Joseph Weinburgh ’28, Austin English ’26, Luke Rusterucci ’25, Damian Levin ’25, and Dayton Bagwell ’27 received back-to-back Northeast Conference weekly honors for their recent performances against Cleveland State and Mercyhurst.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.
In back-to-back weeks of impressive performances, five VMI lacrosse players have received Northeast Conference honors for their outstanding contributions on the field.
On March 31, 2025, following a strong showing against Cleveland State, Damian Levin ’25, goalie, and Dayton Bagwell ’27, attackman, were named NEC Prime Performers. Levin continues his historic campaign, backstopping VMI to an 11-9 win over the Vikings with 15 saves and a 62.5 % save percentage. He is currently ranked fourth in the nation in save percentage. Bagwell contributed to the victory with a hat trick, including the game-winning goal late in the third quarter. He is currently fourth in the nation in goals scored, with 34 on the season. The win marked VMI’s eighth victory of the season as the Keydets continue to improve, increasing their win total for a fifth consecutive year.
A week earlier, following their performance against Mercyhurst to lift VMI to its first-ever Northeast Conference victory, a trio of Keydets received NEC weekly honors announced by the league March 24. Joseph Weinburgh ’28, faceoff specialist, was named the NEC Rookie of the Week and a Prime Performer, while Austin English ’26 and Luke Rusterucci ’25 achieved Prime Performer status after VMI toppled the Lakers by an 18-12 score at Drill Field #2.
Weinburgh had a tremendous day at the faceoff, going 14 of 22, securing 64% of the possessions in VMI’s win. The 14 individual wins tie a season high, and he also added eight ground balls throughout the contest. Rusterucci led the VMI offense with five goals and one assist performance in the win as he continues to lead the No. 1-ranked offense in the nation. His five goals were the third most in a single conference game in program history, and he now has 116 goals for his career as he surpassed Joe Brockman ’96, former Keydet, for the No. 3 spot on the all-time goals list. English had four goals and one assist during the win, which marked VMI’s first NEC victory as a new member of the league this season. His four goals were the second highest on the team behind Rusterucci’s five. English also logged eight shot attempts and totaled four ground balls.
These recognitions highlight VMI’s continued rise in the NEC, as the Keydets make history and establish themselves as a competitive force in conference play.
Editor’s Note: These articles were first published on vmikeydets.com.
