Shellenberger Headlines UVA’s Six USILA All-Americans; Tabbed Most Outstanding Attackman
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the fourth consecutive year, Virginia attackman Connor Shellenberger has been named a First Team All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and the recipient of the Lt. Col. JI Turnbull Outstanding Attackman award, the organization announced Thursday (May 23). Shellenberger is the first player in school history to garner first-team status four times and only the fifth Cavalier to receive the Turnbull award.
Additionally, five Virginia players in Cole Kastner (second team), Chase Yager (second team), Payton Cormier (third team), Griffin Schutz (third team) and Ben Wayer (honorable mention) also earned All-America accolades.
All-America honorees were nominated by their coach before votes were cast by the USILA All-American committee.
Shellenberger currently leads the ACC and is third nationally in assists (3.00) and seventh in points (4.82) per game. Earlier this season, Shellenberger became UVA’s all-time record holder in assists and points, and eventually toppled the ACC career assists record too. He matched his career high of 10 points with three goals and seven assists in the Cavaliers’ 19-15 victory at Towson (March 9) and set a career best against an ACC foe with nine points at No. 7 Syracuse (April 20). Most recently, Shellenberger scored an unassisted game-winning goal in double overtime against No. 3 Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to send the Hoos to their third Championship Weekend berth of Shellenberger’s career. This year, he became the first player in UVA history to be named a three-time Tewaaraton Finalist and was selected second overall in the PLL Draft by the New York Atlas.
The Cavaliers’ top close defenseman, Kastner garners his second career USILA second-team nod. He currently leads the nation in caused turnovers (1.76) and is also the lynchpin of a UVA riding unit that leads the ACC in opponent clear percentage (.816). His 31 total caused turnovers are tied for seventh in UVA single-season history. He tallied five caused turnovers in the Cavaliers’ 13-10 comeback victory at No. 16 Harvard (March 30). Kastner and the UVA defense also stifled ACC foe North Carolina (April 6), holding the Tar Heels to just six goals, which tied for UNC’s lowest goal total of the season. Kastner was selected eighth in the fourth round of the PLL Draft by the California Redwoods.
A graduate transfer from Harvard, Yager is Virginia’s top short-stick defensive midfielder and consistently lines up on the wings for Hoos on faceoffs. His 26 caused turnovers are tied for second on the team and the most among Cavalier short-stick players. Yager dazzled in the UVA’s 14-10 victory at No. 5 Maryland (March 16), when he scored a goal, tallied five ground balls and caused four Terrapin turnovers. In UVA’s postseason win over the Blue Jays, Yager caused a pair of turnovers in each overtime period, including one that led to Shellenberger’s game-winning strike. Yager was claimed off waivers by the Redwoods, joining Kastner and former UVA standouts Charlie Bertrand, Jared Conners and Ricky Miezan.
Cormier, who is a three-time USILA Honorable Mention All-American, leads all players nationally in both goals (64) and goals per game (3.76). He scored a career-high eight goals in the Hoos’ 17-11 win over Saint Joseph’s in the first round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. Cormier’s eight-goal performance against the Hawks helped him shatter the all-time NCAA Division I career goals record and UVA single-season goals record. His eight goals also tied the program’s single-game record and are the most ever scored by a Cavalier in an NCAA Tournament game. Cormier was claimed by the Atlas and will join Shellenberger and former Cavaliers Xander Dickson and Dox Aitken at PLL training camp this summer.
Schutz earns his first career USILA All-America honor as he is currently leading all UVA midfielders in goals (23) this season. Schutz has registered at least one point in 16 out of 17 appearances this year. He tied his career high of six points with four goals and two assists in the Cavaliers’ win over the Terrapins. Schutz also notched the game-winning goal in UVA’s win over Drexel (March 4). With 105 career points, Schutz stands at No. 10 all-time on UVA’s career points list by a midfielder.
Wayer nabs his first USILA All-America recognition after leading the nation in ground balls (92) among all non-faceoff specialists. His 92 ground balls are the most by a UVA non-faceoff specialist since Ryan Conrad finished with 95 in 2019 and the most on record by a Virginia long-stick midfielder. Wayer tallied a career-high 10 ground balls in UVA’s double overtime win over the Blue Jays. In transition, Wayer has scored seven goals and dished out six assists.
Up next, the sixth-seeded Cavaliers (12-5) take on No. 7 seed Maryland (10-5) in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Saturday (May 25) at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pa.). Opening faceoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Lt. Raymond J. Enners Outstanding Player of the Year
Ajax Zappitello. Maryland, Sr.
Lt. Col. JI Turnbull Outstanding Attackman
Connor Shellenberger, Virginia, Gr.
Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Outstanding Midfielder
Shane Knobloch, Rutgers, Sr.
William C. Schmeisser Defensive Player of the Year
Jake Piseno, UAlbany, Gr.
Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goalie
Liam Entenmann, Notre Dame, Gr.
USILA First Team All-America
Connor Shellenberger, Virginia, A, Gr.
Brennan O’Neill, Duke, A, Sr.
Pat Kavanagh, Notra Dame, A, Gr.
Shane Knobloch, Rutgers, M, Sr.
Evan Plunkett, Army, M, So.
