Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Lacrosse Names Five Captains for 2017 Season
11/14/2016 6:37:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell head men's lacrosse coach Frank Fedorjaka has announced that the team has elected five upperclassmen as team captains for the 2017 season. The Bison captains are seniors Quinn Collison, Grayson Helm and Mike Schiappa, and juniors Matt Gilray and Will Sands.
“I am very pleased with the team's choices for captains,” commented Fedorjaka, who enters his 12th year as head coach of the Bison in 2017. “Each guy will bring his unique style of leadership to the team. We have never had five captains before. I am looking forward to working with these guys and am excited to see how it goes. I think they will do a great job.”
Collison appeared in 13 games last spring at attack, including starts in the campaign's final five contests. He recorded 15 goals and three assists, and logged his first career hat trick in a Patriot League Tournament victory over Holy Cross. Thirteen of his 15 goals came against Patriot League opponents. Collison also tallied 16 ground balls.
Helm played in 14 of 15 games last year and was a key member of the short-stick defensive midfield rotation. He scored his first career goal in a league win at Holy Cross and collected 13 ground balls on the season.
A three-year starter on defense, Schiappa recorded 16 ground balls and caused nine turnovers last season as a key member of a defensive unit that allowed seven goals or fewer in each of the final four games of the year.
A Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year as a sophomore, Gilray is one of the best defenders in the conference. He began the year playing defensive midfield, but started the final three games at close defense. Gilray ranked third on the team with 44 ground balls, including a high of nine against Colgate. He caused 12 turnovers and ranked 13th in the Patriot League in ground balls per game.
Sands earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors last year from his attack position. A member of the Patriot League All-Tournament Team, he started all 15 games and led the team in goals (36), assists (28) and points (64). The 64 points were seventh-most on Bucknell's single-season chart. Sands ranked third in the Patriot League and 11th nationally in points per game (4.27).
Bucknell is looking to build on a successful 10-5 season in 2016 that culminated with a double-overtime loss to 10th-ranked Loyola in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals. The Bison return their top two scorers, their starting goalie, their defensive leader in ground balls and caused turnovers and one of the league's top faceoff specialists in 2017.
