Major League Lacrosse announced its 2020 season award recipients this week, and Isaiah Davis-Allen was at the top of the list. It was announced today that he received “Dave Huntley Man of the Year” accolades.
And rightfully so – Isaiah, or “IDA” as he’s well known, has been put at the forefront of a challenging situation the past several weeks which you can read more about thanks to great reporting from Matt Kinnear.
Isaiah’s vocal leadership has helped turn the league in the right direction, and we here at Lacrosse All Stars think it’s wonderful that he’s being recognized.
Please join us in congratulating IDA and the other MLL award recipients today – it’s not easy being a minority or a pro lacrosse player.
One can only hope this is the beginning of a new era where those with money in our game begin listening attentively to its true leaders. Isaiah Davis-Allen is clearly one of them, if not the best one, to lead us forward in the right direction.
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Dave Huntley Man of the Year
Isaiah Davis-Allen, captain of the Chesapeake Bayhawks, has been named the Cascade David Huntley Man of the Year for the 2020 season.
The award is named in honor of David Huntley, a former Major League Lacrosse (MLL) coach, and it recognizes the individual who has best demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, professionalism, and service to their community. It is one of the highest honors a lacrosse player can receive.
Huntley grew up in Toronto, Ontario, before being recruited to play at Johns Hopkins. He helped lead the Blue Jays to consecutive NCAA Championship wins in 1978 and 1979 and was a three-time All-American. In 1979 he won the McLaughlin Award, recognizing the top midfielder in the country. (An award MLL legends such as Gary Gait, Ryan Powell, Max Seibald, Kevin Crowley, C.J. Costabile, and 2020 David Huntley Man of the Year finalist, Zach Goodrich, have received.) Huntley also played internationally and was a member of Team Canada’s gold medal-winning 1978 World Lacrosse Championship team.
Huntley began his storied career as a professional lacrosse coach in the inaugural season of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (a predecessor of the National Lacrosse League) in 1987 when he served as the Philadelphia Wings general manager and coach. In an assistant capacity, Huntley also coached the Bayhawks, Team Canada, Loyola College in Maryland, and Calvert Hall College. As a head coach, Huntley lead NLL’s Philadelphia Wings from 2008-2010, MLL’s Toronto Nationals from 2009-2010, and MLL’s Atlanta Blaze from 2016-2017.
Huntley passed away in 2017, in 2018 Major League Lacrosse established this award in his honor. Last year’s recipient was Nick Marrocco of the Boston Cannons. Isaiah Davis-Allen is the third recipient of this award.
Isaiah’s impact in our sport continues to grow. While consistently a top player league-wide, it is Isaiah’s achievements off of the MLL field that resonate with so many. He aims to serve a purpose beyond himself, whether it’s service, coaching, or leading this sport into a more inclusive and opportunistic future. Isaiah’s leadership qualities came to the fore this year, and I would like to extend my congratulations to him for being named the 2020 David Huntley Man of the Year.
Commissioner Alexander (Sandy) Brown
Within the league, the short stick defensive midfielder continues to lead discussions on how to create new opportunities for minority players and lacrosse players of all ages and backgrounds throughout the communities MLL serves.
Outside of MLL, Davis-Allen plays as a defenseman for David Huntley’s Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. He has spent the past three years as a coach for Nation United Lacrosse, an organization that strives to support participation in lacrosse across ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic boundaries. With a desire to leave the game better than he found it, Davis-Allen also serves as a Clinic Instructor for Next Level Spartans, a lacrosse club prioritizing player development and character formation.
Getting to share a locker room with IDA for the past four years has been great. He’s dynamic in every sense of the word. Everything that he’s doing for the lacrosse community, the Maryland community, and our team is so impactful, and I don’t think there’s a better choice for this award.
Bayhawks goaltender and Maryland native Brian Phipps
Rookie of the Year
Denver Outlaws attackman Dan Bucaro has been awarded the 2020 Warrior Rookie of the Year Award in the 20th Anniversary Season of Major League Lacrosse (MLL).
