Belmont Abbey College

THREE ABBEY MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYERS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS; DIETSCH NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR

Three Belmont Abbey men's lacrosse players were named all-Conference Carolinas and head coach Jim Dietsch was named Coach of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Goalkeeper Mark Kelske was named first-team, while attackman Michael Brown and defender Tristan Keas earned a spot on the second team.

Kelske, a second-team selection last season, earned a spot on the first team after recording 115 saves on 230 shots in all ten games. He finished second in the league in goals against average (9.72) and save percentage (.550). He was named Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Week on March 26 after posting 34 saves on 75 shots in two games, and made 21 saves on 42 shots, including 11 in the third period, in the win over St. Andrews.

Brown completed his first year in an Abbey uniform as the team's leader in points with 46. He finished with 25 goals on 74 shots with
a team-leading 21 assists. He scored five goals in a game three times, all Abbey victories. He scored five goals on seven shots and had four assists in win over Lees-McRae, and scored five goals and posted five assists in win over Rollins. He was named Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Week on April 3 after scoring ten goals and posting nine assists in two games.

Keas earned the first postseason honor of his career in as a defender after finishing second on the team with 33 ground balls and tied for third with five caused turnovers in ten games. He scored one goal on the year, in the season opening game at Queens. He registered a season-high six ground balls in the loss at Wingate and posted a season-best two caused turnovers in the win over St. Andrews.

Dietsch, in his first year as a collegiate head coach, earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Abbey to a tie for second place finish in the league standings after the Crusaders were picked to finish fifth in the six-team league in the preseason poll. After dropping their first four games, the Crusaders have won six straight and have clinched the first winning record in the program's three year history.