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Jan. 10, 2003

Towson, Md. – The University of Virginia leads the way with six players named to the 2003 Face Off Yearbook men’s lacrosse preseason All-American squad. Three Cavaliers were named to the first-team-sophomore attack John Christmas, junior goalie Tillman Johnson and senior midfielder Chris Rotelli. Junior defenseman Brett Hughes was named to the second team, while senior middie A.J. Shannon and sophomore attackman Joe Yevoli were third-team choices.

Princeton had five players named to the top-three teams, while Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Maryland and defending national champion Syracuse had four. Virginia also led with three first-team selections.

Christmas is the only sophomore named to the first or second-team. He was named national Rookie of the Year last spring after scoring 29 goals to help lead UVa to the national semifinals.

Johnson became the first sophomore goalie named All-ACC in 19 years last season. He recorded 173 saves and is already 12th in school history in saves after just two seasons.

Rotelli was UVa’s lone first-team All-American last spring after scoring 24 goals. One of the top middies on the nation, he is one of the few midfielders who can make an impact on both ends of the field.

Hughes has started every game of his career and will be looked upon to shut down some of the nation’s best attackmen again this spring.

Yevoli burst onto the national scene last spring and led the ACC with 40 goals en route to winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award. He joins Christmas as the only sophs named to the top-three preseason teams.

Shannon flourished in his midfield role last season after moving from attack. A lethal offensive threat, he scored a career-high 25 goals to lead ACC middies.

Senior long stick midfielder Trey Whitty was named honorable mention preseason All-American. He emerged as one of the top LSMs in the country last season and has an uncanny knack for anticipating plays and picking off passes. A force in transition, he scored three goals and added eight assists.

The Cavaliers open their season at home against Drexel on Feb. 22 at 1:00 p.m.

The complete list of preseason the magazine’s Division I All-Americans is below.

First Team:
A-Bobby Benson, Sr., Johns Hopkins
A-Ryan Boyle, Jr., Princeton
A-John Christmas, So., Virginia
A-Mike Powell, Jr., Syracuse
M-Kevin Cassese, Sr., Duke
M-Adam Doneger, Sr., Johns Hopkins
M-Kevin Leveille, Sr., UMass
M-Chris Rotelli, Sr., Virginia
F/O-Zak Smith, Sr., Towson
LSM-Kyle Sweeney, Sr., Georgetown
D-Damien Davis, Sr., Princeton
D-Mike Howley, Sr. Maryland
D-Ryan McClay, Sr, Cornell
D-Chris Passavia, Jr., Maryland
G-Tillman Johnson, Jr., Virginia

Second Team:
A-Stephen Brundage, Jr, Loyola
A-Sean Hartofolis, Sr., Princeton
A-Dan LaMonica, Jr., Maryland
A-Mike Springer, Sr., Syracuse
M-Kevin Boland, Jr., Johns Hopkins
M-Brad Dumont, Sr., Princeton
M-Chris Fiore, Sr., UMass
M-Mike Mollot, Sr., Maryland
F/O-Peter Vlahakis, Jr., Fairfield
LSM-Dan Cocchi, Sr., Towson
D-Solomon Bliss, Sr., Syracuse
D-Brant Gresham, Sr., Georgetown
D-Brett Hughes, Jr., Virginia
D-Michael Peyser, Sr., Johns Hopkins
G-A.J. Kincel, Sr., Duke

Third Team:
A-Liam Banks, Sr., Syracuse
A-Kevin Brennan, Sr., Duke
A-Mike Hammer, Sr., Georgetown
A-Joe Yevoli, So., Virginia
M-Owen Daly, Sr., Princeton
M-Austin Garrison, Sr., North Carolina
M-A.J. Shannon, Sr., Virginia
M-Trevor Walker, Sr., Georgetown
F/O-Tim Booth, Sr., Hobart
LSM-Rob Bateman, Jr., Penn State
D-Adam Baxter, Sr., Towson
D-Tom Fallon, Sr., UMass
D-Ronnie Staines, Jr., North Carolina
D-Matt Zappia, Sr., Penn State
G-Jake McKenna, Jr., Harvard

Honorable Mention:

Attack: Kyle Barrie, So., Johns Hopkins; John Borgosian, Sr., Hobart; Dennis Geraghty, Sr., Bucknell; Sean Greenhalgh, So., Cornell; Brian Hunt, Sr., Maryland; Ryan Obloj, Sr., Towson; Jed Prossner, So., North Carolina; Mett Rewkowski, So., Duke; Mike Scaglione, Sr., Yale; Curtis Smith, Sr., Ohio State; Chris Summers, Sr., Loyola; Eugene Tanner, So., Manhattan, John Thompson, Sr., Brown.

Midfield: Greg Conklin, Sr., Navy; Jim Fink, Sr., Loyola; Kyle Harrison, So., Johns Hopkins; Alex Kopicki, Sr., UPenn; Doug Logigan, Sr., Harvard; Ryan Metzbower, Jr., Delaware; Paul Rao, Sr., Hofstra; Justin Redd, So., Cornell; Nick Silva, Sr., Manhattan; Steve Vallone, Jr., Syracuse; Ryan Ward, Sr., Butler; Josh White, Sr., Princeton; Bryant Will; So., North Carolina.

Faceoff: Brian Nieven, Sr., VMI

Longstick Midfielders: John Anacker, Sr., Air Force; Owen Corso, Sr., Villanova; Eric Hatkewitz, Sr., Stony Brook; John Souch, Sr., Notre Dame; Trey Whitty, Sr., Virginia.

Defensemen: Greg Bice, Jr., Ohio State; Pat Collins, Sr., Georgetown; Tim DeBlois, Jr., Cornell; Noah Glass, Sr., Yale; Pat Keeley, So., Dartmouth; Brian Lieberman, Sr., Princeton; Brian O’Rorke, Jr., Providence; Eric Simon, Sr., Notre Dame; Cory Vann, Jr., Denver. Brian Zuchelli, Jr., Hofstra;

Goalies: Mark Bloomquist, Sr., Loyola, Chris Garrity, Sr., Penn State; C.J. Kemp, Sr., Fairfield; Mike Levin, Jr., Brown; Dan McCormick, Sr., Maryland; Tony Russo, Jr., Ohio State, Justin Sussman, Sr., Bucknell.

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