May 7, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - UMass junior attacker Tim Balise and sophomore defenseman Diogo Godoi were named to the ECAC Lacrosse All-Conference Second Team. Balise led the ECAC in goals with 33 while Godoi was a key to the team's success on defense as he led the squad in caused turnovers with 17.

Balise led UMass with 33 goals and 39 points. He topped the ECAC in goals and ranked tied for fourth in total points. He is tied for 16th in total goals in NCAA (33) and tied for 17th in NCAA in goals per game (2.36). Balise led team with four man-up goals. Seventh on team in groundballs with 22. He had ten multi-goal games and 13 multi-point games in 2008 and goals and points in 13 of 14 games this season. He was named ECAC Co-Offensive Player of Week three times in 2008: on Feb. 25, April 7 and April 28.

Godoi was a key to the team's 8.56 goals against average. The redshirt sophomore played 14 games, started 12 times with 27 groundballs (sixth on team) and led in caused turnovers with 17. He had a areer-best five caused turnovers vs. Fairfield (4/22), also scooped two groundballs.

Here is the complete release from the ECAC

In a vote by the league coaches, three Loyola Greyhounds were honored with postseason ECAC awards. Senior Shane Koppens has been named the 2008 ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, while freshman Jake Hagelin has been tabbed the ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year. The performance of those two student-athletes throughout the season helped lead Loyola to the ECAC Lacrosse League title and helped Coach Charley Toomey earn ECAC Co-Coach of the Year honors.

In addition to Loyola's honorees, Georgetown's Jerry Lambe was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and Penn State's Drew Adams was picked as the Goalkeeper of the Year for the third consecutive year. Rutgers' freshman Kory Kelly was honored as the Co-Rookie of the Year, and Hobart's Matt Kerwick was selected as the Co-Coach of the Year.

Koppens finished tied for first in the ECAC in points per game at 3.57. He tallied 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in seven ECAC games. Entering the NCAA Tournament against Duke, Koppens currently has 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points. Perhaps his most impressive performance of the season came against ECAC rival Georgetown when he poured in five goals and two assists to lead the Greyhounds to victory over the Hoyas.

Lambe, the 2007 ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, was a semifinalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy last season and earned second-team All-America honors from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and first team All-ECAC accolades.

Adams earned ECAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the third consecutive year. The junior backstopped the Nittany Lions to key wins over No. 9 Bucknell and No. 4 Georgetown. He ranked first overall in the league in all games with a 7.67 goals against average in 14 games and a .611 save percentage.

Hagelin led the league with a 5.52 goals against average in seven ECAC games, a new ECAC single season record. He broke the previous mark of 5.96 set by Mickey Jarboe of Navy in the ECAC's inaugural season of 2000. Hagelin's save percentage in league games of .667 was also the best in the ECAC.

Kelly ranked sixth in the ECAC in scoring with 12 goals in seven games. Overall, he led Rutgers with 24 goals and finished fifth in the ECAC in goals per game.

Toomey guided Loyola to its first ECAC Lacrosse League title and its second straight NCAA appearance. The Greyhounds led the league in both scoring offense and scoring defense in ECAC games, scoring more goals than any other team while allowing fewer than any other squad.

Kerwick led Hobart to a 4-3 mark in the ECAC and an 8-6 ledger overall. His Statesmen were the only team in the league to topple ECAC champion Loyola, then ranked 15th nationally. Kerwick's squad also posted an impressive win over Canisius, 10-3, the MAAC champion and an NCAA Tournament team. Four of his team's six losses were to teams ranked in the Top 15 in the country.

In addition to winning three of the major awards, Loyola placed three players on the All-ECAC first team and three more on the second to lead all league schools. Hobart had five selections, followed by Georgetown with four selections. Fairfield, Massachusetts, Penn State, Rutgers each had two players earn All-ECAC honors, while St. John's added one student-athlete to the team.

Offensive Player of the Year

Shane Koppens, Loyola Sr.

Defensive Player of the Year

Jerry Lambe, Georgetown Sr. 

Goalkeeper of the Year

Drew Adams, Penn State Jr.

Co-Rookies of the Year

Jake Hagelin, Loyla Fr.

Kory Kelly, Rutgers Fr.

Co-Coaches of the Year

Matt Kerwick, Hobart

Charley Toomey, Loyola

2008 All-ECAC First Team

A Shane Koppens, Loyola # Sr.

A Brendan Cannon, Georgetown #^ Sr.

A Daryl Veltman, Hobart #^ Sr.

M Justin Pennington, Rutgers So.

M Paul Richards, Loyola Sr.

M Andrew Brancaccio, Georgetown So.

D Jerry Lambe, Georgetown #^ Sr.

D Barney Ehrmann, Georgetown # So.

D Chris O'Dougherty, Rutgers # Jr.

D Matt Scanlon, Fairfield Sr.

Sp. P.T. Ricci, Loyola (LSM) Jr.

G Drew Adams, Penn State #^ Jr. 

# 2007 All-ECAC

^ 2006 All-ECAC

2008 All-ECAC Second Team

A Tim Balise, Massachusetts Jr.

A Cooper MacDonnell, Loyola So.

A Jamie Kirk, Hobart Sr.

M Andrew Mackrides, Penn State Sr.

M Sean Murphy, Hobart Sr.

M Matt Smalley, Hobart Jr.

D Tim LaMare, St. John's Sr.

D Rafe Mattingly, Hobart Sr.

D Diogo Godoi, Massachusetts So.

D Steve Dircks, Loyola So.

Sp. Matt Scanlon, Fairfield (LSM) Sr.

G Jake Hagelin, Loyola Fr.