Flaherty Earns First Career NEAC Weekly Award

GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – Senior Michael Flaherty (Rochester, N.Y.) of the Wells College men's lacrosse team earned North Eastern Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Flaherty, a team co-captain, helped the Express to a 1-1 week in his final two career contests. 

Across the two-game span, Flaherty posted seven ground balls and six caused turnovers in a pair of conference games – he began his strong week with caused two turnovers and picked up a ground ball against the reigning NEAC champion Mustangs from Morrisville State College on Wednesday. 

On Saturday, Flaherty and the Express picked up a thrilling 11-9 victory over SUNY Cobleskill. Flaherty singlehandedly recorded four caused turnovers and picked up six ground balls, leading the team in both statistics, to help his team end the year on a high note. He finished up his senior campaign with the fourth-most caused turnovers in the NEAC (29). 

Flaherty, who joined the team as a freshman in 2013, graduates this spring as the team's unofficial leader in minutes played (2,908) and his 52 games played ties the all-time program record. His 61 career caused turnovers is the second-most all time. 

Flaherty is a two-time Express Award winner and secured his team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player at Monday's Athletics Awards Banquet. This afternoon's announcement marks the first time Flaherty has earned a weekly award from the conference.