the draft was taken off the air, to be continued, untelevised. Cloutier turned off the TV, thinking he just didn't get drafted.
As time went on, he didn't hear anything. Not a word from any team. Then he received a congratulatory text from a friend. Cloutier took out his phone, read the text and responded with the first three words that came to his head: "Where'd I go?"
The fourth round pick out of North Carolina was taken 29th overall by the Denver Outlaws, an MLL powerhouse. The Outlaws were no strangers to success, winning the championship in 2015 and 2016, and falling just short in the 2017 title game.
After a short celebration with friends and reaching out to his parents, Cloutier received his phone call.
"The coach called me and asked me if I could play the next weekend but I couldn't because we didn't know at UNC if we were out yet or not," Cloutier explained.
By the end of the night two members of Carolina's team had been drafted, Cloutier to the Outlaws as the 29th overall pick and his roommate William McBride to the Atlanta Blaze as the 51st pick. But, immediately, not much changed for the pair.
The next day, Cloutier went to class then laced up his cleats at practice. He was still on the North Carolina men's lacrosse team and the team still had a goal to earn a spot in the postseason. After a frustrating senior year, constantly being double or triple-teamed, he stepped onto the field in Carolina Blue and White for the last time the Saturday after the draft.
The Tar Heels, who were 6-7 at the time, faced Notre Dame, but needed a near impossible result to make the playoffs that involved winning, goals scored and possibly even goal margin. Even if playoffs weren't an option, this team wasn't going to back down and take a losing record for the season. The game came down to the wire, with Notre Dame leading 9-8 with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Then Cloutier took control. The senior captain scored two goals in a matter of just 38 seconds, his 30th and 31st goals of the 2018 campaign. The two goals gave Carolina the victory 10-9 sending the 2018 seniors out on a winning note and halting an excruciating seven-game losing streak.
"The moment that summed up my four years was the fact that we won that last game," said Cloutier. "In my four years, I've never been on a team that just gave up."
Following the conclusion of the season, Cloutier kept doing what he normally did. He continued to train and go to class. His main focus was to finish his degree, a Bachelors of Arts in communications.
His initial pro debut was intended to be the Outlaws' matchup with the Chesapeake Bayhawks on May 13, Mother's Day, or more commonly known around the UNC campus as Graduation Day. And it would have been, had it not been for his mother already scheduling a flight to come see him walk across the stage in Kenan Memorial Stadium.
Following graduation, Cloutier went home for three days and then traveled to Denver for a quick evaluation while practicing with the team. It was the type of evaluation that was a make it or break it moment. If the coaches liked him, they would play him. If not, he would be put on the back burner. For Cloutier, there was a sense of right-place, right-time in his arrival in Denver.
"They said we're going to have you come out, practice and see if we will play you," Cloutier stated. "I went out and the other attackman Matt Kavanagh got hurt, so I played."
Cloutier's professional debut was May 19 as Denver hosted the Charlotte Hounds. By scoring the first three goals of the game in just 5:09, Cloutier proved his worth to the Outlaws early. With six goals and two assists in that game, he solidified his spot on the roster and earned the Warrior Offensive Player of the Week award from MLL. The small idiosyncrasies of the professional game didn't faze Cloutier in the least.
"It was a pretty quick adjustment," Cloutier elaborated. "I grew up playing with my friends where you could dive in the crease because it was more fun and it actually worked out in my favor."
The Outlaws traveled to the Tar Heel State on June 2 to face the Hounds, again, for Cloutier's second career game. Cloutier tallied four points, two goals and two assists, in a 16-13 win and established himself as a staple in the Outlaws attacking corps.
Earning a spot on the team landed him plane tickets… and more plane tickets. After leaving Chapel Hill, Cloutier moved back home to Kitchener, Ontario for the summer. In addition to being a professional athlete, Cloutier was working a labor job in Cambridge, Ontario. He worked Monday through Friday in Ontario then traveled on the weekends to meet with the Outlaws wherever they are playing.
