A pair of nationally-ranked teams - #19 Frostburg State and #8 Salisbury - will meet Saturday for the 2015 CAC Men's Lacrosse Championship match. Those two teams also combined for 19 berths on the 2015 All-CAC team, led by Player of the Year Knute Kraus of Salisbury and Coach of the Year Tommy Pearce of Frostburg State. Kraus, a senior three-time All-CAC player and two-time first-team honoree, is the 13th Salisbury player to win the CAC Player of the Year award since the Sea Gulls first began CAC play in 1995. He was one of eight members of the regular-season champions to earn first-team All-CAC this season.
Kraus was joined on the All-CAC defense by Austin Kemp, along with long pole specialist Marty Wallace and midfielder Sean Fitzgerald, all seniors and first-time all-conference choices. Junior Preston Dabbs picked up his third-straight first-team All-CAC award as a short stick specialist, while sophomore Cameron Maples is a first-time honoree as a face off specialist.
On the attack, SU was led by junior Thomas Cirillo, a second-team all-star last year, and sophomore Carson Kalama. Sea Gulls earning second-team all-star nods, all for the first time, included senior attack Mike Kane, junior midfielder James Burton and senior goalie Connor Anderson. That helped Salisbury match the 11 all-star awards earned in 2014.
Pearce, who was selected to lead Frostburg State when the program was re-instated five years ago, earns his second CAC Coach of the Year award (also in 2013) after leading the Bobcats to a 16-2 overall record heading into Saturday's title match. In the regular-season showdown, FSU took Salisbury to overtime before falling by an 8-7 margin. FSU's five first-team CAC all-star awards, and eight total, are both team records.
The Bobcats' strong midfield and defense was rewarded when senior midfielder Chris Rios, junior midfielder Tate Rolland, defender Zack Burkhardt and junior goalie Tom Kraemer were named first-team all-stars while senior midfielder Greg Bourne and senior defender Paul Newman were second-team all-stars. Burkhardt and Newman are both making their third-straight CAC all-star team appearances.
Frostburg State also placed senior Devin Colegrove on the first-team attack and junior face off man Erik Geiser as a second-team specialist. Both are first-time All-CAC picks.
York, which finished fourth in the regular season, earned five post-season awards, including senior attack Tyler Hutson, a four-time first-team all-star during his career, and freshman second-team attack Dillon Hannah, who was tabbed by the CAC coaches as the 2015 Co-Rookie of the Year. Hannah is the third YCP player to win the Rookie of the Year award, and the first since Hutson was honored in 2012.
A pair of Spartans, junior Josh Kluver and freshman Joey Fiorino, were also selected as second-team all-stars on the defense. Hannah shared the CAC Co-Rookie of the Year award with Mary Washington freshman goalie Colin Bressan, one of four Eagles honored this season by the CAC coaches. Bressan is the first UMW player to ever win the CAC Rookie of the Year award.
UMW also gained three second-team all-star awards for senior attack Jack Bondurant, senior defender
Travis Peed and senior short stick specialist Chris Garcia. It is the first post-season award for all three players.
Christopher Newport, which tied Frostburg State for second place in the CAC regular-season, placed senior attack John Thompson and junior long pole specialist Brandon Moloney on the all-star squad, each for the first time in their careers.
Wesley and Southern Virginia each also gained one position on the 2015 All-CAC team for underclass standouts. Junior Sam Seibert represented the Wolverines in the All-CAC midfield while freshman Casey Rich proudly wore the Southern Virginia jersey on the all-star attack.
2015 All-CAC Men's Lacrosse Team
First Team Yr. Pos. Team Hometown/High School Previous Honors
Devin Colegrove Sr. Att Frostburg State Timonium, Md./Dulaney
Tyler Hutson Sr. Att York Westminster, Md./Winters Mill 1st in '12-14
Carson Kalama So. Att Salisbury Bel Air, Md./Bel Air
Thomas Cirillo Jr. Mid Salisbury Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester 2nd in'14
Sean Fitzgerald Sr. Mid Salisbury Crofton, Md./Arundel
Chris Rios Sr. Mid Frostburg State Katonah, N.Y./Somers
Tate Rolland Jr. Mid Frostburg State Brunswick, Md./Brunswick
Zack Burkhardt Sr. Def Frostburg State Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech 2nd in '14; 2nd in '13
Austin Kemp Sr. Def Salisbury Ellicott City, Md./Centennial
Knute Kraus Sr. Def Salisbury Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Tesoro 1st in '14; 2nd in '13
Cameron Maples So. FO Salisbury Haymarket, Va./Battlefield
Preston Dabbs Jr. SS Salisbury St. Mary's City, Md./St. Mary's Ryken 1st in '14; 1st in '13
Marty Wallace Sr. LP Salisbury Crofton, Md./DeMatha
Tom Kraemer Jr. GK Frostburg State Salisbury, Md./Parkside
Second Team Yr. Pos. Team Hometown/High School Previous Honors
Jack Bondurant Sr. Att Mary Washington Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring
Dillon Hannah Fr. Att York Catonsville, Md./Catonsville
Mike Kane Sr. Att Salisbury Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth
Casey Rich Fr. Att Southern Virginia Buffalo, N.Y./Amherst Central
John Thompson Sr. Att Christopher Newport Richmond, Va./Collegiate
Greg Bourne Sr. Mid Frostburg State Chestertown, Md./Kent County
James Burton Jr. Mid Salisbury St. Helena, Calif./Cardinal Newman
Sam Seibert Jr. Mid Wesley New Castle, Del./William Penn
Joey Fiorino Fr. Def York Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh
Josh Kluver Jr. Def York Abington, Pa./Abington 1st in '14
Paul Newman Sr. Def Frostburg State Pasadena, Md./Arch. Spalding 2nd in '14; 2nd in '13
Travis Peed Sr. Def Mary Washington Elkridge, Md./Arch. Spalding
Erik Geiser Jr. FO Frostburg State Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur
Chris Garcia Sr. SS Mary Washington Fairfax, Va./Robinson
Brandon Moloney Jr. LP Christopher Newport W. Hampton Beach, N.Y./W. Hampton Bch.
Connor Anderson Sr. GK Salisbury Edmonton, Alberta/St. Francis Xavier
2015 CAC Player of the Year: Knute Kraus, Salisbury
2015 CAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Colin Bressan, Mary Washington (Fr., GK, Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield)
2015 CAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Dillon Hannah, York
2015 CAC Coach of the Year: Tommy Pearce, Frostburg State (2nd time, also in 2013)