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]

Marc Pion
Born (1996-04-03) 3 April 1996 (age 28)
Montreal, Quebec
NationalityCanadian
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight195 pounds (88 kg)
ShootsLeft
PositionDefense / Midfield
NCAA teamHarvard Crimson
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
NLL draft59th overall, 2020
Philadelphia Wings
CoachMcGill University
Career highlights
  • 2018 Big Ten Champion
  • Academic All-Big Ten

Background and education

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Marc 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

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At 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

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In 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

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Since 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

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  1. ^ Reese, Eric (27 October 2020). "Wings Extend Charbonneau; Sign Two Rookies In October". phillysportsnetwork.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Philadelphia Wings Add Eight Players To Roster At 2020 NLL Entry Draft". Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse (Press release). Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Hylton, Kamal (6 March 2014). "Marc-Antoine Pion to add Canadian flavour to Harvard Lacrosse". The Toronto Observer. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Harvard recrute un ancien du collège Jean-de". Brébeuf (in French). 11 September 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Policy Insights Forum | TEL Members". www.policyinsights.ca. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Recruiting Roundup: Canada Rising - Class of 2014 Sophomores". Inside Lacrosse.
  8. ^ "IMG Academy Lacrosse Reloads After First Season". Inside Lacrosse.
  9. ^ "Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Game North, South Rosters". Inside Lacrosse.
  10. ^ "American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Lacrosse Team". USA TODAY High School Sports. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  11. ^ "ALL-USA Boys Lacrosse: Honorable Mention". USA TODAY High School Sports. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  12. ^ "2023-24 IMG ACADEMY BOYS LACROSSE PRESS KIT" (PDF). IMG Academy.
  13. ^ "Senior Standouts Look To Lead Men's Lacrosse to Bounce-Back Year". Sports. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Men's Lacrosse Introduces Eight From The Class of 2019". Harvard University. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  15. ^ "2015 Power 100 Freshmen Rankings".
  16. ^ Jastrzembski, Chris (27 July 2017). "College Crosse Prospectus: Former Harvard Defenseman Transfers To Johns Hopkins". College Crosse. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "Marc Pion - Men's Lacrosse". Johns Hopkins University Athletics. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Rouleau, François-David (7 November 2020). "Au cœur de la recherche à Johns Hopkins". Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  21. ^ Reese, Eric (19 September 2020). "Introducing the Philadelphia Wings 2020 Draft Class – Philly Sports". phillysportsnetwork.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  22. ^ "NLL Transactions".
  23. ^ Philadelphia Wings [@nllwings] (2 December 2021). "Introducing your 2021-2022 Philadelphia Wings!". Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via Instagram.
  24. ^ "Marc-Antoine Pion - Men's Lacrosse Coach". McGill University Athletics. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "Policy Insights Forum | Experts | Marc Pion". www.policyinsights.ca. Retrieved 29 July 2024.