Six members of the University of Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team received postseason awards from the Atlantic 10, according to an April 29 announcement by the conference. Sophomore Owen Salanger was named Atlantic 10 Goalkeeper of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team. Senior defender Zach Auble joined Salanger on the First Team, while junior midfielder Charles Kurtz was selected for the Second Team.
The recognition highlights individual achievements as well as overall team performance during the regular season. Freshman attack Colin Coyle and freshman midfielder Thomas Bagnall were named to the All-Rookie Team, and sophomore Will Morse was included on the All-Academic Team.
Salanger became only the second UMass player to be named conference Goalkeeper of the Year, following Matt Knote. He finished seventh nationally in save percentage at 56.6% and third in saves per game with an average of 13.79 over fifteen starts, recording a total of 206 saves and a goals against average (GAA) of 10.66. In conference play, he averaged fifteen saves per game with a .581 save percentage and a GAA of 10.55, including fourteen games with double-digit saves and six games with at least fifteen stops. His season included a standout performance with twenty-three saves against Brown.
Auble earned his first all-conference honor after previously being named to last year’s All-Rookie Team. He ranked ninth nationally in caused turnovers per game (2.21), appeared in every contest this season, contributed seven points offensively, led his team in ground balls (67) and caused turnovers (33), and recorded consistent defensive statistics throughout conference play.
Kurtz led UMass in scoring during A-10 matchups with fifteen points across five games, tallying ten goals and five assists; he also posted thirty-six points over fourteen regular-season games overall—the third-highest total for UMass—and led in goals scored with twenty-seven.
Bagnall tied for most goals scored by any UMass player during A-10 action despite missing one game due to injury; he finished his first season with twenty-five points from seventeen goals and eight assists while earning two Rookie of the Week honors.
Coyle contributed twenty-three points through twelve goals and eleven assists across fourteen appearances as a freshman; he also claimed two Rookie of the Week awards this year.
Morse played all fifteen games while balancing academic responsibilities as a management major; he scored three times on seven shots along with collecting twenty-eight ground balls as part of a defense that allowed just over ten goals per game—ranking second-best within their conference.
