Dunham, Olsson Selected in 2025 NLL Entry Draft
09/06/2025 | Men's Lacrosse
Richmond, Va.— University of Richmond defenseman Mitchell Dunham and midfielder Lukas Olsson heard their names called during the 2025 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft, held virtually on Saturday.
Dunham was selected in the third round with the 47th pick by the Rochester Knighthawks, while Olsson was picked up by his hometown Calgary Roughnecks with the 56th pick in the fourth round.
Dunham and Olsson become the fourth and fifth Spiders ever selected in the NLL Draft, following Jake Saunders (16th overall by the Las Vegas Desert Dogs in 2022) and Ryan Lanchbury (2nd overall by the Georgia Swarm in 2021).
Olsson enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Richmond, helping lead the Spiders to three conference titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and a historic win over No. 8 North Carolina to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Over 59 career games, Olsson steadily increased his impact each season. As a senior and team captain in 2025, he played in 17 games with 13 starts, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors after recording 22 goals and four assists. He tallied seven multi-goal games and ten multi-point performances, including two goals in Richmond's NCAA Tournament victory over No. 8 North Carolina.
Dunham capped an exceptional five-year collegiate career with a dominant graduate season in 2025—his lone year with Richmond after transferring from Mount St. Mary's. He started all 18 games and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse, USA Lacrosse Magazine, and the USILA. A 2025 PLL College Draft pick by the Utah Archers (21st overall), Dunham was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 after finishing third in the nation with 38 caused turnovers—second-most in a single season in program history—and collecting 52 ground balls. He was twice named A-10 Defensive Player of the Week after causing five turnovers against both Georgetown and High Point. Before joining Richmond, Dunham was a two-time First Team All-MAAC selection at Mount St. Mary's, earning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 and a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team in 2022.
The NLL—the world's premier professional box lacrosse league—ranks third globally in average attendance among professional indoor sports, behind only the NBA and NHL. NLL games are streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S. and TSN+ in Canada, and the league has seen consistent growth in viewership and engagement over its nearly 40-year history.
The Spiders are coming off their most successful season to date. Richmond posted a record-breaking 14–4 overall mark, including a perfect 5–0 run through Atlantic 10 play to capture their first-ever A-10 regular-season title and their second conference tournament championship in three years. The team earned its first NCAA Tournament win by upsetting No. 8 North Carolina, 13–10, in Chapel Hill—a signature milestone under Head Coach Dan Chemotti. Richmond was ranked as high as No. 6 in the national polls, the highest in program history and the 2025 NCAA Tournament as one of two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
