April 23, 2009

• ACC Men's Lacrosse Championship Site

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Five 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy nominees highlight this year’s All-ACC Men’s Lacrosse Team as announced Thursday evening by the league office.

Crotty, who currently ranks second in the nation in assists per game, was also named the 2009 All-ACC men’s lacrosse Player of the Year. The native of New Vernon, N.J., is currently the top scorer in the league and ranks sixth in the nation with 49 points through 13 games.  The senior midfielder eclipsed the 100-career point mark this season and currently has 59 goals and 65 assists for 124 points to his name. He currently ranks 24th all-time in career points and needs just 12 more assists to break into the top-10 list.

Joining Crotty on the league’s postseason team are North Carolina’s Billy Bitter and Virginia’s Shamel Bratton, Danny Glading and Mike Timms. All five were nominated for the nation’s highest lacrosse honor, the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top men’s lacrosse player in the country.

All four ACC programs were represented on this year’s All-ACC team, while the Cavaliers placed a league-high four representatives to the 2009 squad, which is determined by a vote of the league’s four head coaches.

Earning the ACC Freshman of the Year honor is Virginia’s rookie attackman Steele Stanwick. The top-ranked recruit in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse last year, has started all 14 games for the Cavs, registering 29 goals, 13 assists and 35 ground balls.

This year’s Coach of the Year honors went to Virginia’s Dom Starsia, who holds a 298-109 overall career record and a 197-63 mark in his 16 years at the helm of the Cavaliers. Starsia, who was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame last fall, has led his Cavalier squads to three of the school’s four NCAA titles and has won the most games in school history and most games in ACC history.

The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Championship will begin Friday, April 24, on the campus of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. Maryland locked in the number one seed in the upcoming two-day event, which will be held at the Tar Heels’ Kenan Stadium. The Terrapins, who own a 6-4 overall record and a 2-1 league mark, will take on fourth-seed and host North Carolina on Friday at 5 p.m. ET in semifinals action, while No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 seed Virginia square off at 7:30 p.m.

Player of the Year
Ned Crotty Duke

Freshman of the Year
Steele Stanwick Virginia

Coach of the Year
Dom Starsia Virginia

2009 All-ACC Honors
Ned Crotty, Senior Attack Duke
Max Quinzani, Junior Attack Duke
Dan Groot, Senior Midfield Maryland
Max Schmidt, Sophomore Defense Maryland
Ryan Young, Sophomore Attack Maryland
Billy Bitter, Sophomore Attack North Carolina
Shane Walterhoefer, Senior Midfield North Carolina
Shamel Bratton, Sophomore Midfield Virginia
Brian Carroll, Junior Midfield Virginia
Danny Glading, Senior Attack Virginia
Mike Timms, Grad. Midfield Virginia