Princeton University Athletics
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
Pederson, Vardaro, Mackesy Named Second-Team All-American; Gianforcaro earns HM
May 25, 2023 | Men's Lacrosse
The Princeton men's lacrosse team, fresh off of an Ivy League tournament championship and return trip to the NCAA tournament, is represented by four players on the USILA All-American team. The four players are the most of any Ivy school.
Seniors Beau Pederson and Alexander Vardaro and sophomore Coulter Mackesy were named second-team All-American, while junior goalie Michael Gianforcaro was an honorable mention selection. Of the four, Pederson is the only one who has previously been named an All-American after a third-team selection a year ago, when Princeton reached Championship Weekend.
Pederson, the only shortstick defensive midfielder in program history to be an All-American, continued his ferocious ways this season, as he put up 11 caused turnovers, 26 ground balls, three goals and an assist. He also was nearly impossible to dodge, not to mention one of the best one-man clearers in the country. Pederson was a second-team All-Ivy League selection, which makes him the first Princeton player to be a second-team All-American without being a first-team All-Ivy selection since Dan Cocoziello in 2007.
Vardaro joined former Tigers Tom Schreiber (three times) and Zach Currier as the only players in program history with at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a season, which should give you an indication of just how amazing a feat that is. Vardaro finished with 24 goals and 23 assists, with four goals and two assists having come while he played attack and 20 goals and 21 assists while he played midfield. Vardaro was a first-team All-Ivy League selection.
Mackesy, a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection, also joins an elite group in Princeton men's lacrosse history, as he joins Michael Sowers, Jack McBride, Ryan Boyle and B.J. Prager has Tiger attackmen who have been second-team All-American as sophomores. Mackesy's achievements have been well-chronicled: a school-record 55 goals, fourth in program history in points in a season with 78 (tied with Mike MacDonald, trailing only Sowers, who is first, second and third), the first player in program history to have multiple career games of at least eight goals, the second player in program history with multiple 10 point games in a career (along with Sowers), a fourth-place standing in Division I in points per game and a fifth-place standing in goals per game.
Gianforcaro is Princeton's first goalie to receive All-American honors since Tyler Fiorito did so in 2012 (and the three years before that). Gianforcaro ranks second in Division I in save percentage and 14th in goals-against average, and he led the Ivy League in both. He was also the Most Outstanding Player at the Ivy League tournament and a second-team All-Ivy selection.
First Team
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Second Team
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Third Team
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Seniors Beau Pederson and Alexander Vardaro and sophomore Coulter Mackesy were named second-team All-American, while junior goalie Michael Gianforcaro was an honorable mention selection. Of the four, Pederson is the only one who has previously been named an All-American after a third-team selection a year ago, when Princeton reached Championship Weekend.
Pederson, the only shortstick defensive midfielder in program history to be an All-American, continued his ferocious ways this season, as he put up 11 caused turnovers, 26 ground balls, three goals and an assist. He also was nearly impossible to dodge, not to mention one of the best one-man clearers in the country. Pederson was a second-team All-Ivy League selection, which makes him the first Princeton player to be a second-team All-American without being a first-team All-Ivy selection since Dan Cocoziello in 2007.
Vardaro joined former Tigers Tom Schreiber (three times) and Zach Currier as the only players in program history with at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a season, which should give you an indication of just how amazing a feat that is. Vardaro finished with 24 goals and 23 assists, with four goals and two assists having come while he played attack and 20 goals and 21 assists while he played midfield. Vardaro was a first-team All-Ivy League selection.
Mackesy, a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection, also joins an elite group in Princeton men's lacrosse history, as he joins Michael Sowers, Jack McBride, Ryan Boyle and B.J. Prager has Tiger attackmen who have been second-team All-American as sophomores. Mackesy's achievements have been well-chronicled: a school-record 55 goals, fourth in program history in points in a season with 78 (tied with Mike MacDonald, trailing only Sowers, who is first, second and third), the first player in program history to have multiple career games of at least eight goals, the second player in program history with multiple 10 point games in a career (along with Sowers), a fourth-place standing in Division I in points per game and a fifth-place standing in goals per game.
Gianforcaro is Princeton's first goalie to receive All-American honors since Tyler Fiorito did so in 2012 (and the three years before that). Gianforcaro ranks second in Division I in save percentage and 14th in goals-against average, and he led the Ivy League in both. He was also the Most Outstanding Player at the Ivy League tournament and a second-team All-Ivy selection.
First Team
| A | Brennan | O'Neill | Duke |
| A | CJ | Kirst | Cornell |
| A | Tucker | Dordevic | Georgetown |
| A | Connor | Shellenberger | Virginia |
| M | Thomas | McConvey | Virginia |
| M | Matthew | Campbell | Villanova |
| M | Sam | Handley | Pennsylvania |
| FO | Jake | Naso | Duke |
| SSDM | Payton | Rezanka | Loyola |
| SSDM | Chet | Comizio | Villanova |
| LSM | Roy | Meyer | Boston U |
| LSM | Ethan | Rall | Rutgers |
| D | Gavin | Adler | Cornell |
| D | Brett | Makar | Maryland |
| D | Owen | Grant | Delaware |
| D | Kenny | Brower | Duke |
| D | Cade | Saustad | Virginia |
| G | Liam | Entenmann | Notre Dame |
Second Team
| A | Patrick | Kavanagh | Notre Dame |
| A | Xander | Dickson | Virginia |
| A | Coulter | Mackesy | Princeton |
| M | Graham | Bundy, Jr. | Georgetown |
| M | Alexander | Vardaro | Princeton |
| M | Shane | Knobloch | Rutgers |
| M | Eric | Dobson | Notre Dame |
| FO | Mike | Sisselberger | Lehigh |
| SSDM | Connor | Maher | North Carolina |
| SSDM | Beau | Pederson | Princeton |
| LSM | John | Geppert | Maryland |
| D | Will | Bowen | Georgetown |
| D | Ajax | Zappitello | Maryland |
| D | Alex | Mazzone | Johns Hopkins |
| G | Jack | Fracyon | Penn State |
| G | Knox | Dent | Army |
Third Team
| A | Tye | Kurtz | Delaware |
| A | Matt | Brandau | Yale |
| A | TJ | Malone | Penn State |
| A | Chris | Lyons | Yale |
| M | Matt | Traynor | Penn State |
| M | Brian | Tevlin | Notre Dame |
| M | Garrett | Leadmon | Duke |
| FO | Petey | LaSalla | Virginia |
| FO | Luke | Wierman | Maryland |
| FO | Justin | Wietfeldt | Michigan |
| SSDM | Dante | Trader, Jr. | Maryland |
| SSDM | Ben | Ramsey | Notre Dame |
| LSM | Tyler | Carpenter | Duke |
| D | Chris | Fake | Notre Dame |
| D | Mason | Woodward | Marquette |
| D | AJ | Pilate | Army |
| G | Matthew | Knote | UMass |
| G | Will | Mark | Syracuse |
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Players Mentioned
Goalie
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attack
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
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Midfield
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