April 30, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 2009 Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) all-conference teams and individual awards were announced on Thursday and Notre Dame goalie Scott Rodgers was named the GWLL Player of the Year and Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan was tabbed as the GWLL Coach of the Year. In all, eight members of the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team were selected to the first or second all-conference squads.
The Fighting Irish boasted seven first-team picks. Rodgers, Ryan Hoff (Sr./A), Duncan Swezey (Sr./A), Peter Christman (Sr./M), Grant Krebs (Jr./M), Sam Barnes (Jr./D) and Regis McDermott (Sr./D) all were named to the league’s top team, while Neal Hicks (Jr./A) was a second-team selection. The eight all-league members were the most from any of the conference’s six schools. The league’s head coaches voted on the awards and all-conference teams.
Kevin Corrigan has been named the GWLL Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
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The eight all-GWLL performers is tied for the second-most all-time in Notre Dame history. The Fighting Irish also had eight selections in 2007. Nine picks from the 2001 campaign are the most ever for the Irish. The seven first-team nods tie the program mark, which also was achieved in ’01.
Rodgers (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur), a senior, leads all NCAA Division I goalies with a 6.25 goals-against average in addition to ranking second with a .655 save percentage. He is 13-0 overall (5-0 in GWLL) on the season and has produced a 5.58 goals-against average in GWLL play to go along with a .675 save percentage. Rodgers is a Tewaaraton Trophy nominee and has been named the GWLL player of the week twice this season. This is the first all-league accolade for the team captain. Rodgers becomes the first Notre Dame player to cop the GWLL Player of the Year award since fellow goalie Joey Kemp received the honor in 2007. Notre Dame now has produced the GWLL’s top player on six occasions.
Hoff (Baldwin, Md./Dulaney) leads the Irish with 26 goals and is a key reason why Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally, and first in the league, in scoring offense (11.54 goals per game). He has scored a goal in 12 of 13 games this season and has eight multiple-goal games. Hoff has scored three or more goals in a game four times this season. He produced a six-point effort on five goals and an assist in a 13-7 win over Vermont and registered a hat trick in a 9-7 win over No. 3 North Carolina. This marks Hoff’s third all-GWLL first team selection. Earlier this season he was named to the Tewaaraton Trophy watch list and he has been named a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist. Hoff ranks second in program history with 128 career goals.
Swezey (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) boasts team-high numbers in points (38) and assists (17). He leads the team in goals (11) and points (19) in GWLL play. Swezey has tallied a point in every game this season in addition to scoring a goal in 11 contests. The senior has two four-goal games along with a three-goal performance. He matched a career-high total with five-points on three goals and two assists against Denver. In that contest against the Pioneers, he broke an 8-8 tie with 2:03 left en route to the 10-8 win. Swezey also had a five-point game against Dartmouth on four goals and an assist. He scored four goals in a win over Bellarmine. This is the first all-GWLL accolade for Swezey.
Christman (Simsbury, Conn./Westminster School) has tallied a point in 10 games this season and is second on the team with 16 assists to go along with his 11 goals. The team captain notched hat tricks in wins over Dartmouth and Villanova. He scored his third goal against Villanova with 2:54 left in regulation to snap a 7-7 tie. Christman, a team captain, registered four points on a goal and three assists in a 9-7 win over No. 3 North Carolina. He also recorded four points on two goals and two assists against Ohio State. This is Christman’s first all-GWLL honor.
Krebs (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) is Notre Dame’s leading midfielder scorer with 25 goals, which ranks second overall on the team. He is third on the squad with 33 total points. Krebs boasts team-best streaks for points (29) and goals (25). The point streak ranks in a tie for sixth nationally. The junior has notched three or more goals in four games this season. He was named to the Inside Lacrosse team of the week and was the GWLL player of the week after notching four points on three goals and one assist in a 10-9 win over Loyola in the season opener. This marks the first all-conference nod for the Maryland native.
Barnes (Branford, Conn./Branford) has been a key cog in an Irish defense that ranks first nationally in goals-against average (6.23). The junior has routinely locked down the opponent’s top scorer. Most recently, he held Ohio State’s Joel Dalgarno, who entered the game ranked fifth nationally in points per game, to two points in a 14-8 Irish win last Saturday. Notre Dame is only surrendering 5.60 goals-per game in GWLL action. His 24 ground balls are a single-season career-high total. Barnes notched his first career assist in a 9-7 win over Villanova. He was named to Inside Lacrosse team of the week after helping the Irish shutdown Dartmouth, 19-7. This is Barnes’ first all-league selection.
McDermott (Amityville, N.Y./Chaminade) has helped anchor a defense that ranks first nationally with a 6.23 goals-against average, which is on pace to eclipse the Irish record of 6.66 from 2007. Notre Dame has yet to allow more than nine goals in a game this season and the Irish have held opponents to seven goals or fewer on seven occasions. McDermott, a team captain, has picked up a career and team-best 46 ground balls this season. In the 14-8 win at Ohio State, he scooped up a single-game career-high eight ground balls. For McDermott, this is his first all-GWLL honor.
Hicks (Atlanta, Ga./The Lovett School) is second on the team with 34 points and is tied for third in goals with 21. He also is third in assists (13). The junior has tallied a point in every game this season and has scored a goal in 11 contests. Hicks has six multiple-goal games this season. He produced eight points on four goals and four assists in a 13-8 win over Penn State. The point and assist totals against the Nittany Lions are team-best numbers this season and he was named the GWLL player of the week for that performance. He notched his first career hat trick in a 10-9 season-opening win over No. 17 Loyola. He came through big in a 9-7 win over No. 3 North Carolina with two goals. He has picked up a career-best 37 ground balls this season. This is his first-ever all-GWLL accolade.
For Corrigan, this marks the fifth time (1994, 1996, 2001, 2007) he has been selected as the GWLL Coach of the Year. Corrigan, who is in his 21st season as head coach of the Irish, has guided Notre Dame to the first undefeated regular season in program history. At 13-0, Notre Dame is the lone unblemished team in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse. The Fighting Irish went 5-0 in conference play to capture their 12th regular-season GWLL title, which all have come under the direction of Corrigan. In addition, Notre Dame has gone undefeated in GWLL play on eight occasions. The Irish are currently ranked second in both major national polls. That matches the highest ranking in program history.
Notre Dame will face Quinnipiac in the semifinals of the second annual GWLL tournament on Friday, May 1 in Birmingham, Mich. Game time is slated for 5:00 p.m. (ET). Notre Dame is the top seed in the tournament along with being the defending champion.
Dayton Gilbreath from Air Force was named the GWLL Newcomer of the Year.
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