Bucaro was drafted by Denver as the ninth overall pick in the 2019 MLL Collegiate draft, but was sidelined for the whole season due to an injury he suffered at Georgetown University.
Bucaro’s exemplary season helped propel Denver to their fifth straight MLL championship appearance. While the Outlaws lost to the Boston Cannons 13-10 in the championship game, he recorded three goals and one assist. In six games played, he scored 16 goals and notched three assists.
It’s a privilege to wear the Denver Outlaws jersey and to be a part of this team. It was great being able to play again and I am honored to receive this award. I couldn’t have achieved this without my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to step out onto the field again.
Dan Bucaro
Bucaro is the fourth Outlaws player in program history to win the award. He was second on the team in scoring, finishing behind Ryan Lee, who recorded 20 goals and was third in total point
Dan is incredible on and off the field. In his first year he played like a veteran. Dan was one of the most consistent and prolific players league-wide. After such a strong performance in his first season, we look forward to Dan returning next season and building on what was achieved this year.
Denver Outlaws President, Matt Bocklet
His impressive season does not come as a surprise to many. Bucaro recorded a program-record of 153 goals at Georgetown. He scored eight goals against Yale in an NCAA tournament game, which was the most goals in a single-game in Hoya history. Not only was he magnificent on the field, but he also performed in the classroom, where he earned BIG EAST All-Academic honors.
Bucaro only had two days to practice with his new team before jumping into their first game of the season, but he meshed well with his teammates and looked like he had been playing with them for years.
Dan had one of the best rookie campaigns I’ve ever witnessed. He is a momentum shifting player, he is incredibly fast and is one of the best finishers in this sport. Even as a hungry rookie, he was a team-first guy who cared about winning before individual stats. Bucaro was a huge lift to the Outlaws offense this season, and I can’t wait to play with him again next year.
Outlaws Captain, Max Adler
Goalie of the Year
Sean Sconone of the Connecticut Hammerheads has been awarded the SPDR Goalie of the Year Award for the 2020 MLL season, held at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.
Sconone has won the award for the second consecutive year. He is the sixth multiple-time winner in MLL history, joining Greg Cattrano (01, 02, 04), Brian Dougherty (03, 06, 07) Jesse Schwartzman (09, 13), Drew Adams (11, 12) and John Galloway (16, 18). Of the previous five winners, Sconone joins Cattrano as the only goalies to win the award in their first two years in the league.
Sconone was dominant this season for the Hammerheads, a team that had plenty of success in their first year. Of all goalies who appeared in more than one game, Sconone was first in save percentage at 57%.
Sean is the most dependable player on the field. He is unflappable, he sees everything, and he doesn’t let his guard down once in the 60-minutes the clock is ticking. He cares about every guy on this team and we finished this season strong in a large-part thanks to his leadership and performance.
Hammerheads midfielder, Ryan McNamara
Sconone won the award over finalists Nick Marrocco of the 2020 MLL Champion Boston Cannons and Brian Phipps of the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
Morocco played in four regular season games with a save percentage of 52%, stopping 54 of 104 possible shots. Morocco played all 60 minutes of the 2020 MLL Championship, stopping 10 of 20 shots faced in a winning effort for the Cannons. Phipps had another stellar season as a member of the Bayhawks, stopping 56 of 105 shots faced, good for a 53% save percentage.
Sconone came out of the University of Massachusetts and finished his senior season with a save percentage of 61.5% and ranked third in Division I with a 8.61 goals against average. Sconone won the C. Markland J tr. Kelly Award as the nation’s most outstanding goalie in 2019 and became the first player in the program’s history to win one of the five major awards. (Other C. Markland Jr. Kelly Award winners include Quint Kessenich, Austin Kaut and Niko Amato.) Despite having an outstanding collegiate career, Sconone went undrafted in the 2019 MLL Collegiate Draft. He was picked up by the Dallas Rattlers in June, 2019, where he immediately impacted the success of the team, earning him the 2019 Goalie of the Year award.
