Seniors Corinne Wiederkehr and Mo Sunderland, and sophomores Maiah Bartlett and Emily Mott were named to the 2015 All-Capital Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Team, announced on Monday. Wiederkehr, Sunderland, and Bartlett were named to the first team, while Mott gained second team honors.
CAPITAL ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
During the 2015 season, York College celebrated its 10th season of varsity women's lacrosse. This weekend, the Spartans advanced to the CAC Championship game and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the fourth straight year. Now, the Spartans celebrate having five players on the 2015 all-conference team, led by a CAC-best four first-team award winners, including senior defender Karlie Dougherty, the first Spartan to ever win the CAC Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year award.
Dougherty, making her first appearance on the All-CAC team, was joined on the top squad by junior defender Megan Strauch, senior midfielder Sarah Castle and sophomore attack Jayme Verman. Junior attack Allison Kolacy earned second-team honors for the Spartans. Strauch and Castle are both first-team all-stars for the second-straight season. CAC champion Salisbury and Christopher Newport tied for the lead with six conference all-stars this season. The Sea Gulls added two extra awards, as freshman goalie Gianna Falcone was picked by the CAC coaches as the Rookie of the Year and Jim Nestor was picked by his peers as the Coach of the Year.
Despite the team's tradition of success, Falcone is just the second Sea Gull to be named CAC Women's Lacrosse Rookie of the Year, joining 2003 winner Lynsey Bateman in that exclusive club. Nestor , who's program has won two-straight NCAA Championships, picked up his third-consecutive Coach of the Year award from his peers - the 11th of his career.
Falcone was joined on the All-CAC first team by a pair of Sea Gull attackers - senior Kara O'Rourke and junior Megan Wallenhorst. The Sea Gulls, who secured their 13th-straight CAC title Saturday with a 6-3 victory over York, also placed three seniors on the All-CAC second team - attack Kate Haker, midfielder Bethany Baer and defender Anna Sparr. Baer is the only repeat honoree, making her third-straight All-CAC team appearance.
CNU's six-player contingent on the All-CAC team was led by first-team sophomore all-stars Meaghan Galvin on the attack and Mariah Ginebra on the defense. Second-team honors for the Captains were awarded to freshman attack Catie Chess, junior midfielder Kylie Chaplin, freshman defender Tess D'Arcy and junior GK Hanna Slough. Galvin was a first-team all-star and Rookie of the Year award winner in 2014.
St. Mary's was nationally ranked during the regular season before earning the third seed for the CAC playoffs. The Seahawks were rewarded with five All-CAC berths, led by first-team junior midfielder Shelby Newman. It's the third-straight first-team All-CAC nod for Newman, who was the 2013 Rookie of the Year.
Second-team all-star awards for SMC were presented to senior attack Christy Bishop, junior midfielder Tori Poffenberger, junior defender Kate Somerville and freshman GK Lexi Thorne. Bishop and Poffenberger were second-team CAC all-stars in 2014.
CAC playoff teams Mary Washington and Frostburg State combined for six more All-CAC berths.
UMW matched Salisbury with three first-team All-CAC bids, including senior attack Corinne Wiederkehr, senior midfielder Mo Sunderland and sophomore defender Maiah Bartlett. Sophomore midfielder Emily Mott also earned second-team all-star recognition for the Eagles. Wiederkehr and Mott were both second-team all-stars in 2014.
Frostburg State, which made its third CAC playoff appearance in five years as members of the conference, secured a first-team all-star award for senior midfielder Malory Brunett and a second-team award for the second time in three years for senior defender Jessica Jones. Brunett, the 2012 CAC Rookie of the Year, moved up to the first-team all-star level after two years as a second-team pick.
2015 All-CAC Women's Lacrosse Team
First Team Yr. Pos. Team Hometown/High School Previous Honors
Meaghan Galvin So. Att Christopher Newport Arlington, Va./Yorktown 1st & ROY in '14
Kara O'Rourke Sr. Att Salisbury Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron
Jayme Verman So. Att York York, Pa./Lancaster Country Day
Megan Wallenhorst Jr. Att Salisbury Ellicott City, Md./Centennial
Corinne Wiederkehr Sr. Att Mary Washington Wading Riv., N.Y./Shoreham-W.R. 2nd in '14
Malory Brunett Sr. Mid Frostburg State Clarksville, Md./River Hill 2nd in '13;
2nd & ROY in '12
Sarah Castle Sr. Mid York Annapolis, Md./Annapolis Christ. 1st in '14
Shelby Newman Jr. Mid St. Mary's Hampstead, Md./Manchester Val. 1st in '14
1st & ROY in '13
Mo Sunderland Sr. Mid Mary Washington Baltimore, Md./Towson
Maiah Bartlett So. Def Mary Washington Lexington, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield
Karlie Dougherty Sr. