The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2022 Men's Lacrosse Award Winners
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Willie Grieco was selected as the 2022 South Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year, while Limestone's William Baxter was named the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Anderson's Triston Schaffer was named Freshman of the Year and Limestone's Brendan Storrier was named the Coach of the Year, the SAC office announced today.
Grieco, a junior attacker from Lawrenceville Ga., played in 15 games for the Bulldogs and was the second-best scorer on the team. The attacker netted 40 goals and assisted on 51. Grieco scored at least one goal in every game he played this season. Additionally, he scooped up 27 ground balls and caused six turnovers to help Wingate finish the season with an 8-2 conference record. Grieco was named South Atlantic Conference Astroturf Offensive Player of the Week once this season.
Baxter, a Graduate student Manchester, England, played in 14 games for the saints and was ranked No. 1 in the SAC for save percentage with 62.6. The goalie spent a total of 637 minutes between the net, with 127 saves and only 77 goals allowed. Baxter was named South Atlantic Conference Astroturf Defensive Player of the Week twice this season.
Schaffer, a freshman attacker from Pittsburg, Pa., was one of the top goal scorers for the Trojans with 48 in his 14 games played this season. He was also second in the conference for man-up goals with 10. In their second year as a program, Anderson finished the year with an overall record of 9-7 and 5-5 in SAC play.
Storrier, earns his first Coach of the Year honor after leading his Saints to national prominence and a 9-1 record on the season. Under his leadership, the team was ranked as high as No. 2 in Division II and was named as high as No. 3 in the USILA/Dynamic Team Poll. The saints found themselves in the top-five for multiple statistical categories, including caused turnovers (170), assists (125), goals per game (17.47), ground balls (710), clear percentage (85.3) and Face-off percentage (63.3).
Joining Grieco on first team attack is teammate Bobby Padden and Queens' Kealan Pilon. On the All-SAC First Team at midfield is Newberry's Baker Westmoreland, Wingate's Danny Riley and Lenoir-Rhyne's Toron Eccleston. The three defenders are Kendall Collins of Limestone, Payton Leonard of Catawba, and Lenoir-Rhyne's Victor Powell. The final four members of the first team are Nathan Allan of Coker at long pole, Lenoir-Rhyne's Mitchell Linklater as a Short-Stick Defensive midfielder, Anderson's Cam Weeks as a Faceoff Specialist and Limestone's William Baxter in goal.
The 2022 South Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship will take place April 26,29-May 1 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C.
2022 SAC Men's Lacrosse All-Conference
First team
A – Willie Grieco, Wingate
A – Kealan Pilon, Queens
A – Bobby Padden, Wingate
MF – Toron Eccleston, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Baker Westmoreland, Newberry
MF – Danny Riley, Wingate
D – Victor Powell, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Kendall Collins, Limestone
D – Payton Leonard, Catawba
LP – Nathan Allan, Coker
Short-Stick Defensive MF - Mitchell Linklater, Lenoir-Rhyne
Face-off Spec. – Cam Weeks, Anderson
GK – William Baxter, Limestone
All-SAC Second Team
A – Tyler Ewen, Queens
A – Gavin Kesselring, Limestone
A – Myles Moffat, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Dorian Faster, Limestone
MF – Curtis Bukta, Newberry
MF – Austin Leonard, Queens
D – Peyton Jefferson, Anderson
D – Jack Travassos, Newberry
D – Peyton Farley, Wingate
LP – Mike DiLegge, Wingate
Short-Stick Defensive MF - AJ Lohmuller, Wingate
Face-off Spec. – Michael Logan, Limestone
GK – Noah Johnson, Lenoir-Rhyne
All-SAC Third Team
A – Chris Erneston, Limestone
A – Zac Carrigan, Mars Hill
A – Beau Henson, Anderson
MF – Mike McGarry, Limestone
MF – Owen Consoletti, Limestone
MF – Tommy Aguilar, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – James Brugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Ryan Morrison, Limestone
D – Will McNichols, Queens
LP – Tim Roesler, Newberry
Short-Stick Defensive MF - Lance Olson, Limestone
Face-off Spec. – John Paulus, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Joey Heckel, Anderson
Offensive Player of the Year
Willie Grieco, Wingate
Defensive Player of the Year
William Baxter, Limestone
Freshman of the Year
Triston Schaffer, Anderson
Coach of the Year
Brendan Storrier, Limestone
Statistical Champions
Team Man-Up Offense – Tusculum, 0.608
Team Man-Down Defense – Queens, 0.766
Team Ground Balls per Game – Limestone, 47.87
Team Scoring Offense – Limestone, 17.60
Team Scoring Defense – Limestone, 7.93
Team Scoring Margin – Limestone, 9.67
Team Faceoff Win Percentage – Queens, 0.642
Faceoff Win Percentage – Cam Weeks - Anderson, 0.820
Ground Balls per Game – Cam weeks - Anderson, 14.50
Assists per Game – Logan Gaddis, Anderson- 3.38
Shots Percentage – Joe Venazio, Lenoir-Rhyne, 0.490
Goals-Against Average – William Baxter – Limestone, 7.25
Save Percentage – William Baxter, Limestone, 0.626
Goals per Game – Zac Carrigan, Mars Hill, 3.67
Caused Turnovers per Game – Jordan Sullivan, Lincoln Memorial, 2.35
Points per Game – Willie Grieco, Wingate – 6.14