MEN’S LACROSSE LAND EIGHT ON GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE SQUAD; CURTIS & HEFFERNAN NAMED OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College men's lacrosse team landed eight members on the 2015 All-Conference squad for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday, March 28. The Saints had three First Team selections, five Second Team selections and had two major award winners following the program's second-consecutive GNAC Championship when they defeated Mount Ida College, 13-6, on Saturday, April 25. Junior middie Chris Curtis (Ashland, Mass.) has been named the 2015 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year while junior defender Pat Heffernan (Pembroke, Mass.) was honored as the Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Curtis wrapped the GNAC tournament run with a total of 52 points on 40 goals and 12 assists to rank second in the GNAC in goals and fifth overall in points. Both his goal and point totals are new Emmanuel single-season records while he also led the league in shots (169) and shots on goal (94). Curtis has scored in all 17 contests on the year including three or more goals in eight games. He posted a season-high five goal effort in a 14-7 victory over Lasell College on March 24 and earlier the same week, recorded a season-best six point effort with four goals and two assists in a 13-5 win over Mount Ida College on March 21. Along with Offensive Player of the Year honors, Curtis was tabbed to the GNAC First Team for the second consecutive season.

Heffernan earns GNAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight year after captaining the Saints defensive unit in another undefeated GNAC run that saw Emmanuel post a 5.63 goals against average in GNAC play. EC allowed a league-low 45 goals during conference play with Heffernan tasked to cover opponents top scoring threats. The junior tallied 29 groundballs to go along with 19 caused turnovers, earning him his third consecutive appearance on the GNAC First Team.

Joining the two on the GNAC First Team is sophomore attack Tony Cibelli (Westboro, Mass.). Cibelli ranks seventh in the GNAC with 50 points on 38 goals and 12 assists. The 38 goals scored is third in the GNAC and is the second highest single-season total in Emmanuel program history, only behind Curtis's total. Cibelli scored nine man-up goals on the year which is a EC new single-season record. The sophomore registered six games with four goals including a season-high six point outing on an April 4 outing against Wentworth with four goals and two assists.

Junior middie Michael Rogers (New Haven, Conn.) earns Second Team honors for the third straight season after finishing the year with 29 points on 15 goals and 14 assists. Rogers season was cut short due to an ACL tear during action on April 11 but prior to the injury, had registered a point in 12 of 13 games played including six games with at least three points.

Senior middie Jake Pickett (Stratham, N.H.) has been named to the GNAC Second Team in the Short Stick specialist category, earning All-Conference honors for the second straight year. The EC faceoff specialist won a total of 157 faceoffs to rank third in the GNAC and posted a 63% conversion rate (77-123) in GNAC action. Pickett currently has 97 groundballs which breaks his own single-season Emmanuel record while also ranking second overall in the GNAC.

Junior long-stick middie Nick DelMonaco (Billerica, Mass.) lands on the GNAC Second Team after another standout season in the midfield, causing 20 turnovers to go along with 25 groundballs. DelMonaco was a big part of the Saints faceoff success and also a strong defender in transition.

Sophomore defender Brendan Gallagher (Solon, Ohio) earns Second Team honors as part of the Emmanuel defensive unit that held GNAC opponents to single-digit goal totals in all 10 contests this season. Gallagher caused 25 turnovers and recorded 23 groundballs and helped Emmanuel post an overall goals against average of 8.00.

Rounding out the Emmanuel All-Conference selections is senior goalie Austin Lauzier (Bedford, N.H.), earning Second Team honors. The Saints backstop ranks first in the conference in wins with 12 and fourth in the GNAC with a 7.70 goals against average. Lauzier posted 143 saves to go along with a .556 save percentage and has now won 22 consecutive GNAC games in goal for the Saints.

The Saints are currently 13-4 on the year and on an 11-game win streak heading into next week's NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse tournament.