Hank Bethel Added To Tewaaraton Award Watch List

3/7/2024 12:53:00 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. —- Graduate defender Hank Bethel has earned a historic distinction for the NJIT men's lacrosse program - being the first Highlander ever named to a Tewaaraton Award Watch List.

Bethel was named a First Round addition to the Watch List by the Tewaaraton Foundation on Thursday afternoon. The complete list includes the top players across all three divisions of NCAA lacrosse and highlights the early contenders for this year's Tewaaraton Award. The initial list was published by the organization on February 14.

The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are comprised of premier college coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.

"It is a tremendous honor for Hank to be recognized as one of the best defenders in the country by the Tewaaraton Foundation. It is also a testament to our defense as a whole and their growth under assistant coaches Jack Kearney and Bobby Russo," head coach Eric Wolf said after the announcement.

Bethel has made an immediate impact on the Highlanders in his first season in Newark. The Severna Park, Md. native leads the team and ranks second in the America East in total caused turnovers (14) and CTOs per game (2.33). He has also been named America East Defensive Player of the Week for the last two weeks running (March 4, February 26), becoming only the second NJIT player (alongside teammate Garrett Muscatella) to earn multiple America East weekly honors in the program's four-year history in the league.

As a team, NJIT ranks first in CTOs/game (10.17) and second in the league in total caused turnovers (61). In the program's historic 6-0 start, the Highlanders have held opponents to single-digit goals in half of them.

Bethel and the Highlanders return to action on Saturday, March 9 at Noon when they take on Lindenwood at home.

Men's First Round Additions
Hank Bethel, NJIT - Grad. Student, Defense
Greg Campisi, Harvard - Sr., Defense
Will Coletti, Army West Point - Jr., Face-Off
Andrew Cook, Christopher Newport - Grad. Student, Midfield
Willie Grieco, Wingate University - Grad. Student, Attack
Nathan Laliberte, Bryant - Jr., Face-Off
Brendan Lavelle, Penn - Sr., Defense
Michael Long, Cornell - Sr., Attack
Noah Manning, Denver - Jr., Attack
Brayden Mayea, High Point - Sr., Attack
AJ Mercurio, Denver - Grad. Student, Defense
Jake Morin, Army West Point - Sr., Midfield
Mason Oak, Quinnipiac University - Jr., Goalie
Evan Plunkett, Army West Point - Soph., Midfield
Scott Smith, Johns Hopkins - Sr., Defense
Josh Zawada, Duke - Grad. Student, Attack

About The Tewaaraton Foundation
Founded at the University Club of Washington, DC and first presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and USA Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse's centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Native American descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit www.tewaaraton.com.

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