Recently in Men's Lacrosse Category

Warriors win two relays and one individual event en route to piece of title

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Junior Amy Arisco (Wallingford) contributed points in five different events as women's  swimming shared first place at the Saint Joseph College Blue Jay Invitational in its season-opener Saturday.

Eastern totaled 62 point to share the top spot with Division II Assumption College. Saint Joseph  (12) was third, Husson University (7) fourth and Western New England College (6) fifth. Eastern finishes with at least a share of the title for the 11th straight season. The Warriors had won the previous ten titles outright.

Eastern won the 200 yard freestyle and 200 yard medley relays and captured first, second and fourth in the 100 yard breaststroke and second and third in the 100 yard butterfly. Trailing by nine points in the final event, the Warriors pulled even with Assumption by winning the 200 yard medley relay. Assumption was third, less than two seconds behind Western New England. College.

Arisco, a seven-time All-New England performer, swam the third leg of the winning 200 yard freestyle relay, was second in the 100 yard backstroke, swam the second leg of the second-place 400 yard freestyle relay, was third in the 100 yard butterfly and fourth in the 100 yard individual medley.

Senior Jessica Wilson (Torrington), a six-time All-New England  swimmer, won the 100 yard breaststroke and swam the second leg of the winning 200 yard freestyle relay and the final leg of the 200 yard medley relay.

Wilson and freshman Stephanie O'Kelly (Westport) were both members of the winning relays. Senior Kelsy Doheny (West Haven) swam the first leg of the 200 yard freestyle relay while junior Katie Curran (Norwood, MA) and sophomore Nadine Menard (Woodstock) joined O'Kelly and Wilson on the winning 200 yard medley relay.

In all, Eastern picked up 15 points in the 100 yard breaststroke. Behind Wilson, O'Kelly was second and senior Sarah Dombrowski (Southington) fourth. Seven points came in the 100 yard butterfly, with Menard capturing second ahead of Arisco's  third-place finish.

Arisco's second-place time of 1:07.08 was a personal best while Menard swam her fastest time ever in taking second in the 100 yard butterfly (1:05.89). Despite swimming her first race of the year, Wilson was only a little over one second off her program record in the 100 yard breaststroke. She was timed in 1:13.76.

Eastern visits Assumption College Saturday at 1 p.m.

To view the video of the men's lacrosse alumni game, click here

For a printable version of the Eastern men's lacrosse alumni team and the 2010 Eastern men's intercollegiate team from Sunday's Alumni Day, contact Bob Molta at molta@easternct.edu

       Men's lacrosse program and physical education professor join fight

At right: Fechtmann brothers Kevin (left) 

and Brian escort Charlie Chatterton Friday morning.

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The help heighten the concern for those living in poverty conditions, Dr. Charlie Chatterton recently turned to the Eastern Connecticut State University community for assistance.

Many responded, among them the men's intercollegiate lacrosse program, to help the cause.

Under the directioof third-year head coach Justin Axel, virtually all 50 healthy members of the lacrosse program will join ranks with Chatterton - a former collegiate lacrosse player himself - who aims to complete his 34th marathon run in 36 months Friday morning.

Justin Axel audio.wav

Justin Axel audio.wav

All of Chatterton's marathons, which began with the Adirondack Marathon in mid-September of 2006 -- have been used in order to bring attention to the problems of poverty and hunger which plague numerous communities throughout Connecticut and the entire U.S.

An associate professor of Physical Education, Chatterton's ultimate goal is to run 1,000 miles and take over One Million Strides to help Brake the Cycle of Poverty. In addition to bringing attention to poverty, the Eastern community will be collecting canned goods on Friday to be distributed to the disadvantaged. Moreover, the Eastern Foundation has pledged to donate $1 for every canned good contributed, with the money being used to purchase additional food items. The food will be donated to a local pantry in Willimantic, to be distributed locally to a number of shelters, soup kitchens, and church organizations.

Below: Members of the men's lacrosse team with Charlie Chatterton during the speaking program which followed the marathon Friday morning.

"I thought that it would be neat to get the campus community involved," says Chatterton, who has run marathons to support poverty awareness from New Orleans to Boston and including Hartford, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Disney World. "I extended the offer to our coaches, and Justin (Axel) responded. It's nice to go out and run and do these different things, but it's nice to try to involve people that you work, and to also get the students involved." 

