Butler's Steve Forsythe Earns First-Team GWLL Honors

May 10, 2005

Junior captain Steve Forsythe earned first-team "All-Great Western Lacrosse League" honors, while teammates Gary Gambarani, Nick Vosburgh and Cliff Smith pulled in second-team accolades, the GWLL announced Tuesday (May 10). The four Bulldogs to receive postseason honors are one better than GWLL champion Fairfield and trailed only Notre Dame, which had five players represented. The six GWLL head coaches voted on the postseason awards.

Forsythe has started every contest over the last two seasons, consistently marking the opponent's best offensive player. Coach Stan Ross tabbed Forsythe as a team co-captain prior to the season and the junior lived up to expectations, anchoring the Butler defense and finishing the campaign with 30 ground balls, good for fourth on the team.

Gambarani joined Forsythe in the starting line-up for all 12 games and finished third on the team in ground balls with 32. Gambarani led the team with 18 ground balls in the team's five GWLL contests.

Vosburgh and Smith were two of the Bulldogs' exciting freshmen to see action in 2005. Vosburgh led the Bulldogs in points (30) and assists (12) and finished tied for second on the team in goals with 18. The Mountain Lakes, N.J., product had a career-high five goals and six points in the team's game against GWLL opponent Air Force April 24. He also scored the overtime clincher in the team's win over Fairfield to close out the 2005 season.

Smith tied Vosburgh for second on the team in goals with 18 (three behind fellow rookie Grant Albertson). The Canadian added eight assists for 26 points, good for third on the Butler roster. Smith won the game against Quinnipiac on March 16 in overtime with his fourth goal of the game in the 12-11 win.

Fairfield's Greg Downing and Notre Dame's DJ Driscoll were voted the league's respective Offensive and Defensive "Players of the Year." Justin Pavoni of Air Force was recognized as the "Goalie of the Year," while Notre Dame netminder Joey Kemp earned "Rookie of the Year" honors.

Butler finished the season by knocking off eventual GWLL champion Fairfield in overtime in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs closed the campaign with a record of 5-7 and returns everyone on the roster except four seniors. Those returning include all four of the players who earned GWLL postseason honors.