Villanova University

May 13, 2010

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The BIG EAST Conference selected its inaugural men's lacrosse major award winners and all-conference teams following the conclusion of the regular season, as announced by the league on May 12.

Villanova senior Paul Webber (Manhasset, N.Y.) was picked as the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and Mike Corrado was tabbed as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year. Sharing the honor, junior Brian Karalunas (Dewitt, N.Y.) and Georgetown's Chris Nixon were named BIG EAST Defensive Players of the Year.

Junior LSM Brian Karalunas

Webber was Villanova's top goal scorer, recording 31 tallies, including five hat tricks this season. The senior midfielder played in all 15 games, making 11 starts, while tallying a team-second 37 points. In conference action, Webber was tied for third with 18 points on 13 goals and five assists. Webber was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on April 26 and also earned nods on the weekly honor roll on two separate occasions.

Corrado and the Wildcats, who were coming off their first NCAA Championship appearance a year ago, proved to have another successful season with a record of 10-5 overall, 4-2 in the BIG EAST. The team earned its highest ranking in program history at No. 9 in the Inside Lacrosse Magazine and USILA polls, while being ranked for the last seven weeks of the regular-season. Four of Villanova's five losses this season came at the hands of teams ranked in the top 20 of the national polls. The 2010 season also marked just the third time in program history that Villanova had won at least 10 regular-season games since its inception as a varsity sport in 1981.

Karalunas recorded a team-best 55 caused turnovers and team-second 55 ground balls, while playing in all 15 games. On the offensive end, he scored an assist in a 9-8 win over Notre Dame on April 3. The long-stick midfielder was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on March 29 and was named to the weekly honor roll on one other occasion.

Head Coach Mike Corrado

Additionally, Villanova's duo on offense in senior Mark Scioscia (East Hampton, N.Y.) and sophomore Kevin Cunningham (Garden City, N.Y.) were tabbed to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.

In his final campaign as a Wildcat, Scioscia tallied 21 goals and eight assists, good for third place in both catagories on the team. He was also named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the week of April 19th.

Cunningham led VU this season with 45 points and 30 assists in his second season on the Main Line. The sophomore garnered Offensive Player of the Week accolades for the week of March 8th and started in all 15 games this season at attack.

2010 BIG EAST Men's Lacrosse Awards

BIG EAST Attack Player of the Year

*Chris Daniello, Syracuse, Sr., A/M

BIG EAST Defensive Players of the Year

Brian Karalunas, Villanova, Jr., LSM

Chris Nixon, Georgetown, Sr., D

BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year

Paul Webber, Villanova, Sr., M

BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year

*John Galloway, Syracuse, Jr., GK

BIG EAST Coach of the Year

Mike Corrado, Villanova (fourth season at VU)

^All-BIG EAST First Team

Goalkeeper

*John Galloway, Syracuse, Jr., GK

Specialty Player

Jeremy Thompson, Syracuse, Jr., M

Long-Stick Midfielders

Brian Karalunas, Villanova, Jr., LSM

Joel White, Syracuse, Jr., LSM

At-Large

Zach Brenneman, Notre Dame, Jr., M

*Chris Daniello, Syracuse, Sr., A/M

Craig Dowd, Georgetown, Sr., A

Cody Jamieson, Syracuse, Sr., A

Scott Kocis, Georgetown, Sr., M

John Lade, Syracuse, Jr., D

*Jovan Miller, Syracuse, Jr., M

*Chris Nixon, Georgetown, Sr., D

Justin Pennington, Rutgers, Sr., M

*Paul Webber, Villanova, Sr., M

All-BIG EAST Second Team^

Goalkeeper

Scott Rodgers, Notre Dame, Sr., GK

Specialty Player

Chris Schuville, Georgetown, Sr., SSDM

At-Large

Andrew Brancaccio, Georgetown, Sr., M

Gerhard Buehning, Rutgers, Sr., M

Kevin Cunningham, Villanova, So., A

David Earl, Notre Dame, Jr., M

Stephen Keogh, Syracuse, Jr., A

Grant Krebs, Notre Dame, Sr., M

Harry Kutner, St. John's, So., A

Tom Manes, St. John's, Sr., M

Kevin Ridgway, Notre Dame, Jr., D

Ryan Riedl, Providence, Sr., D

Jeremy Thompson, Syracuse, Jr., M

Mark Scioscia, Villanova, Sr., M;

* - unanimous selection

^ - Due to a tie in voting, two long-stick midfielders appear on the All-BIG EAST First Team; an extra member has been added to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, also due to a tie in voting