Conference

With one week left in the regular season, three of the four spots for the 2012 NEC Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament have been filled, with the last to be determined this weekend on Staten Island. Preseason favorite and defending champion Mount St. Mary’s and Wagner will square off for the right to join Bryant, Robert Morris and Quinnipiac in the four-team tournament at a site that will be determined this weekend as well. Both standing at 4-0 in league play, the Colonials and Bulldogs will duke it out for the right to host the second-ever championship tournament and earn the regular-season crown. Additionally, three players from the teams battling for the right to host the tourney were honored this week. Junior Jake Hayes of Robert Morris tallied an RMU- and NEC-record nine points in his team’s 25-9 win over Quinnipiac. He scored five goals and handed out a career-high four assists, boosting his season point total to 52. Bryant took the other two awards after a 1-1 week. Senior Jameson Love fended off 21 shots, including 13 in a double-overtime setback to then-No. 20 Yale. He then made eight and allowed just one goal in a 21-3 victory over Wagner. Giving the Bulldogs possession in those two games, freshman Kevin Massa won his eighth NEC Rookie of the Week after going 28 of 46 from the faceoff X and contributing 15 ground balls, 11 of which came against the Seahawks. He also added two assists as Bryant moved to 12-3 on the season.