As a second-year player, Sean leads our team with all-pro veteran confidence, poise, and composure. He is able to command the defense in a manner to change the momentum of the game. He is a passionate player, a skilled leader and has been integral to this young Hammerheads team. Sean is well deserving of this award, and I think it will be hard for any goalie to top him in the years to come.
Hammerheads Head Coach, Bill Warder
Specialists of the Year
In the 20th anniversary season of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), we saw back and forth battles and unreal performances from many players. But three individuals stood out at their respective specialist positions.
Max Adler, Captain of the Denver Outlaws has been awarded the Aryse FO Specialist of the Year. Zach Goodrich of the Boston Cannons takes home the True SSDM of the Year. CJ Costabile of the Chesapeake Bayhawks has been awarded the Signature LSM of the Year.
Adler missed one game due to injury, won 60 faceoff draws in five games, and led the league for the second year in a row with a 62.5% win percentage at the X. He also picked up 28 ground balls, scored two goals, and notched one assist.
Adler played a huge role in leading the Outlaws to their fifth consecutive championship appearance. Although they lost 10-13 to the Cannons, Adler had his best day of the season, when he won 14-of-25 draws. He also recorded one goal and one assist.
Goodrich was every offense’s worst nightmare this season. The SSDM of the Year also won the Cascade Defensive Player of the Year Award. In six games played, Goodrich scooped up 10 ground balls, caused six turnovers, and notched one assist.
Goodrich captured a season-high three caused turnovers in the 2020 MLL Championship Game. The alternate captain’s leadership on and off the field was an integral part of Boston winning their first MLL Championship since 2011.
Costabile has been in the league since 2012, yet he’s playing at his prime. What makes Costabile so great, is that he’s so versatile. In five games played he recorded 14 ground balls, three goals, two two-pt goals, three assists, and one caused turnover.
Both of his two-pt goals were against the New York Lizards, where he also notched one assist and was named the Player of the Game. What makes Costabile a great midfielder is that there’s not much he can’t do, he also stepped in at the X for the Bayhawks and won four faceoffs.
Offensive Player of the Year
Ryan Lee of the Denver Outlaws has been named the 2020 Powell Offensive Player of the Year in the 20th anniversary season of Major League Lacrosse (MLL).
Lee and his new offense had only 48 hours to practice before they played in their first game, but Lee did not let the limited preseason affect the Outlaws performance on the field. In the first game of the 2020 season, Lee scored four goals and registered one assist to propel Denver to an 18-6 win against the Connecticut Hammerheads.
The second-year attackman out of Sharon, Ontario, was unstoppable all season in a grueling year. He led the MLL with 20 points (18 goals, two assists) in six games played. His impeccable season helped propel Denver to their fifth straight MLL Championship appearance.
Ryan played a huge role in getting us back to the championship game this year. Even though it was a tough 9-day season, Lee was incredible in every game and never took his foot off the gas. He’s an unbelievable player and an even better teammate.
John Grant Jr.
Lee is no stranger to success. He went to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he was named a captain as a senior and was one of the best to ever play for the Tigers. He is RIT’s all-time leader in points (377) and goals (237). Lee was a three-time USILA All-American honoree.
His impressive collegiate career caught the eye of Outlaws’ GM, Jon Cohen, who picked Lee up in 2019. As a rookie he only played in 11 games, but led the team with 46 points (38 goals, one 2pt goal, 7 assists) and picked up 25 ground balls. Lee is the second player in Denver program history to win the Offensive Player of the Year award.
Ryan is an outstanding goal scorer with an extremely high lacrosse IQ. He knows how to get himself and his teammates open and finds many creative ways to get the ball in the back of the net.
