Brennan, Shafer Named Players of Month

SPARKS, Md. – After leading their teams to strong starts to the season, Clemson senior attackman Garret Brennan and Florida Gulf Coast junior goalie Grant Shafer have been named the USA Lacrosse MCLA Players of the Month in Division I and II, respectively, for February.

Brennan has been the big gun in Clemson’s march to a 7-0 record and a No. 2 ranking in the polls. The Kensington, Md., product has amassed at least five points in every single game, including five goals and an assist against No. 14 Georgia and four goals and a helper in a win over No. 6 Georgia Tech.

Combined, he has 31 goals and eight assists (5.6 ppg) while also grabbing a dozen ground balls.

“Garret is well past the time when he could ‘sneak up’ on an opponent, so as you can imagine, he has drawn each team's alpha defenseman,” said Clemson coach Buff Grubb. “And he continues to produce. Garret is one of the most creative players I've had the privilege of coaching. He's fun to watch at work.

“I think he’s really enjoying this grad year, as we have the talent on hand to absorb some of the burden he’s carried too often in earlier years. No doubt a good part of his success derives from having talented teammates to play off of, and they in turn are the beneficiaries of his talents. It's a win-win for all of us at Clemson.”

Florida Gulf Coast is off to a 4-1 start this spring and the Eagles have broached the Top 10 of the weekly poll on the back of Shafer. The New Lenox, Ill., native has been stellar, turning away 105 shots while allowing just 40 goals – a save percentage of 72.4.

Against No. 14 Missouri State, Shafer held the high-powered Bears offense to just seven goals while making 28 stops in net. Division II foes have averaged five goals per game against Florida Gulf Coast.

“Grant has been a great captain and a great leader for our team this year,” said Florida Gulf Coast coach Vinny Valentine. “With the two years off, he is taking each day as a blessing and has been absolutely outstanding so far this year.

“He lives to play lacrosse and his attitude and energy ripples through our entire team. Each save is a boost of confidence, as we know we can be in any game against any opponent we play because we have a brick wall between the pipes.”

For their efforts, both Brennan and Shafer will receive a one-year membership to USA Lacrosse, the national governing body of the sport. Membership includes on-the-field insurance coverage, discounted tickets and apparel, along with a subscription to USA Lacrosse Magazine.

USA Lacrosse Honor Roll

Division I

Will Frith, Soph., FOGO – South Carolina
Troy Hofer, Soph., Attack – Concordia-Irvine
Carson Lombardi, Sr., Attack – Santa Clara
Reed McCall, Jr., Goalie - Georgia
Stefan Mostovych, Jr., SSDM - Florida
Aidan Smith, Soph., Attack – Virginia Tech

Division II

Gunner Arens, Fr., Goalie – St. Thomas
Alexander Brown, Sr., Attack – Montana State
Casey Davies, Sr., Attack – College of Idaho
Braydan Hiebert, Soph., Midfield – MSU Denver
Drake Summers, Jr., Attack – Florida Atlantic
Cooper Williams, Fr., Attack – Utah State