SYRACUSE LACROSSE TRIO NAMED TO 2013 TEWAARATON WATCH LIST

WASHINGTON – For the second year in a row, three Orange men’s lacrosse players have been named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List. Seniors Brian Megill (Clark, N.J.), JoJo Marasco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and junior Derek Maltz (Ashburn, Va.) are potential candidates for the award, which is presented to the college lacrosse player of the year.

In all, 92 players were named to the watch list that was released on Friday, Feb. 22 by the Tewaaraton Award Foundation. This year’s winner will be recognized on May 30 at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

All three of SU’s potential nominees were named preseason All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse. Megill and Marasco were also named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team, and Megill was tabbed the BIG EAST co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

A first-team preseason All-American, Megill is the Orange’s career leader with 80 caused turnovers. In 2012, he led the Orange with 62 ground balls and set the SU single-season record with 37 caused turnovers.

Marasco earned preseason honorable mention All-America honors in December. He totaled a career-best eight points (three goals, five assists) in SU’s season-opening loss to Albany. For his career, Marasco has 97 points (47 goals, 50 assists). He registered 31 points last season, including 19 assists, the most helpers for an Orange midfielder since 2000.

Like Marasco, Maltz was also a preseason honorable mention All-America selection. He led the Orange with 28 goals in 2012 and scored once last weekend against Albany.

In late April the watch list will be narrowed down to the 25 Tewaaraton Award nominees with the five finalists scheduled to be announced in May.

The Tewaaraton Award has been presented each year since 2001. Syracuse attackman Mike Leveille won the award in 2008. He was the second Orange player to do so, joining 2002 and 2004 Tewaaraton winner Mike Powell. Colgate’s Peter Baum took home the trophy last year after leading the Raiders to the NCAA quarterfinals