Huntington Grad in NCCA Lax Finals
Brian Ruggiero has played two years of college lacrosse and he's reached the NCAA championship game twice. The 2009 Huntington High School grad played in 17 games this spring for Tufts University, including a 19-7 loss to Salisbury University for the national title this past Monday.
Mr. Ruggiero, who wears uniform number 43, is a reserve midfielder for Tufts, which won the 2010 NCAA Division III crown. The 5'11, 184 lb. Blue Devil alum took four shots this spring, including two on goal, picked up five ground balls and won three-of-five face-offs. Tufts finished the season with a record of 18-3, including 12-0 at home.
Against Salisbury, Mr. Ruggiero played before a crowd of 18,086 in Baltimore. He is enrolled in Tufts' pre-med program and is majoring in biology. A few weeks ago, Tufts topped Middlebury College for the New England Small College Athletic Assn. championship, 13-12 in overtime.
At Huntington High School, Mr. Ruggiero participated in football, winter track and lacrosse and earned a litany of honors, including a National Football Foundation Golden 11 Scholar Athlete Award. He served as an inspirational team captain and was garnered all-county and all-division recognition. He even earned a spot on Suffolk's all-academic football team.