Martin, Parrella, Duos from Cornell, UMass Claim DI Women's Lacrosse Awards to Lead All-Star Selections
DANBURY, Conn. - The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its Division I Awards and All-ECAC selections in women's lacrosse for the 2017 season.
Sarah Martin from the University at Albany was tabbed ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Sarah Crowley from the University of Massachusetts and Catie Smith of Cornell University shared the Defensive Player of the Year honor, while Hofstra University's Alyssa Parrella was voted the Rookie of the Year. Cornell and Massachusetts shared spoils in the Coach of the Year voting too, as Angela McMahon of UMass and Jenny Graap of Cornell were named Co-Coaches of the Year.
Martin takes ECAC Offensive Player of the Year after putting up prolific numbers for the Great Danes from midfield. The 2017 America East Midfielder of the Year racked up an astounding 106 points on 61 goals and 45 assists during the regular season and conference tournament. The senior scored multiple points in every UAlbany game while also contributing 34 ground balls and 97 draw controls. Martin was recently named a First Team All-Northeast Region selection by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). She is also a nominee for the 2017 Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the most outstanding women's college lacrosse player.
Crowley claims her share of the Defensive Player of the Year accolade after earning the same award in the Atlantic 10. The senior defender started all 19 regular-season and conference tournament games for the Minutemen, setting a UMass single-season record with 45 caused turnovers, which also led the Atlantic 10. She also posted a career-best 51 draw controls. Crowley chipped in offensively as well with nine points on five goals and four assists, including the game-winning goal in the Atlantic 10 Championship. In addition to her ECAC and Atlantic 10 honors, Crowley was named to the IWLCA All-Northeast Region First Team.
Smith was a defensive stalwart for the Big Red in 2017, as she became the first Cornell player to win Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year since Katy Ivory in 2013. The defender scooped up 45 ground balls and controlled 41 draws while also causing 39 turnovers in 17 games during the regular season and conference tournament. Her efforts helped Cornell finish first in the Ivy League standings and earn the top seed in the conference tournament. In addition to her defensive award, this marks Smith's second All-ECAC First Team selection in as many years. She was also recently selected to the IWLCA All-Northeast Region First Team.
Parrella enjoyed an outstanding freshman campaign for Hofstra en route to earning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year. In 16 games, the midfielder compiled 76 points on 47 goals and 29 assists to rank first in the CAA in all three of those categories. A five-time conference rookie of the week, Parrella was recently named to the IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team.
McMahon's honor for Co-Coach of the Year marks the second year in a row that she has received an award from the ECAC. In her seventh season at UMass, McMahon guided her team to a 16-3 overall mark, including a 9-0 record in conference play as the Minutemen record their seventh-straight unbeaten record in A-10 competition. McMahon helped place nine student-athletes on all-conference teams, including three first-team honorees, as UMass captured the A-10 title and a berth in the NCAA tournament for a ninth-straight year.
Graap was named the Ivy League Coach of the Year after leading Cornell to its second-ever league title and first since 2006. Under her direction, the Big Red went 12-5 during the regular season, including a 6-1 mark in Ivy League play, and earned the right to host the Ivy League Tournament for the first time in program history. Graap helped six players earn All-Ivy honors in 2017, highlighted by three selections to the All-Ivy First Team.
Offensive Player of the Year
Sarah Martin - University at Albany, Sr.
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Sarah Crowley - University of Massachusetts, Sr.
Catie Smith - Cornell University, Sr.
Rookie of the Year
Alyssa Parrella - Hofstra University, Fr.
Co-Coaches of the Year
Angela McMahon - University of Massachusetts
Jenny Graap - Cornell University
First Team All-ECAC
Hope Hanley - Yale University, Sr.
Sam Apuzzo - Boston College, So.
Steph Lazo - Penn State University, Sr.
Holly Turner - University of Massachusetts, Jr.
Sarah Martin - University at Albany, Sr.
Alex Condon - University of Pennsylvania, Jr.
Jenna Collins - United States Naval Academy, Jr.
Sarah Crowley - University of Massachusetts, Sr.
Catie Smith - Cornell University, Sr.
Abby Junior - College of William & Mary, Sr.
Kiera Kelly - Quinnipiac University, Jr.
Caroline Meegan - Boston University, Sr.
Second Team All-ECAC*
Dakotah Savitcheff - University at Albany, Sr.
Marisa Romeo - Harvard University, Sr.
Allison LaBeau - Lehigh University, Sr.
Madison Carter - Penn State University, So.
Hannah Murphy - University of Massachusetts, Sr.
Abby Smucker - Penn State University, Sr.
Alyssa Parrella - Hofstra University, Fr.
Katy Junior - University of Pennsylvania, So.
Kaeli O'Connor - Syracuse University, Sr.
Sierra McIver - University at Albany, Sr.
Marina Burke - Harvard University, Sr.
Kierstyn Voiro - Lehigh University, Jr.
Abigail Witczak - Marist College, Sr.
*Additional player due to ties
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