MAAC Announces 2009 Men's Lacrosse League Awards
MAAC Sports
Buffalo, NY Manhattan College’s James Synowiez has been selected MAAC Lacrosse League Offensive Player of the Year, while Siena College’s Chris Viviano earned Defensive Player of the Year honors to headline the 2009 MAAC Lacrosse League All-Conference Teams, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
Additionally, Siena’s Bryan Neufeld was named the Rookie of the Year, while Saints’ head coach Brian Brecht was chosen as the Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year.
Synowiez, a 6-1 junior transfer from Owego, New York, led the league in points per game (3.25) and man-up goals per game (7). He finished the regular season with 40 goals, best in the conference, to help lead the Jaspers to the MAAC Championship for the second straight year. Synowiez is currently ranked in the top-20 in the nation in both points per game and goals per game. He was named the Offensive Player of the Week once this season.
Viviano, a 6-0 senior from New Hyde Park, New York, anchored a defense that led the MAAC in goals against average as the Saints went an unblemished 8-0 in the conference to claim the regular season championship. He finished third on the team with 46 ground balls.
Neufeld, a 5-10 freshman from Virgil, Ontario, was third in the conference in both points per game (3.00) and goals per game (2.20). He led the MAAC with four game-winning goals to help the Saints secure the top seed at the upcoming MAAC Championship. Neufeld was named Rookie of the Week five times this season.
Brecht, currently in his fifth season at Siena, led the Saints to a perfect 8-0 mark in the MAAC (10-5 overall) and the number one seed in the MAAC Championship. His team leads the league in points per game, goals per game, assists per game, shooting percentage, man-up goals, and goals against average. Brecht becomes the third coach in MAAC history to win the award three times, joining active MAAC bosses Tim McIntee (Manhattan) and Tom Gravante (Mount St. Mary’s).
First Team All-MAAC selections include Canisius’ Adam Jones, Manhattan’s Synowiez, Mount St. Mary’s T.C. DiBartolo and Matt Nealis, Providence’s Bobby Labadini and Ryan Riedl, Siena’s Neufeld, Viviano, and Chris Zarins, and VMI’s Tim Moran.
2009 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse League Awards
All-MAAC First Team
Attack
James Synowiez, Manhattan College
Bobby Labadini, Providence College
Bryan Neufeld, Siena College
Midfield
Adam Jones, Canisius College
Chris Zarins, Siena College
Tim Moran, Virginia Military Institute
Defense
Matt Nealis, Mount St. Mary’s University
Ryan Riedl, Providence College
Chris Viviano, Siena College
Goalkeeper
T.C. DiBartolo, Mount St. Mary’s University
All-MAAC Second Team
Attack
Nick LoCoco, Canisius College
Corey Zindel, Marist College
Ryan Duggan, Siena College
Midfield
Angelo Marrano, Manhattan College
Shaun Dunn, Siena College
Kenny Mazzone, Siena College
Defense
Matt Barkas, Canisius College
Steven Sternberg, Manhattan College
James Taylor, Marist College
Goalkeeper
Brent Herbst, Siena College
Offensive Player of the Year
James Synowiez, Manhattan College
Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Viviano, Siena College
Rookie of the Year
Bryan Neufeld, Siena College
Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year
Brian Brecht, Siena College