University of Massachusets Athletics
Four Minutemen Tabbed All-America
May 27, 2003 | Men's Lacrosse
May 27, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass senior midfielder Chris Fiore (Freeport, N.Y.) was named first team All-America by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association on Monday. Fiore is UMass' first first team All-America selection since Mark Millon was named first team in 1992 and 1993, and is only the fifth UMass athlete all-time to earn first-team recognition. Fiore was joined by senior midfielder Kevin Leveille (Delmar, N.Y.) on the second team, junior attack Jeff Zywicki (Napean, Ontario) on the third team and sophomore defenseman Matt Garcia (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.), who earned honorable mention status.
"We are thrilled to have a player named on each of the four teams," said UMass Head Coach Greg Cannella. "It's obviously a great achievement for not only the players, but the entire team. If it wasn't for the team's success of the past year, this would not have been accomplished."
Fiore earned first-team recognition after scoring 46 points (35 g, 11 a) on the season. He finished his UMass career with 115 points (83 g, 32 a). He tallied 92 points (69 g, 23 a) during his final two years in Amherst. He was also named ECAC Offensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award, given to the nation's top player.
Leveille earned second-team honors after scoring a career-high 51 points (34 g, 17 a). He is one of nine players in UMass history to tally 40 points in a season three times, and was selected as New England Player of the Year. He finished his UMass career with 159 points, good for 11th all-time. His 105 goals rank eighth on the all-time UMass chart. Leveille posted the country's highest single-game point total when he scored 10 points (7 g, 3 a) in a win over Stony Brook. He was also a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award.
"Chris and Kevin both had tremendous years," said Cannella. "They were counted on to lead our team. They were marked men throughout the entire season, but they kept the team first. They picked their opportunities selectively, and made the most of them. This is not only a tribute to their efforts this year, but for the effort and time they have put forth the last four years."
Zywicki was named to the third team after recording one of the top single seasons in UMass history. He led the Minutemen with 62 points, 41 goals and 21 assists. His totals are the most since 1993 when Mark Millon scored 81 points on 58 goals and 23 assists. He was consistently near the top of the NCAA in scoring, and will head into next year with 92 points (58 g, 34 a). His 41 goals rank tied for 13th on the single-season list.
Garcia was a main reason why the Minuteman defense was ranked in the top 20 of NCAA scoring defense, and near the top in NCAA scoring margin. Garcia stepped into a starting role and scooped up 35 ground balls to rank fifth on the team in that category. He picked up at least one ground ball in all but two games, and grabbed a season-high five in the NCAA Tournament victory over Hofstra. He led the Minutemen with 12 penalties.
UMass was one of five teams with at least three players named to the first three teams. Johns Hopkins led the way with seven, while NCAA champion, Virginia, and Maryland, who eliminated the Minutemen in the NCAA Quarterfinals, had six each. Princeton was the other team with three honorees.
