Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/16/09
Marist College rising senior Matt Francis (North Penn) enjoyed a standout junior year both on the field and in the classroom in 2009.
Francis finished the season seventh in the nation in Division I in face-off percentage (.576) and fifth in ground balls per game (6.46). He also earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic honors for the second straight year.
Francis, majoring in Biomedical Sciences, played in all 13 games for the Red Foxes (4-9) in 2009 and won 136 of 236 face-offs. He scooped 84 groundballs and scored twice.
As a sophomore, he had five goals as a reserve midfielder who played regularly.
At North Penn, Francis played four years of lacrosse, two years of football and one year of basketball. As a senior in lacrosse, was named a Suburban One MVP and an Academic All-American while leading the Knights to a 14-7 season and a divisional championship as well as a spot in the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association playoffs.
In junior and senior years, he was team captain, a First Team All-League selection and a two-time team MVP. Francis was named to the National Honor Society, and won the James B. Crawford Sr. Award for the Senior Letter-winner with the highest scholastic average.
