Dykstra and Draper collect Major Awards from PL
4/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Sophomore Lauren Dykstra and freshman Kelly Draper received two of the Patriot League’s Major Awards for 2009, as Dykstra was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Draper earned Rookie of the Year accolades, it was announced on Wednesday. Draper becomes the fourth straight Mountain Hawk to earn Rookie of the Year honors, joining Sara MacIntyre, Inneke Carmola and Dykstra, while Dykstra is the first player from Lehigh to be named Offensive Player of the Year since Jill Altshuler in 1996.
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.
Dykstra is just the third Lehigh player to win this award joining Altshuler and former Mountain Hawks head coach Liz Brode ‘95.
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.
With Draper’s selection as the Rookie of the Year, Lehigh becomes the first school in Patriot League history to produce four straight Rookies of the Year in any sport.
Lehigh and its major award winners 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.
