Regis College’s Peter Leighton recorded a game-best seven points against Daniel Webster last week! (Photo Credit: Regis College Athletics)

By Matt Noonan 

Our Wednesday lacrosse coverage continues as this evening Noontime Sports will be pacing the sidelines of Regis-Springfield, which starts at 6 p.m.

Both teams enter the contest having won their last match as Regis defeated Daniel Webster, 13-5, while Springfield snapped a six-game skid with an 11-10 victory against Western New England.

Meet Regis: The Pride concluded March with an impressive win against NECC (New England Collegiate Conference) foe Daniel Webster. Peter Leighton led all players with a game-best seven points (three goals, four assists), Billy Stewart registered four goals and two assists, and Nicky Rodrigo netted a hat trick.

Excluding their victory against the Eagles, the Pride has also defeated Dallas and Rivier this season.

Meet Springfield: The Pride began their campaign with an enormous victory against Gordon College before dropping their next six games. However, they relocated the win column last Saturday with an impressive victory against the Golden Bears as Ryan Murphy netted the game-winner with three ticks remaining.

Last Meeting: Springfield defeated Regis in their inaugural meeting last season, 16-4. Chris Campell led Regis with two strikes, while Springfield’s Murphy, Sean Doolady and Kevin Sainte finished with two goals apiece.  

Players To Watch: For Regis, keep an eye on Rodrigo, who is having a fantastic first season. He’s recorded three points or more in six of eight contests, as well as tallied five points against Daniel Webster, Rivier and Southwestern, and four points against Becker College and Emerson College.

For Springfield, it’s Ryon Lynch, who leads the unit with 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists). The junior attack has been a pivotal part of the Pride’s offense by locating dodgers for goals.

Interesting Statistic: Springfield College is 19-3 in the month of April since 2010. They didn’t lose a single game last season, but lost twice in 2011 and once in 2010.

Live Stats: Can’t make the game? Do not worry because you can follow the live stats courtesy of the Regis sports information department by CLICKING HERE.  

* For more information on Regis men’s lacrosse — HOP HERE

* For more information on Springfield men’s lacrosse — HOP HERE 

The Wheaton College men’s lacrosse team recently produced a mid-season highlight reel on their YouTube channel, which we’ve provided below. The Lyons are currently riding a three-game winning streak, which includes a Pilgrim League victory against Clark University.

Wheaton will return to the grass on Saturday, April 6 when they welcome Regis College to Norton for a 1 p.m. conference match.

Alyssa Buffis recored a career-best seven goals, two assists and nine points as the Bison topped the Leopards in Boston! (Photo Credit: Nichols College Athletics)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Another Saturday of lacrosse is in the books and below is various game summaries from across the state.

Men’s Lacrosse:

Bucknell 16, Holy Cross 9 – Michael Ortlieb, who is the Crusaders goaltender, scored two goals, but that wasn’t enough to spark the visitors as the seventh-ranked Bison improved to 9-2 overall and 3-0 in the Patriot League.

Saint Joseph’s 7, UMass 6 – Matt Whippen and Ryan Izzo netted two goals, respectively, while Will Manny recorded two points (one goal, one assist), but that wasn’t enough to help the Minutemen defeat Hawks in Philadelphia.

Duke 12, Harvard 11 – The Blue Devils sealed the win with a 4-0 run in the fourth as Duke defeated Harvard for the second time three seasons. Murphy Vandervelde recorded a hat trick in the setback, while Peter Schwartz finished with two strikes and two helpers.

Merrimack College 19, Saint Rose 2 – Greg Melaugh recorded a game-best five points (five goals) as the Warriors cruised to their fourth victory of the season.

Pace 9, Bentley University 6 – Jason Knight’s fourth quarter strike brought the Falcons within one with 8:37 remaining, but the Setters responded with two tallies, which secured the win.

Tufts University 16, Trinity College 12 – Andrew Fiamengo recorded five points (three goals, two assists), Beau Wood recorded a hat trick as the Jumbos defeated the Bantams and earned their fifth straight win.

Amherst College 11, Hamilton 6 – The Lord Jeffs three-game losing streak is history as Quinn Moroney’s four points (two goals, two assists) lifted the visitors to their third win of the season.

Wheaton College 11, Clark University 4 – Matthew Hillman recorded a game-best five goals as the Lyons defeated the Cougars and earned their first Pilgrim League victory of the season.

Springfield College 11, WNEC 10 – Ryan Murphy netted four goals, while Ryon Lynch and Bryce Serriello recorded two goals, respectively, as the Pride defeated the Golden Bears.

