19th-ranked Bulldogs sweep NEC honors

BRYANT SWEEPS NEC HONORS AS #19 BULLDOGS REMAIN NATIONALLY RANKED FOR SECOND-STRAIGHT WEEK

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Junior captain Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.), senior captain Jameson Love (Darien, Conn.) and rookie midfielder Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) teamed up to sweep the Northeast Conference weekly honors as the #19/19 Bryant University men's lacrosse team earns its second-straight national ranking from both major polls.

This is the second time this season the Bulldogs (9-2, 2-0 NEC) have collected all three weekly conference accolades, as the Black and Gold were rewarded for a 2-0 week that saw the team extend its winning streak to eight straight and stay a perfect 6-0 at home in 2012.

For McMahon, named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week, the nod is the first such honor of his career and comes after a career-high eight-point outing in Saturday's 17-9 topping of league foe and defending champion Mount St. Mary's. The junior had a hand in nearly half of Bryant's season-high 17 goals, scoring twice and setting up six more to earn this week's award.

In downing the Mountaineers, the Wilton, Conn., product did half his damage in the first half with both goals and two of his career-high six helpers. After the break, McMahon found teammate Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) for the game-winning score just two minutes into the third before finishing the day with three more assists that helped the Bulldogs achieve their largest margin of victory of the season. The team's leader in both assists (18) and points (33), McMahon currently ranks second in assists per game (1.64) and is tied for third in points per game (3.00) in the league.

Love earns the third NEC Defensive Player of the Week nod of his senior campaign and the ninth in-season league honor of his career after posting another pair of wins between the pipes last week. Love, a native of Darien, Conn., put up 22 combined saves, six ground balls and three caused turnovers in victories over intrastate rival Brown, 10-9, Tuesday night and NEC foe Mount St. Mary's, 17-9, on Saturday afternoon.

Against the Bears, Love posted 14 stops to help the Bulldogs capture their second-straight Ocean State Cup, and he followed up the performance by turning aside eight shots in the win over the Mountaineers. Love currently boasts league-leading figures in wins (9), saves per game (12.73), save percentage (.609) and goals against average (8.06).

Who else but rookie sensation Kevin Massa picked up his fourth-consecutive NEC Rookie of the Week recognition to complete the Bryant sweep, an honor that marks the sixth of his young career. Massa  has shown no signs of slowing down in the midst of an impressive freshman campaign, as the rookie faceoff specialist won nearly 70 percent of his attempts last week to help the Bulldogs go 2-0.

The New York native went 36-for-52 on the week and gathered up 20 ground balls to go along with two points. In a 10-9 road win over Brown on Tuesday, Massa picked up 12 ground balls, won 17 of his 22 attempts from the X and strung together 16-straight faceoff wins as the Bulldogs captured the Ocean State Cup title for the second year in a row. He then went 19-for-30 with eight ground balls in a 17-9 win over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday. He also added to the Bulldogs' offense on the week, scoring a goal and adding an assist in first-quarter action against the Bears in the midweek tilt. Massa currently leads the league in faceoff wins (158), faceoff winning percentage (.642) and ground balls per game (8.36).

The three individual performances were just part the puzzle that has the Bulldogs ranked 19th in both the USILA Coaches Poll and the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Bryant keeps the ranking for the second-straight week in a vote of the nation's head coaches and moves up a spot in the media poll.

The Bulldogs remain the only ranked team in the Northeast Conference, while Robert Morris is receiving votes in both polls. Three 2012 Bryant opponents join the Black and Gold on the USILA national list in #14 Colgate, #17 Fairfield and #20 Yale, while the Raiders and the Stags both also appear on the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.

The Bulldogs return to the field Tuesday night for their third-straight Tuesday night road game, as the team travels to Holy Cross for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Crusaders. Holy Cross enters the game 4-7 after a loss to fellow Patriot League member Lafayette Saturday afternoon, but the Crusaders are not without firepower in 2012.

James Kennedy and John Hannan each have 19 goals on the year while the former also adds a team-best 16 helpers for the a side-high 35 points. Clay Haarmann and Andrew Morici also chip in double-digit goals with 10 and 11, respectively, and round out the team's double-figure point getters.

Faceoff specialist A.J. Guarente will pose another challenge to Massa at the X, and the senior has a 53 percent success rate (114-of-215) on the year having taken the majority of the Holy Cross restarts. Guarente also paces the side with 47 ground balls, while Kyle Kadlick has scooped up 35 on the year.

Kenny O'Connor has earned nine starts for the Crusaders between the pipes to the tune of a 10.53 goals against average, a .483 save percentage and a 3-6 record. Will Cummings has provided a second option for Holy Cross, as well, and has seen action in five games with two starts in 2012.

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