Posted: Jun 01, 2011
Nine State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men’s lacrosse players, led by Cortland senior midfielder Chris DeLuca and senior defender Justin Schneidman, have been selected to the 2011 United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Div. III All-America team. DeLuca also received the Fran McCall Award as the 2011 USILA Div. III Outstanding Midfield Player.
DeLuca and Schneidman were both chosen as first-team All-Americans. Cortland senior attackman Jay DiStefano, senior short-stick specialist Eric Parah and senior defender Shane Crossett were named to the second team. Cortland junior Mike Tota, Geneseo senior Craig Lange, Plattsburgh senior Kyle Norchi and Potsdam junior Rashaun Durden werehonorable mention choices.
DeLuca finished with 27 goals and 17 assists for 44 points in 19 games. He won 72.2 percent of his faceoffs (114-of-158) and led the Red Dragons with 61 ground balls. DeLuca is an All-American for the third straight year, including first-team honors as both a junior and senior.
Schneidman, Parah and Crossett all played key roles for a Cortland defensive unit that allowed only 4.68 goals per game. The Red Dragons gave up three or less goals in a game eight times. Schneidman is a first-team All-American for the second straight season. He recorded 26 ground balls and a team-high 31 caused turnoves in 18 games.
Schneidman, Parah and Crossett all played key roles for a Cortland defensive unit that allowed only 4.68 goals per game. The Red Dragons gave up three or less goals in a game eight times. Schneidman is a first-team All-American for the second straight season. He recorded 26 ground balls and a team-high 31 caused turnoves in 18 games.
Parah is an All-American for the third time. He was a third-team selection in 2009 and an honorable mention choice last spring. This season, he tied for third on the team with 54 ground balls and also registered five goals and three assists in 19 contests. Crossett, a starter in 16 of his 19 games, finished with 19 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. He is an All-American for the first time.
DiStefano, a starter in all 19 games, led Cortland with 57 points and was second with both 35 goals and 22 assists. He scored three game-winning goals and grabbed 25 ground balls. DiStefano was an honorable mention All-America as a junior in 2010.
Tota led Cortland with 40 goals and was third on the team with 51 total points in 19 games, 18 as a starter. He tallied four game-winning goals, caused seven turnovers and scooped up 32 ground balls. Tota is an honorable mention All-American for the second straight year.
Langeearned the second honorable mention award of his career. He finished his career with 212 points (third all-time at Geneseo) on 99 goals (5th) and 113 assists (3rd), led the Blue Knights in 2011 with 51 points on 18 goals and 33 assists.
Norchi tallied a team-leading 69 points on 51 goals and 18 assists this season for the Cardinals. He is the only four-time All-SUNYAC player in school history and the first player in program history to earn All-America honors. He leaves Plattsburgh as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 282 points and his 198 career goals in tops in school history and 13th all-time in the history of NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse.
Durden is the Bears’ third All-American in the last 10 years and is the first junior to accomplish the feat in 17th-year coach Rick Berkman’s tenure at Potsdam. He received SUNYAC Player of the Year honors after leading the Bears to the SUNYAC Tournament championship game and a second-place finish in the league during the regular season. The defenseman played in all 17 games, starting 16, and picked up 12 ground balls while causing 10 turnovers.
