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Bucknell's Cara, Fletcher Earn Patriot League Men's Lax Player of the Year Honors
April 27, 2004 LEWISBURG, Pa. - Two Bucknell men's lacrosse players were honored with major awards as part of the All-Patriot League balloting, which was announced Tuesday by the league office. Junior attack Chris Cara (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, while senior defenseman Blaise Fletcher (Glen Mills, Pa./Archmere Academy) was named the league's defensive player of the year. Cara and Fletcher were also both named to the All-Patriot League First Team for the second straight year. Voting is conducted by the league's eight head coaches. As Bucknell enters the Patriot League Tournament this weekend in Annapolis, Md., Cara is well on his way to winning the national scoring title. With 36 goals and 38 assists for 74 points in 13 games, Cara has a 17-point lead over Syracuse star Michael Powell. While his 38 assists represent a new school record, he is just five points shy of the Bucknell and Patriot League standards for points in a season, currently held by former Bison standout Justin Zackey. Cara, whose 179 career points are already third in school history and fifth in Patriot League history, has either scored or assisted on 53.2 percent of Bucknell's goals this season. On Apr. 10 he tied the school record with an 11-point game against Lafayette, tallying six goals and five assists in Bucknell's 19-5 victory. The 11 points are tied for the most in any Division I game this season, and Cara has also scored 10, 9, 8 and 7 points in a game in 2004.
In Bucknell's must-win game against Colgate on Saturday, Cara scored four goals and assisted on another in the Bison's 6-5 victory. The win vaulted the Bison into the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 3 seed, while a loss would have ended their season. Cara becomes the fourth Bucknell player to win offensive player of the year honors, and the first since John Golaszewski in 1999. Jon Methven (1996) and Michael Conway (1992) also earned the honor. Fletcher and Cara were also First Team All-Patriot League selections and were Bucknell's only two all-league picks. Fletcher was also a first team honoree in 2003 and a second team pick in 2002. Cara was a first team choice last season and was the league's rookie of the year in 2002. Fletcher was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, making this the third straight year that honor has gone to a Bucknell player (goalie Justin Sussman won it in 2002 and 2003). He is the second Bison defenseman to win it, joining Hugh Donovan (1996). At 6'6", Fletcher has an extremely long reach with his long stick and is an imposing force on Bucknell's back line. One of the league's best cover men, he also ranks second on the team in ground balls with 33. One of his best games of the season came just last weekend in the crucial win over Colgate. Fletcher forced 10 turnovers and collected a season-high seven ground balls. This is Fletcher's third all-star nod. He was a second-team pick in 2002 and a first-team selection last season. Cara and Fletcher are the only two first-team all-stars that were also on the 2003 All-PL first team. Of the 23 members of the 2004 All-League team, 19 earn the honor for the first time. Navy midfielder Billy Looney was named the league's rookie of the year, while Midshipman coach Richie Meade was selected as the coach of the year. Cara and Fletcher are Bucknell's 50th and 51st All-Patriot League honorees since the inception of the Patriot League in 1991. The Bison play second-seeded Hobart on Friday at 3 p.m. in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. FIRST TEAM Name, School Yr. Position Hometown/High School Chris Cara, Bucknell Jr. attack Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford Mark Williamson, Hobart Sr. attack Corning, N.Y./Corning East Ian Dingman, Navy So. attack Deferiet, N.Y./Carthage Brian Joy, Hobart Sr. midfield Camilus, N.Y./West Genesee Ben Bailey, Navy Sr. midfield Memphis, Tenn.Memphis Univ. School Graham Gill, Navy Jr. midfield Medford, N.J./Shawnee Chris Pieczonka, Navy Jr. specialist Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg Blaise Fletcher, Buck Sr. defense Glen Mills, Pa./Archmere Academy Greg McCarthy, Hobart Jr. defense Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy Mitch Hendler, Navy Jr. defense Reisterstown, Md./Boys' Latin Matt Russell, Navy So. goalie Madison, Conn./Fairfield Prep
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