Women’s Lacrosse:

Boston College 10, Virginia 7 – Sarah Mannelly recorded a hat trick, Mikaela Rix netted two strikes as the Eagles soared past the ninth-ranked Cavaliers in Newton.

Holy Cross 15, Colgate 14 (OT) – Sara Hennessey (three goals, one assist) netted the game-winner on a free possession with one second remaining in the extra session as the Crusaders snapped their four-game skid.

UMass 20, La Salle 11 – Cori Murray, who finished with three goals and three assists, recorded her 100^th career point as No. 16/11 UMass defeated La Salle and extended their current winning streak to six games.

Adelphi 12, Stonehill College 5 – The Panthers raced out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back as they defeated the Skyhawks and improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in NE-10 play. Heather Sullivan and Kelsey Shannahan led Stonehill with two goals apiece.

Trinity College 13, Tufts University 4 – The Bantams ballooned an 8-0 advantage at the break into a nine-point victory against the Jumbos in Connecticut. Trinity, the reigning NCAA Division III champion, extended its winning streak to 15 games. Kerry Eaton led Tufts with three points (two goals, one assist).

Amherst College 15, Hamilton College 6 – Priscilla Tyler recorded a game-best four points (three goals, one assist) as the Lord Jeffs extended their winning streak to four games.

WNEC 16, Castleton State 11 – Kaitlynn Stevens netted four strikes, while Megan Doyle and Jessica Scannapieco each recorded hat tricks as the Golden Bears topped the Spartans in a non-conference clash.

Nichols College 20, Wentworth 17 (OT) – Alyssa Bufis recorded career-highs with seven goals, two assists and nine points, while teammate Erica Antonison recorded a career-best six goals as the Bison defeated the Leopards in overtime.

Here are a few photos from Wednesday’s non-conference tilt between Salve Regina and Wheaton College. The Lyons raced out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back as they defeated the Seahawks in Norton, 15-5.

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Courtesy of the Massachusetts Maritime sports information department, here’s this evening’s release from the men’s lacrosse game as the Buccaneers fell to Salem State by two tallies:

SALEM, Mass. —  Freshman Ben Melaugh (Billerica, Mass.) netted a pair of goals and an assist for three points as Salem State used five unanswered third quarter scores to overcome a two-goal halftime deficit and notch an 8-6 non-league college men’s lacrosse victory over Massachusetts Maritime Wednesday evening at Alumni Field.

The host Vikings (5-1) jumped out to a 2-1 edge after the opening 15 minutes of play, but the visiting Buccaneers (2-3) forged a 3-2 lead on freshman Sean Staples’ (Norwell, Mass.) man-up marker just 3:35 into the second stanza.  Melaugh evened matters for Salem State with 7:06 to play in the half, but senior John Hojnoski (West Springfield, Mass.) struck for a pair of tallies in a 40 second span late in the frame to give Massachusetts Maritime its’ 5-3 cushion at the break.

After senior Ryan Savini’s (Wilmington, Mass.) goal 53 seconds after intermission enabled the Vikings to pull to within one, Melaugh’s man-up marker just 57 seconds later forged the final tie of the evening, and freshman Nate Staples (Salem, Mass.) gave the hosts the lead for good less than two minutes later as part of a five-goal third quarter outburst.  Salem State enjoyed that 8-5 advantage until the closing minutes of the contest, as freshman C.J. Hanson’s (Melrose, Mass.) goal with 2:01 to play enabled the Buccaneers to close back to within a pair and account for the final score.

Sophomore Andy Rice (Weymouth, Mass.) added two tallies in the triumph for Salem State, which also received a marker and helper from sophomore Max Gensenberg (Beverly, Mass.) as well as a goal off the stick of junior A.J. Robertson (Ipswich, Mass.).  Sean Staples finished with a goal and two assists to pace the scoring column for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received a tally and helper from sophomore Drew Prowse (Wakefield, Mass.), a goal from sophomore Dylan Freudenberg (Islip, N.Y.) and single assists off the sticks of senior Jake Lennon (Bourne, Mass.) and freshman Anthony Kurylak (Rye, N.H.).

Freshman Dylan Svenson (Billerica, Mass.) picked up the win in goal for Salem State with a seven save effort, while junior Paul Painten (Walpole, Mass.) made nine stops in net for Massachusetts Maritime as the Vikings outshot the Buccaneers by a 44-22 margin for the match.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Babson in its Pilgrim Lacrosse League opener on Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at 3:00 p.m., while Salem State travels to Willimantic, Conn. to open Little East Conference play against Eastern Connecticut on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Wheaton’s Sean Doherty celebrates a fourth quarter goal as the Lyons rolled defeated Salve Regina, 15-5! (Photo Credit: Matt Noonan for NoontimeSports.com)

By Matt Noonan 

NORTON, MA – For the second time in four days, Wheaton College’s men’s lacrosse team earned a non-conference win as the Lyons defeated Salve Regina, 15-5.

