2025 NAC Men's Lacrosse Postseason Accolades Announced

5/8/2025 4:03:35 PM

WATERVILLE, Maine – The 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men’s Lacrosse postseason honors have been announced, recognizing outstanding individual and team achievements from across the league. Awards include Senior Scholar Athlete, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, and First Team and Second All-Conference selections.

Maine Maritime senior Sam Nichol (Concord, N.H.) has been selected as the Senior Scholar Athlete, while Husson junior Kiernan Field (Haymarket, Va.) has been named the 2025 NAC Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Year. Husson sophomore Owen Giorgio (East Greenwich, R.I.) earned recognition as the Defensive Player of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year award is shared by Maine Maritime freshman Tobey Lappin (South Portland, Maine) and SUNY Delhi first-year Jayden Messina (Middle Island, N.Y.). Thomas College has been honored with Coaching Staff of the Year.

Each season, the NAC names a Sportsmanship Team, with one honoree per institution nominated by their head coach. This recognition is awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship and positively impact the culture of track & field with integrity beyond the sport’s requirements. The six NAC Sportsmanship Team honorees are listed below.

Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year: Sam Nichol, Maine Maritime

Maine Maritime senior Sam Nichol (Concord, N.H.), a Marine Systems Engineering major with a 3.89 GPA, has been named the 2024–25 NAC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A Dean’s List student with minors in Mathematics and Naval Architecture, he serves as a Teaching Assistant and Tutor in engineering courses and has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. On the field, Nichol is a two-time captain and three-time All-Conference selection, ranking third in program history in goals (153) and points (226), and fourth in assists (73), while leading the Mariners to four straight playoff appearances, three regular season titles, and two NAC championships. A two-time Male Leader of the Year at MMA, Nichol is recognized for his academic excellence, athletic impact, and unwavering leadership.

Player of the Year: Kiernan Field, Husson

Husson junior Kiernan Field (Haymarket, Va.) earned NAC Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 64 goals and 83 total points, while ranking second nationally with 4.33 goals per game and pacing the NAC with 5.53 points per game. He added 19 assists (1.27/game), recorded 15 hat tricks, nine games with four or more goals, and two seven-goal outings. Field also contributed four game-winning goals, 27 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers, and 115 shots on goal during a dominant junior campaign.

Defensive Player of the Year: Owen Giorgio, Husson

Husson sophomore Owen Giorgio (East Greenwich, R.I.) was named the NAC Defensive Player of the Year after a standout season anchoring the Eagles' back line. He led the team with 97 ground balls and 43 caused turnovers, ranking second in the conference and 11th nationally with 2.87 caused turnovers per game. Giorgio also contributed offensively with 17 assists (1.13/game, 10th in the NAC) and nine goals on 24 shots on goal, showcasing his all-around impact on the field.

Co-Rookie of the Year: Tobey Lappin, Maine Maritime / Jayden Messina, SUNY Delhi

Freshman Tobey Lappin (South Portland, Maine) made an immediate impact for Maine Maritime, finishing with 69 points on 52 goals and 17 assists—ranking second on the team. In NAC play, he led the league in points (45), goals (33), points per game (9.00), and goals per game (6.60), while ranking fifth in assists per game. Nationally, Lappin ranks seventh in Division III in goals per game (4.00). He also contributed 29 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers, four man-up goals, one man-down goal, and a game-winner, helping power one of the top-scoring offenses in the country.

Freshman goalkeeper Jayden Messina (Middle Island, N.Y.) started all 16 games for SUNY Delhi and posted a strong debut campaign, finishing with 146 saves and a 58.2 save percentage. He recorded an 11-5 record with a 68.8% win rate, allowing 105 goals over 778 minutes for a goals-against average of 8.09. Messina’s consistency and poise in net played a key role in leading the Broncos to the NAC Championship game, earning him Co-Rookie of the Year recognition.

Coaching Staff of the Year: Thomas College

Thomas College Head Coach Bill Scott, Associate Head Coach Tom Sheridan, and Assistant Coach Paul Vail have been named the 2025 NAC Men’s Lacrosse Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Terriers to a strong campaign and postseason run. Their leadership and development of a young roster propelled the Terriers to a conference semifinal appearance and marked continued progress for the program.

Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year: Sam Nichol, Maine Maritime
Player of the Year: Kiernan Field, Husson
Defensive Player of the Year: Owen Giorgio, Husson
Co-Rookie of the Year: Tobey Lappin, Maine Maritime / Jayden Messina, SUNY Delhi
Coaching Staff of the Year: Thomas College

First Team All-Conference:
A - Tobey Lappin, Fr., Maine Maritime
A - Jagger Beachak, Jr., SUNY Delhi
A - Chris Lazazzaro, Jr., SUNY Delhi
A - Timothy Worster, Sr., Thomas
A - Brendan Reddington, Sr., Maine Maritime
M - Sam Nichol, Sr., Maine Maritime
M - Kiernan Field, Jr., Husson
M - Albert Sippio, SUNY Cobleskill
M - Benjamin Moscatiello, Sr., SUNY Delhi
D - Nick Allen, SUNY Delhi
D - Finnian O'Donnell, So., Maine Maritime
D - Cameron LaFerriere, Fr., MCLA
D - Hunter Vail, Jr., Thomas
D - Will Arnone, Sr., Maine Maritime
LSM - Owen Giorgio, So., Husson
FOGO - Anthony Ferrato, Jr., SUNY Delhi
GK - Jayden Messina, Fr., SUNY Delhi

Second Team All-Conference:
A - Joseph Lazazzaro, Jr., SUNY Delhi
A - Trey Marcil, Jr., Maine Maritime
A - Alex Baker, So., SUNY Cobleskill
M - Jack Morrill, Jr., Thomas
M - Owen Lyons, Fr., Thomas
M - Anthony Andolina, Jr., MCLA
M - Ryan Dunstan, Fr., Maine Maritime
D - Ciaran Vizi, So., Thomas
D - Liam Dodd, So., SUNY Delhi
D - Matt Richardson, Fr., Husson
LSM - Matthew Villeneuve, So., Maine Maritime
FOGO - Bryce Crowell, So., Maine Maritime
GK - Andrew Noyes, So., Maine Maritime

Sportsmanship Team:
Drew Clinch, Husson
Terence Hallinan, SUNY Delhi
Dustyn Hinkley, Thomas
Cole Michaud, Maine Maritime
Iain Patterson, SUNY Cobleskill
Ty Roadcap, MCLA