INDIANAPOLIS – The regular season officially came to a close as No. 4 Seton Hill and Wheeling Jesuit cashed in on Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Players of the Week selections on Monday.
The top-seeded Griffins, also the Great Midwest regular-season champion, are preparing to host the conference tournament in Greensburg, Pa., this week. No. 2 seed Lake Erie, No. 3 seed Mercyhurst and No. 4 WJU, comprise this year’s field.
Both Seton Hill and Lake Erie were in the second edition of the NCAA North Region rankings this past week as the conference seeks out its first bid to the national tournament.
SHU, LEC and Mercyhurst, remain among the USILA’s Top 20 teams in the national poll going into the postseason.
Semifinal contests between No. 1 SHU/No. 4 WJU and No. 2 LEC/No. 3 MU will take place on Thursday. The all-conference team, as voted upon by the league’s coaches, will also be released this week when the conference tournament gets underway.
Offensive Player of the Week
Zack Rusch
Seton Hill
Attack
RS Senior
Pittsburgh, PA (Bethel Park HS)
Rusch helped the Griffins close out the regular season with wins against Alderson Broaddus and Walsh as Seton Hill goes into the playoffs on a current 13-game win streak.
While teammates Jack Moran and Logan Maloni have received plenty of attention this spring for their offensive exploits, the redshirt senior Rusch produced nine points (6 G, 3 A) while being credited with both game-winning goals in the league victories.
In identical 22-4 scores, Seton Hill was on cruise control vs. the Battlers and Cavaliers. Rusch had five points against AB, including three goals and a pair of assists.
He was also credited with a ground ball while taking three shots on goal.
In the regular season finale, Rusch scored three more times and assisted another SHU goal for four more points. The Griffins are a strong offensive unit, and as a team, led the Great Midwest in points, goals, assists, shot percentage and man-up goals.
Rusch is tied for third on the team in scoring with John Hofseth as each player has recorded 39 points in the season to date.
Scotty Gwyn
Wheeling Jesuit
Long Stick Midfield
Senior
Sykesville, MD (Westminster HS)
The Cardinals are playoff bound in their first season as a Great Midwest associate member as Wheeling Jesuit toppled Alderson Broaddus to make the conference tournament.
Gwyn created production offensively and defensively with an assist on one shot, 13 ground balls and he also caused six turnovers. He additionally contributed in the face-off circle, winning five of eight attempts for possession.
Wheeling Jesuit is going into the Great Midwest Championship with a 6-8 overall record and 4-3 mark in league play.
As a senior, Gwyn has been a staple in the Cardinals’ starting lineup with appearances in all 14 games. He has collected 84 ground balls, caused 29 turnovers and netted five points (1 G, 4 A).