Billy McNamara led the Blue and White with a game-best five points (two goals, three assists), while Sean Doherty, Ian Casey, Matthew Hillman, Cam Hanlon and Will Compton each recorded two strikes.

“It was pretty good to score some goals,” said Wheaton coach Jamie Lockard. “I think it was kind of sloppy at times, but I thought it was pretty good (in the) first and fourth quarter for us.”

Wheaton finished the game with 41 ground balls, 36 shots, 23 clears and 10 face-off wins, while McNamara helped the Lyons earn the lead by registering two strikes in the first before recording his first helper in the second on Alex Keiver’s goal at 5:47.

“I was just trying to stick with the game plan and keep the ball moving and try to work for good shots and we got some,” McNamara said of his offensive performance.

Salve Regina trimmed the eight-goal deficit once the second half commenced with three goals – two from Jacob Pantani and one from James Fee before the Lyons responded with five straight tallies to push ahead for good.

Doherty, Hanlon and Hillman each recorded one goal in a span of 1:26 once the final stanza commenced before Compton and Adam Soloperto sealed the win with strikes during the final four minutes.

“That’s happened to us twice,” Lockard explained of his team allowing opponent’s to rally.

“Against Eastern Connecticut on Saturday we were up 8-4 then it was 8-6 and 8-7, so we were able to kind dig our bunches then retaliate a little bit and the fourth quarter was just – I can’t tell you, I didn’t really say anything (because the team) just started playing a little bit sharper.”

With the win, Wheaton improves to 2-4 overall and 3-0 against Salve Regina.

Transition Fuels Wheaton’s Offense: For the second time this season, the Lyons transition game made the difference as Wheaton netted a couple goals off turnovers to pad their lead.

“We’ve gotten better at that the last two games and I think it’s been how we’ve been able to put up double digits and we’re not grinding out the six-on-six goals anymore,” Lockard said.

“That’s been something that we’ve emphasized the last two games coming out is push the ball and look for those opportunities for the easy goals.”

McNamara agreed with his coach by saying, “We’re pushing the ball and I’m loving it. We got some guys playing d-middy, who’re fast and athletic and they’re pushing it forward.”

Wheaton’s Matthew Hillman recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in the Lyons most recent win against Eastern Connecticut State last Saturday! (Photo Credit: Wheaton College Athletics)

By NoontimeSports.com 

For the second Wednesday in a row, Noontime Sports will be pacing the sidelines of another critical non-conference men’s lacrosse contest as the Lyons of Wheaton College, who’re coming off an exciting win against Eastern Connecticut State last Saturday, host Salve Regina for a 4 p.m. face-off. Below are some pre-game notes and tidbits about the teams and players.

* Wheaton’s win against Eastern Connecticut was their first against the Warriors since 1996. Matthew Hillman recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in the win and earned Pilgrim League Player of the Week honors. According to the college’s release, Hillman’s effort ties him for fifth all-time on the single-game scoring list with several other players.

* Hillman leads the Lyons in goals (11) and points (19), while teammates Sean Doherty has recorded 15 (five goals, 10 assists) and Alex Keiver has registered nine (seven goals, two assists).

* Salve Regina enters the contest on a three-game winning streak as they recently defeated Clark University, 8-7. The Seahawks defense fended off a four-goal rally last Wednesday to defeat the Cougars in Rhode Island. Chad Hollenshade recorded four strikes in the win, while James Fee netted two goals.

* Hollenshade and Jacob Pantani have recorded 21 points, respectively, while Curtis McKeon has registered 15 points (four goals, 11 assists).

Series History: Wheaton is 2-0 against Salve Regina. The Lyons defeated the Seahawks in their meeting in 2002, 29-12.

Home and Away Records: Wheaton is currently 1-0 this season at home, while Salve Regina is 0-3 on the road.

Live Stats: Follow the action via Wheaton’s live stats — HOP HERE

Courtesy of the Wheaton College sports information department, here’s this evening’s release about Matthew Hillman of the men’s lacrosse team, who was honored as this week’s Pilgrim League Player of the Week:

NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College sophomore Matthew Hillman (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) has earned Pilgrim League Player of the Week honors.