Graham Bundy Jr., Georgetown, M, Gr.
Andrew McAdorey, Duke, M, Jr.
Ben Ramsey, Notre Dame, SSDM, Jr.
Beau Pederson, Princeton, SSDM, Gr.
Dylan Hess, Georgetown, SSDM, Sr.
Jake Piseno, UAlbany, LSM, Gr.
Will Coletti, Army, FO, Jr.
Ajax Zappitello, Maryland, D, Sr.
Kenny Brower, Duke, D, Gr.
Brendan Lavelle, Penn, D, Sr.
Scott Smith, Johns Hopkins, D, Sr.
Liam Entenmann, Notre Dame, G, Gr.
USILA Second Team All-America
CJ Kirst, Cornell, A, Sr.
MA Brandau, Yale, A, Sr.
Tj Malone, Penn State, A, Gr.
Jake Stevens, Syracuse, M, Gr.
Mikey Weisshaar, Towson, M, So.
Eric Dobson, Notre Dame, M, Sr.
Grant Haus, Penn State, SSDM, Gr.
Aidan Maguire, Duke, SSDM, So.
Chase Yager, Virginia, SSDM, Gr.
Stephen Zupicich, Villanova, LSM, Gr.
Will Donovan, Notre Dame, LSM, So.
Justin Wietfeldt, Michigan, FO, Sr.
Luke Wierman, Maryland, FO, Gr.
Cole Kastner, Virginia, D, Sr.
Shawn Lyght, Notre Dame, D, Fr.
AJ Pilate, Army, D, Jr.
Emmet Carroll, Penn, G, Sr.
Jack Fracyon, Penn State, G, Jr.
USILA Third Team All-America
Payton Cormier, Virginia, A, Gr.
Joey Spallina, Syracuse, A, So.
Sam King, Harvard, A, Jr.
Griffin Schutz, Virginia, M, Jr.
Alexander Vardaro, Georgetown, M, Gr.
MA Collison, Johns Hopkins, M, So.
Jackson Peters, Navy, SSDM, Sr.
Brett Martin, Johns Hopkins, SSDM, Sr.
Tyler Carpenter, Duke, LSM, Gr.
Alec Statakis, Denver, FO, Gr.
Mason Woodward, Marquette, D, Gr.
Billy Dwan, Syracuse, D, So.
Jimmy Freehill, Denver, D, Jr.
Chayse Ierlan, Johns Hopkins, G, Gr.
USILA All-America Honorable Mention
Chris Kavanagh, Notra Dame, A, Jr.
Michael Boehm, Michigan, A, Sr.
Bryden Mayea, High Point, A, Sr.
Coulter Mackesy, Princeton, A, Jr.
Josh Zawada, Duke, A, Gr.
Jacob Angelus, Johns Hopkins, A, Gr.
Owen Duffy, North Carolina, A, Fr.
Ross Scott, Rutgers, A, Gr.
Dyson Williams, Duke, A, Gr.
Scott Cole, Lehigh, A, Sr.
Owen Hiltz, Syracuse, A, Jr.
Nick DeMaio, Towson, A, Gr.
Garrett Degnon, Johns Hopkins, A, Gr.
Jake Taylor, Notre Dame, A, Gr.
Levi Anderson, St. Joseph;s, A, Gr.
Ryan Bell, Providence, A, Jr.
Aiden Carroll, Georgetown, A, Sr.
Devon McLane, Notra Dame, M, Gr.
Hunter Drouin, Colgate, M, So.
Jacob Morin, Army, M, Sr.
Mac Costin, Penn State, M, Sr.
Eric Spanos, Maryland, M, Jr.
Sam English, Syracuse, M, Jr.
Hugh Kelleher, Cornell, M, Sr.
Lance Madonna, Richmond, M, Sr.
Casey Wilson, Denver, SSDM, Jr.
Marquez White, Princeton, SSDM, Sr.
Connor Cmiel, Ohio State, SSDM, Sr.
Roy Meyer, Boston University, LSM, Gr.
Ben Wayer, Virginia, LSM, Jr.
AJ Mercurio, Denver, LSM, Gr.
Max Yates, Colgate, LSM, Jr.
Will Lynch, Notre Dame, FO, Jr.
Jake Naso, Duke, FO, Sr.
Machado Rodriguez, Yale, FO, Jr.
Brady Wambach, North Carolina, FO, Fr.
Nate Laliberte, Bryant, FO, Sr.
Mason Kohn, Syracuse, FO, Gr.
Jackson Bonitz, Navy, D, Gr.
Richard Checo, Lehigh, D, So.
Marcus Hudgins, Ohio State, D, Sr.
Colin Mulshine, Princeton, D, Jr.
Ty Banks, Georgetown, D, Fr.
Colby Barsz, Towson, D, Sr.
Alex Ross, Penn State, D, So.
Levi Verch, St. Joseph’s, D, Jr.
Chris Conlin, Notre Dame, D, Gr.
Patrick Morrison, Boston University, D, Gr.
Michael Gianforcaro, Princeton, G, Sr.
Will Mark, Syracuse, G, Gr.
Anderson Moore, Georgetown, G, Fr.
Kevin Ellington, Delaware, G, Sr.