MLX: Lasell dominates All-GNAC post-season honors with 11 Lasers recognized

NEWTON, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) announced its All-Conference Men's Lacrosse Team on Tuesday, and 10 Lasell University players and head coach Bill Mason were recognized for their performances in 2021. The All-GNAC Teams are voted on by the conference's head coaches.

Graduate Student Chase Kapuscienski (Grafton, Mass./Grafton), sophomore Magnus Leonard (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), and junior Alex Beauchemin (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) earned the conference's top honors, being named GNAC Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively. Coach Mason joined the group of major award recipients by earning his second GNAC Coach of the Year award.

The Lasers had seven selections on the All-GNAC First Team, including Kapuscienski, Leonard, Beauchemin, senior attack Andrew Fidalgo (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug), senior midfielder Colby Buccheri (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional), senior defenseman Ethan Bain (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug), and junior short-stick defensive midfielder David Burke (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset). Buccheri was also recognized as Lasell's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team.

Lasell had three others earn All-GNAC Second Team honors – junior defenseman Tyler Rose (Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug), sophomore defenseman Kyle Charlot (Harwich, Mass./Monomoy), and junior face-off specialist Steven Phelps (Stamford, Conn./Stamford).

Lasell's group of All-Stars helped the team finish with a 10-3 overall record (6-0 GNAC) under Coach Mason and a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament after capturing the program's second GNAC Championship. The Lasers also finished tied for 10th in the final New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division III poll.

Chase Kapuscienski	Magnus Leonard	Alex Beauchemin	Andrew Fidalgo	Colby Buccheri	Head Coach Bill Mason
Ethan Bain	David Burke	Tyler Rose	Kyle Charlot	Steven Phelps

Kapuscienski was the leading goal-scorer among midfielders in the GNAC this spring and fourth overall with 32 goals along with 12 assists for 44 points. Kapuscienski joined the Lasers this spring after a four-year career at the University of Mary Washington, and he finished his collegiate career with 70 goals, 32 assists for 102 points and 72 ground balls in 71 games.

Fidalgo and Buccheri were also keys to the Laser offense this season and received First Team nods after earning Second Team honors in 2019. Fidalgo led the GNAC with 56 points and finished third in both goals (35) and assists (21). Buccheri was third on the team in scoring with 22 goals, 17 assists and 39 points, finishing sixth in the GNAC in assists and ninth in points. Fidalgo, who did not play in 2020 due to an injury and the pandemic, is also eighth on Lasell's career scoring list with 150 points, sixth with 68 assists, and 11th with 82 goals.

Beauchemin earned his second All-GNAC honor after leading conference in wins (10) and saves (177) and ranking second in goals against average (9.35) and save percentage (.604). He also ranked 19th nationally in Division III in save percentage, including a career-high 21 saves in Lasell's NCAA Tournament loss to York College (Pa.). Beauchemin has an all-time record of 26-6 after breaking the Lasell program mark for career victories earlier this year. He also ranks in Lasell's top 10 all-time with 332 career saves, an 8.09 goals against average and a .582 save percentage.

Led by the starting defensive trio of Leonard, Rose and Bain and defensive midfielders Burke and Charlot, Lasell's outstanding defense allowed just 9.23 goals per game this spring to rank second in the GNAC and 54th in Division III. Perhaps more impressively, the Lasers allowed just 6.0 goals per game against GNAC opponents. Rose earned All-Conference honors for the second time after leading the team and ranking sixth in the GNAC with 20 caused turnovers, and Leonard was also an offensive threat, leading the long-stick group with five goals scored this spring.

Phelps earned his first All-Conference selection after taking over as Lasell's top face-off man this spring and winning exactly 50 percent of his face-off attempts (110-of-220) and finishing ninth in the GNAC by picking up 48 ground balls.

2021 GNAC All-Conference Team

FIRST TEAM

A - Andrew Fidalgo, Lasell
A - Payden Masaracchia, Norwich
A - Shane Puleo, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
M - Colby Buccheri, Lasell
M - Chase Kapuscienski, Lasell
M - Andrew Vasile, Johnson & Wales
LSM - Alex Osmanski, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
SSM - David Burke, Lasell
F/O - Thomas Muraski, Norwich
D - Ethan Bain, Lasell
D - Magnus Leonard, Lasell
D - Sean Wallace, Norwich
GK - Alex Beauchemin, Lasell

SECOND TEAM
A - Jack Anzalone, Norwich
A - Parker Campbell, Norwich
A - Dylan McSparren, Rivier
M - Russell Gilligan, Norwich
M - Clyde Tamburro, Norwich
M - Coby Mercier, Rivier
LSM - Kyle Charlot, Lasell
SSM - Callum Jones, Norwich
F/O - Steven Phelps, Lasell
D - Mike Catuosco, Johnson & Wales
D - Tyler Rose, Lasell
D - Mason McMahon, Norwich
GK - Nick Kandra, Norwich

THIRD TEAM
A - Ryan Castle, Emmanuel
A - Owen LaPorte, St. Joseph (Conn.)
A - Brendan Martin, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
M - Mykel Stinson, Albertus Magnus
M - Kevin Horchak, Norwich
M - Matt Guerin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
LSM - Dan Altomare, Norwich
SSM - Jacob Enwright, Rivier
F/O - Trent Ceiley, Johnson & Wales
D - Matt Zuckerman, Johnson & Wales
D - Robert DelPrete, Rivier
D - Adam Hailey, Rivier
GK - Dane Walsh, Albertus Magnus

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Chase Kapuscienski, Lasell

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Magnus Leonard, Lasell

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR – Alex Beauchemin, Lasell

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Andrew Vasile, Johnson & Wales

COACH OF THE YEAR - Bill Mason, Lasell

INSTITUTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP
AWARD - Albertus Magnus College

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Jack Ferrio, Albertus Magnus
Tyler Shaw, Anna Maria
Greg Centeio, Dean
Morgan Mercier, Emmanuel
Trent Ceiley, Johnson & Wales
Colby Buccheri, Lasell
Perry Grzela, Norwich
Alan Cozzolino, Rivier
Evan Baden, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Tyler DeMoore-Gonzalez, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 

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