Hillman guided the Lyons to their first win over Eastern Connecticut State University since 1996 on Saturday with five goals and four assists on nine shots. Hillman buried an all-important insurance goal with 1:31 remaining as the Warriors scored with seven seconds to go in the contest as the Lyons held on for the 12-11 victory. The sophomore attack also added four ground balls.

Hillman’s nine point afternoon tied him for fifth all-time on the single-game scoring list with several other players in program history. Hillman also tied his career-high single-game points total mark as he tallied nine points (five goals, four assists) against Regis College in a 20-3 win on April 5, 2012.

Wheaton (1-4, 0-0 Pilgrim) hosts Salve Regina University on Wednesday, March 27 in non-conference action at 4:00 p.m.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Maritime sports information department, here’s this evening’s release from the men’s lacrosse game against Maine Maritime:

PORTLAND, Maine —  Senior John Hojnoski (West Springfield, Mass.) netted a hat trick and two assists for five points as Massachusetts Maritime held off a late rally to notch an 11-10 victory over Maine Maritime in the annual Admiral’s Cup men’s lacrosse match played Sunday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

The host Buccaneers (2-2) jumped out to a 3-0 advantage just 5:38 into the contest, but the visiting Mariners (0-6) came storming back to tie the contest on a goal by sophomore Nick Betti (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) with 10:11 remaining in the first half.  The two teams traded scores in a 2:26 span before Hojnoski’s second marker of the afternoon with 2:53 to play in the second stanza gave Massachusetts Maritime a 5-4 advantage at the break, and after junior Cameron Wyman’s (Limerick, Maine) goal 1:42 after intermission enabled Maine Maritime to forge its final tie of the day, the Buccaneers rattled off five of the next six tallies, including a pair off the stick of junior Drew Prowse (Wakefield, Mass.), to take a 10-6 lead with 10:26 to play.

The Mariners closed back to within a pair at 10-8 on Betti’s goal with 4:06 remaining, but freshman Sean Staples (Norwell, Mass.) provided a key insurance marker for the hosts with 2:46 to play, as it proved to be the game-winner after Betti and junior Nick Snelling (Colchester, Vt.) scored in a 24 second span to pull the visitors to within one with 1:15 remaining.  Massachusetts Maritime won the ensuing faceoff, and after the two teams traded turnovers, the Buccaneers regained possession with 25 seconds to play and ran out the clock to notch their triumph.

Staples joined Hojnoski with a hat trick in the victory for the Buccaneers, who received two goals and three assists from Prowse to go with a pair of tallies and a helper off the stick of sophomore Dylan Freudenberg (Islip, N.Y.).  Freshman Anthony Kurylak (Rye, N.H.) added a goal as well for the winners, who also received single assists from senior Jake Lennon (Bourne, Mass.) and freshman C.J. Hanson (Melrose, Mass.).  Betti finished with a hat trick and an assist for four points in the setback for Maine Maritime, which also received a hat trick from senior Thomas Houle (Manchester, N.H.) and a pair of markers and an assist off the stick of Snelling.  Sophomore Bronson Guimond (Portland, Maine) also tallied on the day for the Mariners, who also received an assist from sophomore A.J. Larabee (Farmington, Maine).

Junior Paul Painten (Walpole, Mass.) picked up the win in goal for Massachusetts Maritime with an 11-save effort, while senior Erik Milles (Bangor, Maine) made 16 stops in net for Maine Maritime as the Buccaneers outshot the Mariners by a 51-39 margin to claim their second straight Admiral’s Cup and third in the last four seasons.

Massachusetts Maritime travels to Salem, Mass. on Wednesday evening to take on Salem State in a non-league outing that begins at 7:00 p.m., while Maine Maritime hosts Thomas in a North Atlantic Conference match on Friday evening in Castine, Maine that also begins at 7:00 p.m.

Courtesy of the Springfield College sports information department, here’s this evening’s release from the men’s lacrosse game against Middlebury College:

Middlebury, Vt. – March 13, 2013 – The Springfield College men’s lacrosse team’s second-half rally fell short as it lost to host Middlebury, 18-12, on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Stadium. Ryon Lynch led the way for the Pride with a game-high seven points.

The Panthers improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Pride dropped its third-straight to fall to 1-3.

Lynch finished the day with four goals and three assists, while Bryce Serriello tallied a hat trick to go along with an assist. Connor Nash started for the first time this season and was charged with the loss as he posted just five saves. Branden Fernandez won 18-of-33 face-offs and scooped up 11 ground balls.

