League best eight named to All-League Teams
4/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh placed eight players on the 2009 Women’s Lacrosse All-Patriot League Teams, it was announced on Tuesday. The eight selections are the most in school history and the most of any league institution this season. Leading the way were senior Sarah Fudin, junior Inneke Carmola and sophomore Lauren Dykstra on the First-Team, while senior Tess McGrath, junior Kelsy Ferris, sophomore Allison Thomas and freshmen Kelly Draper and Leigh Ann Torcivia were named to the Second-Team.
A three time All-Patriot League selection, Fudin earns her first nod on the First-Team after garnering Second-Team accolades each of the past two seasons. One of the top defenders in the entire Patriot League, Fudin helped anchor a Mountain Hawks defense that surrendered fewer than ten goals per contest this season. A co-captain, Fudin totaled 36 ground balls, seven draw controls and 20 caused turnovers in 2009, with her 20 CTs ranking second on the team. Fudin registered her first career point this season with an assist in Lehigh’s win over La Salle. She posted a season-high three caused turnovers in three separate games, and scooped up at least three GBs in eight contests.
Carmola earns her third consecutive All-League honor, and her second selection to the First-Team (2007). Carmola led Lehigh with 22 assists this season, and ranked fourth in the Patriot League in assists per game (1.38). The New York native found the back of the net 28 times, including the 100th score of her career, and added 36 ground balls, eight draw controls and eight caused turnovers. Carmola netted a season-best four goals in two games and handed out a career-best four assists in the Mountain Hawks victory over Davidson. For her career, Carmola ranks among the nation’s active leaders with 116 goals and 164 points.
After scoring a Lehigh freshman record 64 goals last season, Dykstra came back and equaled that total this year with another 64 goals and a second First-Team accolade. The Mendham, New Jersey native was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week a league-best four times in 2009, and ranked among the national leaders in goals and points (72). Dykstra scored six or more goals in three games this season, and netted at least one score in every game, but one. Dykstra leads the Mountain Hawks in nine statistical categories, including shots, shots on goal, goals, points, ground balls, draw controls, game-winning goals, free-position goals, and caused turnovers, and she ranks first in America in both goals and ground balls.
McGrath made the switch to defense this season and it paid off with her first All-League nod. A co-captain, McGrath was part of a Mountain Hawks defensive unit that held seven opponents under ten goals. She registered 27 ground balls, including a career-best eight in Lehigh’s win over Colgate, to go along with 17 draw controls and 13 caused turnovers. McGrath caused three TOs in two games and won three or more draw controls in two games.
Ferris earns her second straight All-League selection after ranking 16th nationally in goals against average (9.37). Ferris played over 900 minutes in goal this season, totaling 115 saves along the way, including four games of ten or more. Ferris also scooped up 24 ground balls and caused ten turnovers, which included a career-best three CTs at Penn State. Ferris currently ranks tenth in Patriot League history with 468 career stops.
A Second-Team selection last year, Thomas earns another All-League honor in her sophomore season. The Pennsylvania native started all 16 games for the Mountain Hawks, scoring 17 goals and handing out six assists along the way. She also scooped up 47 ground balls, which ranked third in the Patriot League, and added 28 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers. Thomas equaled her career-high with four goals in the win at Mount St. Mary’s and scooped up a career-best nine GBs in the opener versus St. Joseph’s.
Draper made quite a name for herself in her first season in the Brown and White, ranking second on the team with 36 goals and third on the squad in points with 43. Her 36 scores is fourth in the Patriot League, while her 45 ground balls also rank fourth. A four-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Draper scored at least one goal in every game, but one, including a season-best six scores in the wins over Columbia and Davidson. Draper scored three or more goals in four games and handed out a season-high two assists at Drexel. A native of Ocean Port, New Jersey, Draper added 22 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers.
Torcivia started the final 11 games for Lehigh this season and totaled 41 ground balls, 34 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers for the year. Her 41 GBs rank fifth in the Patriot League, while her 34 draw controls were second best on the Mountain Hawks. One of the faster players on Lehigh’s team, Torcivia scored her first collegiate goal in overtime at Mount St. Mary’s to lift Lehigh to a dramatic 11-10 victory, and for the year, she totaled two scores and one assist. Her seven ground balls and five draw controls versus Monmouth were season-highs, and she caused three turnovers in three separate games.
Lehigh and its eight All-League selections return to action on Friday afternoon as the second-seeded Mountain Hawks take on No. 3 Navy in the 2009 Patriot League Tournament in Hamilton, New York beginning at 2:00. Live audio coverage of the game will be available on Lehighsports.com beginning at 1:50 PM with the Jill Redfern Report.