The success didn't stop after the first two games. His third game, on June 16 against the Florida Launch, resulted in an eight-point (four goals, four assists) performance for the rookie in a 26-15 win. Then came his fourth game, seven points on six goals and one assist in a 17-13 win over Ohio Machine. And then in his fifth, he added nine points to the tally by the way of six goals and three assists in a 25-11 rout of the Boston Cannons on Independence Day.
This explosive start received national attention in the world of lacrosse. Cloutier had started the season totaling 28 points through five games. His 18 goals were enough to put hope in his heart and in the heart of his fans that he could break the rookie goal record set the year before by Josh Bryne at 39. Surely, he would come close, even if he didn't break it. He was almost half way there with three games and the post-season remaining.
"I missed a lot of games and I was on track to break the rookie [goal] season record and I wasn't able to do that. But, mainly, while watching my team play I just wanted to play."
His hopes came to a halt on July 22 when he appeared in his sixth game of the 2018 campaign as the Outlaws went up against the Dallas Rattlers. The Rattlers came into the game at the top of the league. It was a chance for Cloutier and the Outlaws to upset the best. Cloutier made his impact on the match just 5:18 in. He continued his production, netting two goals and adding two assists. About halfway through the third quarter, Cloutier suffered a knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn medial collateral ligament. At the time Cloutier came off the field, the Outlaws were up 10-5 but ended up falling 13-12.
Despite the injury and only appearing in six games, Cloutier netted 26 goals and added 14 assists, bringing his point total to 40. He was third on the Outlaws in points after the regular season and appeared in less than half of the games that the first two players on the scoring list did. In comparison to the league, Cloutier finished 14th in the scoring standings, with every player above him playing at least 12 games. He was the highest rookie on the list.
His success was appreciated. He was named an MLL All-Star. Unfortunately, Cloutier was unable to play but he still went and enjoyed the festivities in Boston.
Sidelined by injury, Cloutier supported his team from home as it began the postseason. In the semifinals, the Outlaws topped the New York Lizards by a score of 13-12. Cloutier never doubted his teammates' success.
"I wasn't too worried. The guys I played with are all super talented and have the determination needed. I wasn't worried about the hands the team was in… I had a gut feeling the whole time that they were going to pull it off."
With the Outlaws earning a spot in the MLL title game, Cloutier joined his team once again- this time in Charleston, S.C. The Friday night before the Saturday championship contest was the awards night for the league. At the show, Cloutier was announced as the MLL Rookie of the Year.
"I was pumped, especially only playing six games and a lot of the other rookies played a lot more. The other two guys that were nominated had some killer seasons. It was cool. But, I don't think anything matches up to winning an NCAA title, that's the best feeling in the world. You do it with guys you've lived with and practiced with every day for four years."
With the possibility of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in the MLL championship, Cloutier decided to put his injury in the back of his mind and play in the game the following day. And play he did. Cloutier found the back of the net twice and assisted once in the contest as the Outlaws won 16-12 over Dallas on August 18.
"It was fully torn when I played and the doctors said that I couldn't make it any worse," said Cloutier. "It was an opportunity that I saw and I really wanted to play. I don't regret it at all. I came out of it and we won and my knee wasn't any worse."
Chris Cloutier added a couple more accolades to his name during his first couple months as a professional.
Chris Cloutier:
Tar Heel.
2016 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
2016 NCAA National Champion.
2018 MLL Rookie of the Year.
2018 MLL Champion.
***
Five weeks after the conclusion of the Major League Lacrosse season, Chris Cloutier found himself in new surroundings. This night was different.
He wasn't sitting on his couch- he was at a table. He wasn't at his home in Chapel Hill. He traveled to Xfinity Live! In Philadelphia, Pa. He wasn't in his practice clothes He was in a suit and tie. Really, it couldn't have been more different.
The former was Cloutier during the Major League Lacrosse, the professional field lacrosse league, draft on April 18- the latter was him at the National Lacrosse League, the professional indoor lacrosse league, draft on September 25. What a change just over five months could make.
Indoor lacrosse, or box lacrosse, is more common in Canada than it is in the United States. Instead of on a field, it is played in an ice hockey rink that is covered with another surface or has the ice removed.
