2014 NEILA Division III All-New England Team
Endicott Men's Lacrosse All-Region History
HAMDEN, Conn. – Seventeenth-year head coach Sean Quirk and freshman attacker Colin Bannon (Westport, Conn.) along with five total members of his Gulls men's lacrosse team (15-5) were recognized by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) All-New England honors after the team earned their first ever at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament came just shy of reaching the national quarterfinals.
For the first time in his career, Quirk was named NEILA New England Coach of the Year after leading the Blue and Green for the fourth time to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Quirk raised his career coaching record to 227-91 (.714) by helping Endicott register the program's fifth season with at least 15 wins.
Bannon, the CCC's Rookie of the Year and an All-CCC First Team representative, turned in one of the best seasons by a freshman in Endicott history, amassing 70 points on 48 goals and 22 assists. For his efforts he was named NEILA New England Rookie of the Year and All-New England Second Team. Bannon played especially well against Endicott's toughest opponents in 2014 including nine goals and four assists in six games (3-3) against NESCAC teams. In conference games, Bannon finished just behind CCC Player of the Year Harrison Cotter (Lordship, Conn.) with 42 points in seven games (7-0), tallying 19 goals and 13 assists.
Cotter's career season as a junior this spring landed him a spot on the NEILA All-New England First Team after posting 74 points on 61 goals and 13 assists to lead the Endicott offense. Cotter recorded the program's first 60-goal scoring season since Burt Fahy '06 netted 67 in 2006. Cotter scored multiple goals in all but five games this year and had standout games of seven goals (vs Western New England and Bowdoin) and two five-goal performances (at Tufts, vs Western New England). Cotter was named CCC Offensive Player of the Year and an All-CCC First Teamer earlier in the spring.
Sophomore goalie Cameron Bell (Falmouth, Maine), who was named CCC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-CCC First Team player, earned a spot on the NEILA All-New England First Team after lowering his goals allowed average from his freshman to sophomore season by 1.23 goals per game. He allowed just 7.94 goals per game with a .589 save percentage and 202 saves overall.
Endicott saw two players appear on the NEILA All-New England Second Team as graduate student captain Peter Erickson (Yarmouth, Maine), the CCC Short-Stick Specialist of the Year, was named All-New England as a short-stick defensive midfielder. Erickson scored nine goals and assisted on 10 more but his presence was certainly prevalent on the defensive end with 12 caused turnovers and 29 ground balls. All-CCC First Team defender and Gulls senior Breck Merritt (Weston, Mass.) ended his career with a stellar campaign, causing 34 turnovers and scooping 58 ground balls to lead the Blue and Green. For his efforts, he was named to the NEILA All-New England Second Team.
