Grugan 3-Peats as POY

Grugan named as CSAC Player of the Year for the 3rd Straight Time

ASTON, Pa. (5/3/10) – For the third straight season, senior attackman and 2010 Tewaaraton Award candidate Casey Grugan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley HS) has been selected the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Year, the league announced Monday. The 9th-ranked Cabrini men’s lacrosse team, seeded No. 1 in the CSAC Tournament, is represented by 11 all-conference performers. En route to his fourth straight CSAC First Team selection, Grugan leads the Cavaliers’ offense with 81 points on 54 goals and 27 assists. He was named the conference’s rookie of the year in 2007. Grugan has twice earned All-America distinction, claiming third-team honors in 2008 and second-team accolades in 2009.

Grugan owns the nation’s longest active consecutive points streak among Division III players at 72 games. He has also scored at least one goal in an NCAA Division III-record 69 straight games. Grugan ranks third nationally in goals per game (3.6) and fourth in points per game (5.4).

Grugan is the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in career points (318) and needs just five goals to become only the second player in program history to reach 200 goals in a career.

Grugan is joined on the CSAC First Team with junior midfielder Paul Skulski (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley HS), senior defenseman Steve Heaps (Street, Md./North Harford HS), junior longstick midfielder Anthony Mazza (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall HS), junior face-off specialist Mike Gurenlian (Springfield, Pa./Springfield Delco HS) and sophomore defenseman John McSorley (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley HS).

Skulski lists second on the Blue & White in scoring, posting 52 points on 30 goals and 22 assists. He ranks fourth among CSAC players in points per game (3.47). Skulski received conference first-team honors last season and was tabbed the league’s rookie of the year in 2008.

Skulski became the program’s 15th player all-time to reach the 100-point plateau for his career in Cabrini’s 9-8 loss at then-No. 10 Haverford College on February 27. He is ninth in program history in career points with 147 on 81 goals and 66 assists.

Heaps returned to Cabrini this season after spending the 2008-09 academic year at Salisbury University. He leads the Cavaliers with 52 groundballs and has notched 12 caused turnovers. Heaps was named to the CSAC First Team in 2008.

Mazza has played in all 15 games this season as a longstick midfielder and part of the Cavaliers’ close defense. He has totaled 27 groundballs and 12 caused turnovers. Mazza also earned CSAC First Team laurels last season.

Gurenlian leads the Cabrini face-off unit, winning 67 percent of his draw attempts this season. He ranks ninth nationally in face-off win percentage and has scooped 27 groundballs.

McSorley is a repeat CSAC First Team selection one year removed from earning the conference’s rookie of the year award. The anchor of the Blue & White backline, he leads the team with 22 caused turnovers and has recorded 44 groundballs.

Senior Steve Kapp (Oreland, Pa./La Salle HS) has been selected to the CSAC Second Team and is enjoying a career-best season in his final go-around at Cabrini. Kapp is third on the team in scoring with 31 points on 20 goals and 11 assists. He was named the conference player of the week on April 5.

Four first-year Cavaliers have also earned CSAC Second Team distinction. Freshman midfielder Bobby Thorp (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee HS) is fifth on the team in scoring with 23 points on 17 scores and six helpers. Freshman midfielder Andrew Protenic (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East HS) has totaled 21 points on 14 goals and seven assists.

Freshman Andrew Kvech (Pasadena, Md./Mount St. Joseph HS) has played in 12 games and started 11 for the Blue & White defense, collecting 18 groundballs and causing six turnovers. Rookie goalkeeper Erick Zarzecki (Owings Mills, Md./Pikesville HS) ranks third in the league with a 7.50 goals-against average. Zarzecki has started all 15 games for the Cavaliers between the pipes.

Sophomore attackman Brian Hill (Folsom, Pa./Ridley HS) has been named to the CSAC Honorable Mention squad. Hill ranks fourth on the team with 30 points, pairing 18 goals with 12 assists. He has totaled 66 points in 34 career games played. Hill is also the team’s recipient of the CSAC Sportsmanship Award.

The Cavaliers completed their 10th consecutive unbeaten regular season in CSAC play with a 15-8 win at Marywood University on April 29. The victory clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the Blue & White throughout the conference tournament.

Cabrini (12-3) begins its quest for a 10th straight CSAC title on Tuesday, May 4 versus No. 4 seed Immaculata University at Edith Robb Dixon Field. Game time against the Mighty Macs is set for 4 p.m. -30-