Cloutier was excited to return to playing, but was especially excited to go back to indoor lacrosse. Box lacrosse was the game that Cloutier grew up playing in Ontario. He made the switch to field lacrosse late in high school to hopefully secure a scholarship for college lacrosse.
For the NLL Draft, Cloutier was one of the most promising players. His Rookie of the Year campaign with the Denver Outlaws in the MLL drew the attention of coaches and scouts from the NLL.
"It's been crazy," Cloutier stated. "Definitely a roller coaster and I am just going to keep riding it for as long as I can. I've had success but I am going to keep working and trying to get better and improve myself."
This time, Cloutier heard his name called second overall. He went to the Philadelphia Wings, an expansion team brought in for the fall 2018 season. He rose, extended an arm to his date and made his way to the stage to put on the Wings hat.
Philadelphia was familiar to Cloutier. In 2016, he won the NCAA championship and was named the tournament most outstanding player as a Tar Heel just across the street from the Xfinity Live! in Lincoln Financial Stadium. He is excited to call this place home for the next couple months.
"It's amazing," described Cloutier. "It's almost like it was destined to be, and I couldn't be happier to be able to come back and have this happen here."
The NLL season starts on December 15 for Cloutier and the Philadelphia Wings as they host the Buffalo Bandits. It will be refreshing to get back in the box for him.
Cloutier may have different challenges to face, but there is one thing that is unchanged: his Carolina family will always be behind him.
Chris Cloutier Links
From Fetzer To Finley: Memorial Day Magic
From Fetzer To Finley: The Dual Trophies Moment
GoHeels Exclusive: Family
The senior Carolina men's lacrosse attackman sat in his living room in Chapel Hill, N.C. It was April 18, 2018. He had just gotten out of practice, preparing for the final game of the regular season. Postseason hopes were still intact depending on the result of its match the following Saturday against Notre Dame.
Chris Cloutier sat down on the couches with his housemates and teammates and turned on the TV. It was an important night for the sport of lacrosse: draft night. The Major League Lacrosse (the professional field lacrosse league), draft started at 6:30 p.m. There were high hopes of hearing a couple of the graduating Tar Heels' names called and seeing their dreams of being a professional athlete come true and Cloutier was one of them.
The first round, only nine picks, went by. Nothing for the Kitchener, Ontario native. Then the second round came and went. Followed by the third. After the third, the draft was taken off the air, to be continued, untelevised. Cloutier turned off the TV, thinking he just didn't get drafted.
As time went on, he didn't hear anything. Not a word from any team. Then he received a congratulatory text from a friend. Cloutier took out his phone, read the text and responded with the first three words that came to his head: "Where'd I go?"
The fourth round pick out of North Carolina was taken 29th overall by the Denver Outlaws, an MLL powerhouse. The Outlaws were no strangers to success, winning the championship in 2015 and 2016, and falling just short in the 2017 title game.
After a short celebration with friends and reaching out to his parents, Cloutier received his phone call.
"The coach called me and asked me if I could play the next weekend but I couldn't because we didn't know at UNC if we were out yet or not," Cloutier explained.
By the end of the night two members of Carolina's team had been drafted, Cloutier to the Outlaws as the 29th overall pick and his roommate William McBride to the Atlanta Blaze as the 51st pick. But, immediately, not much changed for the pair.
The next day, Cloutier went to class then laced up his cleats at practice. He was still on the North Carolina men's lacrosse team and the team still had a goal to earn a spot in the postseason. After a frustrating senior year, constantly being double or triple-teamed, he stepped onto the field in Carolina Blue and White for the last time the Saturday after the draft.
The Tar Heels, who were 6-7 at the time, faced Notre Dame, but needed a near impossible result to make the playoffs that involved winning, goals scored and possibly even goal margin. Even if playoffs weren't an option, this team wasn't going to back down and take a losing record for the season. The game came down to the wire, with Notre Dame leading 9-8 with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Then Cloutier took control. The senior captain scored two goals in a matter of just 38 seconds, his 30th and 31st goals of the 2018 campaign. The two goals gave Carolina the victory 10-9 sending the 2018 seniors out on a winning note and halting an excruciating seven-game losing streak.
