WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

M LAX: Payton Named ACC Player of the Week

Mar 4, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Junior Sam Payton was named Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week on Tuesday morning as the midfielder won 14-of-19 face-offs to lead the second-ranked Blue Devils to a 15-7 win over third-ranked Maryland in front of 4,238 fans at Koskinen Stadium last Saturday.

Payton won a career-high 14 face-offs int he Devils' third victory of the season and first league win in 2008.

The junior, who leads Duke in ground balls for the season with 18, also secured a game-high 10 grounders in the contest.

Payton has been successful in 32-of-44 face-off attempts on the season for a .727 percentage, also a team-best.

Duke returns to action against Lehigh on Wednesday, March 5, in a contest originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 4. Face-off is set for 1 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium.