PressBox: Awards Pour In For Local Lacrosse Stars

Awards Pour In For Local Lacrosse Stars

By Barrett Neale

The Maryland men's lacrosse team is making its first Final Four appearance since 2006 and it achieved another milestone it hadn't since 2004 -- having eight USILA All-Americans on its roster.

Senior midfielder Brian Farrell and senior defenseman Brett Schmidt were second-team selections; senior attackman Ryan Young and junior midfielder Joe Cummings were placed on the third team; and sophomore midfielder John Haus, sophomore faceoff specialist Curtis Holmes and senior defender Max Schmidt earned honorable mention.

Farrell, who went to Boys' Latin, collected 33 ground balls this season (fifth on the team) and caused 16 turnovers (tied for second). Offensively, he contributed 13 points (seven goals, six assists).

Brett Schmidt had a team-high 22 caused turnovers and the most ground balls of any defender (50), making him a leader on a Maryland defense that was ranked fourth among all Division I teams in scoring defense at the end of the season.

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Johns Hopkins may have ended its season earlier than hoped, with an NCAA quarterfinal loss to sixth-seeded Denver, but it got good news in having six players on the USILA All-America teams.

On the first team were senior faceoff specialist Matt Dolente and sophomore midfielder John Ranagan, the second team included sophomore goalkeeper Pierce Bassett and sophomore defenseman Tucker Durkin, and senior attackmen Chris Boland and Kyle Wharton earned honorable mention.

Dolente finished second in the country in faceoff win percentage (66.7, 194-291) and third in ground balls per game (7.44, 119 total). That win percentage ranks second in program history.

Ranagan, the only sophomore on this year's first team All-America, was fourth on the team in scoring with 32 points (18 goals, 14 assists). He also won 15 of 31 faceoffs taken and picked up 27 ground balls.

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At Loyola, sophomore attackman Mike Sawyer earned honorable mention on the USILA All-America team, while six players on the women's side were named to the IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region teams.

Sawyer led the Greyhounds in scoring this year, with a team-best 31 goals and 36 points. He registered at least one point in every game this season, with nine multi-point games.

Jen Adams' Loyola team lost during last week's quarterfinals, but its 17-3 record meant a school record for wins. Leading that effort were four first-team IWLCA players: seniors Grace Gavin and Abby Rehfuss and juniors Ana Heneberry and Kerry Stoothoff. Senior Kellye Gallagher and freshman Marlee Paton made the second team.

Gavin has set the program's career and single-season records in points and goals. She had 311 career points and 228 goals, with 71 goals and 98 points in 2011. She was the BIG EAST Attacker of the year in 2010 and 2011.

Midfielder Rehfuss earned her third-consecutive All-Region honor after finishing the season with 37 goals and 12 assists. She was responsible for 31 draw controls and picked up 26 ground balls throughout the season.

Heneberry, one of the nation's best defenders, caused 28 turnovers and picked up 25 ground balls. Stoothoff played more than 1,050 minutes in goal, posting a 9.09 goals-against average and a 46.5 save percentage.

Posted May 28, 2011