SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College graduate student A Xavier Michaud (Wales, Maine) has been selected to play in the 2024 New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) East-West Senior All-Star Game, which will be held Friday, June 7th.
The Monks will also be represented on the sideline, as SJC Associate Head Coach Matt Gilbert has been tabbed for the third straight year to help skipper the East Team along with assistant coaches Kyle LaForge (Lasell) and George Diantgikis (Bentley).
Forty-six players from Divisions 1, 2 & 3 will compete in this year's All-Star Game, which will be played at 7:00 PM at Bayside Field on the campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Players and coaches should be at the field by 6:15 PM.
Michaud a third Team All-GNAC honoree for the second consecutive season after scoring 57 goals with 63 total points and 24 ground balls this spring. He finished the year ranked second in the conference in goals and man-up goals (12) and was fifth in shots on goal (91), seventh in shots (135), and ninth in total points.
Michaud will be the tenth SJC player to participate in the annual NEILA All-Star Game, as he was preceded by Eli Arsenault '23, Jonathan Horgan '12, Connor Trainor '18, Liam Skinner '18, Michael Finn '19, Raymond Emery '19, Alex Osmanski '21, Brendan Martin '21, and Jason Barrett '21.
All players and coaches were nominated by the head coaches within the NEILA. Players were then ranked and selected by a committee, awarding seniors from all three NCAA Divisions who played their college career in the New England region. This all-star game is the only one of its kind, being a regional all-star game which includes players from Divisions 1, 2, and 3.
"This is a great opportunity to highlight the college careers of these young men. For many, it is one last time for them to play an organized game against such high competition. It is also a chance to compete with players you may have battled against throughout your college career," said Tim Murphy, head coach of Johnson & Wales, president of NEILA and coordinator of the East-West All-Star team selection.
The NEILA East-West game also gives assistant coaches from some of the top programs each year the opportunity to take the reins as the coaching staff of each team.
The coaches are also nominated by the head coaches who are members of the NEILA. It is a great opportunity for assistants to put their flair on the game.
This year, the West will be coached by Hunter Gervais (Clark), John Murray (Post), and Will Cullen (Saint Joseph CT).