"The moment that summed up my four years was the fact that we won that last game," said Cloutier. "In my four years, I've never been on a team that just gave up."
Following the conclusion of the season, Cloutier kept doing what he normally did. He continued to train and go to class. His main focus was to finish his degree, a Bachelors of Arts in communications.
His initial pro debut was intended to be the Outlaws' matchup with the Chesapeake Bayhawks on May 13, Mother's Day, or more commonly known around the UNC campus as Graduation Day. And it would have been, had it not been for his mother already scheduling a flight to come see him walk across the stage in Kenan Memorial Stadium.
Following graduation, Cloutier went home for three days and then traveled to Denver for a quick evaluation while practicing with the team. It was the type of evaluation that was a make it or break it moment. If the coaches liked him, they would play him. If not, he would be put on the back burner. For Cloutier, there was a sense of right-place, right-time in his arrival in Denver.
"They said we're going to have you come out, practice and see if we will play you," Cloutier stated. "I went out and the other attackman Matt Kavanagh got hurt, so I played."
Cloutier's professional debut was May 19 as Denver hosted the Charlotte Hounds. By scoring the first three goals of the game in just 5:09, Cloutier proved his worth to the Outlaws early. With six goals and two assists in that game, he solidified his spot on the roster and earned the Warrior Offensive Player of the Week award from MLL. The small idiosyncrasies of the professional game didn't faze Cloutier in the least.
"It was a pretty quick adjustment," Cloutier elaborated. "I grew up playing with my friends where you could dive in the crease because it was more fun and it actually worked out in my favor."
The Outlaws traveled to the Tar Heel State on June 2 to face the Hounds, again, for Cloutier's second career game. Cloutier tallied four points, two goals and two assists, in a 16-13 win and established himself as a staple in the Outlaws attacking corps.
Earning a spot on the team landed him plane tickets… and more plane tickets. After leaving Chapel Hill, Cloutier moved back home to Kitchener, Ontario for the summer. In addition to being a professional athlete, Cloutier was working a labor job in Cambridge, Ontario. He worked Monday through Friday in Ontario then traveled on the weekends to meet with the Outlaws wherever they are playing.
The success didn't stop after the first two games. His third game, on June 16 against the Florida Launch, resulted in an eight-point (four goals, four assists) performance for the rookie in a 26-15 win. Then came his fourth game, seven points on six goals and one assist in a 17-13 win over Ohio Machine. And then in his fifth, he added nine points to the tally by the way of six goals and three assists in a 25-11 rout of the Boston Cannons on Independence Day.
This explosive start received national attention in the world of lacrosse. Cloutier had started the season totaling 28 points through five games. His 18 goals were enough to put hope in his heart and in the heart of his fans that he could break the rookie goal record set the year before by Josh Bryne at 39. Surely, he would come close, even if he didn't break it. He was almost half way there with three games and the post-season remaining.
"I missed a lot of games and I was on track to break the rookie [goal] season record and I wasn't able to do that. But, mainly, while watching my team play I just wanted to play."
His hopes came to a halt on July 22 when he appeared in his sixth game of the 2018 campaign as the Outlaws went up against the Dallas Rattlers. The Rattlers came into the game at the top of the league. It was a chance for Cloutier and the Outlaws to upset the best. Cloutier made his impact on the match just 5:18 in. He continued his production, netting two goals and adding two assists. About halfway through the third quarter, Cloutier suffered a knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn medial collateral ligament. At the time Cloutier came off the field, the Outlaws were up 10-5 but ended up falling 13-12.
Despite the injury and only appearing in six games, Cloutier netted 26 goals and added 14 assists, bringing his point total to 40. He was third on the Outlaws in points after the regular season and appeared in less than half of the games that the first two players on the scoring list did. In comparison to the league, Cloutier finished 14th in the scoring standings, with every player above him playing at least 12 games. He was the highest rookie on the list.
His success was appreciated. He was named an MLL All-Star. Unfortunately, Cloutier was unable to play but he still went and enjoyed the festivities in Boston.
