The first player in men’s lacrosse history to gain All-America honors both on the field and in the classroom, John Rubano, a native resident of nearby Bethpage, has been selected to the Eastern Connecticut State University E-Club Hall of Fame.
A member of the second team in program history in 1997, Rubano was named to the USILA All-America team and to the USILA Scholar All-America team as a senior captain in 2000 after piling up a record 48 assists and team-high 69 points in leading the Warriors to their first-ever post-season tournament win in the opening round of the ECAC New England Division III Tournament.
The 20th E-Club Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception is scheduled for Saturday, October 19 at the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center. A reception will follow the 5 p.m. ceremony. Tickets are priced at $50 and must be reserved in advance by contacting Scott Smith at 860-465-4326 or at smithsc@easternct.edu.
A 5-foot-7 inch, 160 pound midfielder, Rubano became the first of only three players in program history to record as many as 100 career assists. In a 64-match career, he totaled 80 goals and 100 assists for 180 points, marks which rank him 16th, third and eighth, respectively, in the program’s 18-year history.
With Rubano, Eastern won 29 of 30 Pilgrim League matches. The Warriors were undefeated en route to four regular-season league titles and three league playoff championships and qualified for the first two post-season tournament in their history. In all, Eastern won 55 of 65 matches with Rubano, with its 2000 total of 15 triumphs remaining a season record (later equaled twice).
Against New England opponents in the regular season, Eastern won 42 and lost only five during Rubano’s career. Of the team’s three overall losses in Rubano’s senior year, two came in overtime in post-season play and one to four-time NCAA Division II national champion New York Tech.
Rick McCarthy, Rubano’s former coach at Eastern, commented on the news: “In many respects, John was the quintessential Eastern Connecticut lacrosse player – an embodiment of the unique group of players who created the Warrior lacrosse program and made it a nationally-recognized program. He was an intense competitor and a leader who made his teammates better.”
McCarthy is a 2008 E-Club Hall of Fame inductee who averaged 13 wins per season through the program’s first seven seasons of competition.
Rubano was named NEILA All-New England twice and All-Division in the Pilgrim League three times. In addition to being selected honorable mention All-America as a senior, he was picked as an alternate to the prestigious USILA/STX North-South Senior All-Star game, competed in the NEILA East-West Senior All-Star Game and earned recognition on the New England and national All-Academic teams.
As a senior, Rubano collected at least one point in every match but one. He began the season with six assists against Keene State and after being shut out against New York Tech, responded a week later with eight assists against Wheaton College (MA). The eight assists were a program record and today are just one shy of the match record.
As a business major concentrating in marketing, Rubano earned an E-Club Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award in both years of eligibility. He was also a member of the National Leadership Honor Society, National Honor Society in Business, and Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and was a recipient of the Student Government Leadership Award as a senior.
Rubano becomes the second player from the program to gain E-Club induction, following two-time All-America defenseman and classmate Shannon Sligo (2011).
Rubano holds a B.A. Degree in Business and is currently employed by BARRX Medical as a Northeast regional manager. Rubano and wife Jeanee reside in Glastonbury with their son Landon.
