Overtime winner and strong defensive performance carries Deberghes to Heart honors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As the Clarke University men's lacrosse team earned their first conference win of the season, the Pride also earned their first individual weekly honor from the Heart of America Athletic Conference as junior Theo Deberghes earned the Heart Defensive Player of the Week, conference officials announced on Monday afternoon.

Deberghes, a long stick midfielder from Howell, N.J., produced a strong overall game last Saturday in the Pride's 7-6 double overtime win over Midland University where his defensive/possession-centric stats finished at five caused turnovers and eight ground balls collected to help limit the Warriors' offensive input to just six goals over the 64-plus minute game.

The game was also won off the stick of Deberghes as he scored his only goal of the game as the game-winner in double overtime, finding the back of the net 18 seconds into the second extra period to end the game with his third goal of the season.

On the season through five games, Deberghes has those three goals to sit at fourth most on the Pride along with being the member of the roster with the most caused turnovers and ground balls by large margins over the rest of his roster at 40 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers, mkaing a strong first impression in his first season at CU.

Full Heart Story: https://heartofamericaconference.com/sports/mlax/2025-26/releases/20260323msy1iv

Clarke men's lacrosse currently sits at a 2-3 overall record, now 1-1 in the Heart after the win at Midland as they will host a pair of home games this week in conference play with a Wednesday afternoon matchup against William Penn University followed by their Senior Day game on Saturday, Mar. 28 when they host Missouri Valley College at 12:00 p.m. CT at Burrows Field.