Teams: Men's Lacrosse: Press Releases

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

TUFTS TRIO NAMED TO ALL-NESCAC TEAMS IN MEN'S LACROSSE

MEDFORD -- Three members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semi-finalist Tufts University men's lacrosse team have been named to the All-Conference teams announced today. Senior midfielder Mike O'Brien (Concord, MA/Middlesex School) and junior defenseman Wiley Dornseif (Littleton, CO/Phillips Exeter) were voted First Team, while senior co-captain Rory Doucette (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) was placed on the Second Team as a specialist.

After losing Bryan Griffin and Devin Clarke, who combined to win the last three NESCAC Player of the Year awards, less was expected of the 2006 Tufts squad. The Jumbos, coached by Mike Daly, narrowly missed reaching the NESCAC championship game when they lost to five-time conference defending champion Middlebury, 12-11, in three overtimes. The honored trio helped the team post an 11-6 record and stay in the national top 20 for most of the season.

O'Brien tied for the team lead in scoring with 20 goals and 11 assists for 31 points. He had two game-winning goals, at Saint Mary's in Maryland on March 25 and in NESCAC play at home against Williams on April 8. He had 11 goals and five assists for 16 points in nine NESCAC games overall. O'Brien capped his career with four goals in the NESCAC semi-finals against Middlebury, including one with two seconds left in regulation that sent the game to overtime tied at 11-11. As a sophomore in 2004 he was on the All-NESCAC Second Team.

Dornseif started all 17 games on defense for a Tufts team that is ranked fourth in the league with a 7.83 goals against average. He was fourth on the team with 37 ground balls and scored a goal early in the year against Eastern Connecticut. An imposing 6'2", 200-pound presence on defense for the Jumbos, Dornseif is the only First Team defender returning next season.

Doucette earned All-NESCAC for the second straight season. He was a Second Team specialist last year, as well. This spring, Doucette won 59.9 percent of his face-offs (133/222), just outside of the NCAA top 20 for Division III. He led the Jumbos with 99 ground balls and scored seven goals with five assists for 12 points.

Bowdoin's Connor Fitzgerald was voted Player of the Year, Caddy Brooks of Colby College is the Rookie of the Year, and Wesleyan's John Raba was picked as Coach of the Year.

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