BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Ahead of the postseason, awards rolled in for LIU men's lacrosse.
 
Both Richie LaCalandra and Will Mark have once again won the highest individual honors possible.
 
LaCalandra was tabbed the NEC Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. Mark earned his second NEC Defensive Player of the Year distinction after ranking in the top-10 in the NCAA in multiple defensive categories.
 
"Winning the Offensive and Defensive player of the year, two seasons in a row is quite the accomplishment for Richie and Will," head coach Eric Wolf. "Performing at the highest level when you are the #1 target for opponents is no small task."
 
The Port Jefferson Station native ranks first on the team in assists, points, and shots on goal and second in goals. He set new career highs this season in goals with six against Merrimack on March 26 and assists with seven against Sacred Heart on April 30.
 
"Another stellar regular season for Richie," said Wolf. "He puts a ton of pressure on every defense that we see and every opponent's gameplan starts with limiting his production.  It is a testament to Richie, as well as his teammates for all their hard work.  We grateful to the coaches in the conference for recognizing his performance."
 
In 14 games, Mark has piled up 191 saves which is good for fifth in the country. Mark sits in seventh in the NCAA with 13.64 saves per game with a .563 save percentage that ranks eighth among all goalies in Division I.
 
"Will has been the anchor of our defense for three straight seasons," Wolf said. "We are appreciative of the coaches within the conference for acknowledging his talent and performance.  It's well deserved."
 
A total of three Sharks were placed on the 2022 NEC All-Conference First Team. LaCalandra, Chris Campbell, and Mark all were given spots among the best in the conference. 
 
Campbell earns first-team honors in his first year with the Sharks, starting 13 games. The Shrewsbury, Mass. product has helped solidify the defensive front with 16 caused turnovers and picking up 31 groundballs. 
 
Campbell forced five turnovers against Siena on February 12, the first LIU win of the season. He has caused turnovers in every game but two this season. He has played a big part in the Sharks obtaining the No. 20 scoring defense in the NCAA (10.71).
 
Moving to the second team, Blake Behlen and Ryan Blume were picked by coaches to represent the NEC.
 
Behlen was the top goal scorer for LIU in the regular season with 33. He also ranks fifth in the conference with 1.86 assists per game.
 
Blume, a graduate student captain, earns his first all-conference distinction after pacing the Sharks defense with 22 caused turnovers and 42 ground balls. In the last two games, Blume has recorded eight caused turnovers and nine ground balls.
 
Freshman Nick Colantonio rounded out the awards by being placed on the NEC All-Rookie Team. The attacker from Mount Sinai is responsible for seven goals and three assists, playing in all 14 games. 
 
"We are grateful to the coaches in our conference for voting Will, Richie, Chris, Blake, Ryan, and Nick to the All-Conference teams," Wolf said. "They played consistently at a high level and these honors recognize that.  While they are individual awards, they are a representation of all the hard work that our team puts in daily."