Mollett Named Ivy League Player Of The Year In Men's Lacrosse

May 9, 2001

Ryan Mollett, the leader of the best defense in collegiate lacrosse, has been named the 2001 Ivy League Player of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches.

Mollett, a senior from Taneytown, Md., becomes the first defenseman since 1985 and the fourth since the award was first given in 1974 to be named Player of the Year. He is the fifth Princeton player to win the award.

"Ryan's had a great year," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said of Mollett, who anchored a defense that led the nation by allowing 5.0 goals per game. "He does so much more than a normal defenseman. The best thing I can say about him is to watch our team when he's not in there and see that it's totally different."

Ryan Boyle, the first Princeton freshman to lead the team in scoring since Kevin Lowe in 1991, was a unanimous selection as Ivy Rookie of the Year. Boyle, from Timonium, Md., leads the Tigers in assists (29) and points (45) and has added 16 goals. He has a shooting percentage of .571 and at least three points in each of the last six games. "Ryan Boyle came in under a huge microscope and has not let us down," Tierney said. "It's tough for a freshman to lead a veteran team, but he's done that. He's probably as knowledgeable about lacrosse as anyone we've ever had. He's a special player."

Mollett was one of five Princeton players to be a first-team All-Ivy League selection, and Mollett was a unanimous choice. Sean Hartofilis was named on attack, Matt Striebel and Rob Torti were named on the midfield and Trevor Tierney was named as the goalie.

Hartofilis, a sophomore from Huntington, N.Y., has scored at least one goal in every game this year and at least three in each of the last six. He has 27 goals for the season, including three in the second half against Cornell as Princeton rallied from a 4-1 deficit to win 7-4 and take its seventh-straight league title. Striebel, a senior from Gill, Mass., has 16 goals and 14 assists after switching from attack to midfield to make room for Boyle. Torti, a senior from Lattingtown, N.Y., scored a career-high 14 goals and added 12 assists. Tierney, a senior from Princeton, leads the nation in goals-against average (4.80) and save percentage (.702).

"I'm happy for all of those guys," Bill Tierney said. "It says a lot to have five first-team selections, and it's a reflection of our team. Of all these guys, though, for Matt Striebel to make first-team as a midfielder, I'm happiest about that. He made such a sacrifice. He went from being a quarterback to a wide receiver. His point total went way down because he doesn't handle the ball as much. Still he's done it with smile on face, and he got a just reward for it."

In addition to its five first-team selections, Princeton was also represented by Boyle, fellow attackman B.J. Prager and defenseman Damien Davis on second team. Scott Farrell, a defenseman, was an honorable mention selection.

Princeton has won 37 straight Ivy League games and will enter the 2002 season needing two to tie the all-time league record, set by Cornell from 1972-79. The Tigers finished the regular season at 11-1 and earned the second seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament, in which they will face the winner of the Loyola/Georgetown game in the quarterfinals May 19.

First Team

Attack -- Brian Hunt, Yale (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) *, David Key, Cornell (Sr., Ithaca, N.Y.), Sean Hartofilis, Princeton (So., Huntington, N.Y.)

Midfield -- Doug Logigian, Harvard (Jr., Huntington, N.Y.), Matt Streibel, Princeton (Sr., Gill, Mass.), Rob Torti, Princeton (Sr., Lattingtown, N.Y.)

Defense -- Ryan Mollett, Princeton (Sr., Taneytown, N.Y.) *, Chris Sullivan, Brown (Sr., Glen Head, N.Y.), Ryan McClay, Cornell (So., Mahopac, N.Y.)

Goalie -- Trevor Tierney, Princeton (Sr., Princeton, N.J.)

Second Team

Attack -- BJ Prager, Princeton (Jr., Garden City, N.Y.), Ryan Boyle, Princeton (Fr., Timonium, Md.), Todd Minerely, Pennsylvania (Sr., Plainview, N.Y.)

Midfield -- Alex Kopicki, Pennsylvania (So., Cockeysville, Md., ), Galen Beers, Cornell (Jr., Darlington, Md.), Marko Lujic, Yale (Jr., North Haven, Conn.)

Defense -- Damien Davis, Princeton (So., Cockeysville, Md.), Scott Marimow, Pennsylvania (Jr., Baltimore, Md.), Scott Kinum, Dartmouth (Sr., Summit, N.J.)

Goalie -- Justin Cynar, Cornell (Jr., Massapequa, N.Y.)

Honorable Mention

Attack -- Todd Minerley, Pennsylvania (Sr., Plainview, N.Y.), Michael Egan, Cornell (So., Winnetka, Ill.), Matt Primm, Harvard (So., Westminster, Md.)

Midfield -- Chas Gessner, Brown (So., Hyattsville, Md.), Roger Buttles, Harvard (Jr., Manhasset, N.Y..), Josh Heller, Cornell (Jr., Milton, Mass.)

Defense -- Scott Farrell, Princeton (Jr., Beaver Dams, N.Y.), Matt Grosso, Brown (Jr., East Setauket, N.Y)

Goalie -- Jake McKenna, Harvard (Fr., Darien, Conn.)

Player of the Year -- Ryan Mollett, Princeton (Sr., Taneytown, Md.)

Rookie of the Year -- Ryan Boyle, Princeton (Fr., Timonium, Md.) *

* = unanimous selections

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