Aaron Benz was recognized by the MAC for excelling while overcoming enormous obstacles. Benz had an exceptional first year in goal for Eastern's successful Men's Lacrosse program, but his story goes back to the spring of 2009.

Three days after capturing a Kentucky state championship for his St. Xavier high school, Benz was diagnosed with Hodgkins's Disease. The stage-four cancer put the fall semester and college lacrosse in doubt. Through the treatments, he never once thought about plan B. He juggled chemo and class and took special care not to catch colds or the flu. Though some days the treatments made him feel terrible, he was at every practice from the first day of fall through the last day in the spring, and he finished the fall semester with the highest grade point average on the team.

There were days in the fall when Benz had to stand on the sidelines or could not participate fully, but he had a special pad made to protect his port so he could compete on the other days when he could.  

His status for the spring was uncertain until final blood work was done in February. When he was given full clearance, he instantly made the team better.

Benz started in goal in every game Eastern has had this year. On the inside, some days he feels better than others, but his performance on the field spoke for itself. Eastern won a school-record eleven games, and he was a critical part of that success.  The Eagles ranked at the top of the conference in goals allowed and Benz was third in save percentage. He ranks fifth nationally in goals allowed and ninth in save percentage.

"He is not only tough, intelligent and resourceful," Head Coach Brandon Childs says of his goalie, "but more so is the one guy on the team that actively and consistently tries to make everyone else around him better. He makes the atmosphere at practice, on the bus, and in the locker room better. He makes everything better."

Benz is enrolled in the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University and has performed as well in the classroom as he has on the field. Through the challenge of cancer and transitioning into college, he has demonstrated maturity beyond his years. In reflecting on his ordeal, Benz wrote about his personal growth through cancer.

 "I have always been a Christian, but I have never been able to grow in my faith and connect with God as much as I did before cancer. And through prayer, chemo didn't save me, cancer did. It was cancer that allowed me to re-center my life and focus on what is important. And as ironic as it may sound, cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I look back now, ever so thankful, and I see God's hand in my life: taking me to a Christian school before I even knew of the diagnosis, surrounding me with caring loving people, and ultimately, focusing my life on God."

Benz was one of eleven freshmen to play significant roles in Eastern's squad this spring.