Massa ranked #3 rookie of 2012 by IL

BULLDOG MIDFIELDER KEVIN MASSA RANKED #3 ROOKIE OF 2012 BY INSIDE LACROSSE

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Bryant University men's lacrosse faceoff specialist Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y./Elwood John Glenn) has been tabbed as one of the top three freshmen of 2012 by Inside Lacrosse.

The Northeast Conference and the NEILA Rookie of the Year, Massa produced one of the most impressive rookie performances in Division I and in Bulldog lacrosse history in 2012. The New York native took all but nine of the team's 411 faceoffs on the year, going 257-of-402 for a league-leading .639 faceoff winning percentage that also ranked third in the nation and tops among all Division I frosh. Massa also paced the NEC in ground balls, scooping up 7.61 per game to finish the season ranked fourth on the national circuit and totalled 137 on the year, tying him for second all-time in Bryant's single-season program record books.

Massa recorded double-digit faceoff wins in 16-of-18 contests, finishing under 50 percent from the X just twice. One of just 12 players to record 20 or more faceoff wins in a single game in 2012, he also picked up 10 or more ground balls on seven occasions, including a career-high 13 at Albany March 17. The rookie added 11 points to his already impressive numbers, scoring goals in back-to-back games against Sacred Heart and Brown while dishing out nine assists on the season.

An eight-time NEC Rookie of the Week selection -- he won six of them in consecutive fashion from March 19 through April 23 -- Massa was well rewarded for his efforts after the season, adding appointments to the All-NEC First Team, All-NEC Rookie Team, NEC All-Tournament Team and the NEILA All-New England Second Team to his rookie of the year hardware.

Massa was the only Northeast Conference player named to Inside Lacrosse's Top 25 and followed the list's top rookies, Matt Poillon (GK, Lehigh) and Ryan Walsh (A, Colgate), respectively.