Spike Malangone '09, Grayson Connors '08 and Russ Follansbee '09 Make 1st-Team All-NESCAC
Defender Spike Malangone '09 (#1, main photo), who led the squad in ground balls with 81 and ranked third in the NESCAC through games of May 5, was one of two Cardinals to repeat as a first team all-NESCAC choice this season following Wesleyan's 10-5 campaign and sixth-straight appearance in the NESCAC semi-finals. Joining Malangone as a two-time first-team pick was attackman Russ Follansbee '09 (#15, photo insert lower right). Follansbee ranked second in the conference in scoring, averaging 3.47 points a game, while leading the team and ranking second in the league in assists with 27. Over his three seasons, Follansbee has amassed 129 points on 67 goals and 62 assists, placing him in a tie for 13th on the career scoring list. Ranking sixth in career scoring with 157 points over his four years and fourth in career goals with 125 is Grayson Connors '08 (#21, photo insert upper left). He, too, was a first-team NESCAC honoree this season as he led the team and the NESCAC in goals (43) and points (52) through games of the NESCAC tournament. Posting its ninth straight winning season and at least tying for the Little Three title each of those nine years, Wesleyan came up a little short of its goal to play in a fourth straight NCAA Division III tournament. Wesleyan reached the national semi-final game in both 2006 and 2007. The team will graduate Connors as well as two seasoned offensive middies (Chris Jasinski '08 and Alex Kaufman '08), its top faceoff man (Bobby Goulding '08) and a steady defensive starter (Zach Librizzi '08) but otherwise has a vast majority of its consequential players returning for another shot at a NESCAC title and NCAA tournament bid in 2009. (all photos courtesy of Tony Pratt P'10).
