Ragge, O’Brien, Galion Named Academic All-NEWMAC

WESTWOOD, Mass. – The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) announced the 2018 Men's Lacrosse Academic All-Conference Team and three Massachusetts Maritime Academy players were honored. In total, Academic All-Conference Team totaled 35 student-athletes this year.

Sophomore starter Franklin Ragge, known lately for his clutch shooting, leads the list of Buccaneer scholars, which includes second-year Michael O'Brien and Junior Benjamin Galion. Ragge, who is studying marine engineering, has a superb 3.75 GPA through his three semesters at the Academy. He has played in every game and established himself as the go-to starter off the bench with 14 goals. Ragge has netted more than a quarter of his 55 shots this season.

O'Brien has suited up for the Blue-and-Gold in both of his years at Mass. Maritime, balancing the course load of a marine engineering degree with aplomb, as he also has a 3.75 GPA through three terms. O'Brien has appeared in nine games in both this season and last, scoring four times and putting two-thirds of his shots past opposing goalkeepers.

Galion joined the squad this season, his third year at MMA, and has accumulated a 3.68 GPA while also studying marine engineering. The defender has appeared in three games for the Buccaneers in 2018.

"Benjamin is on the team because he is a superb communicator," explained Head Coach Rick Bagby. "I tell all the players to listen him whether he is in a game or during practice. He is a smart guy."

"All three of these students are smart guys, but they work really hard, and that is the difference," noted Bagby.

Honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2017 fall semester, achieved second year academic status at his institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season. These criteria are among the most academically rigorous in the country, leaving a further 10 Buccaneers just shy of selection.

The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference consists of 11 highly selective institutions committed to academic excellence: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is an Associate Member in the sport of men's lacrosse.

Gabriel Fidler, Staff Associate, with copy from Taylor Teixeira, NEWMAC SID

2018 NEWMAC Men's Lacrosse Academic All-Conference