Chatterton and his lacrosse relay partners will circle the Eastern campus a total of 26 times Friday morning. The first one-mile loop - as well as a subsequent number to follow - will be run through the early-morning darkness. Axel will join Chatterton at 5:30 a.m. for the first ten-minute leg of the marathon. Joe Ailamo and Kevin Wade - newcomers to the lacrosse program - will form the first two-man team of players, with 24 two-man sets to follow throughout the morning.

The players will be outfitted in an assortment of old Eastern lacrosse jerseys, many wearing those worn by the original Eastern men's lacrosse team more than a dozen years ago.

"I'm a former lacrosse player, so I think that it's kind of a neat connection (with the current Eastern lacrosse team)," observed Chatterton. "They should be able to keep up with an old lacrosse player - I was out of college by the time most of them were born," he laughs. The Eastern coach agrees. "If my players can't run a ten-minute mile, then (I say) don't waste my time on Monday," joked Axel, in reference to the start of the team's non-traditional season this coming Monday.

As an undergraduate, Chatterton was a four-year lacrosse letterwinner at the University of Delaware in the mid-1980s. It was an experience that he reflects upon often.  "A lot of times, you want to give back to something that's been very good to you," said Chatterton. "I know with athletics, and lacrosse in particular, I owe a lot to that for where I am today. So perhaps some of those players, right now, maybe they start a lacrosse clinic somewhere in some area that doesn't have the resources - giving those youngsters another positive  thing to do in a community that is in poverty. So, maybe the players look for opportunites to use their talents at what they're good at, to give back to their communities in some way that is meaningful."

If all goes according to plan, Chatterton expects to reach  the makeshift finish line adjacent to the University's athletic complex sometime after 10 a.m. Barring unforeseen circumstances, he plans to be in front of his sports marketing class by 11 a.m.

A speaking program in front of the campus's Student Center, will follow the completion of the marathon. The program, coordinated by Kim Silcox - Eastern's Director for the Center of Community Engagement - will include Eastern Executive Vice President Dr. Michael Pernal; Ellen Paul, representing Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney; Windham First Selectman Jean deSmet; Deb Poulin, Connecticut's Commissioner on Aging; and Victoria Nimirowski, the Executive Director of the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry.

A total of 26 placards located around the marathon circuit will provide various facts about poverty.

In late August, Chatterton contacted coaches in the Eastern athletic department, inquiring about their interest in having their teams support the initiative. Axel realized the opportunity that his project afforded his student-athletes, and immediately responded in the affirmative.

At the team's first organizational meeting of the year on Wednesday night, Axel informed his student-athletes of their role in the marathon run and had each player sign up for a ten-minute running slot. The players will run in pairs and carry a lacrosse stick, handing off  "the torch"  to their teammates at the conclusion of their run  In involving all 50 of his student-athletes, Axel "wanted to make sure that Charlie has support through all 26 miles."

In addition to shadowing Chatterton on the run, each student-athlete has also been asked to donate two canned goods to the cause.

"I think that it's going to be a great experience for my kids," noted Axel, who came to Eastern in the fall of 2007 after serving as assistant coach at Salisbury University. "When I saw Charlie's invitation to get involved, I thought that it would be a great event to be part of. When Charlie said that he was doing something here on campus, it was a no-brainer. It's a great cause to be running for, and is a great way for us to kick off the semester on a positive note. It's the kind of experience you look for as a coach because it's a first-hand and true life-learning experience. We have a great group of kids," noted Axel, "and they'll have fun with this."

In addition to his ties with the lacrosse community as a former Division I player, Chatterton has also formed a special bond with the Eastern student-athletes while serving as their NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. In that role each year, Chatterton also identifies one of Eastern's 17 intercollegiate programs for academic excellence and awards the Faculty Athletic Representive Team Academic Award.

Chatterton's goal is to complete 38 marathons by the end of the year. The marathons are dedicated to the more than 38 million Americans who struggle against poverty. In addition to running, Chatterton has lobbied in Washington and also participated in the Brake the Cycle of Poverty Bicycle Trip earlier this summer. While he has focused on raising awareness, he has also raised $10,000 for five organizations dedicated to the fight against hunger and poverty.

"These people (living in poverty) only want a chance. They don't want to be worrying about putting food on the table, worrying if their kids have enough. They don't want to live like that," says Chatterton. "It comes down to basic dignity of all people, and that's why we try to be a voice for them and to help them."