For Middlebury, Mike Giordano had four goals and two assists, while teammate Jon Broome added four goals and an assist of his own. Stew Kerr netted a hat trick and Darric White picked up a team-best eight ground balls. Between the pipes, Nate Gaudio recorded 12 saves in the victory.

Middlebury opened up the game scoring nine of the first 11 goals to own a 9-2 advantage with 4:49 to go in the first half. The Pride answered back with three-straight goals of their own, using a strike from defenseman Matt Giannelli 1:32 into the second half to get within four a 9-5.

The hosts responded with three of the next four goals to regain a six-goal cushion with 6:25 left in the third on another goal from Broome, only to have Springfield use another three-goal spurt to make it a three-goal contest. Lynch scored back-to-back goals in the burst, the final one coming with 33 seconds on the clock in the third.

However, Middlebury’s offense erupted for six goals in the fourth quarter to run away with the game. Sean Carroll scored a pair of man-up goals in the run to pace the Panthers to victory.

The Pride held a 50-44 edge in shots, a 37-36 advantage in ground balls, and both teams committed eight penalties in the contest.

Springfield will try to snap its three-game skid when it hosts 18th-ranked Union on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Courtesy of the Anna Maria College sports information department, here’s this evening’s release from the men’s lacrosse game against Massachusetts Maritime:

PAXTON, Mass.  – Anna Maria College senior Rod Henriques (Saugus, MA) notched a seasons-first hat trick, however Massachusetts Maritime Academy recorded a come-from-behind 7-5 victory in a non-conference men’s lacrosse matchup at a rainy, windy and cold AMCAT Field on Tuesday evening. The game marked the season opener for the Buccaneers who improve to 1-0, while the ‘Cats fall to 1-2 on the season.

Freshman Lucas Stralka (East Greenwich, RI) added a goal and an assist while senior Jason Baker (Billerica, MA) also found the back of the twine for the AMCATS.

MMA had a pair of players who tallied three-goals in the victory. Sophomores Dylan Freudenberg (Islip, NY) and Drew Prowse (Wakefield, MA) each netted hat tricks, and freshman Sean Staples (Norwell, MA) added two assists for the Buccaneers.

The two teams battled to a scoreless tie through the first ten minutes of the match before, with the man-advantage, Henriques took a feed from freshman Scott Henry (Warwick, RI) and found the back of the net to give AMC an early 1-0 advantage.

The AMCATS struck again four minutes into the second stanza for another power-play goal, as Jason Baker scored off a saucer pass from Stralka to extend the AMC lead to 2-0. Maritime potted the games next two goals of the second quarter as Freudenberg and Anthony Kurylak scored a pair of unassisted goals to even the score 2-2 at intermission.

The Buccaneers broke the game open in the second half scoring three unanswered goals to take a 5-2 lead. Anna Maria was able to stop the bleeding when Stralka scored a nifty unassisted goal to cut the lead to 5-3 at the end of the third.

MMA extended their lead to 6-3 when Prowes scored his second of the night just seven seconds into the fourth quarter. Anna Maria answered just 40 seconds later with an Henriques unassisted tally. The teams traded goals late for the 7-5 final.

Freshman Joshua Giarratano, the reigning GNAC Goalie of the Week, performed well in net for AMC, making 13 saves in the loss. His counterpart Paul Painten had seven saves for his first win of the season.

The AMCATS will look to bounce back on Thursday when they host Nichols College at 6:00 pm.

The Division III men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons commence this weekend and below are links to their preseason polls.

Men’s Lacrosse

* Little East Conference — UMass Dartmouth was picked to finish third behind Eastern Connecticut State and Keene State, while UMass Boston is expected to finish sixth and Salem State is projected to finish eighth.

* New England Collegiate Conference – The first official season of NECC men’s lacrosse commenced last weekend, but most teams will see action either this weekend or next week. Regis College was picked to earn the top spot at the end of season, while Becker College was picked second.

Women’s Lacrosse 

* Commonwealth Coast Conference – The Endicott College Gulls were tabbed to finish the season in first place, while Gordon College was picked to conclude their campaign in third place.

* Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference – Bridgewater State received six first place votes, along with 48 points in the conference’s preseason poll, as the Bears are projected to win the conference. Westfield State earned one first place vote and picked to conclude their campaign in second.

* New England Collegiate Conference  – Similar to the men’s division, Regis College was selected to win the women’s division. The Pride earned five first place votes, while Becker College was selected to finish second and received one first place vote.