Sidelined by injury, Cloutier supported his team from home as it began the postseason. In the semifinals, the Outlaws topped the New York Lizards by a score of 13-12. Cloutier never doubted his teammates' success.
"I wasn't too worried. The guys I played with are all super talented and have the determination needed. I wasn't worried about the hands the team was in… I had a gut feeling the whole time that they were going to pull it off."
With the Outlaws earning a spot in the MLL title game, Cloutier joined his team once again- this time in Charleston, S.C. The Friday night before the Saturday championship contest was the awards night for the league. At the show, Cloutier was announced as the MLL Rookie of the Year.
"I was pumped, especially only playing six games and a lot of the other rookies played a lot more. The other two guys that were nominated had some killer seasons. It was cool. But, I don't think anything matches up to winning an NCAA title, that's the best feeling in the world. You do it with guys you've lived with and practiced with every day for four years."
With the possibility of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in the MLL championship, Cloutier decided to put his injury in the back of his mind and play in the game the following day. And play he did. Cloutier found the back of the net twice and assisted once in the contest as the Outlaws won 16-12 over Dallas on August 18.
"It was fully torn when I played and the doctors said that I couldn't make it any worse," said Cloutier. "It was an opportunity that I saw and I really wanted to play. I don't regret it at all. I came out of it and we won and my knee wasn't any worse."
Chris Cloutier added a couple more accolades to his name during his first couple months as a professional.
Chris Cloutier:
Tar Heel.
2016 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
2016 NCAA National Champion.
2018 MLL Rookie of the Year.
2018 MLL Champion.
***
Five weeks after the conclusion of the Major League Lacrosse season, Chris Cloutier found himself in new surroundings. This night was different.
He wasn't sitting on his couch- he was at a table. He wasn't at his home in Chapel Hill. He traveled to Xfinity Live! In Philadelphia, Pa. He wasn't in his practice clothes He was in a suit and tie. Really, it couldn't have been more different.
The former was Cloutier during the Major League Lacrosse, the professional field lacrosse league, draft on April 18- the latter was him at the National Lacrosse League, the professional indoor lacrosse league, draft on September 25. What a change just over five months could make.
Indoor lacrosse, or box lacrosse, is more common in Canada than it is in the United States. Instead of on a field, it is played in an ice hockey rink that is covered with another surface or has the ice removed.
Cloutier was excited to return to playing, but was especially excited to go back to indoor lacrosse. Box lacrosse was the game that Cloutier grew up playing in Ontario. He made the switch to field lacrosse late in high school to hopefully secure a scholarship for college lacrosse.
For the NLL Draft, Cloutier was one of the most promising players. His Rookie of the Year campaign with the Denver Outlaws in the MLL drew the attention of coaches and scouts from the NLL.
"It's been crazy," Cloutier stated. "Definitely a roller coaster and I am just going to keep riding it for as long as I can. I've had success but I am going to keep working and trying to get better and improve myself."
This time, Cloutier heard his name called second overall. He went to the Philadelphia Wings, an expansion team brought in for the fall 2018 season. He rose, extended an arm to his date and made his way to the stage to put on the Wings hat.
Philadelphia was familiar to Cloutier. In 2016, he won the NCAA championship and was named the tournament most outstanding player as a Tar Heel just across the street from the Xfinity Live! in Lincoln Financial Stadium. He is excited to call this place home for the next couple months.
"It's amazing," described Cloutier. "It's almost like it was destined to be, and I couldn't be happier to be able to come back and have this happen here."
The NLL season starts on December 15 for Cloutier and the Philadelphia Wings as they host the Buffalo Bandits. It will be refreshing to get back in the box for him.
Cloutier may have different challenges to face, but there is one thing that is unchanged: his Carolina family will always be behind him.
Chris Cloutier Links
From Fetzer To Finley: Memorial Day Magic
From Fetzer To Finley: The Dual Trophies Moment
GoHeels Exclusive: Family
Players Mentioned
Attackman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfielder
/ Men's LacrosseTuesday, June 23
Sunday, June 21
Sunday, June 21
Saturday, June 20