Program-high four players to compete in New England All-Star Game

Complete roster.pdf                                                             Kyle Savage (below)

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Four Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse players - the most of any institution - will compete in the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) East-West Senior All-Star Game Sunday, May 31 at 1 p.m. at Bello Field on the Tufts University campus.

Named from Eastern were goalie Kyle Savage (Southington), attackman and twin brother Matthew Savage (Southington), midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic) and defenseman Steve Lane (Groton). Both Simmons and Lane were earlier named to the NEILA All-New England second team and as USILA Division III honorable mention All-Americas. All four Eastern players were first-team All-Little East Conference selections, with Simmons the Offensive Player-of-the-Year and Lane the Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

Behind Eastern's four selections, host Tufts, and Western New England College -- all Division III institutions -- and Division II Merrimack College all had three representatives.

This season marks the 12th consecutive year and the 13th time in the program's 14-year history that Eastern has had at least one representative to this game. Prior to this year, Eastern had had as many as three representatives in 2001 and 2003. Only one player had been named each of the last five years.

Below: Accepting the conference playoff trophy earlier this month were Eastern captains Douglas Hackenyos (28) and seniors Kyle Savage (24), DJ Simmons (20), tourney MVP Matthew Savage (10) and Steve Lane (21).

A total of 37 athletes representing 21 Division I, II and III institutions will compete in the all-star game, which returns to Tufts University after a two-year stint at historic Harvard Stadium. A total of ten Division III institutions are represented, with players coming from four Division II schools and seven Division I schools.Eastern was the only Little East Conference institution represented.

Along with junior defenseman Douglas Hackenyos (West Suffield), Eastern's four senior participants in the game served as team captains this past season for the Warriors, who equalled the program record for wins (15-4 record), captured the conference regular-season and playoff championships, and won their first-ever NCAA tournament victory.

Kyle Savage, the program leader in five goalie categories, becomes the first Eastern goalie ever named to the team. He is joined on the all-star squad by Tufts goalie Matt Harrigan. Matthew Savage (53 goals/77 points) and Simmons (49/63)  ranked 1-2 in the conference this year in goals and points, with Simmons also the LEC leader with seven game-winning goals. Matthew Savage ranked in a tie for third this year in New England Division III in goals (tied for seventh nationally) and was fourth in the region in points (seventh nationally).

Matthew Savage closed out his Eastern career ranked second all-time in goals (130) and seventh in points (186), and also set a program record by scoring at least one goal in 22 consecutive games between the 2008 season-opener and the fifth game of this season. Simmons is ranked fourth all-time in goals (127) and ninth in points (168). Simmons also ranks first in career games (70), Lane second in games (69).and fourth in ground balls (266).

Former Fitch High School teammates receive ultimate honor as seniors

                                                                 Steve Lane (below, at right))

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Former high school teammates and classmates Steve Lane (Groton) and DJ Simmons (Mystic) have capped four-year careers in the Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse program by earning 2009 USILA Division III All-America honors.

Each a senior captain and four-year letterwinner, Lane and Simmons were each named to the 56-person honorable mention team. Lane is a defenseman and Simmons a midfielder. They become the ninth and tenth USILA All-America picks in the program's 14-year history - the first since attackman Marc DiGiovanni (second team) and long stick midfielder Pat Ammendolia (honorable mention) were honored six years ago.

Lane and Simmons both earned all-state honors under Dave Howes at Fitch Senior High School in Groton, leading the Falcons to a conference championship in their senior seasons of 2005. Lane began his high school career at midfield. Simmons' lacrosse career began when he joined the Fitch High program in his junior year.

"Steve and DJ were both great athletes out of high school who had  incredible work ethics and the desire to become the best," praised second-year head coach Justin Axel. "They exemplify exactly what we look for in our student-athletes. These two young men illustrate the fact that it does not necessarily matter where you come from, but rather, where you want to go."

DJ Simmons (at left)
 
Earlier this week, both were named second-team All-New England by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA). Earlier this month, Lane was named Defensive Player-of-the-Year and Simmons Offensive Player-of-the-Year by the Little East Conference.

Lane was second on the team this year behind national ground ball leader Eric Vasil (Southington) with a career-high 75 ground balls. For the third time in his career, Lane started every match and concluded his career ranked first all-time among field players with 69 starts and second with 69 appearances. He leaves the program ranked third all-time with 266 ground balls - 16 behind the leader.

