farris, deluca named to all-cc first team

Program milestones have come by the bunches for the Muhlenberg men’s lacrosse team in 2008, and the Mules achieved two more when senior Kyle Farris and junior John DeLuca were named to the All-Centennial Conference first team.

They are the first two first-team All-CC selections in program history. Since Muhlenberg joined one of the top Division III men’s lacrosse leagues in 2003, its only All-CC picks had been two second-team selections and five honorable mentions.

Farris (right) earned two of those honorable mentions, in 2006 and 2007, and thus becomes the Mules’ first three-time All-CC player. The midfielder led Muhlenberg and ranks sixth in the CC with a school-record 36 goals. He is tied for the conference lead in both man-up goals (13) and game-winning goals (5). Farris graduated as the program’s all-time leader with 101 goals and 18 hat tricks.

DeLuca (left) cemented his status as Muhlenberg’s breakout athlete of the year: After earning no all-conference mentions in either football or lacrosse his first two years, he received first-team honors in both as a junior. DeLuca led an improved defense that posted an 8.15 goals-against average, which ranks fourth in the CC after the Mules finished last in that category in 2007. He picked up 31 ground balls and scored six goals.

Senior Mickey Norton earned honorable mention for the second time in three years. Muhlenberg’s all-time scoring leader with 123 career points, he ranked second in the CC with 16 assists in eight league games.