Phillylacrosse.com, posted 12/20/21 – From Press Release
Following an NCAA record-breaking junior season, Lehigh men’s lacrosse All-American faceoff specialist Mike Sisselberger (Southern Lehigh) is on the cover of the January issue of USA Lacrosse Magazine, as unveiled by the publication on Monday.
The cover reads “Bethlehem Steel” and “Legend of the Lehigh Valley.” Sisselberger was also named a USA Lacrosse Magazine preseason first team All-American on Monday.
The full story on USA Magazine’s D1 All-America picks.
Sisselberger’s cover photo was taken at the historic SteelStacks in Bethlehem, just a stone’s throw from Lehigh’s campus. Sisselberger is a Lehigh Valley native, from Center Valley, Pa. and Southern Lehigh High School.
The January issue marks the first installment of a two-part 2022 NCAA Lacrosse preview, and will be coming to USA Lacrosse members nationwide this week.
Sisselberger finished his junior season with the best faceoff winning percentage for a season in NCAA Division I lacrosse history. Following a 15-of-19 effort in the NCAA Tournament vs. Rutgers, he finished his season at 79.5 percent (225-of-283) – breaking the previous mark of 79.1 held by Albany’s TD Ierlan in 2018. Sisselberger also finished the season with 160 groundballs, a new program and Patriot League record, especially impressive after a shorter season than usual (12 games played in 2021).
Sisselberger collected double-figure groundballs in 11 of those contests while offensively, he added four goals and two assists. He was named the Patriot League’s Faceoff Specialist of the Year and is the only men’s lacrosse student-athlete from the league named a first team postseason All-American. Sisselberger was the Mountain Hawks’ second straight faceoff specialist named an All-American (along with Conor Gaffner, an honorable mention USILA and Media All-American in 2019).
Also on the first team is Loyola senior (grad student) LSM Ryan McNulty (Bishop Shanahan). McNulty is a rare four-time team co-captain and enters the 2022 season ranked seventh all-time at Loyola with 70 career caused turnovers and 13th with 191 ground balls.
In 2021 he earned USILA, Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Second-Team recognition and was named to the All-Patriot League First Team and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He finished third on the team with 46 ground balls and tied for second with 19 caused turnovers. Overall, he is a two-time All-American.
USA LACROSSE MAGAZINE D-I MEN’S
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
FIRST TEAM
A — Chris Gray, North Carolina
A — Pat Kavanagh, Notre Dame
A — Connor Shellenberger, Virginia
M — Sam Handley, Penn
M — Jack Hannah, Denver
M — Nakeie Montgomery, Duke
D — Will Bowen, Georgetown
D — Brett Makar, Maryland
D — Marcus Hudgins, Army
FO — Mike Sisselberger (Southern Lehigh), Lehigh
LSM — Ryan McNulty (Bishop Shanahan), Loyola
SSDM — Connor Maher, North Carolina
G — Owen McElroy, Georgetown
SECOND TEAM
A — Matt Moore (Garnet Valley), Virginia
A — Brennan O’Neill, Duke
A — Logan Wisnauskas, Maryland
M — Graham Bundy, Georgetown
M — Tucker Dordevic, Syracuse
M — Kyle Long (Springfield-Delco), Maryland
D — George Baughan (Springfield-Montco), Princeton
D — Chris Fake (Hun School), Yale
D — Gibson Smith, Georgetown
FO — Petey LaSalla, Virginia
LSM — Tyler Carpenter, Duke
SSDM — Roman Puglise, Maryland
G — Liam Entenmann, Notre Dame
THIRD TEAM
A — Matt Brandau, Yale
A — Brendan Nichtern, Army
A — Asher Nolting, High Point
M — Matt Campbell, Virginia
M — Brendan Curry, Syracuse
M — Jonathan Donville, Maryland
D — Arden Cohen, Notre Dame
D — Owen Grant, Delaware
D — Cam Wyers, Loyola
FO — Zach Cole (Lenape), St. Joseph’s
LSM — Ethan Rall, Rutgers
SSDM — Ryan Hallenbeck, Notre Dame
G — Colin Kirst, Rutgers