"Steve was a true shut-down defenseman as he held some of the best players in the country to very limited goals," offered Axel of Lane, who was a three-time (first-team) all-conference selection in his career. "His work ethic off the field truly showed in his senior campaign."

Lane (21) and Simmons (20) after the LEC title game.

Always assigned to defend the opponent's most dangerous scorer, Lane held national Midfielder-of-the-Year Kylor Berkman without a goal and to just two assists when the Warriors faced No. 1 nationally-ranked Salisbury University March 21 at Salisbury, MD. Against Lane, Keene State College attackman Tony Santa Fe - a selection to this year's national USILA North-South Senior All-Star Game - managed only two goals in two games.

Lane becomes only the second Eastern defenseman to earn All-America accolades, following Shannon Sligo - the program's first All-America -- who was an honorable mention choice in 1999 and 2000.

Simmons recorded career highs this year with 49 goals and 63 points and added 14 assists. He ranked second in the conference in goals and points behind teammate Matthew Savage (Southington) and shared the conference lead with 11 extra-man goals. Seven of his goals this year were game-winners, four coming in the team's final four victories. One of those game-winners came in the LEC playoff title win over Keene State  and another came 82 seconds into overtime against Merchant Marine four days later. Simmons leaves the program ranked fourth all-time in goals (127) and ninth in points (168).

"DJ has been a special player for us who continued to get better every day," stated Axel of Simmons. "Despite his late start into lacrosse, DJ blossomed into one of the best midfielders in the country with his hard work and effort."

Simmons was a three-time conference all-star in his career, twice achieving first-team status.

This year's All-America Awards Reception is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston. The Division I semifinals and finals and Division II and III championship games are scheduled this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

A total of 39  institutions were represented with at least one of the 92 All-America selections. Twelve players were named to each of the first, second and third teams. Ten New England schools received an All-America pick, Eastern the only state institution to be represented. Three institutions - Stevenson University, Roanoke College and Gettysburg College - were accorded six All-Americas each. Stevenson was ranked No. 1 in the final USILA Division III poll, Roankok third and Gettsburg fifth. Gettsburg will compete in the national championship game Sunday against fourth-ranked Cortland State College.

Eastern equaled the program record for wins en route to a final 15-4 record in 2009 and a berth in the program's sixth NCAA Division III tournament in nine years, with its nine-game winning streak exceeded only three times in program history. The Warriors earned an automatic berth in the tournament this past spring  after winning their sixth conference playoff title in nine years, then posted their first-ever NCAA tournament win with a 10-9 overtime decision at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. They were ranked seventh in the final New England poll, and also received votes in the final regular-season USILA Division III national rankings.

Lane and Simmons become Eastern's fourth and fifth student-athletes to achieve All-America status, joining senior Kyle Bedini (Manchester) last fall in men's soccer, senior Ashley McFetridge (Canton) this past winter in women's basketball, and freshman Molly Rathbun (Hebron) this spring in softball.

Lane and Simmons are second-team selections to Division III squad

                                                                                                             Steve Lane (below)

Complete team.pdf

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Senior defenseman Steve Lane (Groton) and senior midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic) represent Eastern Connecticut State University on the 2009 New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Division III All-New England Team.

Lane was among three second-team defensemen named to the team, while Simmons was one of six second-team midfielders.  Lane was the Little East Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year this season and Simmons the LEC's Offensive Player-of-the-Year.

The entire 28-person All-New England team (14 first team, 14 second team) came from nine schools. Eastern was the only state institution represented on the all-star team.

Lane was second on the team this year behind national ground ball leader Eric Vasil (Southington) with a career-high 75 ground balls. For the third time in his career, Lane started every match and concluded his career ranked first all-time among field players with 69 starts and second with 69 appearances. He leaves the program ranked third all-time with 266 ground balls - 16 behind the leader.

DJ Simmons (below)

Simmons recorded career highs this year with 49 goals and 63 points and added 14 assists. He ranked second in the conference in goals and points behind teammate Matthew Savage (Southington) and shared the conference lead with 11 extra-man goals. Seven of his goals this year were game-winners, four coming in the team's final four victories. One of those game-winners came in the LEC playoff title win over Keene State College and another came 82 seconds into overtime against Merchant Marine four days later. Simmons leaves the program ranked fourth all-time in goals (127) and ninth in points (168).

