Brian Murtagh of Wayland, Mass., Selected to New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Region Team

2014 Nov 25

WPI linebacker Brian Murtagh has been named to the Division II/III All-New England Football team as voted on by the New England Football Writers. The junior was one of just 28 players representing 18 teams in the region, and is the first Engineer player to earn the honor in three years.

Murtagh led the Liberty League in total tackles with 106 while his 75 solo tackles were 13 more than the second highest in the conference. The middle linebacker stuffed the stat sheets with three sacks, seven tackles for loss, three QB hurries, three interceptions, a pass backup and a recovered fumble. Murtagh disrupted an overtime two point conversion attempt to secure a 24-23 victory at Merchant Marine.

WPI recently completed the 2014 season with a 4-6 record that included its first win ever versus Springfield and victories over Union and Merchant Marine. Murtagh is the first WPI player to be named to the team since current assistant John Parron turned the trick in 2011 and it is the sixth time an Engineer landed on the squad in the last nine seasons.

MASCAC member Worcester State and ECFC champion Husson lead the team with three selections each. Northeast-10 Conference members AIC and Bentley have two picks, as do MASCAC champion Framingham State, NEFC champ MIT, NESCAC winner Amherst, and Springfield. Also named to the squad were players from Assumption, Bridgewater State, Curry, Endicott, Mount Ida, New Haven, Stonehill, Trinity, Wesleyan, and WPI.

The Division II Northeast-10 Conference had seven players selected, while from Division III the MASCAC had six picks, while the NEFC, the NESCAC and the ECAC had four picks each. Three players came from Springfield and WPI which are affiliated with the New York based Liberty League

The team will be honored at the New England Football Writers Captains and Awards Banquet on Thursday, December 11, at the Montvale Plaza, in Stoneham, Mass. People interested in attending should contact Dick Lipe at Bentley University at 781-891-2334.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.