University of Massachusets Athletics
Fiore Named ECAC Offensive Player of the Year
May 09, 2003 | Men's Lacrosse
May 9, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. - Senior midfielder Chris Fiore (Freeport, N.Y.) was named the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year on Friday after leading the Minutemen to a 12-2 overall mark and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He is joined on the All-ECAC first team by senior midfield Kevin Leveille (Delmar, N.Y.), junior attack Jeff Zywicki (Napean, Ontario) and sophomore defenseman Matt Garcia (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.). Freshman defenseman Jack Reid (Glastonbury, Conn.) was named to the second team.
Fiore ranks third on the team in points (42), but is second on the squad in goals (34). Fiore has scored a point in 28 straight games, dating back to last season's second game of the year against Stony Brook. He has tallied at least four points in four games this season, including a career-high six points (5 g, 1 a) against Sacred Heart in the season opener. He currently has 111 career points, and his 82 goals are just five shy of 15th place on the school's all-time list. He has scored 88 points in the last two seasons. He has tallied at least three goals in seven of the 14 games this year and ranks 12th in the country in goals per game (2.43). He was recently named a Tewaaraton Award finalist, given to the nation's top player.
Leveille, who was selected as the 2003 Preseason Player of the Year, is second on the team with 48 points (31 g, 17 a). His 156 career points rank him 12th on UMass' all-time list, and his 102 career goals is eighth overall. He scored a career-best 10 points on seven goals and three assists against Stony Brook. The 10 points and seven goals are the top single-game totals in the nation this year. Leveille was named a preseason finalist for the Tewaaraton Award.
Zywicki, another first-team selection, is enjoying a career year. He leads the team, and ranks third in the country, with 59 points (39 g, 20 a). He needs one goal to become the 11th member of the 40-goal, 20-assist club. He scored nine points (7 g, 2 a) in a win over Albany. The seven goals tops the country this season. His 59 points are the most since Mark Millon tallied 81 in 1993, as are his 39 goals, since Millon netted 58 in the same year. He needs 11 points to reach 100 in his career.
Garcia earns his first All-ECAC honor in only his second year of collegiate play. Garcia stepped up his play this year, starting all 14 games for the Minutemen. He has scooped up 28 ground balls, including a career-best four against Brown. Garcia spearheads a defense that ranks 16th in the country in scoring defense, despite playing an up-tempo style. He was the only sophomore named on the 12-man first team.
Reid has also stepped up his play on the defensive end and started the 11 games for the Minutemen. Usually given the task of guarding the opponent's top player, Reid has picked up 29 ground balls, including a season-high five in the opener against Sacred Heart. He scooped up four against Georgetown and has had at least two ground balls in the last seven games. Reid is one of four freshmen named to the two teams.
The No. 5 Minutemen will battle Hofstra in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at Garber Field on Sunday, May 11. Face-off is slated for 1:00 p.m. For ticket information, call the UMass Ticket Office at 1-866-UMASS-TIX.
