June 13, 2003

BALTIMORE, MD -- Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala recently announced the recipients of the 2003 men's lacrosse team awards, which were presented at the team's annual end-of-season banquet. In all, 15 different individuals received awards. Johns Hopkins posted a 14-2 record, ended the regular season ranked number one, earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the national championship game in 2003.

Below is a list of each award, a description of the award, the recipient, and a list of their accomplishments.

Sidney C. Erlanger Trophy

Outstanding Senior

Starters since their freshman year, Benson and Doneger share the team's top award. Benson was a three-time All-American and garnered Second Team All-America honors as a senior. He led the team with a career-high 41 goals and added 12 assists for 53 points on the year. Doneger earned First Team All-America honors for the second consecutive season as he scored a career-high 28 goals and chipped in with seven assists for 35 points.

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Bob Scott Award

Greg Peyser (Lloyd Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor)

Outstanding Freshman

Joining a veteran team that had very few open positions, Peyser grabbed a spot on the Blue Jays' second midfield and was a key member of Hopkins' three-man faceoff rotation. He finished the season with nine goals and five assists for 14 points and won 58-of-104 (.558) faceoffs on the year. He also finished third on the team with 41 ground balls on the year.

William K. Morrill, Jr. Award

Outstanding Attackman

Benson earned Second Team All-America honors as he led the team in goals for the fourth consecutive season with a career-high 41. He also added 12 assists for a personal-best 53 points. Barrie led the team in scoring despite missing a game-and-a-half with an injury. The only sophomore to earn First Team All-America honors, Barrie scored 37 goals and added 20 assists for a team-high 57 points. He also led the team with 10 extra-man goals.

1941 Team Shaffer Award

Outstanding Defensive Player

The cornerstones of the Johns Hopkins defense, Scherr and Peyser both earned Second Team All-America honors in 2003. Scherr posted a sparkling 7.12 goals against average and a .601 save percentage. He finished sixth in the nation in goals against average and 14th in save percentage. Peyser was the leader of the close defense as he was the only senior among JHU's top six defensive players. He started all 16 games and helped Hopkins finish third in the nation in scoring defense (6.94 goals/game) and second in man-down defense (.851/40-of-47 killed).

George D. Penniman Trophy

Outstanding Midfielder

Two of the five finalists for the Tewaaraton Award, Doneger and Harrison teamed together to give JHU one of the most potent midfield tandems in the nation. Doneger scored a career-high 28 goals and added seven assists on his way to earning First Team All-America honors for the second consecutive season. Harrison enjoyed a breakthrough campaign offensively as he scored 22 goals and added 14 assists for 36 points. He also won 109-of-174 (.626) faceoffs and grabbed a team-high 83 ground balls as well.

1950 Morrill Award

Most Improved Senior

Sutton and Gould walked on to the team as freshmen and were two of just six seniors on the squad this season. Gould played in 10 games and had one assist, while Sutton played in seven games on the year. Both were key members of the Blue Jay scout team and neither missed a practice in four years on the team.

Henry Ciccarone Award

Most Groundballs

Harrison led the team with 83 ground balls as his play on faceoffs led to his corralling many loose balls. He won 109-of-174 (.626) faceoffs on the year and added 22 goals and 14 assists for 36 points. This is the second consecutive year Harrison has led the team in ground balls.

Gordon Stick Award

Unsung Hero

Two key members of the Blue Jay defense share this award. Erwin has developed into one of the top short-stick defensive middies in the nation. He played in all 16 games this season and had one goal and four assists and added 29 ground balls. Watson quietly enjoyed a standout season on close defense as he started all 16 games and had 23 ground balls to his credit. With Erwin and Watson leading the way, Johns Hopkins finished third in the nation in scoring defense (6.94 goals/game) and second in man-down defense (.851/40-of-47 killed).

Fred Smith Trophy

Outstanding Loyalty & Dedication

Benson and Doneger served as co-captains as juniors and seniors and their leadership and work ethic was instrumental in the Blue Jays' success during the last two years. The two helped lead Hopkins to a 26-4 record, two trips to the Final Four and an appearance in the national championship game in the last two years. Their representation of Johns Hopkins on and off the field epitomizes what head coach Dave Pietramala views as the example of the way things should be done.

W. Taylor Cook Award

Outstanding Character & Attitude

The forgotten part of a Hopkins starting attack trio that combined for 102 goals and 53 assists on the year, Peter LeSueur excels on the field and in the classroom. His work ethic made him one of the young leaders on the team and he finished the season with 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points. He was one of three Johns Hopkins players who were nominated for Verizon Academic All-America honors.

Richardson Award

Outstanding Service to Johns Hopkins Lacrosse

A senior, Vigorito completed his second year as a team manager in 2003. He handled all game-day and practice video operations and worked closely with the coaching staff on many of the day-to-day operations of the program.

Turnbull-Reynolds Trophy

Outstanding Sportsmanship & Leadership

Being a two-time First Team All-American doesn't necessarily translate into being a good captain. For Adam Doneger, the two go hand-in-hand. Doneger led the Blue Jays by example, as his dedication to the team's success was the focus of everything he did. He spent countless extra time watching film and working with younger players to help them not just improve, but to show them that this was a team that would grow and win together.

Cowan Hard Hammer Award

For work ethic, competitiveness, physical & mental toughness

An award in just its third year of existence and named in honor of Johns Hopkins Hall of Famer Joe Cowan. It seems only natural that two players who rarely draw the spotlight would share this award.

Erwin and Harned team to form two-thirds of arguably the top defensive midfield in the nation. Erwin played in all 16 games as JHU's top short-stick defensive middie and had one goal, four assists and 29 ground balls to his credit. Harned firmly established himself as one of the top long-stick defensive middies in the nation as he routinely shutdown the opposition's top midfield threat. He played in all 16 games and had two goals, four assists and 67 ground balls to his credit. He earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team after registering two goals and two assists in two games at the Final Four. His 67 ground balls ranked second on the team.

Academic Award

Highest GPA on the team

Watson started all 16 games for the Blue Jays on close defense this season and helped Hopkins finish third in the nation in scoring defense (6.94 goals/game). In addition, JHU held 14 of its 16 opponents to nine goals or less. As impressive as those numbers are, Watson has been equally as successful in the classroom. An international studies/political science major, Watson boasts a 3.62 cumulative GPA and posted a 3.78 GPA this spring.

Coaches Most Improved Player

Dedicated to improving and in turn helps team improve

Garvey made the transition from long-stick middie to close defense look easy this season as he started all 16 games for the Blue Jays. He helped the Blue Jays finish third nationally in scoring defense (6.94 goals/game) and second in man-down defense (.851/40-of-47 killed). He excelled during the Final Four and he earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team by helping the Blue Jays hold their four NCAA Tournament opponents to a total of 25 goals.

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