May 4, 2007
Five Eagles Earn All North Atlantic Honors, Team Reaps Sportsmanship Award
 

(Nashua) – Five Daniel Webster lacrosse student-athletes as well as the team en masse have earned All Conference recognition by the North Atlantic Conference.

Brandon Bell of Loudon, N.H., and Brian Abrahamson of Dedham, Mass. have been named First Team All Conference at the attack position, Mike Stevens of Cortland, N.Y. and Craig Van Tuyl of Buffalo, N.Y. have been named Second Team at the defense position, and goalkeeper Adam McKellar of Biddeford, Maine earned Honorable Mention honors as announced by the league office.
 

As a team the Eagles earned the Team Sportsmanship award, the second such honor for the program since joining the NAC three years ago.
 

Bell, a sophomore, earned his second straight First Team honor, having led the Eagles in almost all major categories including total points (49), goals (35), extra man goals (6), game winners (4), shots (89), and groundballs (54).
 

Starting all 12 games, Bell scored four goals or more in six times this season including a season best six in a 13-3 victory at Mitchell April 9th. His was credited with game-winners against Johnson State (March 28th), at Emerson (March 31st), at Mitchell, and against Becker (April 21st). Bell will be quickly closing in on 100 career points in 2008 as he stands at 89, which includes 66 goals and 23 assists.
 

Abrahamson, a sophomore who was a Second Team honoree in 2006, combined with Bell to form one of the top one-two scoring combinations in the NAC this past season. The team’s top setup man with 21 assists, Abrahamson finished second on the team in most other categories including points (44), goals (23), shots (75), game winners (3), extra man goals (4) and added 25 ground balls.
 

A starter in all 12 games, Abrahamson, who posted a season-best five goals and four assists in a victory over Becker April 21st, sports career totals of 37 goals and 36 assists for 74 points.
 

Stevens and Van Tuyl, both junior starters in all 12 games, were defensive anchors for a program that helped post the second best overall defense in the NAC this past season, allowing 8.16 goals per game including five victories in which opponents were held to three goals or less. The defense also limited opposing offense to a 26.1 shot percentage.
 

Van Tuyl, who earned his first selection to the all conference team, registered 43 ground balls placing him second on the squad, while Stevens, a Second Team honoree last season, added 39 grounders placing him third on the squad.

McKellar, a two-time NAC “Freshman of the Week,” was also a Rookie of the Year finalist having posted an 8.16 goals against average in 12 starts that covered nearly 721 total minutes while posting a 7-5 overall record.
 

McKellar registered seven games allowing seven goals or fewer, including five outings of three or fewer and was the first Eagle goalkeeper to pitch a shutout since May 2002 when he blanked Becker (19-0) with an eight-save performance April 21st.
 

McKellar reached the 20-save plateau twice with 21 stops in an 8-7 overtime victory at Maine Maritime April 4th, and a season high 23-saves in a 12-5 loss to Castleton April 11th.
 

Under the guidance of third-year Head Coach and 2006 NAC "Coach of the Year" Tim Lunn, the Eagles matched their program record for wins in a season with a 7-5 record, equaling last year’s high-water mark. The Eagles posted a 5-2 record in NAC play, placing third, their best league showing yet, and earned a second consecutive trip to the NAC semifinals, where they bowed to Castleton.

Just two seniors – midfielder John Estey of Newington, Conn. and long stick midfielder Bill Daley of Westwood, Mass. – will be lost to graduation.