USILA DIII Awards: Ozycz named top face-off specialist in the nation

2013 USILA Division III Awards

BEVERLY, Mass. – After receiving a flurry of academic and athletic accolades from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), Endicott graduate student Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) added one more piece of hardware to his trophy case this spring as the USILA named him the top face-off specialist in all of NCAA Division III in their annual player awards release.

Ozycz, already named First Team All-America and Scholar All-America by the USILA and a competitor in the senior North-South game, was named along with six premiere men's lacrosse talents from Division III.  Dickinson senior defender Brandon Palladino (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and Tufts senior defender Matt Callahan (Acton, Mass.) were named Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the national organization.  Never before has an Endicott player been named the top player at his position.

Sam Stanton (New Canaan, Conn.), short-stick specialist from Wesleyan, Brian Cannon (Reisterstown, Md.), attacker from Dickinson, Mike Kaminski (Sayville, N.Y.), goalie from Cortland, and Joe Slavik (Binghamton, N.Y.), midfielder from Cortland, were all recognized in the USILA player awards release.

Ozycz ranked #1 in ground ball rate (13.8) and #2 in face-off win percentage (.761) among all NCAA Division III student-athletes in 2013.  Against teams competing in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, Ozycz totaled 130-of-179 face-off wins (.726) with 94 ground balls (15.6 per game).  He scored eight goals with one assist this spring.

Ozycz ends his career as a two-time USILA All-America honoree with Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Defensive Player of the Year honors, two All-CCC First Team awards, and an All-CCC Second Team nod.  He was also named preseason and postseason All-New England by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA).