Staff Report
A total of 11 Ohio Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse players were named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams, it was announced earlier this week.
Freshman attacker Max Tennant (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) was named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year.
Senior attacker Marcus Dietz (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales), junior defenseman Jordan Carlson (Delaware/Hayes), senior defenseman John Griffin (Oceanside, N.Y./Northfield Mt. Hermon (Mass.)), and sophomore midfielder Luke Leyden (Northfield, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon) were first-team All-NCAC selections; senior defenseman Ben Danieli (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville), senior midfielder Cooper Del Zotto (Orangeville, Ontario/Taft School), Tennant, and junior midfielder Derek Todd (Edina, Minn.) were second-team All-NCAC choices; and freshman midfielder Jack Harvey (New Providence, N.J.), junior attacker Matt Maier (Summit, N.J.), and freshman defenseman Jake Worrell (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) were honorable mention All-NCAC picks.
Tennant leads the NCAC with 58 goals this season, shares the league lead in game-winning goals (6), and his average of 3.94 points per game ranks third in the league. He is the Bishops’ second consecutive NCAC Newcomer of the Year selection.
Dietz ranks fourth in the NCAC in assists per game (1.59), seventh in points per game (3.71), and 10th in goals per game (2.12). He was a first-team all-conference pick for the second straight season, and was named NCAC Offensive Player of the Year and NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 2015.
Carlson, Danieli, and Worrell are starting close defensemen, Griffin is a long-stick midfielder, and Del Zotto is a short-stick defensive midfielder on an Ohio Wesleyan unit that ranks second in the NCAC in goals-against average (6.62). Carlson has 25 ground balls this season, Danieli has 31 ground balls and leads the Bishops with 24 caused turnovers, Worrell has 19 ground balls and ranks fourth on the team with 9 caused turnovers, Griffin has 34 ground balls and ranks third on the team with 10 caused turnovers, and Del Zotto collected 11 goals and 6 assists this season along with 30 ground balls and 8 caused turnovers. Danieli was a first-team All-NCAC selection in 2015, Griffin was a first-team pick in 2015 after winning second-team All-NCAC honors in 2013 and 2014, and Del Zotto was a second-team All-NCAC choice in 2015.
Leyden ranks fifth on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 7 assists. He was an honorable mention All-NCAC pick in 2015.
Todd ranks third among Bishop midfielders in scoring with 15 goals and 4 assists. Harvey leads Bishop midfielders and ranks fourth on the team with 22 goals and 8 assists. Maier ranks third on the team with 24 goals and 18 assists.
Ohio Wesleyan is 13-4 overall this season. The Battling Bishops finished second in the NCAC championship race with a 7-1 record in conference play, then finished as runner-up in the NCAC tournament.
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OWU Sports Information contributed to this report.