Both Lane and Simmons completed four-year careers this past spring for Eastern, which equaled the program record for wins en route to a final 15-4 record and a berth in the program's sixth NCAA Division III tournament in nine years. The Warriors earned an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their sixth conference playoff title in nine years, then posted their first-ever NCAA tournament win with a 10-9 overtime decision at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. They were ranked seventh in the final New England poll, and also received votes in the final regular-season USILA Division III national rankings.

Since 1997, Eastern has had 22 selections to the NEILA team. Until this year, Eastern's most recent pick was Andrew Handras, an honorable mention selection on defense in 2004 who was also the LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year that season.

  Cardinals finally shake Warriors to advance to national quarters 

Box score.htm

At left: Kyle Savage (24)

Senior midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic), whose overtime goal Wednesday sent Eastern (15-4) into the second round, scored the only goal of the third quarter to tie the game at 4-4 with eight minutes left it the frame. Ranked 17th nationally and first in New England, Wesleyan (15-3) finally broke a 20-minute drought against Eastern senior goalie Kyle Savage (Southington) 65 seconds into the fourth quarter on a goal by NESCAC Rookie-of-the-Year John Froats that bounced into the net. The Warriors, ranked seventh in New England,  unloaded four shots over the next three minutes - with junior midfielder Maxim Fantl (West Hartford) hitting the post once and Wesleyan senior goalie Mike Borrero saving one - before the hosts scored three times in a span of

2:31 to pull away.                                                 

With its first win over Eastern in the last five meetings, Wesleyan advances to the national quarterfinals on Wednesday, when it hosts New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Middlebury College. Seeded fourth in the NESCAC tournament, Wesleyan knocked the Panthers out in the semifinals on the way to the tournament title.

DJ Simmons (at right)

In a game dominated by defense, neither team was able to score more than two consecutive goals until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.  With Eastern trailing 4-2, senior attack Matthew Savage (Southington) cut the deficit in half with his 53rd goal of the year on a feed from sophomore Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY) with two minutes left in the third quarter. Neither team was able to break through in the third quarter until Simmons cashed in a Wesleyan turnover for his 49th goal of the year with 8:15 left in the third quarter.

Follansbee, Wesleyan's top goal-scorer with 44 goals, was held to one goal in three different quarters by Eastern senior defenseman Steve Lane (Groton), despite uncorking ten of his team's 44 shots. Sophomore faceoff specialist Eric Vasil (Southington) (at left) won nine of 14 faceoffs and picked up ten ground balls. Vasil is ranked first nationally in ground balls and third in faceoff winning percentage.  He concluded the season with program season records for ground balls (221), faceoff percentage (.714), wins (264) and attempts (370).

Kyle Savage made 16 saves in one of the top games of his career. After allowing three goals in the first quarter, he surrendered only one goal through the middle periods.before Froats was credited with the go-ahead goal when the loose ball caromed into the net early in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Savage finished the season with a program-record 53 goals. He had at least one goal in his final 13 matches, and Simmons concluded by recording at least one goal in his last 16 contest.

Eastern had a nine-game winning streak snapped with the loss, with three of its losses this year coming against teams which qualified for NCAA play.

Wesleyan U. 8, Eastern Conn. 4

Eastern Conn. (15-4)      2   1   1   0 -- 4
Wesleyan U. (15-3)        3   1   0   4 -- 8

Goals: E-Matthew Savage, DJ Simmons, Vinny Tornatore, Brian Fechtmann.; W-
Russ Follansbee 3, Jon Killeen 2, Jason Ben-Eliyahu, John Froats, Jeff Strittmatter.
Assists: E-Brendan Hoppey, M. Savage; W- Ben-Eliyahu, Lonny Blumenthal,
Dan Latzman.
Shots: E-26, W-44; Saves: E- Kyle Savage 16, W-Mike Borrero 11.

Warriors survive overtime to post first NCAA tournament win ever

Box score.HTM

KINGS POINTS, N.Y. -- Senior attack Matthew Savage (Southington) forced overtime, senior goalie Kyle Savage (Southington) saved overtime, and senior midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic) decided overtime as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team posted its first-ever win in the NCAA Division III tournament with a 10-9 overtime victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Wednesday night at Brooks Stadium.

