HEFFERNAN & ROGERS NAMED TO ALL-GNAC MEN’S LACROSSE TEAMS
BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College freshman defensemen Pat Heffernan (Pembroke, Mass.) has been selected to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse First Team All-Conference squad while freshman midfielder Michael Rogers (New Haven, Conn.) has been selected to the Second Team, it was announced by the conference office on Monday. Heffernan was the only freshman selected on the first team while Rogers was the only freshman named to the second team. Their appointment to the squads mark the program’s first-ever All-Conference selections.
BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College freshman defensemen Pat Heffernan (Pembroke, Mass.) has been selected to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse First Team All-Conference squad while freshman midfielder Michael Rogers (New Haven, Conn.) has been selected to the Second Team, it was announced by the conference office on Monday. Heffernan was the only freshman selected on the first team while Rogers was the only freshman named to the second team. Their appointment to the squads mark the program's first-ever All-Conference selections.
Heffernan played in and started all 17 games for the Saints defensive unit. The rookie was often assigned the defensive task of man-marking opponents top offensive players and helped Emmanuel shut down some of the most potent offensive units during regular season play. While covering the three First Team All-Conference attackers (Michael Trocchi, Andy Puopolo, Ian Mendoza), Heffernan held the trio to a combined three goals during the regular season. The Pembroke, Mass. native and the Saints defensive unit allowed an average of just 8.23 goals per game, the second lowest in the GNAC behind the conference champions, Norwich. Heffernan finished his rookie campaign with two points on two assists and also recorded 36 groundballs while forcing 21 turnovers. Heffernan is Emmanuel's first-ever First Team selection in the program's brief two-year history.
Rogers earns a spot on the Second Team as a Short Stick Specialist and like Heffernan, is the only rookie named to his respective team. Rogers led the Saints while ranking tied for 14th in the GNAC with 56 groundballs. The New Haven, Conn. native played in and started all 17 contests for Emmanuel and on the year recorded eight points on three goals and five assists. His first collegiate goal was scored in a 9-8 victory over Becker College and came on a man-down scenario. Rogers also netted a goal in the GNAC Semifinals against the eventual conference champions, Norwich University. On the year, Rogers also forced 23 turnovers while recording a team-best .812 shots-on-goal percentage.
The Saints wrapped up their second varsity season with a 7-10 overall record, finishing the regular season with a 4-5 GNAC mark to earn the No. 5 seed in the GNAC tourney, their highest tournament seed to date. In the GNAC Quarterfinals, Emmanuel traveled to Standish, Maine to face No. 4 Saint Joseph's College and were able to pull off the upset with a 9-8 victory for the program's first-ever GNAC post-season win. The Saints would fall to Norwich University in the GNAC Semifinals, 13-8, but with no seniors on the squad, the future looks very bright for the Emmanuel Men's Lacrosse program.