Theriault and Meehan Earn Major LEC Awards

N. Dartmouth, Mass. 5/11/10 – Sophomore Griffin Meehan (Simsbury, Conn.) and head coach Mark Theriault were named Offensive Player and Coach of the Year respectively by the Little East Conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Meehan is the sixth Owls’ student-athlete in the 10-year history of men’s lacrosse being a conference sponsored sport to be tabbed as the top offensive player. The sophomore attacker from Simsbury, Conn. is also making his second appearance on the All-Little East, first-team. Meehan has provided the offensive spark for the nation’s sixth-ranked scoring offense (15.24 gpg) by leading the country in points per game (5.71), and ranking second in goals per game (3.88). A prolific scorer, Meehan established two Keene State single-season scoring records this spring for goals (66) and points (97). He is just two helpers shy of matching the single-season standard for assists (31). Meehan has found the back of the net in all 17 contests this season, including penning a hat trick in his ledger 13 times. He used a balanced scoring attack—five goals and five assists—against UMass Boston to accounted for his season-high in points (10). Meehan registered the game-winning goal twice on the campaign, including delivering the decisive strike against the Warriors in the Little East Men’s Lacrosse Championship. He was honored as the most outstanding player of the tournament as the Owls raised their third conference championship trophy.

Coach Theriault, in his 11th season, has won his fourth LEC Coach of the Year honor. Since joining the Owls staff in 1999, Theriault has a career record of 114-52 (.686 win percentage) and an impressive 49-7 (.875 win percentage) mark in Little East Conference play. Theriault led Keene State to its third NCAA Division III Tournament appearance after capturing the conference’s automatic qualifier. The Owls (12-5) enter the national tournament riding the momentum of a 10-game winning streak, and will host Castleton State in the first round. Keene State protected its home-field and top ranking in the conference tournament with a 2-0 record, including a 14-10 victory over rival Eastern Connecticut. The Owls earned the top-seed by sweeping the Little East regular-season for just the third time in program history and first since 2007. Theriault was tabbed the top coach in the conference for the fourth time in his career.

The Owls also had five players earn 1st-Team All-LEC and four players earn 2nd-Team honors.

Meehan joined freshman Taylor Jette (Simsbury, Conn.) as an attacker on the first team. Jette, who is third on the team in goals, assists and points (34,18,52), has started 14 of the teams 16 games this season.

Also receiving first team honors were sophomores Jonathon Roderick (Plaistow, N.H.), Sean LeBlanc (Simsbury, Conn.) and senior captain Kyle Barnett (Londonderry, N.H.). Roderick is fourth on the team in scoring with 30 points on 14 goals and 16 assists from the midfield position. LeBlanc and Barnett earned 1st-Team All LEC for their defensive play this season. LeBlanc had his best game of the season at LEC foe UMass-Boston when he scooped up seven groundballs and caused three turnovers in the 20-7 victory. Barnett is first on the team in groundballs with 90 and second in caused turnovers with 20. The senior has scooped up 10 or more groundballs in a game twice this season, with his season-high of 11 coming against Salem State.

Four other Owls earned All-LEC honors on the second team.

Sophomore attacker Matt Schairer (Wrentham, Mass.), who is second on the team in scoring with 52 goals and 21 assists, earned 2nd-Team honors. Schairer who leads the team in man-up and game-winning goals with 13 and four respectively, has had two six-goal games on the season.

Midfielders JT Galloway (Simsbury, Conn.) and Jamie LeSage (Exeter, N.H.) also picked up 2nd-Team honors. Galloway has 27 points on 17 goals and 10 assists in his first season for the Owls. LeSage, the Owls primary face-off man, is 117-201 on the face-offs while also adding 14 goals and five assists.

Senior Easton Kezer (Derry, N.H.) was also honored for his physical defensive play. Kezer leads the team in caused turnovers with 21, and has scooped up 27 groundballs on the season.

The Owls will play next on Wednesday, with an opening round NCAA game against Castleton State College at 4 p.m. at Owl Athletic Complex.