(Photos courtesy of Joe Fusco, d3photography.com)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – In an announcement made today by the conference office, Tyler Downing of Southwestern University was selected as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Offensive Player-of-the-Year and Chase Murphy of Colorado College was named Defensive Player-of-the-Year for the second consecutive year. Complete Release
Additionally, Colorado College's Jack McCormick was selected as Newcomer-of-the-Year, while Southwestern's Bill Bowman was selected SCAC Coach-of-the-Year.
Tyler Downing, a senior midfielder from Round Rock, Texas, led the SCAC in goals scored with 34 and was second in points with 41 and was named team MVP for his efforts. A three-time SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week during the 2014 season, he also led the league in man up goals with six. After four years in Georgetown, Downing will leave the Southwestern program as the school's second all-time leading scorer with 97 goals (fourth in SCAC history) and 20 assists for 117 points (ninth in SCAC history). He is the first Player-of-the-Year honoree (Offensive or Defensive) from Southwestern since the SCAC began recognizing men's lacrosse as an official conference sport in 2010.
Chase Murphy, a sophomore goalkeeper from Cohasset, Mass., leads the league in saves (119) and save percentage (0.578) and is second in goals against average (7.74) heading into NCAA Tournament play this week. A three-time SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week during the regular season, Murphy had double-digit saves in seven matches during the regular season, including a season-high 16 in an 11-5 victory against Babson (March 19). A 2013 honorable mention All-America selection by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), Murphy is the second Colorado College player to earn back-to-back Defensive POTY honors, joining Zach Hoisington who won the award in 2010 and 2011.
Jack McCormick, a first-year attacker from Hudson, Ohio, led all SCAC freshman in points scored during the regular season (25) and is fifth overall in the conference in goals (14) and fourth in assists (11). He had a season-high four goals in a 13-7 victory over Wentworth on March 9, and a goal and three assists in the Tigers' 13-7 victory over Southwestern in the SCAC Championship game a weekend ago. McCormick is the first player from Colorado College to earn the league's Newcomer-of-the-Year honor.
Southwestern head coach Bill Bowman guided his Pirates to a 10-5 regular season mark – the first winning season in program history. Bowman has been instrumental in building the Southwestern varsity program, serving as an assistant in 2010 and 2011, before taking over as head coach in 2012. The Pirates have improved incrementally each season under Bowman, winning five games in 2012 and seven in 2013 before this season's high-water mark of 10. Before the Southwestern program moved to varsity status in 2010, Bowman had already established a successful club level team on campus, amassing a 93-75 mark in 12 years which included a national ranking of ninth at the end of the 2009 season.
To view the entire 2014 All-SCAC Men's Lacrosse teams, click here.