Central Islip, NY – (5/11/2012) – With the conclusion of the 2012 regular season, the East Coast Conference's (ECC) head coaches have selected the league's All-Conference Team and annual individual award winners. Chestnut Hill College's sophomore attack Mike Melnychenko (St. Catharines, Ontario) and junior midfielder Mike Duddy (Toms River, NJ) were recognized with Second Team and Honorable Mention status, respectively.
 
League-league, Mercyhurst College was well represented with the ECC Player of the Year, senior midfielder Greg Bensman (West Seneca, NY), who also took Defensive Player of the Year honors while Laker Head Coach Chris Ryan was named the ECC Coach of the Year. Bensman continued an impressive career in 2012, leading a Laker defense that allowed the second fewest goals-per-game (5.15) in the nation. In 13 games, Bensman totaled 26 caused turnovers and recovered 35 ground balls. He also recorded two goals and an assist this season. Under Coach Ryan, the Lakers topped the ECC standings with a perfect 10-0 league performance. They finished 13-0 overall and held the top spot in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II Coaches' Poll for the duration of the 2012 season. The Lakers will look to defend their 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship as they host #4 Dowling College in a 2:00 p.m. NCAA Semifinal contest on Saturday, May 19.
 
The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) claimed the remaining annual awards with senior goalkeeper Billy McGee (Rocky Point, NY) taking ECC Goalkeeper of the Year honors and freshman attack Luke Miller (Mastic, NY) earning the league's Rookie of the Year award. McGee posted a 12-3 record for the Bears while recording 155 saves with a 6.10 goal-against-average (GAA) an NCAA Division II leading .643 save percentage. Miller was a five-time ECC Rookie of the Week accumulating 44 points, 17 goals and 27 assists, in only 12 games.
 
Representing Chestnut Hill College (8-6, 5-5), Melnychenko returns to the All-ECC Team as a Second Team honoree in his sophomore season while Duddy received an Honorable Mention in his first season with the Griffins. Melnychenko finished the season as the ECC's third leading scorer with a team-high 36 goals and he added 12 assists to rank fourth in the league for points with 48. He also recorded 25 ground balls and ten caused turnovers while earning the ECC Player of the Week award on March 13 and two mentions on the ECC Weekly Honor Roll (5/2 and 5/8).

Duddy finished the year as the Griffins third leading scorer with 21 points on 18 goals and three assists. He scored game-winning-goals in victories over Mercy College, 7-6 (3OT) on February 25, Wheeling Jesuit University, 10-9 on March 24, and Molloy College, 13-4, on April 24; He was mentioned on the ECC Week Six Honor Roll after his game-winning, three-goal performance against the Cardinals. Additionally, Duddy totaled 23 ground balls and caused five turnovers.