For the fifth time this season, Stony Brook men’s lacrosse attackman Mike Rooney took home America East Player of the Week honors as he nears 100 points on the season.
The senior accounted for four goals and three assists in Friday’s 9-8 road win against Hartford. With the win, Stony Brook was able to clinch the number two seed in the America East tournament to close out the regular season, putting an end to one of the most dominant regular seasons in Stony Brook men’s lacrosse history.
Rooney, a native of East Islip on Long Island, is one of the most decorated lacrosse players to don Stony Brook’s red, white and blue. He is the program’s career leader in points and assists, and ranks third all-time in goals.
This season has been perhaps the best of his career. He tied with Albany’s Lyle Thompson for first in the NCAA with 6.13 points per game, with 98 total in the regular season. This has helped fuel Stony Brook’s powerhouse scoring offense, which ranks sixth in Division I in goals per game with an average of 14.06.
The Seawolves will open up their playoff schedule on Thursday in the America East semifinals against Vermont. If the team wants to go deep into the conference tournament as they seek an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament, they will need nothing short of a stellar performance from their leading scorer. A top-notch postseason performance from Rooney would likely bode well for Stony Brook’s postseason odds.
