MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its major awards and all-conference teams for the 2023 men's lacrosse season.
Concordia University Wisconsin sophomore attack
Max Esposito (Gaithersburg, Md.) was named NACC Offensive Player of the Year, while Aurora University's
Phillip Gianelle (Salisbury, Md.) and
Eli Etzler (Frederick, Md.) were named NACC Defensive Player of the Year and NACC Freshman of the Year, respectively. Additionally,
Illinois Institute of Technology was recognized by the league's head coaches as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year.
NACC Offensive Player of the Year -- Max Esposito, A, Concordia University Wisconsin
Esposito, a sophomore attack, started all 17 games for the Falcons this season, posting 94 points on 45 goals and 49 assists. He currently leads all NACC players in assists per game at 2.88, while ranking second in points per game (5.53) and fifth in goals per game (2.65). Esposito's averages currently rank in the top-20 nationally in both assists per game and points per game.
Esposito tallied three game-winning goals with 36 ground balls, and 13 caused turnovers. He recorded at least one point in each of CUW's 17 contests, scored at least one goal 15 times, and recorded an assist 16 times. Esposito had 12 multiple-goal games, including a season-best six in a 13-6 nonconference win over Cornell College in early March. He also registered a season-high six assists as part of a nine-point haul against Edgewood in early April.
Esposito is the first Concordia Wisconsin student-athlete to capture a NACC major award in men's lacrosse.
NACC Defensive Player of the Year -- Phillip Gianelle, G, Aurora University
Gianelle, a graduate goalkeeper, has started all 19 games for Aurora entering the NCAA Tournament. He leads all NACC goalies in goals-against average (7.17) and save percentage (.614) - figures that currently rank third and 10th in NCAA Division III nationally. Overall, Gianelle has 186 saves while allowing 117 goals. He also scooped up 33 ground balls while backstopping one of Division III's best scoring defenses. Aurora enters the NCAA Tournament ranked third nationally with just 6.79 goals allowed per game.
Gianelle recorded double-digit saves on 10 occasions with a season-high 24 in a 10-8 win over Elmnhurst in mid-March.
This is the first time in the three-year history of NACC men's lacrosse that an Aurora student-athlete has been named NACC Defensive Player of the Year.
NACC Freshman of the Year -- Eli Etzler, FOM, Aurora University
Etzler, a faceoff specialist, has won faceoffs at a NACC-best 67.7 percent clip (180-of-266) for the Spartans entering the NCAA Tournament. The figure also currently ranks 14th nationally. He won at least 50 percent of his faceoffs against 16 of the 18 opponents Aurora faced this season. Etzler won 46 of 98 faceoffs (68.1 percent) in eight league matches.
Etzler also ranks fifth among NACC student-athletes in ground balls per game. He registered at least three ground balls in 16 of 18 contests, including a season-high 11 against Concordia Wisconsin in late April.
This is the third consecutive season an Aurora student-athlete has been named NACC Freshman of the Year.
NACC Coaching Staff of the Year -- Illinois Institute of Technology (Dan Sharbaugh, head coach)
Under the direction of fourth-year head coach
Dan Sharbaugh, Illinois Tech finished 10-6 overall and tied for second place in the NACC with a 6-2 league mark in 2023. The Scarlet Hawks qualified for the NACC Tournament for the first time in just the program's fourth season of competition, advancing to the championship game against Aurora.
Illinois Tech posted a NACC-best 87.1 clearance percentage and ranks second among NACC programs in scoring defense (10.19 goals per game) and turnovers per game (20.06).
Sharbaugh is assisted by
Frank Weschler and
Oliver Kennedy.
All-Conference Team Announced
Aurora University, which won both the NACC regular-season and tournament titles in dominant fashion, saw all 10 nominated student-athletes receive recognition. The Spartans landed a league-high eight individuals on the 14-member All-NACC first team and also had one student-athlete each receive second-team honors and honorable mention.
Illinois Tech was next with five all-league picks, including one first-teamer, while Concordia Wisconsin, MSOE, and Benedictine each had three individuals recognized. All three of CUW's honorees landed on the first team as did two of MSOE's three picks. Benedictine finished with three second-team selections, while Marian had two, and Beloit and Edgewood had one second-teamer apiece.
| 2023 All-NACC Men's Lacrosse Team |
| Offensive Player of the Year - Max Esposito, A, Concordia University Wisconsin |
| Defensive Player of the Year - Phillip Gianelle, G, Aurora University |
| Freshman of the Year - Eli Etzler, M, Aurora University |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Illinois Institute of Technology (Dan Sharbaugh, head coach) |
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Phillip Gianelle |
Aurora |
Gr. |
G |
Salisbury, Md. |
| Ethan Dosen |
Aurora |
Sr. |
D |
Crown Point, Ind. |
| Jason Borchert |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
D |
Cottage Grove, Wis. |
| Seamus Kinealy |
Illinois Tech |
Jr. |
D |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Zach Bernstein |
Aurora |
Sr. |
M |
Woodbury, Minn. |
| Ben Strub |
Aurora |
So. |
M |
River Falls, Wis. |
| Gio Nowotarski |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
M |
Reading, Pa. |
| Tanner Whipps |
MSOE |
Sr. |
M |
Eagan, Minn. |
| Brody MacDonald |
Aurora |
Jr. |
A |
Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| Rielan Pura |
Aurora |
So. |
A |
Warrenton, Va. |
| Max Esposito |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
A |
Gaithersburg, Md. |
| John Kubicki |
MSOE |
Sr. |
FO |
Naperville, Ill. |
| Connor Hoeft |
Aurora |
Sr. |
LSM |
Appleton, Wis. |
| Kyle Bosshart |
Aurora |
Jr. |
SSDM |
Round Lake Beach, Ill. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| James McDonald |
Benedictine |
So. |
G |
St. Paul, Minn. |
| Brady Kern |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
D |
Columbia Station, Ohio |
| Tanner Chester |
Marian |
Sr. |
D |
Libertyville, Ill. |
| Carson Harris |
MSOE |
So. |
D |
Wales, Wis. |
| Avery Bugaj |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
M |
Round Lake, Ill. |
| Aidan Gans |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
M |
Palo Alto, Calif. |
| Reed Tangeman |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
M |
Seattle, Wash. |
| Jordan Chock |
Benedictine |
So. |
A |
Lonsdale, Minn. |
| Jackson Brass |
Illinois Tech |
So. |
A |
Woodland Hills, Calif. |
| Erik Horman |
Marian |
Sr. |
A |
Appleton, Wis. |
| Eli Etzler |
Aurora |
Fr. |
FO |
Frederick, Md. |
| Keeler Tardiff |
Beloit |
Sr. |
LSM |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Spencer Meace |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
SSDM |
Simsbury, Conn. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Jimmy Gorecki |
Aurora |
Gr. |
A |
Monee, Ill. |
| Jon Ackerson |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
D |
Blaine, Minn. |
| James Ford |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
LSM |
Wheaton, Ill. |
| Will Robinson |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
A |
Long Lake, Minn. |
| Ben Zimmerman |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
M |
Crown Point, Ind. |
| Noah Brandt |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
FO |
Owatonna, Minn. |
| Brett Dowler |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Jr. |
SSDM |
Tyrone, Ga. |
| Zane Handy |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
G |
Dana Point, Calif. |
| Nehemyah Green |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
D |
Plano, Texas |
| Serge Simard |
Marian |
So. |
M |
Winnipeg, Man., Canada |
| Riley Woyatas |
MSOE |
Sr. |
M |
Sylvan Lake, Alta., Canada |