Six Student Athletes From Pilgrim League Chosen To Play in 2009 Turfer/NEILA East-West Senior All-Star Game
June 1, 2009 - Six student athletes from the Pilgrim League were recently chosen to play in 2009 Turfer/NEILA East-West Senior All-Star Game.
Springfield's Tom Albano, Sam Burrell, and Chris Jez were chosen to play for the West squad, while Babson's E.J. Peterson and Lasell's Mike Maggio and Matt Stambler suited up for the East Squad.
The players all suited up one final time as collegiate lacrosse players on Sunday, May 31, at Tufts University. The event served as a showcase for New England's top senior collegiate players and brings the top players from Division I, II, and III together on one field.
Albano had one of the greatest seasons statistically in Springfield history as he totaled the single-lowest goals against average in program history, a 7.04, to go along with a .613 save percentage. The Ridgewood, N.J. native finished with 171 saves this season, and proved to be a big-game player. It was never more evident than in the NCAA Tournament Second Round game against eventual national champion Cortland State, when Albano registered a career-best 22 stops.
Burrell, a preseason All-American honorable mention selection, was one of the Pride's top defenders this season. The Cumberland, Maine native had a team-best 28 caused turnovers this season and scooped up 341 ground balls. A physical player, Burrell has been crucial in the Pride's clearing game as it had a clearing percentage just under 80% this year.
Rarely coming off the field this season, Jez was the Pride's top defensive midfielder and a dominant force at the face-off "X". The Somers, Conn. product won 56.5% (153-271) of his face-offs, and led the team in ground balls with 100 on the year. A Pilgrim Lacrosse League All-Conference Second-Team selection, Jez led by example, as he recorded 11 points, including two man-up goals, to go along with 10 caused turnovers.
Peterson earned Pilgrim League All-Conference First Team honors for the first time in his career this spring after leading the Beavers and ranking second in the league with 41 goals. He also ranked second on the team with 10 assists, giving him 51 total points for the season. He paced the squad with nine man-up scores and two game-winning goals while collecting 35 groundballs. In 50 career games, Peterson amassed 93 goals and 19 assists for 112 points to go along with 83 groundballs.
Maggio is a three year Pilgrim League All-Conference recipient, having earned a spot as a sophomore on the second team, and on the first team each year since then. In 2009, Maggio was recognized by the league as a top midfielder after notching 44 points, on 27 goals and 17 assists, while also being ranked 4th in assists, 8th in points, and 9th in goals per game in the Pilgrim League.
This season, Stambler played in nine contests, collecting 36 groundballs, averaging 4.0 per game. Stambler finished his career with 191 groundballs, setting the all-time record for most career groundballs at Lasell College. In addition, he also holds the records for most caused turnovers in a game and in a career.
