Powell Earns USILA Player of the Year and Attackman of the Year Awards
6/14/2004 3:32:13 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, NY -- Senior Michael Powell (West Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) earned two prestigious awards at the 2004 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American Banquet, sponsored by STX and Geico, on Friday, June 11, at the Clarion Riverside Hotel in Rochester. He received the Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the Player of the Year and earned the Jack Turnbull Award (Attackman of the Year) for the fourth consecutive season.
Powell is the first four-time Turnbull winner in the history of the USILA's Division I Attackman of the Year award since it began in 1946. He is the seventh Orange player to win it. Syracuse University and the Powell family have boasted the nation's top attackman for six of the past seven years. Casey Powell won the award in 1998. Ryan Powell was the recipient in 2000, while Michael took the trophy home in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Tim Nelson (1983-85), John Zulberti (1988, 1989), Greg Burns (1990) and Matt Riter (1993) were the other Orange attackmen honored with the Turnbull.
It was the first time Powell won the Enners Award. He is one of five SU standouts who have been named Player of the Year by the USILA. The others are Brad Kotz (1983), Gary Gait (1988, 1990), Casey Powell (1997, 1998) and Ryan Powell (2000).
Michael Powell capped off his stellar collegiate career by helping the Orange to its ninth NCAA Championship in 2004. He led the team in scoring each of his four years and tallied a career-high 89 points (47 goals, 42 assists) his senior year. He became SU's all-time leading scorer with 307 points and was named first-team All-American for the fourth season, the only Orange player in school history to do so and only the fourth player in lacrosse history to do so, along with Douglas Turnbull (Johns Hopkins, 1922-25), Frank Urso (Maryland, 1973-76) and Del Dressel (Johns Hopkins 1983-86).
In the championship game against Navy, Powell had a goal and five assists and was named the NCAA Most Outstanding Player for the second time in his career. He also won it in 2002 when he helped the Orange to its eighth NCAA title.
Added to his impressive resume included this year's Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the nation's top player by the University Club of Washington, D.C. He was a Tewaaraton finalist each of his four years and won the award in 2002 and 2004.
Powell helped the North squad win the 63rd annual North/South Classic at Nazareth College on June 12, along with SU teammates Sean Lindsay and Steve Vallone. The North defeated the South, 15-10. Powell scored two goals.
Maryland's Lee Zink, twin brother of SU senior attackman Alex Zink was awarded the Schmeisser Memorial Cup as the nation's top defenseman at the USILA Awards Banquet. Johns Hopkins' Kyle Harrison was named Midfielder of the Year and Matt Russell of Navy was Goalie of the Year. Navy head coach Richie Meade was voted Coach of the Year with the Morris Touchstone Award.
The Syracuse lacrosse team won its last seven games to finish with a 15-2 record in 2004. It was SU's third NCAA championship in the past five years.
