ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany long-stick midfielder Jake Piseno has been named the recipient of the prestigious William C. Schmeisser Award, given by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the top defensive player in Division I men's lacrosse. It's the first time in UAlbany history that a Great Dane has earned the honor.
 
The award is named after William C. "Father Bill" Schmeisser, a men's lacrosse player and coach at Johns Hopkins in the early 1900s. He played defense for the Blue Jays from 1900-02 and served as head coach from 1907-11. The award has been presented since 1942.
 
Piseno collected his second-straight America East Defensive Player of the Year title in 2024, leading the Great Danes to their first conference title since 2018. He was named the America East Championship's Most Outstanding Player after being an absolute game-changer in games against Merrimack and Vermont, scoring three goals and collecting nine ground balls.
 
On the season, Piseno scored 13 goals and added six assists for 19 points. He recorded an outstanding 79 ground balls and finished third in the nation with 2.44 caused turnovers per game.
 
In addition, Piseno was named a First Team All-American by the USILA at LSM. This is the third time Piseno has been named a First Team All-American this season at the LSM position, also collecting accolades from USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse earlier in the year.
 
Earlier this week, Piseno was named a nominee for the conference's prestigious Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes a senior male student-athlete who has distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership.
 
In mid-April, Piseno was selected as one of 25 individuals in men's college lacrosse as a Tewaaraton Award Nominee. The Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States.
 
Piseno was drafted No. 9 overall in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) draft by the Denver Outlaws on May 5. He will begin his professional career next week right in Albany as the league opens its 2024 season at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. The Outlaws are set to take on the Carolina Chaos on June 1 starting at 1:00 p.m.
 
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's lacrosse by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMLax) and Instagram (@ualbanymlax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.