Boston University swept each of the three major awards handed out by America East at the women’s lacrosse banquet hosted by the Terriers Wednesday night. Senior goalkeeper Anne Sheridan was named America East Player of the Year, attacker Jenny Hauser was selected Rookie of the Year and Liza Shoemaker was the top choice as Coach of the Year. All of the voting was conducted by the conference’s head coaches.Awards
Sheridan leads America East in both save percentage (.581) and goals against average (6.96). Her save percentage ranks first in the nation, while her goals against average is third best. The senior co-captain has led a Terrier team which allowed the fewest goals (101) among conference teams.
Hauser leads all America East players with 50 goals, averaging 3.12 goals per game. She is also second in America East with 62 points (3.88 per game). Hauser, who ranks second in game-winning goals (4), picked up her latest in Boston U.’s 10-9 overtime win over UNH.
Shoemaker picks up her second award in three seasons as she has guided Boston U. to a 15-1 overall mark, a perfect 6-0 record in league play and the No. 1 seed in the America East Championship. The Terriers are currently ranked No. 3 in the most recent Brine/WILCA poll. She is 46-27 in her four seasons at Boston University, including a 19-2 conference record.
Hauser is joined on the first team at attack by junior teammate Mary Beth Miller, senior Jess Burnap and junior Katie Leland of New Hampshire, sophomore Carlee Buck of Stony Brook, and Vermont senior Vanessa Cox. Miller, a three-time first team selection, leads the Terriers in assists (27) and ranks fifth in America East with 52 points (3.25 per game). Burnap is third on the Wildcats in scoring (52 points), picking up 35 goals and handing out 17 assists. Leland leads New Hampshire in scoring with 45 goals and 19 assists for 64 points. Buck is tops in the nation in assists per game (2.80) while she is tied for first in total assists (42). Cox picked up 52 points on 38 goals and 14 assists.
The first-team midfielders are sophomore Kate Fontana of Albany, senior Alyssa Trudel and junior Lindsay Lewis of Boston U., and New Hampshire sophomore Cristina Covucci. Fontana ranks third in America East with 44 goals and leads the Great Danes in points (48) and ground balls (59). Trudel, a four-time all-conference choice and the 2003 Player of the Year, has scored 32 goals and added seven assists for 50 points this season. She also leads the Terriers in ground balls with 35. Lewis has scored 34 goals for 43 points. Covucci has a team-high 44 ground balls, and ranks 7th nationally in caused turnovers per game (2.35).
Joining goalie Sheridan as first-team defenders are sophomore Erin Fitzmartin of Albany, juniors Michelle Bussichella and Danica Strutt of Boston U., and sophomore Christine Carbone of New Hampshire. Fitzmartin, Strutt and Carbone are all first-time members of the top all-conference team, while Bussichella is a repeat from a year ago.
The second-team attackers are sophomores Sarah Spillet of Albany, Danielle Edwards of Binghamton, Jocena Venditti of UMBC and junior Jill Albee of New Hampshire. Second-team midfielders include seniors Anna Jacobs of UMBC, Sara Talbot of Vermont, Kaitlyn Cuneo of Boston U., and sophomore Amy Taylor of Stony Brook. Seniors Stephanie Crouch of UMBC and Lauren Zerbinopoulos of New Hampshire are joined on the defensive second-team by juniors Keely Anderson of Boston U. and Danielle Werner of Stony Brook. Sophomore Stacey Plati of New Hampshire is the second-team goalkeeper.
Joining Hauser on the all-rookie team is teammate Lauren Morton, Brittany Scott of Albany, Leanne Musso of Binghamton, Ali Levendusky of UMBC, Moira Talbot and Ashley Milley of New Hampshire, Stony Brook’s Brooke Souder and Lauren Drepanis, and Meaghan Hanley of Vermont.
Thirteen out of the 15 first-team all-conference selections and nine of the 13 second-team choices will be in action this week at the America East Women’s Lacrosse Championship. Top-seeded Boston U. plays No. 4 UMBC at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, with No. 2 New Hampshire and No. 3 Albany to follow. The championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday. All games will be played at Nickerson Field on the Boston University campus.