COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's lacrosse May graduates Owen Balfour (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) and Benjamin Riggs (Plainville, Mass./King Philip Regional) were named New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) All-Academic on Thursday following their final season of college play. Twenty-eight Purple Knights have now been recognized with the accolade in the past 12 years.
 
The duo keyed the Purple and Gold's first NCAA Championship berth this past spring. A captain, Riggs notched 20 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and a pair of goals from his spot as a short-stick defensive midfielder. He graduated with a 3.82 cumulative grade-point average as a business administration major. Balfour broke out for a career year on the attack, registering 19 goals and seven assists while starting the final 11 games. Also a business administration major, Balfour completed his undergraduate career with a 3.84 GPA.
 
In order to be selected for NEILA All-Academic, student-athletes must have had senior or graduate student standing, have posted a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be a significant contributor on the field.