INDIANAPOLIS –  Wheeling Jesuit and nationally-ranked Lake Erie split honors for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Players of the Week as announced Monday afternoon.
 
Three teams remain nationally ranked by the USILA, Seton Hill, Mercyhurst and Lake Erie. Lake Erie pulled off a big upset by beating Mercyhurst in a No. 17 vs. No. 6 matchup.
 
As a result, the Storm (4-1, 3-0 G-MAC) are sitting in the driver’s set of the conference standings and figure to get a considerable bump up in the new USILA DII rankings this week.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Dereck Downs
Wheeling Jesuit
Attack
Senior
Toronto, Ontario (Hill Academy)
 
Downs gets the call for his second offensive weekly honor by the league as the Cardinals took down Walsh in conference action.
 
Downs scored five points, including four goals with one assist, as Wheeling Jesuit won 17-11. WJU is currently locked in a three-way tie for third in the Great Midwest standings with Mercyhurst and Ohio Valley.
 
Downs remains one of the top offensive threats in a tough conference, ranking fifth in points per game and fourth in goals per game.
 
Wheeling Jesuit improved to 3-4 overall in its first year as an associate member with the conference.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Conor Sharkey
Lake Erie
Goalkeeper
Junior
Brampton, Canada (Chingacousy/Jefferson CC)
 
Sharkey made 11 saves as No. 17 Lake Erie was able to grind out a defensive struggle against No. 6 Mercyhurst.
 
The Storm are the lone unbeaten at the top of the league standings and are firmly in the picture for hosting the conference tournament.
 
Sharkey played all 60 minutes while facing 40 shots fired off by the Lakers. He made four of those 11 saves in the final period as Lake Erie’s defense held strong down the stretch.
 
Tied 3-3 at halftime, Lake Erie outscored Mercyhurst by one goal in the third quarter, a pivotal go-ahead score from Mitchell Stokes with under a minute left before the period expired.
 
This is Sharkey’s second career conference weekly defensive selection.