Men's Lacrosse Players Earn NESCAC Honors
May 5, 2011
Four members of the Middlebury men’s lacrosse team were honored when the NESCAC announced its all-league team. Seniors David Hild (W. Hartford, Conn.) and Andrew Conner (Alexandria, Va.), along with junior Matt Rayner (Andover, Mass.) earned first-team honors, while senior goalkeeper Ryan Deane (Grosse Point, Mich.) earned second-team honors. The group has led the team to a record of 11-3 this spring, with a ranking of ninth in the latest national poll. The Panthers will head to Tufts this weekend for the NESCAC Championship weekend.
Hild earns a spot on the first team after owning second-team honors a year ago. He leads the team with 39 goals and 53 points this season, to go along with his 14 assists and four man-up goals. His 2.79 goals and 3.79 points/game place him second among his NESCAC peers, while he is second with five game-winners. He leads the league with 8.64 shots/game. The senior scored 15 goals in the first three games of the season, finding the back of the net in 12 of 14 games.
Rayner is a first-team selection for the second consecutive season. The anchor of the Panther defense has been steady all season long, with Middlebury allowing just 8.19 goals/game in ’11. Rayner has picked up 33 ground balls this season, placing him fourth among his teammates. He earned a season-high seven ground balls last weekend in the NESCAC Quarterfinal win over Colby.
Conner earns his first NESCAC honor, after a steady season as an offensive middie. He is currently second on the team with 31 goals and third with 36 points to go along with his five assists and four man-up goals. His 2.21 goals/game place him third in the NESCAC, while he is second with 8.36 shots/game. Connor scored a season-high five goals in an 11-10 overtime win at Skidmore, while earning two or more goals 10 times this season.
Deane has played all but 6:38 in goal this season for the Panthers. He owns an 8.25 goals against average with 166 saves and a record of 11-3 on the year. After making less than 10 saves/game in four of the first five games this season, the senior has earned 10 or more saves in all but one game since. Deane recorded a .703 save percentage and a 5.50 goals against average during a 2-0 week in late March, earning NESCAC Player of the Week honors on April 4. He is 24-9 with a 7.98 GAA in two seasons as a starter.
