Wooster Lands Five All-NCAC Nominations for Second Straight Season
Senior Sam Kuhn leads with first-team honors.
For the second consecutive year, the North Coast Athletic Conference honored five student-athletes from The College of Wooster men's lacrosse team as all-conference recipients, per a release from the league office Wednesday morning.
Senior Sam Kuhn led the way as a first-team honoree, marking his second all-conference award after earning honorable mention status last season. The Towson, Md. native turned in a standout year with career-highs in goals (41) and points (56) to go along with 15 assists, matching his career-best set in 2017. Kuhn totaled five performances of four or more goals in 2018, including a four-spot against nationally-ranked Ohio Wesleyan on "Senior Day." Additionally, Kuhn's 41 goals marked the seventh-highest season total in program history, and Kuhn ended the year as only the seventh Fighting Scot to reach 100 career goals (104). The offensive staple turned in a career single-game high in points with eight at Hiram (March 24), aided by a season-high six goals.
As a second-team selection, senior Jack Gilio became only the fourth player in program history to earn an all-conference selection all four seasons. This year's announcement marks the third career second-team nod for one of Wooster's all-time leaders in groundballs. As the first player in program history to hold three of the program's top-10 single-season groundball totals, Gilio ended with 64 on the year to finish with 271, the program's second-most since it officially became a tracked statistic in 1999. Additionally, the all-league long stick midfielder turned in 22 caused turnovers and scooped up a career-best 10 groundballs in Wooster's 12-9 win over Kenyon (April 4).
Sophomore Wesley Wagner was nominated as a second-team goalkeeper, marking his first career all-NCAC nod. Wagner started all 15 games for the Scots, totaling 157 saves and a 11.41 goals-against average for the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Wagner ended the year with a season-high 18 saves against No. 9 Ohio Wesleyan and turned in 48 alone in the final three games. Worth noting, Wagner scored his first collegiate goal in Wooster's 19-11 win versus Oberlin (March 30).
First-year Shaun Peirce proved a formidable presence in the Scots' offensive scheme after totaling 32 goals – the second-most on the team – in 13 games en route to honorable mention attack honors. Peirce led the team and tied for fifth in the league with seven man-up goals. Notably, Peirce's 32 goals mark the highest total by a first-year since Mark Weschler ('09) scored 34 in 2006. The first-year posted a season-high 10-point game against Hiram with six goals and four assists.
Lastly, senior defender Ryan Harms landed a spot on the honorable mention squad for his first all-conference certificate. The Portland, Ore. native garnered 19 groundballs, including a pair each against Denison and Ohio Wesleyan, as well as two caused turnovers. The veteran defenseman helped lead a Scots unit to a top-four league standing in goals-against average (11.48) and total goals allowed (172).