CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Led by Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Connor Kearnan, a record nine Canisius student-athletes were honored as the MAAC announced its annual men’s lacrosse awards Wednesday.
Kearnan was also one of four Golden Griffins to earn All-MAAC First Team distinction. He was joined on the league’s top team by sophomore midfielder Carter Stefaniak and defenders junior Logan Monroe and sophomore Holden Garlent.
A total of five Canisius players were named to All-MAAC Second Team. Senior Ryan McKee and sophomoreMathieu Boissonneault were part of the circuit’s second attack unit while senior captain Steven Coss was a midfield selection. Senior Cody Filson was honored as a short-stick midfielder while sophomore Reece Eddyearned recognition at the long-stick midfielder position.
The MAAC also revealed its All-Academic Team, honoring student-athletes who have completed at least two semesters at their current institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Canisius had a total of 18 student-athletes recognized, second only to Detroit Mercy for the most among the league’s seven schools.
A senior attack from Courtice, Ontario, Kearnan has put together one of the finest seasons in a Canisius uniform during the 2018 campaign as he enters the postseason already ranked among the program’s single-season leaders in both assists (44/2nd) and points (71/3rd).
Kearnan, who leads the MAAC and is among the top-10 players nationally in both assists (3.14) and points (5.07) per game, has recorded multiple points in all 14 games played by the Griffs this season. Named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 26, Kearnan has tallied five or more points on eight occasions, highlighted by a career-high matching nine-point (2g, 7a) effort in Canisius’ 14-13 overtime victory versus Furman.
Stefaniak garners All-MAAC distinction for the first time in his career following a breakout campaign that saw the Lancaster, N.Y., product post 30 goals and 10 assists during the regular season to rank third on the team’s scoring chart. Stefaniak tallied multiple points on nine occasions during the regular season, highlighted by a six-point effort (5g, 1a) in Canisius’ 13-12 victory at Siena on March 24.
Monroe earns All-MAAC First Team honors for the second consecutive season after starting all 14 games for the Griffs on the backend. The Holt, Mich., native ranked fifth on the team during the regular season with 25 ground balls and was tied for fifth on the squad with five caused turnovers.
Garlent receives all-conference recognition for the first time in his career after starting all 14 games for Canisius during the regular season. The Thorold, Ontario, native was second on the squad with 16 caused turnovers and sits third with 33 ground balls. Garlent also contributed to the Griffs offensive efforts with three goals and three assists. He became the first Griff to record more than three caused turnovers in a game since the 2015 season when he tallied four in Canisius’ 19-10 victory over Manhattan on April 20.
Boissonneault garnered up All-MAAC honors after a regular season that saw the sophomore lead the Griffs with 34 goals after making a seamless transition from long-stick midfielder to attack in 2018. Boissonneault, who enters the postseason tied for second on the team in scoring with 43 points, recorded multiple goals in 11 regular season contests, headlined by a six-goal performance in a 16-5 victory over Marist on March 31.
McKee earned up All-MAAC accolades for the first time in his career following a regular season that saw the Syracuse, N.Y., native post career highs in goals (21), assists (22) and points (43). McKee tallied multiple points on 12 occasions, including a career-best six points (4g, 2a) in the Griffs regular season finale against Monmouth on April 27.
Coss picked up All-MAAC Second Team distinction for a second-straight campaign following a regular season that saw him turn in personal bests in goals (20), assists (22) and points (42). The Canton, Ohio, product tallied multiple points on 11 occasions during the regular season, including a six-point effort (2g, 4a) at Siena on March 24 that helped him earn MAAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Filson earned All-MAAC honors for the first time in his career after appearing in all 14 games for the Griffs during the regular season. The Ilderton, Ontario native ranked fourth on the team in caused turnovers (8) and fifth in ground balls (24) and chipped in goals in matchups with Binghamton, Albany and Manhattan.
Eddy garnered All-MAAC recognition for the first time in his career a year after being named to the All-Rookie Team in 2017. The Skaneateles, N.Y., native paced the Griffs in both ground balls (71) and caused turnovers (23) during the regular season as he ranked among the 35 players in the nation in both categories. Eddy also chipped in offensively for the Griffs, pitching in five goals and two assists for seven points.
The No. 4 seed for the 2018 Men’s Lacrosse Championship, Canisius opens the tournament Thursday with a noon matchup against No. 1 Quinnipiac at Kessler Stadium on the campus of Monmouth University. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.
