June 13, 2002

BALTIMORE, MD -- Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala recently announced the recipients of the 2002 men's lacrosse team awards, which were presented at the team's annual end-of-season banquet. In all, 16 different individuals received awards. Johns Hopkins posted a 12-2 record this season and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the third time in the last four years. The Blue Jays ended the regular season ranked number one and were the top seeded team in the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championships.

Below is a list of each award, a description of the award, the recipient, and a list of their accomplishments.

Sidney C. Erlanger Trophy

Nick Murtha (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset) &

P.J. DiConza (Manhasset, NY / Manhasset)

Outstanding Senior

Former high school teammates, Murtha and DiConza share the team's top award. Murtha, in his first season as a starter, garnered First Team All-America and National Goalie-of-the-Year honors, while DiConza earned Third Team All-America honors in his first season as a full-time player on close defense. Murtha posted an 8.41 goals against average and a .597 save percentage in becoming the ninth Johns Hopkins goalie to earn First Team All-America status. DiConza started all 14 games on close defense and grabbed 28 ground balls. Often matched against the opposition's top attackman, DiConza helped the Blue Jays hold nine of their 14 opponents to nine goals or less. With Murtha and DiConza leading the way defensively, JHU held all of its opponents to 12 goals or less for the first time since 1986.

Bob Scott Award

Kyle Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Friends)

Outstanding Freshman

On a team full of promising freshmen, Harrison enjoyed a standout season as he was Hopkins' top faceoff specialist and also held down a spot on the Blue Jays' first midfield. He won 120-of-190 (.632) faceoffs to rank among the national leaders throughout the season and he added nine goals and four assists for 13 points. He finished seventh on the team in points and goals and tied for sixth in assists. In addition, his 85 ground balls led the team.

William K. Morrill, Jr. Award

Bobby Benson (Baltimore, MD/McDonogh)

Outstanding Attackman

A Third Team All-American this season after garnering Honorable Mention honors a year ago; Benson led the team in goals (27) and points (40) and was fourth on the squad in assists (13). He is just the third Johns Hopkins player since 1975 to lead the team in goals three straight years and he now has career totals of 83 goals and 31 assists for 114 points. He has scored two or more goals 24 times in three seasons and will play for the United States at this summer's ILF World Championships in Australia.

1941 Team Shaffer Award

P.J. DiConza (Manhasset, NY / Manhasset)

Outstanding Defensive Player

DiConza started all 14 games on close defense and grabbed 28 ground balls. A Third Team All-American, DiConza was often matched against the opposition's top attackman, DiConza helped the Blue Jays hold nine of their 14 opponents to nine goals or less and Johns Hopkins ranked among the top teams nationally in scoring defense throughout the season despite starting a new goalie and having three new starters on close defense.

George D. Penniman Trophy

Adam Doneger (Hewlett, NY/Lynbrook) &

Kevin Boland (Jessup, MD/Gilman)

Outstanding Midfielder

Doneger became the latest in a long line of First Team All-America midfielders for the Blue Jays as he garnered top honors this season. In his first year as a midfielder, he scored a career-high 24 goals and added four assists for 28 points. He finished second on the team in goals, fifth in points and tied for sixth in assists. He scored a career-high five goals in Hopkins' 13-12 overtime victory over UMass in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Boland enjoyed an outstanding season on Hopkins' second midfield and earned Third Team All-America honors. He scored 12 goals and added 19 assists for 31 points. He led the team in assists, finished tied for third in points and was sixth in goals. He is the first midfielder to lead Johns Hopkins in assists since Del Dressel tied for the team lead in 1985 and he is the first middie to lead the team outright since Dressel in 1983.

1950 Morrill Award

Nick Murtha (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset)

Most Improved Senior

It's probably not often that a First Team All-American would even be in the running for this award, but Murtha showed great character and determination and went from having never started a game in his career to earning top honors. He posted an 8.41 goals against average and a .597 save percentage in becoming the ninth Johns Hopkins goalie to earn First Team All-America status and garner National Goalie-of-the-Year honors.

Henry Ciccarone Award

Kyle Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Friends)

Most Groundballs

Harrison led the team with 85 ground balls as his play on faceoffs led to his corralling many loose balls. He won 120-of-190 (.632) faceoffs on the year and added nine goals and four assists for 13 points.