Denver Outlaws President, Matt Bocklet
Denver Outlaws President, Matt Bocklet
Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Goodrich, Boston
Zach Goodrich, an Assistant Captain for the 2020 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Champions the Boston Cannons, has been presented with the Maverik Defensive Player of the Year award. This award, determined by a vote among coaches across the league, recognizes the player whose defensive contributions to his team were exceptional during the season.
To win this award in a category with competitors like Michael and Ben, is a true honor.I am proud to be a part of this team. It was awesome to be able to bring a trophy back to the city of champions. I look forward to the opportunity to do it again next year.
Zach Goodrich
Goodrich finished the year with 10 ground balls, six caused turnovers and one assist across six games. The 2020 MLL season marked Goodrich’s second year in the league and with the Cannons. His leadership both on and off the field, combined with his defensive abilities, helped lead Boston to a tied league best 4-2 record and the Cannons’ first championship since 2011.
Zach is a crucial part of our team. He’s a fierce competitor. a great teammate and a locker room guy. He’s incredibly humble while being the player to take control of the game and set the pace of play. As a second year he was named an assistant captain because his teammates recognize the championship-level leadership he brings to this organization.
Head Coach Sean Quirk
Goodrich comes to MLL as a product of Towson University’s lacrosse program. While in college, he served as team captain sophomore, junior and senior year, making him the first three-time captain in program history. The Maryland native totaled 16 goals, three assists, 152 ground balls and 65 caused turnovers across 67 games as a Tiger. He now serves as the Head Lacrosse Coach at Naval Academy Preparatory School.
Goodrich is the Cannons’ second player in franchise history to have been named MLL’s Defensive Player of the Year; the first was Ryan Curtis in 2003.
Zach is such a great guy and he’s been awesome to play with these past two years.He’s always reliable and plays with so much intensity. His leadership helped us to bring home the trophy this year. I think it’s great that the league is recognizing him in this way. He deserves it.
Cannons’ Captain, Mark Cockerton
Coach of the Year: Sean Quirk, Boston
Sean Quirk, the head coach for the 2020 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Champions the Boston Cannons, has been presented with the New Balance Coach of the Year Award. Determined by a vote among coaches across the league, this award recognizes a coach’s outstanding leadership of his team during the season.
I am so honored to have been selected as MLL’s 2020 Coach of the Year. I have so much respect for all the coaches in this league. Each team presented us with intense competition and some great lacrosse. Our goal from day one was to bring the trophy back to Boston for Cannons fans and I could not be more proud of this team for all they’ve accomplished through all of the adversity this season.
Coach Quirk
Quirk, who is the longest-tenured active head coach in Major League Lacrosse, finished his fifth season with the Cannons on July 26, leading his team to Boston’s first Steinfeld Trophy since 2011 and a tied league best 4-2 record. This honor marks Quirk’s first Coach of the Year award.
Cannons captain Nick Marrocco
We are all extremely grateful for all that Coach Quirk does for us. His loyalty and belief in this team is what drives us to be our very best and ultimately led us to win the 2020 championship! He is a true leader in every sense of the word and has transformed this Boston team in the past few years. I have learned so much from him along the way. He’s truly earned all of the recognition he receives. An inspiration to all of us…and a champion!”
The Cannons headed into the 2020 Championship game as underdogs; Boston was the fourth and final seed, and the Denver Outlaws were the first. Despite this, Boston remained the only team in the 2020 season to defeat the otherwise undefeated Outlaws, taking Denver down 10-8 in the regular season and 13-10 in the championship game two days later.
After a heartbreaking 17-15 loss to Denver in the semi-finals last year, Quirk made it clear heading into the 20th Anniversary Season that his indubitable intention was to build a championship team. He expressed earlier last month that the 25-man roster was selected extremely carefully, and that he would be relying on the team’s depth, familiarity and hunger for a championship to come out on top this season, sharing that he was “excited to get after it.” That he did.
