INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Western Lacrosse League's (GWLL) 2008 annual awards were announced today. Included in the announcement were the All-League First and Second Team as well as the individual awards: Newcomer of the Year, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. For the second consecutive year, Notre Dame and Ohio State each had four athletes who earned First Team honors. The Buckeyes had eight overall players make one of the two teams, the highest such number for any GWLL team. Ohio State, Denver and Quinnipiac also had players represented in the individual awards.

The 2008 GWLL Player of the Year award went to the Buckeyes' senior attack player Kevin Buchanan. Buchanan led his team and the league in scoring with 37 goals and 63 points (No. 2 in the NCAA) and his efforts have led to three GWLL Player of the Week awards this season. The Cockeysville, Maryland native has scored four or more goals on three separate occasions this year and has recorded at least five points in seven different games. Buchanan is also now fourth All-Time at Ohio State in career points with 162.

Denver's freshman attackman Jamie Lincoln earned this season's Newcomer of the Year award after becoming the Pioneer's all-time leading freshman scorer and the leading freshman scorer in the nation. Lincoln also leads Denver in scoring with 44 goals and 48 points. In overall scoring, the St. Cathariens, Ontario native ranks fifth in the nation in goals per game with 2.93. Lincoln was also named to the Pioneer Face-Off Classic All-Tournament team near the beginning of the season and as been named Nike/Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week once.

The GWLL Coach of the Year award went to Quinnipiac University head coach Eric Fekete. Fekete guided the Bobcats to an 8-4 overall record this season (his seventh year with Quinnipiac). The Bobcat's .667 winning percentage was 11th best in the NCAA as well. Quinnipiac began the season 6-0 and earned votes for a Top-25 ranking as they danced around Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents Wagner, Manhattan, Providence and Marist. During that stretch the Bobcats also out-scored the opposition 53-31.

First Team
 
Attack
Kevin Buchanan          Senior      Ohio State
Joel Dalgarno           Junior      Ohio State
Jamie Lincoln           Freshman    Denver
 
Midfield
Michael Podgajny        Senior      Notre Dame
Peet Poillon            Junior      Ohio State
Griffin Nevitt          Junior      Air Force
 
Long Stick Midfielder
Dan Gnazzo              Junior      Air Force
 
Defense
Sean Dougherty          Senior      Notre Dame
Ross Zimmerman          Senior      Notre Dame
Scott Matthews          Junior      Ohio State
Dillon Roy              Sophomore   Denver
 
Goalie
Joey Kemp               Senior      Notre Dame
 
Second Team
 
Attack
Ryan Hoff               Junior      Notre Dame
Alex Wharton            Senior      Notre Dame
Cliff Smith             Juior       Denver
 
Midfield
James Green             Sophomore   Ohio State
Ilija Gajic             Sophomore   Denver
Joey Murray             Junior      Denver
 
Long Stick Midfielder
Ricky Pages             Senior      Ohio State
 
Defense
Drew Maceranka          Senior      Quinnipiac
Keith Lovett            Sophomore   Ohio State
Geoff Griffiths         Senior      Bellarmine
Brendan Deblois         Freshman    Denver
 
Goalie
Stefan Schroder         Senior      Ohio State

Player of the Year: Kevin Buchanan (Ohio State, Attack)
Newcomer of the Year: Jamie Lincoln (Denver, Attack)
Coach of the Year: Eric Fekete (Quinnipiac)

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2008-05-01