Women's Lacrosse All-NESCAC Selections Announced
Trinity’s Leonhard Named Player of the
Year
HADLEY, Mass. - Trinity senior midfielder
Megan Leonhard has been chosen by the conference
coaches as the 2013 NESCAC Player of the Year. Leonhard's
recognition marks the third consecutive year a Bantam has taken
home the award, joining former teammates Liz Bruno
and Rachel Romanowsky, the 2012 and 2011 Players
of the Year, respectively. Leonhard has helped navigate the
defending national champions through an undefeated
schedule (17-0, 10-0 NESCAC), claiming its third straight
NESCAC title in the process.
For the third time in her career, Leonhard earned NESCAC
All-Conference honors, making the First Team each of the past three
seasons. Leonhard has been at the heart of the Trinity midfield, as
the Bantams are riding a 25-game win streak. Making use of her
skills on both offense and defense, Leonhard leads the team with 35
goals and is second with 39 points, while tied for first in
the NESCAC with 29 caused turnovers, ranking second with 51 draw
controls and adding 30 ground balls. Among Trinity’s all-time
leaders, Leonhard currently ranks first with 176 draw controls, is
tied for second with 177 ground balls, and is tied for third with
168 goals.
Joining Leonhard in the midfield are seniors Kate
Pistel of Colby and Margaret Souther of
Middlebury. Pistel is appearing on the First Team for the third
year in a row, putting together a solid all-around season with 22
goals and 10 assists for 32 points, to go along with 19 ground
balls, 12 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers. Souther, who
garnered her second straight First Team honor, is third in the
NESCAC with 55 points on 36 goals and 19 assists. She has posted a
team-best 20 caused turnover and is in the top-five among her
teammates with 26 ground balls and 30 draw controls.
The attackers on the First Team come from five different teams.
Colby junior Lindsey McKenna and Bowdoin senior
Carolyn Gorajek are both making a return to the
First Team. McKenna collects her third All-NESCAC recognition,
having been a Second Team selection in her debut season. The 2011
NESCAC Rookie of the Year, McKenna has recorded 43 goals, which is
third-best in the conference, and with the addition of four
assists, ranks seventh with 47 points. Gorajek has not only set
career highs with 68 points and 23 assists, but her 45 goals this
season is second among NESCAC goal scorers to fellow First Team
selection Ellen Halle of Middlebury. Gorajek has led the Polar
Bears in scoring for three consecutive seasons and sits atop
Bowdoin's career leaders list, with 168 goals, 67 assists, and 235
points.
Picking up First Team accolades for the first time are seniors
Hillary Densen of Amherst, Ellen
Halle of Middlebury, and Kaitlin
Hildebrand of Trinity. Halle has been a scoring machine
this season, leading all NESCAC players with 50 goals, 32 assists
and 82 points. Hildebrand has proven that in addition to being a
scoring threat, she can also find the open player, leading her team
with 16 assists. Hildebrand's 30 goals and 46 total points, all
career highs, are also tops on a Bantam team that features three
players on the NESCAC First Team. In her senior campaign, Densen
put together her most complete season on the offensive end, leading
the Jeffs in scoring. Densen has posted career highs of 19 goals,
25 assists and 44 points. Her 25 assists are third-best in the
NESCAC, while her 44 points ranks her 11th in the conference.
Anchoring the defense are a trio of seniors who are All-NESCAC
for the first time. Trinity's Hillary McNamara
leads her team with 35 ground balls, good for sixth in the
conference, while tying for the conference and team-lead with 29
caused turnovers. McNamara has helped pave the way for the
conference's best defense, as the Bantams boast a goals against
average of 5.38. Hamilton's Paige Engeldrum has
been the top defensive player for the Continentals this season,
scooping up a NESCAC-best 42 ground balls and causing 20 turnovers.
The senior finishes her career with 125 ground balls and 54 caused
turnovers. Meg Boland has been just as consistent
for Tufts on the defensive end, while also providing an offensive
spark. Boland is tied for the NESCAC lead with Engeldrum with 42
ground balls and ranks fifth in the conference with 24 caused
turnovers. Boland added three goals, including two in a 17-5 win
over Wesleyan, and finishes her career with seven goals and five
assists on the offensive side of the field, while picking up 74
ground balls and causing 51 turnovers.
Bowdoin senior goalie Tara Connolly earned a
spot on the First Team with her stellar play between the pipes this
season. Connolly has posted a NESCAC-best .559 save percentage,
making 123 saves and recording a 7.12 goals against average along
the way. Her 45 career victories in goal is a Bowdoin record.
Tufts attacker Caroline Ross was chosen as the
conference's Rookie of the Year. Ross was the top-scorer for the
Jumbos in her debut, finishing with 43 points on 35 goals and eight
assists.
For the second time in her career, Tufts head coach
Carol Rappoli was selected by her peers as the
NESCAC Coach of the Year. Rappoli last won the award in 2009.
Rappoli guided the Jumbos to their 10th NESCAC Championship
appearance, where Tufts battled eventual NESCAC Champion Trinity to
a 12-8 final in the quarterfinal round. With a 320-159-4 career
coaching record in 35 seasons, including 265-127-1 during 28
seasons at Tufts, Rappoli ranks among the top 10 in career coaching
victories for all divisions.
Women's Lacrosse All Conference Teams
| First Team
All-NESCAC |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| A |
Hillary Densen |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Summit, N.J. |
| A |
Carolyn Gorajek |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Hightstown, N.J. |
| A |
Ellen Halle |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Upperco, Md. |
| A |
Kaitlin Hildebrand |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Berwyn, Pa. |
| A |
Lindsey McKenna |
Colby |
Jr. |
Fairfield, Mass. |
| M |
Megan Leonhard |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Summit, N.J. |
| M |
Kate Pistel |
Colby |
Sr. |
Amherst, Mass. |
| M |
Margaret Souther |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Scarsdale, N.Y. |
| D |
Meg Boland |
Tufts |
Sr. |
New Canaan, Conn. |
| D |
Paige Engeldrum |
Hamilton |
Sr. |
West Islip, N.Y. |
| D |
Hillary McNamara |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Milton, Mass. |
| GK |
Tara Connolly |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Simsbury, Conn. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
All-NESCAC |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| A |
Hadley Duncan |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Rye, N.Y. |
| A |
Kerry Eaton |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Norfolk, Mass. |
| A |
Katharine Eddy |
Colby |
Jr. |
Chesire, Conn. |
| A |
Liza Herzog |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Baltimore, Md. |
| A |
Bri Miller |
Conn. College |
Sr. |
Sudbury, Mass. |
| M |
Rebecca McGovern |
Williams |
Jr. |
Weymouth, Mass. |
| M |
Alexandra Philie |
Amherst |
Jr. |
East Sandwich, Mass. |
| M |
Wally Pierce |
Bates |
Jr. |
Weston, Mass. |
| D |
Mallory Hinman |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Longmeadow, Mass. |
| D |
Kirsten Karis |
Colby |
Jr. |
Southborough, Mass. |
| D |
Lyndsey Shepard |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Hamilton, Mass. |
| GK |
Michelle Burt |
Colby |
Jr. |
Woodbridge, Conn. |
|
|
