Massa named First Team All-American, headlines three USILA All-America picks

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team continues to make history this spring, as a trio of Bulldogs have been named USILA All-Americans, including the first-ever First Team All-America honor in school history for junior faceoff specialist Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.).

This is the first time the Bulldogs have seen three named All-Americans since joining the Division I ranks in 2009, and Massa's nomination represents the first DI All-America First Team accolade in Bryant University history in any sport. Sophomore Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) earned his first-career All-America honor, garnering Third Team recognition, while senior midfielder Colin Dunster (Cos Cob, Conn.) was named an All-America Honorable Mention.

"Having three of our players be recognized as All-Americans for the 2014 season is just a reward, not only for them, but for the entire team in recognition of the great season we enjoyed," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "And I am very, very thrilled that two of our three All-Americans will return for the 2015 season."

Massa takes home his second All-America honor in as many years to cap off an extensive list of postseason accolades once again in 2014. Already named the Northeast Conference and NEILA New England Player of the Year for the second-straight season, the junior led the nation in both faceoff winning percentage and ground balls per game throughout much of the spring and finishes the year atop the faceoff ranks with a .688 success rate. Massa ranks second on the Division I circuit in ground balls per game at season's end (10.71) after breaking the NCAA all-time record for career ground balls earlier this season (593).

The three-time all-conference first teamer and 2014 Tewaaraton Award semifinalist picked up his second-consecutive 200-ground ball season this spring and added five points (4 goals, 1 assist) to an impressive effort at the X. Massa, who also earns his third NEILA All-New England honor earlier this week, won 15 faceoffs 11 times in 2014 and finished under 50 percent just three times all year. He recorded 11 double-digit ground ball games and netted the game-winning goal for the Black and Gold at Robert Morris April 19.

"There have been a lot of firsts around our athletic department lately, and it's fitting that Kevin Massa becomes our first First Teamer in any sport," said Pressler. "He has been the most dominant faceoff guy in college lacrosse over the last two years. Congratulations to Kevin on a well-deserved honor."

Waldt's first All-America honor comes on the back of a season that saw the second-year netminder finish ranked in the nation's top-10 in every goalie category, posting a .593 save percentage (fourth), 7.92 goals against average (fifth) and 11.45 saves per game (eighth) for the nationally ranked Bulldogs. Waldt – who was also named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and a 2014 Tewaaraton Award nominee – anchored a Bryant defense ranked fifth in the nation as well as the team's fourth-ranked man-down defense. Waldt was named the Baltimore Sun National Player of the Week following a 13-save performance in Bryant's upset stunner over No. 4 Syracuse and completes his season numbers with a single-season program-record 229 saves and a 15-5 overall mark. He also garnered All-NEC First Team and All-New England First Team selections this spring.

"I was very pleased that Gunnar made one of the first three teams," Pressler said. "We wouldn't have enjoyed the season we did this year without the play of Gunnar Waldt, and he, in my opinion, had the best performance in the goal this season."

Dunster finishes out his Bulldog career with his first All-America recognition after putting forth a heroic four-goal effort in Bryant's loss to sixth-ranked Maryland in the NCAA Quarterfinals last Saturday in his final game donning the Black and Gold. The senior captain and fourth-round Major League Lacrosse draftee (Denver Outlaws) completed the year ranked second on the team in goals (39) and points (51), starting all 21 games to set a new Bulldog record with 75 career appearances. The program's Division I leader in goals (113, good for fifth all time), Dunster is a three-time all-conference first team pick and two-time All-New England First Team choice, and graduates ranked in the program top-10 in goals, points, shots, games played, games started, man-up goals and game-winning goals. He recorded six hat tricks in 2014 and was named to the USILA/LaxWorld North/South roster earlier this week.

"Everybody saw what kind of player Colin was on national TV in both the Syracuse and the Maryland games," said Pressler. "He is one of the best two-way and especially offensive middies I've ever coached in 31 years, and it's only fitting for him to be recognized by the All-America committee. Congrats to Colin."

The trio are the only representatives out of the Northeast Conference to earn All-America honors in 2014, and the Bulldog men's lacrosse program has had an All-American every season since transitioning to the Division I level.

The Bulldogs put up the most successful season in program history in 2014, posting a program-record 16 wins (16-5) and playing all the way to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Hempstead, N.Y. Bryant won its first two Division I NCAA men's lacrosse tournament games, including its first tournament home game, and became the first team to advance in the national tournament in any sport in the Division I era.