Trinity Men's Lacrosse Says Goodbye to Five Seniors

Hartford, Conn., August 14, 2008 - The Trinity College men's lacrosse team, coached by Jim Finlay (3rd Season), recorded a 6-9 record in 2008 and finished tied with Amherst for seventh place in the NESCAC with a 3-6 league mark. The Bantams qualified for the NESCAC Championship Tournament for the second straight season, but dropped a 7-5 decision at Wesleyan in the opening round game.

Sophomore attackman Harper Cullen (Rehoboth Deach, Del.) started all 15 games and led the Bantams in scoring with a team-high 29 goals (8th in NESCAC), eight assists, and 37 points, including three game-winning goals, while senior tri-captain attackman Kris Tedeschi (Norwell, Mass.) finished second in scoring with 22 goals and nine assists (tied for team-high) for 31 points and added 24 ground balls in 14 games (13 starts). Senior midfielder Jeremy Ulan (Scarsdale, N.Y.) added 11 goals and nine assists (tied for team lead) for 20 points in 15 games (two starts), while junior A/M Rob Mountain (New Canaan, Conn.) had seven goals and six assists for 13 points with 24 ground balls in 15 games (seven starts), junior A/M Adam Cox (Garden City, N.Y.) notched six goals and six assists for 12 points with 31 ground balls in 14 games (nine starts), and junior midfielder Zach Trudeau (Norwell, Mass.) finished with five goals and six assists for 11 points in 15 games (one start). Ulan and Cox earned NESCAC All-Academic honors this spring. Tedeschi, an All-NESCAC Second Team honoree in 2007, closes his fine career with 86 goals and 33 assists for 119 points and 88 ground balls in 54 games, while Ulan ends his solid career with 20 goals and 12 assists for 32 points and 29 ground balls in 44 games.

Junior Connor Wells (Haddam, Conn.) is one of the nation's premier face-off specialists, earning All-NESCAC honors the last two seasons in that role, and recorded two goals, three assists, and a team-high 129 ground balls (2nd in nation) to go with his .649 face-off percentage (148-228, 12th in nation) in 14 games (all starts) in 2008. An Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-New England First Team and a NESCAC All-Academic selection, Wells is already Trinity's all-time leader in ground balls with 343. Sophomore Ray Mooney (Wellesley, Mass.) started 11 of his 15 games in the midfield with three goals, two assists, and 23 ground balls, while junior midfielders Sean Delaney (Darien, Conn.) and Brad Hunnewell (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) both played in every game, totaling four goals and three assists, and one goal, respectively.

Senior tri-captains Owen Cahill (Northborough, Mass.) and John DiBianco (Washington, D.C.) anchored the defense for the second straight year, as both have started all 30 games the last two seasons and Cahill was a starter in all 55 of Trinity's games in his collegiate career. Cahill, who represents Trinity men's lacrosse on the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team, totaled 42 ground balls (3rd on team) this spring and DiBianco added 25. Sophomore Nick Isbrandtsen (Riverside, Conn.) also played in all 15 games and started 12 defensively. Sophomore Colin Murphy (Wellesley, Mass.) was the LSM for the second consecutive year and totaled one goal, one assist, and 54 ground balls (T2nd on team), while junior goalie Alex Palma (Chappaqua, N.Y.) started all 15 games in goal, finishing with 822 minutes, 138 saves for a .550 save percentage, and 113 goals allowed for an 8.25 GAA, a 6-7 record, and 19 ground balls. Palma was selected as the NESCAC Player of the Week once this spring. Cahill finishes his career with two goals and two assists for four points and 117 ground balls (2nd all-time at Trinity), while DiBianco closes his career with 70 ground balls in 55 games.

Other Bantam veterans who made significant contributions to the team this season include senior attackman Sam Slater (Baltimore, Md.) junior midfielder Art Schweitzer (Alexandria, Va.), sophomore attackman Andrew Williamson (Sudbury, Mass.), sophomore midfielder Robert Key (Greenwood Village, Colo.), sophomore defenseman Jim Martin (Ridgewood, N.J.), and sophomore Bennett Standiford (Great Falls, Va.) at long stick. Freshmen attackman Greg Brennan (East Setauket, N.Y.) and freshman defenseman Trevor Stern (Easton, Conn.) played well in their first collegiate seasons. Brennan notched seven goals and an assist in 11 games, while Williamson tallied five goals and three assists in 15 games, Slater added three goals an assist in 12 games, and Schweitzer had three goals and two assists in 11 games. Martin and Stern each played in 13 games and Key appeared in 11 games, serving as the backup face-off man. Slater finishes his career with 18 goals and one assist for 19 points with 21 ground balls in 27 games.