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Ricucci Selected To USILA North/South All-Stars, Leads Accolades
Messiah's 2008 All-MAC selections were (from top left to right): Senior Nick Ricucci, senior Paul Merena, junior Jeff Ziegler, freshman J.J. Miller, senior Bryce Geiman and sophomore Morgan Kupfer. Senior Tim Sandusky is not pictured.
Boston, MA — Messiah College senior attack Nick Ricucci was selected as an alternate member of the 67th annual United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association North/South Senior All-Star Game, leading a host of post-season awards for the Falcons’ program. Ricucci was named the 2008 MAC Player of the Year after scoring a team-leading 52 goals off 92 shots on goal this spring, equating to his third consecutive all-conference honor. His selection to the USILA North/South All-Star Game roster capped a remarkable career in which he scored 123 goals and 27 assists overall. Ricucci was one of only 76 seniors at the NCAA Division III level to be selected to the All-Star game festivities, as the contest was held in conjunction with the NCAA National Championships at Harvard Stadium last Friday. “Nick put up consistently significant numbers against every opponent we faced this year, and he’s very deserving of this recognition,” said Messiah assistant coach John Dennis. “Teams attempted to shut him off on most occasions to prevent him from scoring. However, he had the poise and maturity to know his role and trust that his teammates would create opportunities for him to finish.” Among those opportunity creators was freshman J.J. Miller, who was named the MAC Rookie of the Year following a inaugural campaign that featured a team-leading 112 face offs won out of 198 attempts (56.6 percent). Miller added 10 goals and three assists, helping to comprise the Falcons’ man-up unit offensively. In addition to earning the league’s top newcomer honor, Miller was also a Second Team All-MAC selection. “J.J. had a tremendous impact on our team this year, providing the ability to change the complexion of a game with his solid play in the face-off X,” said Dennis. “He started momentum for us in transition off face offs, and his ability to win those either for himself or for his on-line teammates allowed us to better control the ball and gain possession.” Seniors Tim Sandusky and Paul Merena joined Ricucci on the MAC’s First Team All-Conference, with Sanduski being named a 2008 USILA Scholar All-American as well. A humanities major, Sandusky boasted a 3.7 cumulative GPA while being selected as a Scholar All-American by virtue of his performance on the field in addition to that of the classroom: A three-time all-conference performer, Sandusky dished out 21 assists and scored nine goals as a senior, bringing his career totals to 62 helpers and 37 scores overall. “Tim drew the long stick middy from every opponent we saw because of his speed and ability to create opportunities off of dodges,” Dennis said. “His leadership on and off the field has helped shape our program into what it is today.” Merena, meanwhile, earned his first all-conference selection in his final year as a collegian, scooping a total 192 ground balls over the course of his career in the backfield. “Paul has long been the anchor of our defense,” Dennis said. “He had the unique ability to pick off passes and had an understanding of lacrosse that helped him start every game of his college career. We will certainly miss him on our defense in the years to come.” Junior attack Jeff Ziegler, senior midfielder Bryce Geiman and sophomore defender Morgan Kupfer rounded off Messiah’s list of all-conference honorees, each earning second team honors along with Miller. Ziegler scored 35 goals on the season, second only to Ricucci’s 52 tallies. Geiman added 17 scores this year, while Kupfer scooped 34 ground balls in a physical, backfield presence. “Jeff showed the ability to dodge from behind the cage to both finish and find the open man,” Dennis said. “Bryce learned how to use his 6-4 frame really well over the course of his career, while Morgan proved to be a dominating force this year using his position, foot speed and take-away checks to cause turnovers.” Lycoming College’s Bryan Anken was named the MAC Coach of the Year. A complete list of this season’s all-conference teams is located below. The composite 2008 USILA North/South All-Star rosters and the 2008 USILA Scholar All-Americans are available through www.laxpower.com.
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