ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The South Atlantic Conference announced Monday that Tusculum has swept the weekly AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week honors for men's lacrosse for the week ending April 2.
Senior attacker Ben Boyd was named Offensive Player of the Week, while senior goalkeeper Kevin Haggerty was recognized as SAC Defensive Player of the Week, after the duo helped the Pioneers to wins over Lincoln Memorial and Queens to take over sole possession of second place in the league.
Boyd, a native of Bel Air, Maryland, scored seven goals and added an assist in the Pioneers' two victories. He scored four goals -- all in the second half --- in Tusculum's 13-12 overtime win at Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday, three coming during the Pioneers' comeback from a four-goal deficit in the third quarter. Boyd also finished with four ground balls in the contest.
On Saturday, Boyd recorded three goals and an assist as Tusculum defeated Queens 12-9 for their first win against the Royals in four all-time meetings. Boyd had two goals and an assist in the second half, accounting for three of the Pioneers' four goals as the team built upon a one-goal halftime advantage.
Boyd ranks third on the team and is tied for eighth in the SAC with 32 points this season, and is tied for second on the team and tied for fifth in the conference with 24 goals. Boyd is also fifth on the team and first among non-defensive players with 21 ground balls, and he is tied for second with three man-up goals. Boyd is Tusculum's career leader in goals (89), points (117) and shots on goal (183).
Haggerty, a senior from Suffern, New York, played all 122 minutes, 50 seconds in goal for the Pioneers in the team's two victories last week, making a total of 23 saves. Haggerty had nine saves in the Pioneers' win at Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday, including one in the overtime period. He also had five ground balls in the contest.
In Saturday's win over Queens, Haggerty recorded 14 saves, two shy of his season high, and held the Royals to just two second-half goals. Tusculum killed off all eight of Queens' man-up opportunities in the game, with Haggerty making five saves and coming up with a caused turnovers while the Pioneers were a man down.
Haggerty ranks third in the conference in goals against average (9.05), third in save percentage (55.0 percent) and sixth in total saves (99) for the Pioneers. A three-year starter, he holds every Tusculum career goalkeeping record including wins (18), saves (432) and save percentage (53.0 percent).
The Pioneers (8-2, 4-1 SAC) are on the road Sunday at 2 p.m. against Coker in a SAC matchup with the Cobras in Hartsville, South Carolina.
