EDISON, N.J. (5/4/2017) -- Four Titans earned All-MAAC Second Team honors, three were tabbed to the All-Rookie squad and 19 made the grade for the All-Academic Team as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse program received numerous accolades at the annual MAAC Championship banquet on Thursday night.

The championship banquet was held at Marist College – host of the 2017 MAAC Championship - on the eve of the semifinals, set for Friday starting at 4 p.m., when the Titans face top-seeded Monmouth.

Senior Jason Weber, junior Charlie Hayes, sophomore Matthew Vangalen and freshman Alex Akins were all named to the All-MAAC Second Team at their respective positions, while Akins joined freshmen Donavon Dempsey and Seth Mendell on the All-Rookie Team.

Weber was recognized on an All-League team for the third time in his career as he was First Team and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and Second Team in 2015. He currently ranks fourth in the league in saves per game (10.80), save percentage (.502) and goals against average (10.73). He posted double-digit saves in four of the six MAAC games with 13 at Quinnipiac and Siena as well as against Monmouth. His 675 career saves currently leads all active Division I goalies. 

Hayes was selected All-Conference for the first time in his career at short stick defensive midfield. He has a career-best 19 caused turnovers on the year, tied for first in the MAAC, while his 1.27 caused turnovers are third in the league and 47th in the nation. He also added five goals and an assist. Hayes tallied a career-high five caused turnovers, picked up five ground balls and even scored a goal in the win over Quinnipiac. Those five turnovers has him tied for the third most caused turnovers in a game this season in NCAA Division I, but he does have the most of any defensive midfielder in the country. 

Vangalen joined the Titan attack after transferring from Furman and he leads the team with 45 points on 26 goals and 19 assists. His 45 points are second among all MAAC performers, while his 26 goals are sixth in the league and 19 assists are tied for fifth. In the nation, he ranks 63rd with 1.27 assists per game and 3.0 points per game - fifth in the league in both categories - while also ranking seventh in goals per game with 1.73. He is also second in the league and 37th in the nation in shooting percentage (.406). He tied his season high with five points on four goals and an assist against Manhattan, posted three goals against Canisius and had four points on two goals and two assists against Monmouth. 

Akins was inserted into the starting line-up just a few games into the season, but the freshman made a major impact on the Titan defense at defense and long stick midfield. He recorded 12 caused turnovers and 14 ground balls and had one assist. At Quinnipiac, he had a caused turnover and two ground balls, but more importantly, he was the primary defender on QU's leading goal scorer and All-League attackman Brian Feldman, holding him to just one goal. Against Monmouth, he posted a season-high three caused turnovers and scooped up a ground ball. 

Dempsey has played in all 15 games with 11 starts and is tied for third on the team with seven assists and is sixth with 18 points and 11 goals. He also leads all offensive players with 26 ground balls. He had two goals against Manhattan and markers at Marist and Siena and verse Monmouth. 

Mendell has started all 15 games and is second on the Titans with 17 goals and 25 points, leading all MAAC rookies in goals and second in points. He is currently fifth in the MAAC and 37th in the NCAA in shooting at 40.6 percent. He recorded his first collegiate hat trick in a big way as he exploded for six goals in the win over Bellarmine – on just six shots – and that is tied for first the most in the conference. He later tied his career high with six points at Siena on four goals and two assists. 

The 19 Titans that earned the grade for the All-Academic Team were Mark Anstead, Kyle Beauregard, Connor Bennardo, Sean Birney, Nick Boynton, Marcus Butters, Lucas Ducharme, Emmett Green, Charlie Hayes, JD Hess, Sam Horton, Seth Horwat, Greg Marzec, Pat Masterson, Bryan Matney, Bo Pickens, Austin Polson-McCannon, Austin Ross and Adam Susalla. 

The 19 selections to the All-Academic Team marked the sixth-straight year that the Titans either led or tied for the most in the MAAC. Detroit Mercy tied with Canisius for tops in the league. Monmouth added 17 student-athletes and Marist & Siena both had nine student-athletes on the list. Quinnipiac had eight student-athletes and rounding out the list was Manhattan with seven.

A total of 88 student-athletes comprise the 2017 MAAC Men's Lacrosse All-Academic. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. 

Detroit Mercy tied with fellow Jesuit institution Canisius with 19 All-Academic selections, tied for 1st in #MAACLAX #DetroitsCollegeTeam pic.twitter.com/Tcxfwp1Yya

— Detroit Mercy MLAX (@UDMLAX) May 4, 2017

     

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