Feb. 21, 2008

Loudonville, N.Y. - Siena junior attackman Matt Girsh was named to the 2008 Warrior Tewaarton Men's Lacrosse Watch list as announced this afternoon by Tewaarton Award officials. Girsh is the first Siena men's lacrosse player in program history to be considered for this prestigious honor.

"This is certainly a tremendous honor for Matt to be thought of by members of the lacrosse community for an award of this magnitude," remarked head coach Brian Brecht. "As much as this is a great honor for Matt, it is equally exciting for the Siena College community to have a student-athlete mentioned along with some of the top players and premiere lacrosse programs in the country."

The award, which is given out annually, is recognized nationally as the pre-eminent lacrosse award that a collegiate lacrosse player can receive and is often compared to as the equivalent to the Heisman Trophy award in football.

A 6'3" native of Mahopac, New York, Girsh was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore last season after leading the conference and ranking fourth nationally in goals per game (2.94), while ranking second in the MAAC with 59 points. He enters his junior year ranking twelfth all-time on the Siena points list with 83 goals and 25 assists for 108 total points spanning just two seasons.

Girsh, who was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, tallied a game high six points on three goals and three assists in Siena's season opening 19-3 win over Presbyterian on Saturday at Siena Turf Field. Girsh and the Saints will return to action on Saturday for a 2 p.m. battle in Loudonville against Harvard.

The Tewaaraton Award Foundation, in conjunction with the University Club of Washington, D.C., formally established the "Tewaaraton Trophy" on August 29, 2000. Today, the Tewaaraton Trophy is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award honoring the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse player in the United States. The Foundation honors lacrosse, the original and oldest American sport, through the Tewaaraton name and by promoting the game through the award.