Gordon Stick Award

Mike Peyser (Cold Spring Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor) &

Conor Ford (Baltimore, MD/St. Paul's)

Unsung Hero

Far-too-often the overlooked member of a standout close defense, Peyser earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in his first season as a starter on close defense. He grabbed 33 ground balls on the year, the most among JHU's three starting close defensemen and was often matched against the opposition's most versatile attackman.

Ford did what he does best this season, score. He finished second on the team in points (33) and assists (16) while also ranking fourth in goals (17). He made the move this season from attack to midfield and did an outstanding job of quarterbacking the team as a middie when on the field. He has posted two or more points 18 times in two seasons.

Fred Smith Trophy

Frank Potucek (Bellmore, NY/John F. Kennedy)

Outstanding Loyalty & Dedication

The hard-luck story of the Blue Jays' storybook 2002 season. Potucek tore his ACL during fall practice and worked hard enough on his rehabilitation to be back in the lineup by late March. Unfortunately, in his first appearance, he tore his ACL again and was lost for the season. Never one to complain, Potucek quickly set his sights on the 2003 season, when he hopes to make his return to the field.

W. Taylor Cook Award

Pat Miller (Towson, MD/Loyola) &

Greg Raymond (Corning, NY/Corning East)

Outstanding Character & Attitude

Miller returned for a fifth year (he had one year of eligibility remaining after missing his junior season with an ankle injury) and was enrolled in the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health during the 2001-02 academic year. Although he played in just one game, he was a vocal leader and was instrumental in the development of Johns Hopkins' young faceoff specialists.

Raymond has struggled to regain his form since tearing his ACL a month before the 2001 season-opener. Still, he played in two games this season and was a key member of the scout team.

Turnbull-Reynolds Trophy

Matt Hanna (Geneva, NY/Geneva)

Outstanding Sportsmanship & Leadership

Hanna transferred to Johns Hopkins prior to his junior season and quickly earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. Voted a captain this season, Hanna scored four goals on the year, including one in the NCAA Semifinals against Princeton. Still, his leadership and the way he handled himself both on and off the field were what he will be remembered most for. His maturity and professionalism in representing the program were exemplary.

Richardson Award

Kathleen Wisner

Outstanding Service to Johns Hopkins Lacrosse

Wisner is the secretary for the Johns Hopkins men's and women's lacrosse programs, but what she does for the men's program goes far beyond the scope of her job description. She handles all travel arrangements, assists in the coordination of recruiting efforts, produces scouting reports and is the behind-the-scenes director of all Johns Hopkins boy's lacrosse camps.

Cowan Hard Hammer Award

Benson Erwin (Baltimore, MD/Friends)

Corey Harned (Holbrook, NY/Sachem)

Adam Doneger (Hewlett, NY/Lynbrook)

For work ethic, competitiveness, physical & mental toughness

An award in just its second year of existence and named in honor of Johns Hopkins Hall of Famer Joe Cowan. It seems only fitting that three players who prefer to let their play do the talking would take this award. Erwin and Harned rarely get mentioned in the post-game write-ups, while Doneger's sheer intensity and work ethic earn him a share of this award for the second straight season.

Erwin played in all 14 games as a shortstick defensive middie and was a key part of a Johns Hopkins defense that allowed less than 8.5 goals per game. Harned shared the longstick defensive middie position and finished second on the team in ground balls with 60. Both excel as wingmen on faceoffs and perform at a high level at positions that don't' draw much fanfare. Doneger earned First Team All-America honors and scored 24 goals and added four assists. He is, in many ways, the prototypical player under head coach Dave Pietramala.

Academic Award

P.J. DiConza (Manhasset, NY / Manhasset)

Highest GPA on the team

DiConza's third award may have been the easiest to predict. A sociology major who will attend Fordham Law school this fall, DiConza boasts a 3.62 cumulative grade point average and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He was recently named a Second Team Verizon Academic All-American after previously earning First Team Verizon District II Academic All-America honors.

Coaches Most Improved Player

Kevin Boland (Jessup, MD/Gilman)

Steve Gould (Great Neck, NY/Great Neck)

Dedicated to improving and in turn helps team improve

The two recipients have vastly different lacrosse resumes, but both were instrumental in the success the Blue Jays enjoyed this season. Boland scored one goal and added six assists as a freshman. This year, he earned Third Team All-America honors and scored 12 goals and added 19 assists for 31 points.

Gould did not see any game action for the Blue Jays this season, but his contributions to the program are meaningful and obvious to those who are around the program. A former walk-on, Gould is one of the leaders of the scout team and is constantly working to improve his game.

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