Men's Lacrosse | 5/22/2024 4:00:24 PM
Eight Empire 8 student-athletes were named 2024 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division III Blatant Lacrosse All-Americans. Empire 8 Champion St. John Fisher University led the way with five All-American selections, while Nazareth University had two All-Americans and Russell Sage had one player honored.
Players selected for All-American were nominated by their coach and then received votes from the All-American Committee. A total of 59 players were named first, second and third team All-Americans, while 171 more earned honorable mention accolades.
St. John Fisher senior attack Matthew Kemmis and junior defender Jack Cornell earned Second Team All-American honors. St. John Fisher goalkeeper Ben Hammond, midfielder Jordan Leuze and short-stick defensive midfielder Connor Mesh, along with Nazareth senior attack Quinn McKercher and midfielder Quinn Conroy, along with junior long stick midfielder Joe Johnson of Russell Sage College earned Honorable Mention All-American honors.
Hammond, McKercher and Mesh all earned their second All-American accolades.
Cornell, the 2024 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, led a St. John Fisher defense that allowed just 38 goals in six conference games in 2024. A native of Levittown, NY, Cornell played in all 22 games for the Cardinals in 2024 and led the league with 50 caused turnovers to go along with 64 ground balls. He helped lead St. John Fisher to the NCAA National Quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
Kemmis, the 2024 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, has enjoyed a tremendous senior season with 85 points on 55 goals and 30 assists in 22 games played. The Jamesville, NY native excelled in league play with 29 points on 19 goals and 10 assists in six contests, leading all players with 4.8 points per contest. He recorded nine games with at least five points this season and has 193 career points on 135 goals and 58 assists in 76 contests.
Conroy, a midfielder from Glastonbury, CT had career-best totals of 22 goals, 30 assists and 52 points for the Golden Flyers in 2024. He appeared in 65 career games, notching 56 goals and 54 assists for 110 points.
Johnson became the first Russell Sage All-American. The long stick midfielder from Gansevoort, NY excelled in the defensive and face-off midfield units, while totaling eight points on six goals and two assists. Johnson was second in the league with 33 caused turnovers and fifth (first amog non-face-off players) with 68 ground balls.
Leuze, a senior midfielder from Jamesville, NY, enjoyed an excellent 2024 season, tallying 51 points on 25 goals and 26 assists in 16 games. He scored five goals and added an assist in the NCAA Second Round win over Wesleyan. Leuze has 45 goals and 51 assists for 96 points in 47 career contests.
Mesh, a junior defensive midfielder, excelled for the Cardinals in 2024, grabbing 21 ground balls to go along with 12 caused turnovers. He also added seven points on three goals and four assists. Mesh, a native of Spencerport, NY, has 70 career ground balls, 26 caused turnovers and 12 points in 57 career contests.
McKercher finished the season second among all Empire 8 student-athletes with 78 points on 51 goals and 27 assists. He recorded nine games with at least five points this season and has 257 career points on 167 goals and 90 assists in 67 contests spanning four seasons. A native of Lake Mary, FL, McKercher was previously named the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and 2023 Empire 8 Player of the Year.
Hammond was named the 2024 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second time. A goalkeeper from Manlius, NY, Hammond helped lead St. John Fisher to its fifth straight Empire 8 Championship and trip in the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Quarterfinals in 2024. He went 14-8 with a 9.47 goals against average and .538 save percentage this season and won 38 games over the last three seasons for the Cardinals.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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