Steve Beville, head coach of the SUNY Cortland men's lacrosse team (Darl Zehr Photography)
SUNY Cortland 11th-year head coach Steve Beville has been chosen as the 2017 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Paul Rose Men's Lacrosse Coach of the Year in a vote of the league's coaches. In addition, 10 Red Dragon players earned all-league honors, including eight first-team selections.
Junior attackers Thomas McNaney (Marcellus) and Devin Phelps (Chittenango), junior midfielder Nate Beresovoy (LaFayette), sophomore midfielder Joey Panariello (Islip), senior defenders Dave Foster (Farmingville/Sachem East) and Anthony Zangari (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Catholic), junior short-stick defensive midfielder Anthony Siracusa (Sayville), and senior faceoff specialist Mike Hart (Cornelius, NC/Hough) were all first-team All-SUNYAC. Senior midfielder T.J. deLyra (Brightwaters/Bay Shore) was a second-team choice, and junior goalie Joe Scalise (Fairport) was honorable mention.
Beville earned Coach of the Year recognition for the fifth time after leading Cortland to the SUNYAC regular-season title and an NCAA Division III tournament at-large berth. The Red Dragons brought a 15-2 record into their NCAA opener Wednesday versus Endicott. Beville also was SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015, and he sports a 187-35 (.842) record at Cortland (prior to Wednesday's NCAA game).
The coaching award is named after the late Paul Rose, who coached at Geneseo, Colgate and Morrisville. Rose graduated from Cortland in 1967 and was posthumously inducted into Cortland's C-Club Hall of Fame in 2011.
McNaney, in his first season with the Red Dragons, recorded 41 goals and 25 assists for 66 points in 16 starts prior to NCAA play. He's the team leader in goals and second in assists and points, and also ranks second with 44 ground balls. McNaney scored four or more goals seven times, and notched two goals and five assists in a win over Western New England.
Phelps earned All-SUNYAC honors for the second straight year. He was a second-team selection in 2016. Through the end of the SUNYAC tournament, Phelps had 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points in 16 games played. He's the team leader in assists and points and tied for second in goals, and is third with 40 ground balls. Phelps recorded three goals and five assists in a win over NCAA qualifier Morrisville and had four goals and two assists in a win at nationally ranked Cabrini.
Beresovoy improved to first-team all-league honors this spring after receiving honorable mention recognition last season. Through 17 games, Beresovoy had 33 goals and six assists for 39 points to tie for second on the team in goals and rank third in points. He scored four goals in a SUNYAC semifinal win over Geneseo and three goals on six other occasions.
Panariello picked up first-team All-SUNYAC honors for the second straight season. Through 17 games this spring he had 22 goals and 14 assists for 36 points to rank third on the team in assists and fourth in both goals and points. He scored four goals in an overtime win versus nationally ranked Ithaca and registered a goal and three assists in a win over Empire 8 champion Nazareth.
Foster is a first-team All-SUNYAC defender for the third straight year. Through 17 games he led the team with 26 caused turnovers and was fourth with 39 ground balls. He caused four turnovers in the SUNYAC finals versus Plattsburgh. Foster also has amassed a goal and two assists.
Zangari, like Foster, started all of Cortland's first 17 games. He ranks third on the team with 13 caused turnovers and fifth with 37 ground balls through the end of the SUNYAC playoffs. He caused three turnovers in a win at Clarkson.
Siracusa is a repeat selection on the All-SUNYAC first team. He registered a goal, two assists and 25 ground balls through Cortland's first 17 games, including four ground balls in a win at Geneseo.
Hart, through 17 games, has won 184-of-316 faceoffs (58.2 pct.) and leads the Red Dragons with 113 ground balls. He also totaled six goals, two assists and 10 caused turnovers. Hart won all 14 of his faceoffs in Cortland's SUNYAC semifinal win over Geneseo.
deLyra is a second-team all-league choice this spring after receiving honorable mention plaudits last year. He started 15 games, prior to NCAA play, and recorded 17 goals and seven assists. He ranks fifth on the team in goals, and also has 15 ground balls. deLyra scored three times in a win over Potsdam and tallied two goals five other times.
Scalise, Cortland's starting goalie in every game, brought a 8.49 goals-against average and .533 save percentage into NCAA play. He made 17 saves in a win over Empire 8 champ Nazareth and totaled 14 saves each in wins at Clarkson and Plattsburgh.
