Boys' Lacrosse News

North Allegheny boys’ lacrosse player Anthony Abbondanza has been selected by the MSA Sports Network as the Pro Grass Player of the Month for the month of June. For an entire listing of the Pro Grass Players of the Month for June, click here.

Two North Allegheny defensive standouts have received both All-Section and All-WPIAL recognition this week. Juniors Greg Ferringer and Jack Kairys were named to the All-Section and All-WPIAL team as defensemen.

Ferringer is the Tigers team leader in forced errors with 95 and is amongst the top players in ground balls with 80. Kairys has tallied 44 forced errors and is second on the team in ground balls with 92. Chipping in on offense, both players have scored two goals apiece.

Ferringer and Kairys are key contributors to a North Allegheny team that won its first WPIAL championship last Friday night with a 9-7 triumph over Mt. Lebanon at Highmark Stadium. The Tigers are setting their sights on a state title and begin their trek in the PIAA playoffs this afternoon with a contest against Manheim Township, the runners-up from District 3.

Former North Allegheny Tigers and senior faceoff specialist for the Seton Hill men’s lacrosse team, Anthony Peluso, has been named preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse Magazine in their 2016 Face-off Yearbook.  Peluso was a third team selection and last season was a third team USILA All-American.

Peluso was also a first team All-ECAC selection as a specialist last season and was named to the All-ECAC Tournament team as a specialist.  Peluso won 67 percent of his faceoffs last season (204-305).  That was the fifth best percentage in Division II.  Peluso also added a goal and an assist, while posting a team high 77 ground balls.

With return of talented players like Peluso, the Griffin men’s lacrosse team was ranked seventh in the Inside Lacrosse 2016 Face-Off Yearbook preseason rankings.

Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois has named Dan Torie, a man with assistant coaching experience at three NCAA Division III institutions, to replace Kyle Hart as its head men’s lacrosse coach. Torie, who has served as the assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Franklin & Marshall since July of 2013, has become the second coach in the history of the Vikings. Torie is a member of the North Allegheny Class of 2004 and former boys’ lacrosse player for the Tigers.

“I am honored and humbled to become the head men’s lacrosse coach at Augustana,” said Torie. “I would like to thank President Bahls and Director of Athletics Mike Zapolski for this special opportunity. I believe my duty is to ensure that the lacrosse program at Augustana reflects and enhances the academic mission of the school.”

Torie has had his hand in several facets of the program at Franklin & Marshall and he helped the Diplomats to the Centennial Conference Championship game and an NCAA Division III final ranking of 18^th in 2014. In his two seasons at Franklin & Marshall, his defensive unit led the conference in caused turnovers and was in the top three in the nine-team conference in goals-against both years.

Prior to taking the position at Franklin & Marshall he was assistant coach/defensive & recruiting coordinator at Susquehanna University for three years from 2010-13. He was part of the Landmark Conference’s “Coaching Staff of the Year” in 2011 and helped the Crusaders win the Landmark in 2013. In 2013 Susquehanna earned an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance for the first time in school history.

He also served as an assistant coach at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas during the 2009-10 school year.

“Dan is an excellent fit for Augustana and our men’s lacrosse program,” said director of athletics Mike Zapolski. “We are excited to have him on board. Dan has coached at schools that are similar to Augustana. He is stepping into an excellent situation here and is eager to begin working with the team and diving into the all-important area of recruitment.”

Torie is a 2009 graduate of Susquehanna where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. He was a two-time team captain for the Crusaders and a three-year starter as a midfielder. In his senior season he led the team in ground balls and was selected as the team’s Best Defensive Player.

He will inherit a team that turned in a record of 14-5, won the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Tournament and earned the school’s first ever NCAA Division III post-season bid.

“I am eager to work with the members of the men’s lacrosse team as we strive together to achieve competitive excellence on and off the field,” said Torie.

(Story courtesy of Augustana College.)