Ohio Wesleyan University freshman Wade Beckstrom (Devon, Pa./Conestoga) and the Battling Bishop coaching staff received special awards as part of the All-North Coast Athletic Conference men's lacrosse teams, it was announced today by the NCAC.

Beckstrom, an attacker, was named Newcomer of the Year and was a first-team All-NCAC choice.  Beckstrom is the third Ohio Wesleyan player in the last 5 seasons to receive the conference's Newcomer of the Year recognition and the Bishops' 14th overall Newcomer of the Year selection.

Junior long-stick midfielder Anthony Fresolone (Marblehead, Mass./Kimball Union Academy (N.H.)), junior goalkeeper Nathan George (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield), freshman midfielder Henry Ross (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mount Si), and junior defenseman Wes Silver (Newton, Mass./Newton North) were first-team All-NCAC selections; senior short-stick defensive midfielder Ethan Shaw (Woodland Park, N.J./Passaic Valley), sophomore midfielder Garrett Smith (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern), and junior defenseman Christian Wolter (New Canaan, Conn.) were second-team all-conference picks; and junior attacker Carson Geier (Milford) was a third-team all-league choice.

Beckstrom led the Bishops with 44 goals and 63 points on the season, with the 44 goals and 63 points ranking fifth and sixth in the conference respectively.

Fresolone, George, Silver, Shaw, and Wolter were part of a defensive unit that has allowed the fewest goals in the NCAC (126) and leads the league and ranks 14th in NCAA Division III in goals-against average (7.88) this season.  Individually, George leads NCAC starting goalkeepers with an 8.72 goals-against average and ranks second in the conference in saves percentage (.554), while Silver ranks fifth in the league in caused turnovers (42).  George was a third-team all-conference choice in 2023, and Silver was a second-team all-league pick in 2023 and an honorable mention all-conference choice in 2022.

Ross was third on the team and led Bishop midfielders with 23 goals and tied for second on the team with 38 points.

Smith compiled 18 goals and 6 assists on the season.  He was a second-team all-league pick in 2023.

Geier ranked second on the team with 31 goals, and his 37 points was fourth on the team.

The Ohio Wesleyan staff of head coach Mike Plantholt, and assistant coaches Nico Barnes and Matt Rice was named NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.  This is the third time that Plantholt has received the conference's coaching honor and the 15th time that Ohio Wesleyan has been so recognized.

Ohio Wesleyan finished the season with an 11-5 overall record.  The Battling Bishops finished second in the NCAC championship race with a 7-1 mark.