Empire 8 Announces 2009 Men's Lacrosse All-Conference Team
May 5, 2009
The Empire 8 announced its Men’s Lacrosse All-Conference team with sophomore Dave Decker of Stevens Institute of Technology being named Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive time and senior attack Matt Keating of the Ducks selected as Empire 8 Player of the Year.
Decker, a first-team all-conference selection in each of his two seasons, recorded an 8.49 goals against average in Empire 8 play with a .610 save percentage. Overall, he has posted a 9-6 record, 8.41 goals against average and .580 save percentage and ranked in the top-40 in Division III entering conference championship week.
Keating, a second-team all-conference choice last year, led all scorers in Empire 8 play with 37 points on 22 goals and 15 assists in eight games. He leads the Ducks overall with 36 goals, 27 assists, and 63 points to rank nationally in assists and points per game.
Freshman attack C.J. Estes of Nazareth College, who totaled 21 points (13 goals and eight assists) and 24 ground balls in conference play was selected as Empire 8 Rookie of they Year. He finished with two goals, an assist, and five ground balls in the Golden Flyers’ 9-4 win over St. John Fisher College in the title game of the Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
Three Nazareth players were chosen on the all-conference first team. Junior attack Marc DeCirce led all scorers with 23 goals in Empire 8 play and scored the winning goal in overtime in the Golden Flyers’ 13-12 upset of Ithaca College in the conference tournament semifinals. Junior long-stick midfielder Kyle Brown was named to the first team this season after garnering second-team honors a year ago. Sophomore midfielder Scott Castle enters NCAA play with 19 goals and 30 points.
Rob Randall of Nazareth was chosen as Coach of the Year for leading the fourth-seeded Golden Flyers to the Empire 8 title and a trip to the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
Four players from regular season champion Ithaca were named to the all-conference first team. Senior defenseman Neth Wiedemann joined Dave Decker as the only repeat first-team selection and led all defensemen with 39 ground balls in Empire 8 play. Senior midfielder Kevin Bush and senior defenseman Mike Serron were named to the first team after earning second-team honors a year ago. Junior midfielder Nic Heckman tallied 14 goals and picked up 14 ground balls in conference play to earn first-team accolades.
Senior midfielder Alex Heckman of Stevens joined his younger brother Nic from Ithaca on the all-conference first team. He finished Empire 8 play with seven goals, seven assists, and 11 ground balls. Senior attack J.R. Oreskovich of the Ducks totaled 29 points in conference play with 14 goals and 15 assists to receive first-team honors.
Senior short-stick midfielder Dave Wood was the only member of conference runner-up St. John Fisher College to receive first-team all-conference recognition. He entered conference tournament play with 184 face-offs won in 250 attempts for a .736 winning percentage, second in Division III.
Junior defenseman Dan MacRae and sophomore long-stick midfielder MJ Keikebelt of Rochester Institute of Technology were named to the all-conference first team. MacRae totaled 36 ground balls in Empire 8 play and Keikebelt led all long-stick midfielders with 40 ground balls in conference play.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2009 Men’s Lacrosse Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
2009 Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Awards
Player of the Year: Matt Keating, Stevens Institute of Technology
Goalkeeper of the Year: Dave Decker, Stevens Institute of Technology
Rookie of the Year: C.J. Estes, Nazareth College
Coach of the Year: Rob Randall, Nazareth College