March 4, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Duke's Sam Payton was named this week's Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Player of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, March 2. Payton won 14-of-19 face-offs to lead the second-ranked Blue Devils to a 15-7 win over third-ranked Maryland in front of 4,238 fans at Koskinen Stadium last Saturday night.

Payton recorded a career-high 14 face-offs en route to picking up Duke's third victory of the season and first league win in 2008. The junior, along with teammates Zack Greer, Max Quinzani and Brad Ross, scored three goals apiece in the winning effort. The eight-goal margin was the largest for Duke in a win over Maryland, eclipsing the previous high of seven set in both 1997 (17-10 in ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlottesville, Va.) and 2007 (14-7 in College Park).

Payton, a midfielder from Cos Cobb, Conn., made an initial 7-for-8 showing in the first period as Duke jumped out to a convincing 6-2 lead. The junior, who has a team-best 18 ground balls on the season, also secured a game-high 10 ground balls in the contest. Payton has tallied 32-of-44 face-off attempts on the season for a .727 percentage, which also a team-best.

Duke's men's lacrosse team returns to action against Lehigh on Wednesday, March 5 with the contest starting at 1 p.m. ET at Koskinen Stadium.