Spallina, Berkman, Murphy are USA Lacrosse Men's Players of the Week
This season, USA Lacrosse will celebrate the accomplishments of players across Divisions I, II and III each Tuesday with Player of the Week recognition.
Players of the Week are selected by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors based on a variety of factors, including individual performance and impact on team success.
DIVISION I
Joey Spallina, Syracuse
Joey Spallina earns this recognition after a 10-point outing in a win over Manhattan. The latest Syracuse No. 22 became the first Orange player to have a 10-point game since another No. 22, Ryan Powell, in March 2000.
His overall production in a 2-0 week for the Orange was eye-popping. He had four goals and five assists against Colgate and three goals and seven assists against Manhattan, giving him 19 points for the week.
DIVISION II
Mikey Berkman, Rollins
Rollins has come out of the gate red hot, and Mikey Berkman’s season debut against Barton was the personification of that heat. Rollins put up 18 goals, and Berkman was part of 10 of them, scoring five and assisting five others.
Rollins started the second half with a 6-0 run, and Berkman either scored or assisted five of those goals, part of an 8-1 third quarter. For all that usage, Berkman took care of the rock. He committed just one turnover on the day. The Syracuse transfer has been one of the most dynamic players in all of Division II early on.
DIVISION III
Luke Murphy, RPI
The graduate student returned to the field with the exuberance of a wide-eyed freshman in RPI’s opener, an upset win over York that pushed RPI into the USA Lacrosse Top 20.
Murphy’s four goals led the Engineers to a 9-8 win over the Spartans in one of the only games that really upended the ranks. The Liberty League is officially on Murphy watch.
Players of the Week
The New 22
Joey Spallina became the first Syracuse player to record 10 points in a game since another No. 22, Ryan Powell, in March 2000.
Best of Berkman
Mikey Berkman posted five goals and five assists for Rollins, which has started the 2024 season on fire — in large part because of players like Berkman.
Lucky Luke
RPI jumped into the USA Lacrosse Division III Top 20 on the back of Luke Murphy, who propelled the Engineers to a win over York with four goals.
Kenny DeJohn
Kenny DeJohn has been the Digital Content Editor at USA Lacrosse since 2019. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.