Marc-Antoine Pion-Frégeau (born 3 April 1996) is a Canadian former professional player with the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and current coach for McGill University.[1] He played collegiately for Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, where he was the first French Canadian NCAA Division I lacrosse player, before being drafted by Philadelphia in the 4th round, 59th overall in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft.[2][3]
| Born | 3 April 1996 Montreal, Quebec |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 195 pounds (88 kg) |
| Shoots | Left |
| Position | Defense / Midfield |
| NCAA team | Harvard Crimson Johns Hopkins Blue Jays |
| NLL draft | 59th overall, 2020 Philadelphia Wings |
| Coach | McGill University |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Background and education
editMarc Pion was born in Montreal, Quebec, and attended Collège Jean-de-Brebeuf, before studying at Harvard College.[4][5] He graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Political Economy.[6]
Early life
editAt Brébeuf, he rose to prominence as one of Canada's best lacrosse players and was widely regarded as the top defenseman in the country.[7][8] Following secondary school, he was scouted and recruited to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he was named a USA Lacrosse All-American and Under Armour All-American.[9][10][11] He is regarded as one of the best lacrosse athletes to graduate from IMG Academy, alongside Tehoka Nanticoke, Ben French, and Drake Porter.[12]
In a 2014 article in Inside Lacrosse, he was described by Tim Murdoch as "having the best potential as a defenseman of any player he has ever coached".[7]
University and professional career
editIn 2015, Marc Pion joined the Harvard Crimson, becoming the first-ever Québécois Division I lacrosse player.[13][14][3] In 2015, he was also ranked the #51 freshman and #13 defenseman in the nation.[15] After suffering repeated lower-body season-ending injuries, he maintained three years of NCAA eligibility.[16]
After Harvard, Pion played for the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays, where he played in 14 games and won the 2018 Big Ten Championship.[17][18] At Johns Hopkins, he was named a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and Presidential Fellow.[19][20]
Following his collegiate career, Pion was drafted in the 4th round, 59th overall by the Philadelphia Wings in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft.[2][21] He signed with the Wings in October 2020 and was selected to the Wings' final roster following training camp.[22][23]
He has served as Assistant Coach of the McGill University men’s lacrosse team since 2023.[24]
Personal life
editSince the end of his NLL career, Pion has been recognized for his work in international business, diplomacy, and actively leading projects on Canada-US national security, international affairs, and the defense industry.[25]
In 2024, it was announced that he was elected a Senior Researcher and Honourary Fellow of the Policy Insights Forum, a leading Canadian think tank.[25] He also serves as Vice President of Corporate Affairs for NATO's Transatlantic Emerging Leaders program.[26]
References
edit- ^ Reese, Eric (27 October 2020). "Wings Extend Charbonneau; Sign Two Rookies In October". phillysportsnetwork.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Philadelphia Wings Add Eight Players To Roster At 2020 NLL Entry Draft". Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse (Press release). Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b Limoges, Vanessa (10 August 2015). "Université Harvard: un premier Québécois recruté par l'équipe de crosse". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ Hylton, Kamal (6 March 2014). "Marc-Antoine Pion to add Canadian flavour to Harvard Lacrosse". The Toronto Observer. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Harvard recrute un ancien du collège Jean-de". Brébeuf (in French). 11 September 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Policy Insights Forum | TEL Members". www.policyinsights.ca. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Recruiting Roundup: Canada Rising - Class of 2014 Sophomores". Inside Lacrosse.
- ^ "IMG Academy Lacrosse Reloads After First Season". Inside Lacrosse.
- ^ "Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Game North, South Rosters". Inside Lacrosse.
- ^ "American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Lacrosse Team". USA TODAY High School Sports. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "ALL-USA Boys Lacrosse: Honorable Mention". USA TODAY High School Sports. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "2023-24 IMG ACADEMY BOYS LACROSSE PRESS KIT" (PDF). IMG Academy.
- ^ "Senior Standouts Look To Lead Men's Lacrosse to Bounce-Back Year". Sports. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Men's Lacrosse Introduces Eight From The Class of 2019". Harvard University. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "2015 Power 100 Freshmen Rankings".
- ^ Jastrzembski, Chris (27 July 2017). "College Crosse Prospectus: Former Harvard Defenseman Transfers To Johns Hopkins". College Crosse. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Justin (5 May 2018). "Maryland men's lacrosse falls to Johns Hopkins, 13-10, in Big Ten title game". Testudo Times. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Marc Pion - Men's Lacrosse". Johns Hopkins University Athletics. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Condry, Paul (10 June 2020). "Big Ten Recognizes Spring and At-Large Sports Academic All-Big Ten Honorees". Regional Radio Sports Network. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ Rouleau, François-David (7 November 2020). "Au cœur de la recherche à Johns Hopkins". Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Reese, Eric (19 September 2020). "Introducing the Philadelphia Wings 2020 Draft Class – Philly Sports". phillysportsnetwork.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "NLL Transactions".
- ^ Philadelphia Wings [@nllwings] (2 December 2021). "Introducing your 2021-2022 Philadelphia Wings!". Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Marc-Antoine Pion - Men's Lacrosse Coach". McGill University Athletics. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b "The Policy Insights Forum Announces Marc Pion as the Think Tank's Newest Senior Researcher | Policy Insights Forum (PIF)". www.policyinsights.ca. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Policy Insights Forum | Experts | Marc Pion". www.policyinsights.ca. Retrieved 29 July 2024.