Bulldogs earn six all-conference selections, four All-NEC First Team picks on eve of NEC Tournament

GENEVA, N.Y. – Led by four All-Northeast Conference First Team selections, the Bryant University men's lacrosse team saw six players earn all-league recognitions Wednesday night, as announced on the eve of the 2017 NEC Tournament.

Starting attack Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) and top defenseman Kyle Mummau (Carlsbad, Calif.) headlined the group, as the pair of senior captains earned All-NEC First Team honors for the third-consecutive season. Junior middie Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and redshirt-junior faceoff specialist Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) joined the duo on the top unit, as the Black and Gold earned the most first-team honorees in the league.

Junior middie Kyle Cornell (Darien, Conn.) earned all-conference second team honors, while redshirt-freshman attack Jake Buonaiuto (Miller Place, N.Y.) was selected to the NEC All-Rookie Team.

The NEC leader in assists per game (1.73) and points per game (4.00), James leads the Bulldogs in 2017 with 34 goals, 26 assists and 60 points. The senior boasts over 100 career goals and 200 career points, and currently ranks 18th nationally in points per outing. The senior has five hat tricks this season and scored a career-high 10 points (5g, 5a) in a win over Siena earlier this season.

The Bulldogs' top cover defenseman for four-straight years, Mummau finished the regular season with 21 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers for second-seeded Bryant. The anchor of a defense that is ranked 14th nationally (8.53 goals allowed per game), he consistently limits opponents' top scorers in and out of league play.

Ranked 16th nationally in faceoff winning percentage (.582) and 15th nationally in ground balls per game (6.60) this season, Massa paces the NEC in both categories. The redshirt-junior has won better than 50 percent of his faceoffs in 12-of-15 contests this season, including five-of-six league games, and posted the second-highest single-game winning percentage in the nation this season with his 12-for-13 mark (.923) against Wagner on April 1. Massa picked up double-digit ground balls twice, including recording the seventh-most single-game ground ball total this year with 16 against Siena.

The Bulldogs' top scoring midfielder, Kennedy enters postseason play with 20 goals and 11 assists this season, including a trio of man-up goals. A two-way player who contributes on both sides of the ball, Kennedy has scored at least one goal in all but three games this season and adds 19 ground balls with four caused turnovers.

The team's top distributor behind James, Cornell earns his first All-NEC recognition with six goals and 18 assists for the Black and Gold. Another versatile two-way midfielder, the junior has picked up 16 ground balls with four caused turnovers.

A 13-game starter, Buonaiuto has scored 12 goals and added six assists in a strong freshman campaign that has seen him complete the Bulldogs' top attacking unit. The frosh has at least one tally in nine contests and at least one point in 11.

The Bulldogs look for their fifth NEC Tournament title and fourth berth into the NCAA tournament field when they enter postseason play Thursday at 4 p.m., taking on third-seeded Robert Morris in the second of two NEC Semifinals.