At right: Matthew Savage

Matthew Savage's team-leading 52nd goal of the year with 34.6 seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime. Kyle Savage kept the season alive witih a save in the opening minute of sudden death, and Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year Simmons ended the game 82 seconds into the extra session with an unassisted goal that propelled the Warriors into the second round for the first tiime in six NCAA tournament appearances.

Eastern (15-3), which ties the program record for wins, visits Wesleyan University Saturday at 1 p.m. in the round of 16. Wesleyan (14-3) drew a first-round by after gaining the automatic bid extended the New England Small Collegte Athletic Conference playoff champion. Eastern won its sixth Little East Conference title in nine years this past Saturday with a 12-8 win over visiting Keene State College.

Eastern led six times in the match but only once by as many as two goals. After Simmons' extra-man strike with six minutes left in the third quarter gave the Warriors a 7-6 lead, Eastern went scorless and trailed by a goal until junior midfielder Zach Malouf (Norwich) potted his only goal on an assist from sophomore attack Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY) with just over six minutes left in regulation.

Zach Gray's only goal of the match on an assist from Adam Jerlow gave Merchant Marine (11-6) only its  second lead of the night with 65 seconds left, but Eastern sophomore faceoff specialist Eric  Vasil (Southington) won the ensuing faceoff and Matthew Savage scored his third goal of the  match on a pass from junior midfielder Maxim Fantl (West Hartford) 30 seconds later to send the game into overtime.Ranked first nationally in ground balls and third in faceoff percentage, Vastil won 19 of 22 faceoffs and scooped up 17 ground balls. Vasil won 17 straight attempts after losing three of first in the first quarter.

Simmons led Eastern with five goals -- two coming in man-up opportunies in the third quarter and Hoppey had both of the team's assists. Eastern's man-down unit killed seven of eight penalties. In the final 1:47 of the third quarter, Eastern was flagged four times, but the Mariners were unable to take advantage of the extra-man tries. The hosts were up two men for 30 seconds in that late third-quarter stretch.

Kyle Savage stopped 15 shots, six of them coming in the first quarter when the Mariners outshot Eastern, 16-4. His biggest one came in overtime that prolonged the careers of nine seniors.

Seven from conference champions named to all-conference team

Courtesy Little East Conference Office of Communications
Complete team.pdf

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Eastern Connecticut State University senior midfielder D.J. Simmons (Mystic, Conn.) and classmate Steve Lane (Groton, Conn.) were named the Little East Conference offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively, this afternoon when the conference office announced its annual men's lacrosse all-conference and major awards winners. Keene State College freshman attacker Griffin Meehan (Simsbury, Conn.) was tabbed the rookie of the year, while University of Southern Maine Malcolm Chase was selected as the coach of the year by his peers.

The Little East Conference honors an 11-person first and second all-conference team consisting of three attackers, three midfielders, a long-stick midfielder, three defenders and a goalie. The Warriors placed eight student-athletes on the top two teams, while Plymouth State University and the Owls each had four representatives.

Simmons is making his third consecutive appearance on the All-Little East teams, and second as a first-team selection.  The Mystic, Conn. native is the fourth Eastern Connecticut student-athlete to earn at least a share of the top offensive award since men's lacrosse became a conference sponsored sport in 2001. Simmons sits atop the Little East individual standings in game-winning goals (6), while ranking fifth in goals per game (2.53) and points per game (3.35). A consistent scorer, he registered at least one point in each of his 17 games, scoring multiple points 16 times. Simmons penned a season-high seven points in his ledger against Keene State, netting a season-high six goals and handing out an assist. He has had the knack for scoring the game-winning goal of late, tickling the twine for the decisive score in the past three games.

Lane is the fourth Warrior to be picked as the top defensive player in the conference and first since Andrew Handras repeated the honor in 2004. The Groton, Conn. product led the Little East's top-ranked defensive attack that allowed just 45 goals in seven conference games and killed off 77.4 percent of its opponents' man-up opportunities. Lane and his teammates held their oppositions to seven or fewer goals eight times, including a season-low three markers twice. The three-time All-Little East, first-team selection scooped up 69 ground balls, including a season-high eight at Keene State, while causing seven turnovers. Lane also contributed to the offensive rush with seven points, on four goals and three assists.