Courtesy of the Springfield College sports information department, here’s this evening’s release from the Pride’s first men’s lacrosse game of the season against Gordon College:

Waltham, Mass. – February 20, 2013 - The Springfield College men’s lacrosse team strung together nine unanswered goals as it soared past Gordon, 22-7, in both squads season opener Wednesday afternoon.

Springfield, which was ranked 14th in several preseason national polls, has now won its last four season-openers, all of which have come against Gordon. The 22 goals is the most that Springfield has scored since it netted 23 against Mass. Maritime on April 11, 2009.

The Pride’s starting attack had a monster game, combining for 11 goals and seven assists to lead the way. Preseason All-America Ryon Lynch tallied a team-best seven points on five helpers and two goals, while Ryan Murphy found the back of the cage five times and added an assist. Dylan Sheehan produced four goals and an assist as well for the Springfield.

In his first game at Springfield after transferring from American International, Bryce Serriello anchored the Pride’s midfield with four points off three goals and one assist. Sean Doolady was dominant at the “X”, going 17-for-19 with eight ground balls, while teammate Dom Roberto picked up a game-high nine ground balls himself.

Between the pipes, preseason All-America Rob Maher tallied five saves, allowing four goals in 45 minutes of action. Connor Nash made three saves while surrendering three goals in 15 minutes.

Springfield finished the game with a 42-27 edge in shots and a 49-27 advantage in ground balls. The Pride was 18-for-19 on clear attempts and limited Gordon to just 2-for-8 on man-up opportunities.

After the Fighting Scots even the game at one at the 11:15 mark of the opening quarter, Springfield poured on nine unanswered goals over the next 18:16 to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Eight different members of the Pride scored in the spurt, while Murphy added a pair of strikes.

Springfield would go on to lead by as many as 17, with Kevin Dean’s strike with 3:13 left in regulation giving the visitors a 22-5 cushion.

The Pride will clash with Nazareth on Saturday at 1:00 pm on Stagg Field for its home opener.

Can the Wheaton Lyons women’s lacrosse team turn the tables in the NEWMAC? (Photo Credit: Matt Noonan for NoontimeSports.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Even though a majority of the men’s and women’s Division II and III seasons won’t start until roughly the first or second week of March, a majority of the schools and conferences have released previews, which we have linked below:

* The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) unveiled its preseason predictions on Tuesday for the men’s division and projected that Mount Ida College will finish first. The Mustangs received eight first place votes and 98 total points.

* The GNAC also unveiled its preseason predictions for the women’s division on Tuesday too and Norwich University was selected to finish in first place.  Three Massachusetts schools were picked to finish under the Cadets and they were Lasell College (2), Emerson College (3) and Simmons College (4).

* Amherst College’s men’s lacrosse team selected their captains for the upcoming season and the following players earned this honor: Danny Gold, Ramsey Bates and Devin Acton

* Earlier today, Babson College unveiled its season preview for the men’s lacrosse team. The Beavers are coming off their third-straight 10-win season and look to carry that momentum into the spring.

* Wheaton College’s women’s team, which lost to Springfield College in the NEWMAC (New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference) semifinals last spring will look to build off that setback this season. The Lyons, though, did capture their first ECAC (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference) crown by defeating Framingham State in the semifinals and Smith College in the finals.

* Harvard University’s men’s team is set to take the field this Saturday when they host back-to-back contests against Massachusetts (Saturday, Feb. 23) and Holy Cross (2/24).

* Harvard’s women’s team will commence their season with a trip out west to face-off against Stanford University.

* The Little East Conference unveiled its women’s preseason predictions and Plymouth State is predicted to finish first. UMass Dartmouth is the only local squad in the conference and is projected to conclude their year in sixth place.

* Last week, Regis College unveiled its men’s season preview and the Pride are focused on building off their previous campaign.

Its Monday, which means its time for our annual player submissions for our weekly Noontime Sports Honor Roll.

Let us know who deserves a spot on our weekly list via Twitter (@NoontimeSports or @NoonSportsBlog), Facebook (Facebook.com/NoonSports) or email (NoontimeSports@gmail.com).

Submissions are due today by 6PM, so make sure you act fast!

It’s the middle of the August, well, technically, which means it’s slowly time to shift gears toward falls sports coverage. And with that being the case, Noontime Sports will be beginning its college sports coverage this week!

Later today, Tuesday, August 7, we’ll be providing highlights of the Ivy League football media teleconference, as well as a glance at the upcoming Harvard football season, too.

Our goal for today, as well as the next few weeks is to provide previews and preseason interviews from the various college football teams in the state, along with spotlights on various soccer, field hockey, volleyball and cross-country teams.

