Brett Queener facts for kids

Brett Queener was born on September 30, 1984, in Penn Yan, New York. He is an American lacrosse player. He is currently a member of the Chrome Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. He was also chosen by the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League, but he never played for them.

Queener is best known as a field lacrosse goaltender, which means he plays in goal. However, in indoor box lacrosse, he plays an offensive position. Queener is currently the head coach of the Community School of Naples varsity lacrosse team.

Early Years in Lacrosse

Brett Queener started playing varsity lacrosse for Penn Yan Academy when he was in eighth grade. His father, Harry Queener, was the head coach. With his father's guidance, Brett helped the team win five championships in a row for their section. When he was a senior in high school, US Lacrosse recognized him as an All-American player.

College Lacrosse Journey

After high school, Queener first went to Penn State University. He later enrolled at Herkimer County Community College. While at Herkimer, Queener led his lacrosse team to win the 2005 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. He was also named "National Junior College Player of the Year."

In 2006, Queener transferred to the University at Albany Great Danes. This is a top-level college lacrosse program. In his very first game with the Great Danes, against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, Queener ran the whole length of the field and scored a goal! He did this amazing feat four more times during his college career. This set a record for Division 1 lacrosse: most career goals scored by a goalie, with five.

While at Albany, he was chosen for the All-America East Conference team three times. In 2007, he helped the Great Danes reach the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. They made it to the quarterfinals but lost in overtime to Cornell University. Even though Queener was the main goalie, he would sometimes leave the net during special plays. He would swap his goalie stick for a shorter crosse and play offense.

Professional MLL Career

In the 2008 MLL Collegiate Draft, the Rochester Rattlers picked Queener in the fifth round. He was the 48th player chosen overall. He was named "Rookie of the Week" in week 12 of the 2008 MLL season.

Queener helped the Rattlers win their first Steinfeld Cup championship. He shared goalie duties with Mike Levin. Levin started the first half of the championship game, and Queener came in for the second half. He made 10 saves and also made exciting plays by clearing the ball from his team's defense to offense. He even helped with offensive plays and assisted on one goal. John Grant, Jr., who was the league's best player, called Queener's performance "a special half by a goaltender." Because of this great game, Inside Lacrosse magazine named Queener the "Lacrosse Personality of the Year."

Before the 2014 season, he joined the Florida Launch. This was the first professional lacrosse team in Florida. During one game, Queener got hit in the hand by a shot. He had to leave the game, and the backup goalie, Adam Fullerton, took his place. Queener came out after halftime with his arm in a sling. He needed an X-ray because the shot might have broken his hand.

Professional NLL Career

Brett Queener was not chosen in the main National Lacrosse League draft. However, he joined the new Boston Blazers team as a free agent. As a field lacrosse goalie, Queener tried out for the Blazers hoping to play as a field player, not a goalie. The skills and protective gear for indoor (box) lacrosse goalies are very different from field lacrosse goalies.

After attending a tryout camp, Queener was invited to the Blazers' regular training camp. Before the 2009 season, the Blazers announced that Queener had made the team. He would play as a transition or forward player. In his very first professional indoor lacrosse game, Queener had two assists and picked up nine loose balls.

Queener played three seasons with the Blazers. The team stopped playing in the summer of 2011. Queener was then chosen by the Philadelphia Wings in a special draft for players from teams that had folded.

About His Family

Brett Queener comes from a family that loves lacrosse. His father, Harry, is a lacrosse coach at Penn Yan Academy. His mother also coaches the girls' team at the high school. His brother, Brice, used to be a professional lacrosse player and is now a coach. His older sister, Sarah, was a top college player and is currently a women's lacrosse head coach at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. His younger sister, Sylvia, plays Division II women's lacrosse at Limestone College.