Lacrosse Garners Individual Region 3 Accolades
CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, May 5, 2023
The Hudson Valley Community College men's lacrosse program had five individuals recognized on the 2023 NJCAA All-Region teams as voted on by the Region 3 lacrosse coaches.
Bill DiDonna was named All-Region Second Team following a great season at the midfielder position. DiDonna accumulated 38 points, which ranked second on the team and 26 goals. He has seen time as a face-off specialist throughout the year, winning 16-of-23 attempts and he has assisted on defense. DiDonna is an all-around player with the capability to score in bunches and give an extra pass to his team.
A pair of defenders were also named to the All-Region team as Chris MacDonald and Willis Bickford earned third team honors. MacDonald, now a two-time All-Region performer, is one of the best defenders in the Region. He leads the NJCAA with 33 caused turnovers and has consistently pulled the defensive assignment against the opponent's top scorers. MacDonald also grabbed a team-best 66 ground balls, which ranks third overall in Region 3 and sixth in the NJCAA.
Bickford was awarded the All-Region Third Team as a long stick midfielder. Bickford has been a constant force for the Vikings over the last two seasons. He has made his presence known on the offensive and defensive side of the game. This year, he has scored eight goals and accumulated 51 ground balls and caused 19 turnovers.
Caleb Dyer is the only freshman on the team to earn All-Region accolades for the Vikings following a great start to his Vikings career. Dyer became the primary face-off specialist and played a vital role in the offense, accumulating 16 points and collected 79 ground balls, which ranked fourth in the NJCAA.
In his fourth season at the helm of the men's lacrosse program, head coach Rich Aberle was voted co-coach of the year by his Region 3 peers. Coach Aberle led the Vikings to a 6-5 record in 2023, the program's first season above .500 since 2019, earning a spot in the Region 3 Championship game against top-seeded Onondaga.