Sacred Heart Lands Two Major MAAC Awards, Eight All-Conference Selections

Sacred Heart Lands Two Major MAAC Awards, Eight All-Conference Selections

4/28/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

EDISON, N.J. – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced its postseason awards on Tuesday morning ahead of the 2026 Men's Lacrosse Championships. The Sacred Heart University men's lacrosse team claimed a pair of major honors, as senior midfielder John Murray was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year and first-year Jake Carney earned Co-Rookie of the Year honors. In total, the Pioneers placed eight players on All-MAAC teams.

Murray and junior short-stick defensive midfielder Garrett Mangels earned First Team All-MAAC honors. Redshirt sophomore Matt Pepe and seniors Will Moulton, Michael Amoruso, and Craig Daria were named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Carney and redshirt first-year Ryan Grove were selected to the All-Rookie Team.

The MAAC also announced its 2026 All-Academic Team. Sacred Heart led the league with 32 All-Academic Team members. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.

Murray becomes just the second MAAC Offensive Player of the Year in program history, joining Morgan O'Reilly (2024), and earns First Team All-MAAC recognition for the second consecutive season. The senior captain ranks second on the team in both points (41) and goals (31), while adding 10 assists. He ranks among the MAAC's top 10 in goals per game (2.63) in conference play. Murray has recorded 12 multi-point performances this season and has scored three or more goals in five games, including a pair of career-high five-goal outings against Holy Cross and Merrimack.

Carney is the program's first-ever MAAC Rookie of the Year and third Rookie of the Year honoree overall. He is Sacred Heart's first conference rookie of the year since Jake Ward earned NEC Rookie of the Year honors in 2022. Carney leads the team with 33 goals and ranks third in points with 38. He totaled six MAAC Rookie of the Week selections, recorded 12 multi-point games, and scored three or more goals eight times. His top performance came against Canisius on March 21, when he posted a career-high five points from four goals and one assist.

Mangels earns his first All-MAAC honor with a First Team selection. The junior has been a key contributor as a short-stick defensive midfielder, ranking third on the team with eight caused turnovers and second with 37 ground balls. He also added six points on two goals and four assists.

Pepe collects the first postseason honor of his career with a Second Team nod. He leads the team in points (50) and assists (24) and ranks third in goals (26). Pepe also has four caused turnovers and 19 ground balls. His 1.71 assists per game rank third in the MAAC and 31st nationally, while his 3.57 points per game rank third in the conference and 48th in the nation. He has 12 multi-point games this season, including two six-point performances, and has scored three or more goals in five contests.

Moulton secures his first All-MAAC selection following a strong senior campaign. He ranks fourth on the team in points (31), fifth in goals (16), and third in assists (15). Moulton has nine multi-point performances, scored multiple goals in five games, and recorded a season-high five points twice.

Amoruso earns Second Team All-MAAC honors for the second straight season. The senior has been a key part of Sacred Heart's defensive unit, totaling five caused turnovers and 18 ground balls. The Pioneers finished the regular season with the second-best goals-against average in the MAAC (10.93).

Daria garners his first postseason honor with a Second Team selection. The senior goalkeeper ranks second in the MAAC in save percentage (.530) and fourth in goals-against average (11.03), while averaging 12.0 saves per game. He has recorded double-digit saves in 11 games, including a career-high 20 in a 17-9 road win at Mount St. Mary's. Daria has also contributed one goal and one assist, along with 31 ground balls.

Grove earns All-Rookie Team honors after a standout season at the faceoff X. The redshirt first-year specialist owns a 199-130 record with a 60.5% win percentage. He leads the team with 94 ground balls and has added four goals. Grove ranks third in the MAAC in faceoff percentage and sixth in ground balls per game (6.71), earning MAAC Faceoff Specialist of the Week honors five times.

The Pioneers have now earned eight All-MAAC selections in back-to-back seasons. Sacred Heart finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed and will open postseason play on Thursday, April 30, traveling to Siena to face No. 2 seed Marist in a MAAC semifinal at 4:00 p.m.

All-Academic Team:
Cooper Abraham
Michael Amoruso
Jack Balzi
Tommy Bull
Cooper Callahan
Luke Catolico
Craig Daria
MJ Folan
JJ Fox
Connor Garrison
EJ Garvey
Ethan Greenlee
Ryan Grove
Finn Hoey
Ethan Hughes
James Joel
Graham Kelly
Tim Kiely
Mason Mac
Garrett Mangels
William Masterson
Tim McLam
James Moran
Will Moulton
John Murray
Joel Palasz
Brody Reedy
Ryan Rooney
Koen Rose
Tyler Shanahan
Tucker Spencer
Brant Ward