Please feel free to pass along any notes or inquiries about coverage to NoontimeSports@gmail.com. You can also contact our main editor, Matt Noonan at MatthewJNoonan@gmail.com.

Tufts University’s Cole Bailey (right) was named Co-Rookie of the Year on Wednesday by the ECAC. Bailey led the Jumbos this past season with 68 points and 42 assists. (Photo Credit: Matt Noonan for Noontime Sports)

By NoontimeSports.com 

On Wednesday, June 20, the ECAC, (Eastern College Athletics Conference) unveiled its 2012 New England region men’s lacrosse All-Star team.

12 players from various Massachusetts schools were selected to the team, and three of them earned individual awards.

Western New England College’s senior attack Patrick White was deemed the Offensive Player of the Year, while junior defensemen Aaron Harris was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Tufts University freshman attack Cole Bailey was one of two players named as Co-Rookies of the Year – Luke Aubrey, (Roger Williams University) also received the honor.

Excluding these various players, (listed above) here are the other names that were selected to the first or second team, (names were selected by coaches or his/her designee):

* Beau Wood, So. (Tufts)/ First Team

* Shane Furguson, Sr. (Springfield College)/First Team

* Kevin McCormick, Sr. (Tufts)/ First Team

* Tim Cimini, Sr. (Springfield College)/ First Team

* Nick Rhoads, Sr. (Tufts)/ First Team

* Brewster Knowlton, Sr. (WNEC)/ First Team

* Matt Callahan, Jr. (Tufts)/ Second Team

* Breck Merritt, So. (Endicott College)/ Second Team

* Joe Martin, Sr. (WNEC)

Tufts had six players named to the USILA 2012 Div. III All-American team on Wednesday! (Photo Credit: Matt Noonan for NoontimeSports.com)

By Matt Noonan 

On Wednesday, the United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association unveiled its 2012 All-American Div. III team. 15 players from the state of Massachusetts were selected to this particular team, and their names have been provided below:

Kevin McCormick (Tufts University)

Matt Callahan (Tufts University)

Nick Rhoads (Tufts University)

Pat White (Western New England College)

Beau Wood (Tufts University)

Corey Johnson (Western New England College)

Sean Kirwan (Tufts University)

Evan Redwood (Amherst College)

Mike Delia (Springfield College)

Shane Ferguson (Springfield College)

Sam Diss (Tufts University)

Aaron Harris (Western New England College)

Sam Ozycz (Endicott College)

Brewster Knowlten (Western New England College)

Robert Maher (Springfield College)

Springfield College Pride (Photo Credit: LaxJournal.com)

By Matt Noonan 

On Tuesday, Noontime Sports caught up with Springfield College’s men’s lacrosse head coach Keith Bugbee to discuss the current season.

On The Season Thus Far: “I’m really enjoying the season. I’ve got a good bunch, got 11 seniors, a really strong leadership group this year, [and] they seem to play very consistent, come to play every day, work hard every day. I feel like we’re playing mature lacrosse right now – seem to be taking good care of the ball on the offensive end, playing aggressive defense, seem to understand the importance of playing well consistently. And I feel good about this – with only a couple losses there were great games, and [against Bowdoin College] that was a one-goal game, and that was tied every quarter, could have gone either way. The Endicott [College] loss, we jumped out right away, I think we stuck our first couple shots, and I thought we outplayed them – but we’re a little bit young on the attack end, they’re maturing as the season [progresses] – I’ve had some teams that I’ve really liked in the past, and this is a team that I feel like is one of those teams that is really fun to work with [every day].”

On Springfield’s Defense: “We started three senior defensemen, which helps a lot [because] they’re really doing well together, they’re clicking together, they’ve spent some time to get help. [Our goaltender] Robert Maher has really taken over – physically he’s number two in the country – save percentage – and that’s not hurting anyone. We’ve played some combination zones this year, a little bit of zone, a little bit of man-to-man, kind of mix them up a little bit, and I think as the season goes on we’re just getting better at helping each other. I think [from playing zone] it’s helped our man-to-man defense, it just seems to have a better concept of just help defense, and they believe in themselves, they’re starting to click together.”

