All-Landmark Conference Men's Lacrosse Team

TOWSON, Md. – The Drew University men's lacrosse team has earned four All-Landmark Conference selections while capturing a pair of major awards, it was announced on Wednesday with the release of the all-conference team.
 
Freshman faceoff specialist Jake Rainero earned a spot on the All-Landmark Conference First Team, and he was also selected as the Rookie of the Year. Senior midfielder Luke Bruther and senior attackman Mike DeMayo captured second-team all-conference status, and sophomore goalie Joe Barnish garnered honorable mention recognition.
 
In addition, Head Coach Dan Leidl C'97 and his staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year, marking the first time Drew won the award since Tom Leanos earned it in his final season at The Forest in 2017. Leidl and his staff guided the Rangers to their second consecutive appearance in the Landmark Conference Championship, the program's first back-to-back appearances in a conference tournament since reaching the Middle Atlantic Conference or Landmark Conference postseason six years in a row from 2005-10. The team posted a 10-7 record after finishing 10-8 a year ago, marking the first time since 1998 through 2000 that the team recorded double-digit victories in consecutive seasons. Drew also finished 6-3 in Landmark Conference play, good for third place in the conference standings, which earned the Rangers their first postseason home game since 2012. It also marked the most Landmark victories in team history and the highest conference victory total since the 2007 squad went 7-3 in Middle Atlantic Conference play.
 
Rainero, Drew's first Rookie of the Year since 2017, posted a tremendous showing at the X this season, where he won an incredible 74.8 (305-for-408) of his attempts while picking up 209 ground balls. In addition, he contributed 11 points on six goals and five assists. He currently leads Division III in faceoffs won and ranks third in faceoff winning percentage and ground balls per game (12.29). He was a four-time Landmark Conference Offensive Athlete of the Week pick, and he was also a two-time selection to the USILA Division III Team of the Week. Rainero posted his most impressive performance in the team's regular-season finale in a Landmark Conference victory at Juniata, finishing 31-for-35 on faceoffs while picking up an NCAA Division III-record-tying 31 ground balls. He also won 20 or more faceoffs in four additional games, including a perfect 20-for-20 showing in a victory at Wilkes in which he became just the 30th player in NCAA Division III history to win at least 20 faceoffs without a loss. For the year, Rainero set Landmark Conference single-season records for both faceoffs won and ground balls.
 
Bruther appeared in all 17 games for the Rangers and enjoyed a triumphant return just one year after missing the entire season with an injury. He finished second on the team in points with 43 on 29 goals and 14 assists. He scored a season-high five goals in a Landmark Conference victory versus Lycoming, and he also netted four goals in the win over Wilkes. In addition, he fired in the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Rangers a 10-9 win over Immaculata in the first round of the Leanos Cup. For his career, Bruther finished with 70 points on 48 goals and 22 assists.
 
DeMayo also capped a tremendous career with a stellar senior campaign, leading the Rangers in goals (46), assists (40), and points (86), finishing 10th (tied) in school history in goals, third in assists, and third in points. Among the Landmark Conference leaders, he currently ranks third in points per game (5.06), fifth in goals per game (2.71), and seventh in assists per game (2.35). He scored a career-high 10 points in the team's season opener with six goals and four assists, posted nine points on three goals and six assists in the victory over Juniata, and netted eight points on four goals and four assists in a Landmark Conference win over Moravian.
 
For his career, DeMayo piled up 260 points on 152 goals and 108 assists. He broke the school record for career assists in his next-to-last game while becoming just the second Ranger to exceed 100 assists. He also finished third all-time at Drew in both goals and points.
 
In his second season as a starter, Barnish posted career-best marks for both save percentage (.561) and goals-against average (10.38). He made a career-high 18 saves in a 13-11 Landmark Conference victory over Catholic, and he posted a double-digit save total in 11 other games as well. He turned aside 16 shots in the team's regular-season matchup with Susquehanna, and he also registered 15 saves in a win over Marywood. In addition, made 14 stops at Elizabethtown and versus Susquehanna in the Landmark Conference Championship first round.