Player Preview: Anthony Cosmo

The Blazers come into this NLL season with three superstar players. Josh Sanderson, Casey Powell, and Dan Dawson. When we talk about the season, it's mostly those players we talk about. But while the Blazers have had a terrific offseason improving their team, there is one more player in the superstar discussion. Anthony Cosmo.
Cosmo was acquired by the Blazers when they selected him first overall in the Chicago Shamrox dispersal. Since that day, they have gotten one of the league's best and consistent goaltenders. But Cosmo had a career before Boston. Let's take a look at it, and then what to expect in 2011.
Cosmo's lacrosse career started with the Mississauga Tomahawks of the Junior A Ontario Lacrosse Association. He later moved on to the Burnaby Lakers Junior A team, where he won a Minto Cup with fellow future-NLLers Kaleb Toth and Cam Sedgewick.
Cosmo made his NLL debut in 2001 with the Toronto Rock. He played in Toronto for four seasons, mostly as a backup to Bob Watson. In his five games of his rookie season, Cosmo had a Goals Against Average of 8.63.
In the mid-summer of 2004, Toronto traded Cosmo to the San Jose Stealth, where he became the primary goaltender. In his first year in San Jose, Cosmo had a rough time with a 12.28 GAA. But after that season he took off, With a GAA under 11 every season in San Jose. In 2005 and 2006 Cosmo was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team. In 2007, Cosmo was named goaltender of the year with a 10.22 GAA and a 79.15 save%.
After 2008, San Jose traded Cosmo to the Chicago Shamrox for Mike Roik. The Shamrox never played that season, and Cosmo was selected first overall by the Boston Blazers in the dispersal draft. Cosmo has had the same success in Boston as he did in San Jose. In 2010, Cosmo had a career best 9.20 GAA, but lost out on Goaltender of the Year to Matt Vinc of the Orlando Titans.
Cosmo looks to enjoy success again with the Blazers in the 2011 season. Though all the talk about Boston's new big three, Cosmo is their most important piece. If he can continue play like he has over the past two seasons in Boston, maybe they can reach their goal of the Champions Cup.

For this story and more, watch The Internet Sport Show, Lacrosse on Tuesday at Youtube.com.