Hockey and Lacrosse Garner Six CSC Academic All-District Honors

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Six Union College student-athletes from the men’s hockey and men’s lacrosse teams were recognized for their work in competition and in the classroom with spots on the 2024 CSC Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators and announced last week.

Senior Ben Tupker and sophomores Brandon Buhr and Kyle Chauvette of the men’s hockey team picked up Division I At-Large recognition, while seniors Peter Kip, Matthew Paolatto and Jack Thompson from the men’s lacrosse team earned Division III At-Large laurels.

 

Unlike most sport-specific categories, the At-Large program is arguably the most competitive Academic All-District program, encompassing 10 different men’s sports: fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

 

To be nominated for College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must reach a minimum participation threshold (varies by sport), maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, and reach sophomore athletic and academic standing at the school. All Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, the results of which will be announced next month.

 

The men’s lacrosse team had a pair of repeat honorees in Paolatto and Thompson. Paolatto was named the USILA Faceoff Person of the Year and a first-team All-American as well as Union’s William B. Jaffe ’25 Award winner after the economics major won 71.7 percent of his faceoffs to rank third in Division III this season. Thompson was a starter for the third straight year on defense for the nationally ranked Union defense, with the managerial economics major grabbing 24 ground balls and causing nine turnovers. They were joined on the team for the first time by Kip, an environmental policy major who earned a second straight USILA All-America honorable mention after scoring a team-leading 46 goals with 23 assists for 69 points.

 

The men’s hockey team had a trio of first-time selections as well. Tupker captained the Garnet Chargers during his final season and recorded a career-high 19 points (nine goals, 10…