Four Men's Soccer Players Earn All-Conference Accolades

NEWTON, MA- Four Lasell College men's soccer players were named to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-League teams.  Senior forward Dan Hatch (Avon, MA) and junior goalkeeper Matthew Bruninghaus (Plymouth, MA) earned first team honors while senior defender Sean Fisher (Griswold, CT) and freshman midfielder Marcus Lopez (Barrigada, Guam) made the ranks amongst the third team.

Matthew Bruninghaus (left) has been awarded All-GNAC for the first time in his three year career.  Bruninghaus led the Lasers to an undefeated 7-0-2 conference record this season which earned the Lasers a first place finish and regular season title in the GNAC.  Overall, Bruninghaus played in 18 contests this season, recording a 9-7-2 slate and playing in over 1,600 minutes.  He has made 108 saves, allowing 24 goals for a 1.33 goals-against-average and a .818 save percentage.  He has recorded five shutouts this season, four of which were in league play, and has earned GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors three times.

Bruninghaus is ranked in the GNAC at 2nd in save percentage and shutouts, 3rd in GAA and 5th in total saves and saves-per-game.  Amongst all of Division III men's soccer goalkeepers nationally, Bruninghaus ranks 64th in saves per game and 82nd in save percentage. 

Over his career, Bruninghaus holds a 12-11-3 record with seven shutouts, 142 saves, a 1.22 GAA, and a .816 save percentage.

Dan Hatch (right) is making his ranks on the GNAC All-Conference team for the third time in his three years with Lasell. This is also the second consecutive year that Hatch has been selected for first team honors.  The senior forward leads Lasell in points and goals this season with 23 and 10 respectively.  Hatch has also chipped in with one helper this season. 

 Three of Hatch's goals were game-winners, against Farmingdale State, Mount Ida, and Johnson & Wales, which complied into a career total of 10 game-winners, setting a new career record at Lasell.  He was selected as Player of the Week once this season by the GNAC and is ranked in seven statistical categories within the league. Hatch is also ranked nationally at 52nd in total goals (10), 77th in goals per game (.61), 113th in total points (23), and 152nd in points per game (1.28).

The senior transfer student has played in 52 games for Lasell over a three year period, scoring a total of 31 goals, adding 10 assists, and combining for 72 total points.

Marcus Lopez (left) has made an immediate impact for the Lasers during his rookie season, finishing second on the team in total points, scoring four goals and adding four assists for 12 season points.  Lopez was awarded the GNAC Rookie of the Week honors the first week of the season for assisting on the game-winner against Mount Ida in Lasell's first GNAC victory of the season.  He also scored the game-deciding goal in Lasell's 2-0 triumph over Norwich.  Lopez is tied for ninth in the league in total assists this season.

Sean Fisher (right) finds his spot on the All-Conference list for the second year in a row. The senior is the foundation of the Lasers defense in the center back position.  He stands at a plus-76 this season in one-on-one situations, coming away with the ball in the great majority of challenge situations.  Fisher not only is one of the best defenders in the league but he also has the ability to transition into offensive roles when the situation calls for it. Fisher reads the game very well and can pass and make plays with high accuracy. 

The Lasers season is currently on hold having lost in the semi-finals of the GNAC Tournament to Suffolk University on Tuesday.  Lasell awaits word on the ECAC New England Tournament, the seedings for which will be announced on Monday, November 8th.  The ECAC Tournament begins on Wednesday, November 10th.