Meehan made an immediate impact in the Owls' starting lineup, earning all-conference, first-team honors as an attacker. He led the Little East in points per game (4.54), while ranking second in assists per game (1.69) and third in goals per game (2.85). The Simsbury, Conn. product recorded multiple points in each of his 13 games to raise his season totals to 37 goals, 22 assists, and 59 points. Meehan, a crafty playmaker, tallied at least five points six times, including a pair of eight-point outings. He matched his season highs in goals (5) and points (8) against UMass Dartmouth and Western Connecticut. Meehan also handed out a season-best four helpers against Wheaton (Mass.).

Chase guided the Huskies to the program's first season with at least 10 victories, sporting an 11-7 record and a 4-3 mark in the conference circuit. On April 5, Southern Maine defeated Western Connecticut, 14-12, to earn its first Little East win since the 2004 schedule. The Huskies won five of their last six games to claim the third seed in the Little East Men's Lacrosse Championship and host Salem State in the opening round. Southern Maine reached the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time in the program's history before bowing out to Keene State. Chase mentored two All-Little East, second-team picks in junior defender Matt Morneau (Portland, Maine) and freshman attacker Tim Bryant (Peterborough, N.H.). 

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.

               Warriors travel to Kings Point Wednesday for first-round tilt

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team opens play in its sixth NCAA Division III tournament Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it visits the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY.

At right: Eastern's nine seniors lead the Warriors into the NCAA tournament.

Eastern (14-3) earned an automatic bid to the tournament Saturday by besting Keene State College, 12-8, in the championship game of the Little East Conference tournament. Merchant Marine (11-5) received an at-large bid to the 22-team field, its second NCAA tournament appearance ever and second in three years. The Mariners wrapped up its regular season by winning its first Landmark Conference championship Saturday with an 8-6 win over visiting University of Scranton. A second-year conference, the Landmark does not receive an automatic bid to the tournament.

The post-season tournament appearance is the ninth 14-year history of the program and the first under second-year head coach Justin Axel. The Warriors last appeared in 2006 when it dropped a 7-4 decision at Stevens Tech.

If it defeats Merchant Marine, Eastern would move on to a second-round match Saturday at Wesleyan University (14-3) at 1 p.m. The Warriors have lost their NCAA opener in each of its five previous appearances.

It will be the first meeting ever between Eastern and Merchant Marine.

A winner of eight straight, Eastern is led by senior twins Matthew Savage (Southington) and Kyle Savage (Southington), sophomore faceoff specialist Eric Vasil (Southington) and senior defenseman Steve Lane (Groton). Matthew Savage was named Most Outstanding Player of the conference playoffs by scoring nine goals in two matches, setting a program season record in the process with 49 goals. Kyle Savage holds most all career program records for goalies, including wins (44). He needs saves for 800 in his career. Vasil leads Division III in ground balls (11.4) and is third in faceoff percentage (.707). Lane leads all non-faceoff players with 69 ground balls.

Merchant Marine has won six straight and eight of nine since losing four straight, with two of those losses coming to No. 10 nationally-ranked Washington & Lee University and #17 Wesleyan. In its only other previous NCAA appearance in 2007, MMA dropped a 14-11 first-round decision at Keene State. It is the only NCAA tournament victory for a Little East Conference team. The Mariners qualified that year by topping Stevens Tech, 12-11, in the finals of the Skyline Conference. Merchant Marine finished 9-7 last year in its first season in the Landmark Conference.

Merchant Marine's top two offensive threats are senior Brennan Dougherty (38-23-61) - the program's all-time assist leader -- and junior Brian Flannery (37-10-47). Senior Michael Condron tops the club with 62 ground balls. Nine different players have combined to win 32.9 percent of the team's faceoffs.

Eastern played and lost two matches against teams appearing in this week's natonal poll. The Warriors lost at No. 5 Salisbury University, 15-7, March 21 and lost to visting Trinity College, 12-9, April 7. Salisbury was rated No. 1 nationally at the time and Trinity received votes in this week's national Top 20. The games against Washington & Lee and Wesleyan represented MMA's only ones against teams currently ranked nationally.

Eastern averages 13.6 goal per match and has a +5.1 scoring margin. Merchant Marine averages  8.9 goals per game with a 0.3 scoring margin.

Eastern and Wesleyan are among seven institutions chosen from New England. In addition to Eastern, Wesleyan, Mount Ida College, Springfield College and Western New England College qualified automatically by winning conference championships. Middlebury College and Tufts University received at-large bids