On The Play Of Mike Delia: “He’s been such a great IQ lacrosse guy, which has been great, but I’ve been able to surround him with seniors Shane Ferguson and Eric Balslov. We’ve got three seniors on that first midfield, and it’s probably just one of the smarter lines that I’ve had in a long time. And Mike, he’s just sort of the catalyst of our group, he’s dead even with goals and assists, so he’s rock solid – just the stick skills in that line and the IQ in that line is just really fun [to watch]. They’re all fast, Shane’s sort of the gunslinger a little bit in that group, one of the hardest shooters I’ve had, and Balslov kind of compliments that whole line with just making no mistakes. Mike is sort of like the leader of that group, he distributes the ball really well – we’ve had a ton of assisted goals, we’re not just getting that downhill run with the midfielder kind of running through people, trying to rip something, it’s much more real classic lacrosse, like real draw and dump, moving the ball to the open guy. Our defense is hungry because they can’t wait to play defense because they’ve been watching the offense posses the ball for a while, and when it changes down the other end they’re aggressive, and ready to go, so it’s helped a lot, but that midfield is again, three seniors working together – sling that ball around, seem to find the open guy, [but] we’ll see [how they do against Western New England on Wednesday].”

On Overcoming Losses To Bowdoin, Endicott and Stevens: “I’ve always tried to play a strong independent schedule, and the bottom line is you want to get better as the season goes on. We play these teams early, and it’s pretty much our objective each year to try to steal as many as those wins [as possible]. We’re not going to beat them all. Last year statistically we had the toughest schedule in Division III just because teams we were playing were having  – like Amherst had a banner year, and Stevens, Endicott and WNEC, and I think three of the teams all went to the tournament, so it’s just a matter of trying to get better, playing good teams, and hopefully you can steal a couple of games. You get confidence out of it – maybe you don’t win them all, but you learn more about yourself, too. We’re a lot better having played a team like Stevens, [which] forces us to prepare for that kind of stuff to get better at it. You just want to be playing the best lacrosse right now, which I feel like we are [because] I think we got battle tested early with those games. Division III is more like Division I now because everyone’s playing each other, and everyone’s got two or three losses all against each other, which is kind of cool.”

On the success of Springfield Lacrosse: “I like the kids we get at Springfield. We have the same kind of kids here that I recruited 29-years ago. I just like the kids [a lot]. They’re not afraid to work hard, they love playing a tough schedule, and they love being challenged. All my kids were high school captains of their teams, they love being put into a leadership position, and I think they really enjoy being challenged. I think they want that schedule. We’re trying to get Cortland back on the schedule next year because we used to play them [a lot]. And a lot of the kids who go through [this program] want to be coaches, they look at the game a little different than most kids, and they all want to win games. [Also, they realize] that they’re not going to win every game. We can try to be tournament savvy [because] it’s huge. If you can get yourself to a point where you’re able to play in the tournament and be successful – a lot of [what we say] is that we try to set ourselves up for the best seeding we can get if we can win our league. Some years, we’ve had some really challenging seeding’s just because the nature of we didn’t beat everybody, and a couple wins here probably would have changed it.”

On Becoming The Seventh NCAA Coach To Reach 300 Wins: “What really kind of got me [was] not so much the 300^th win, but the company I was in. You look at some of these people, and last year my SID told me that I became the coach [who had won the most contests] in lacrosse history in New England [in] all divisions. And I went by Dick Garber, who was like a mentor of mine. I was like a 25-year-old head coach, and he’s actually a Springfield grad, too. I used have lunch with Dick, and just kind of pick his brain a little bit, and he was such a gentlemen, such a great man, I owe so much respect to him and when I saw that had like 300 wins, he was the [coach with the most wins] in New England in lacrosse, and it’s like, ‘wow.’”

On The Success Of UMass Men’s Lacrosse: “It’s awesome. Greg Cannella’s a great friend of mine, we run a camp together, we’re really close friends, and I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s just a hard working blue-collar guy, and I love the way the UMass kids play. I think the most fantastic situation would [be for UMass] to be playing in Gillette Stadium [in May]. To get a New England team in Gillette would be fantastic. I remember going to watch [the Minutemen] play when they got down to the Final Four down in Pennsylvania that one year. I know how hard he works, we talk a lot, and this would be great for New England, great for Greg, too. I hope they give them a decent seeding, and it’s pretty exciting because they have a really good team, they’re going to be dangerous in the tournament.”

On Finishing The Season At Gillette Stadium: “We’ve got to win our tournament first. Babson College is having a really good year this year, so we’ve got to get by some good teams in our league, and Wheaton College, we might seem them again, too. I think it can be done by anybody in New England this year. I think Cortland is really good as far as from the North, but I think everyone has a little bit more of a shot than they’ve had in years past. [It all] depends on who you see and how early, [but] it all depends on the route you take to get there, but it could be done. One thing that I love about lacrosse is that on any given day, I look at these scores sometimes and I shake my head, [so] I tell my guys all the time, the only thing scores tell you on that given day is that Team A came to play.”