The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) released its annual All SUNYAC men's lacrosse team for 2023 Thursday. For the first time in the four-year history of the SUNY New Paltz men's lacrosse program, two Hawks were named to the All-SUNYAC squad. Juniors Matt Brignati and Ryan Steinhart become the team's initial entries into the SUNYAC all conference line up.

Picked to finish dead last in the 2023 SUNYAC men's lacrosse pre-season poll, SUNY New Paltz surprised the skeptics by finishing fourth in the SUNYAC standings, landing its first ever spot in the SUNYAC men's lacrosse tournament. Though bested by eventual champion Geneseo, the Hawks' improvement over their past performances showed with the team landing in the top five of every conference statistical category in 2023.

"We would not of made the tournament without those two guys," said SUNY New Paltz coach Dylan Neisler. "The style that we chose to play is in part due to how good those two guys are. We were a possession based that "bled" out of possessions and games due to the fact Briggs would consistently win draws and give us additional opportunities. Our defense was built to give up low angle shots that Steiny could see and save. If Steiny wasn't the player that he is we would of had to be more aggressive and take chances on the defensive end."
 
To see the complete 2023 All SUNYAC men's lacrosse squad, click here.

Continue reading to view SUNY New Paltz's 2023 All-SUNYAC selections:

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Second Team:

Matt Brignati (junior, midfield/faceoff specialist)
East Northport, NY/Elwood-John H. Glenn HS

Brignati blossomed into one of the premier faceoff specialists in SUNYAC this season which earned him his first ever All SUYAC selection at FOS. Playing in all seven conference games he was third in face offs winning 87 of 263 chances; overall he stands second in the SUNYAC with 172-306 faceoffs won. He also contributed a team leading 75 ground balls overall, with a team leading 42 in SUNYAC play. He had a season high 13 ground balls against Plattsburgh.

Brignati really showed how good he is in the circle against one of the best faceoff specialists in the region in first-team selection BB Syrop of Geneseo. In the regular season matchup, Brignati came up with 13 faceoff wins and he grinded to win 11 in the semifinal matchup.

"Briggs is the second-best FO guy in the conference and as he continues to grow in technique, he could be the best next year," Neisler said. "Geneseo's kid was special this year and, in the semis, Briggs and coach Jeff [Struzzieri] had a plan to counter him and essentially turned the X from a Geneseo strength into a toss-up."
 
 
Ryan Steinhart (junior, goalie)
Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge HS

Steinhart stood tall in goal for the Hawks, establishing himself as one of the best in the conference.

He helped lead the program to a record eight wins overall and four important SUNYAC victories for the first winning season in Hawks men's lacrosse history. In goal for all 14 games and all seven SUNYAC matches, Steinhart totaled 730.43 minutes and 409.07 minutes respectively. His 409.07 SUNYAC minutes landed him third among all conference goalies. He finished the season ranked second among SUNYAC goalies with 207 saves, third in save percentage at 60.3 percent and fifth in goals against (136) and goals against average (11.17). His 25 saves against Cortland was a career high.
 
Steinhart was recognized as a SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Week twice and holds the only 20-plus save performances in the program's inception, eclipsing that mark three times throughout the year.
 
"Steiny came a long way over the course of the year when it came to the mental side of his game," Neisler said. "He learned how to lead from the cage out and communicate with his teammates. He was more active in conversations of where he felt comfortable from shots coming from, but what makes him special is he is a gamer. He craves the big moments and embraces them. He wants to be in the cage and relied upon in the biggest moments."
 
 
SUNYAC All-Tournament Team
 
Ethan Scully (sophomore, midfield)
Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore HS
 
Having a break-out second season after being moved from mainly a faceoff specialist to a first-line offensive midfielder under Neisler, Scully was one the most dangerous weapons offensively for the Hawks. He started all 15 games and finished the year with 28 points, scoring 11 goals and dishing out 17 assists. In a tough lopsided loss in the semifinal against the Knights, Scully was a bright spot, taking on defenders double his size, he stepped up wanting the ball in his stick and came away with two of the team's three goals scored on the day en route to becoming the program's first ever SUNYAC All-Tournament team selection.
 
"E is a special player and considering he went from being a FO guy to first- line midfielder it speaks to his growth as a player," Neisler said. "He was a big-time initiator for us all year and its awesome he received some recognition for it. We expect big things for him in the years to come."
 
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