No. 12 Syracuse’s Nick Mellen, Brett Kennedy, Jamie Trimboli and Nate Solomon were named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, the league announced Thursday morning. It was the first time each of the four players earned conference honors.

Mellen, a redshirt sophomore close defender and preseason All-American, is assigned the opposing team’s top attack each game. He has held his own, limiting all 12 of his opponents to a point below their season averages. Mellen leads the Orange with 15 caused turnovers, ranks third with 24 ground balls and is the only close defender to have started in all 12 games this season for SU.

Kennedy, who is primarily a long-stick midfielder, filled in at close defense when Tyson Bomberry missed four games earlier this season with injury. In his first career start he scored two transition goals in a narrow 12-11 win over Virginia on March 4. Kennedy is also often slotted on the wing during faceoffs. The redshirt freshman ranks second on the team with 33 ground balls and third with nine caused turnovers.

Trimboli is the veteran on the first midfield line alongside two freshmen despite being a sophomore. He has become the go-to option from up top, scoring 16 goals and adding nine assists. Trimboli scored the game-winner against Duke this season.

Solomon, a junior attack, ranks second on the team with 19 goals and 31 points. He is the most experienced starter on Syracuse’s offense having played in head coach John Desko’s system for two seasons before 2018. Solomon has scooped 19 ground balls and posts a 43.2 shooting percentage for the Orange.

No. 1 seed Syracuse will play No. 4 seed Virginia on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the second game of the ACC tournament. The Orange (7-5, 4-0 ACC) will look to avoid an early exit from the Tournament, as it fell in the opening round to North Carolina last year.

2018 ACC Men’s Lacrosse All-ACC Team

A – Justin Guterding – Duke
A – Chris Cloutier – North Carolina
A – Brendan Gleason – Notre Dame
A – Nate Solomon – Syracuse
A – Michael Kraus – Virginia
M – Brad Smith – Duke
M – Bryan Constabile – Notre Dame
M – Jamie Trimboli – Syracuse
M – Dox Aitken – Virginia
D – Cade Van Raaphorst – Duke
D – Nick Mellen – Syracuse
D – Brett Kennedy – Syracuse
SSDM – Carlson Milikin – Notre Dame
SSDM – Drew Schantz – Notre Dame
LSM – John Sexton – Notre Dame
LSM – Jack Rowlett – North Carolina
F/O – Joe Stein – Duke
G – Danny Fowler – Duke

Published on April 26, 2018 at 11:46 am

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco