Tyler Benedetto was named a Preseason All-American. (Photo Courtesy: Deanbulldogs.com)
Tyler Benedetto of the Dean College men’s lacrosse team has been named a Preseason All-American by the USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Benedetto was one of only eight players chosen as a faceoff specialist. He is also the only Great Northeast Athletic Conference player to get recognized.
Last season, Benedetto was honored with a GNAC First-Team All-Conference nod as he finished with a 72.6% faceoff percentage as well as seven points, five goals, and two assists. Benedetto’s ball control skills allowed the Bulldogs teams’ faceoff percentage to be the third best in the nation at 72.3%. He also had 9.27 groundballs per game which ranked seventeenth in the country.
“I was extremely appreciative and shocked. A coach from my previous school, Jacksonville University, shot me a text while I was in class congratulating me for the award. All of it caught me super off guard, but in the best way possible,” Benedetto explained. He also went on to thank his teammates and coaches for all their support and hard work, saying it would not have been possible without them.
"We are proud of Ty for earning preseason All-American recognition as one of the top faceoff men in the country. He is a top-tier competitor who has worked tirelessly to perfect his craft. In addition, he is a great teammate and leader for our squad. We're excited to see our team compete this spring for a shot at the GNAC championship,” Coach Matt Schairer mentione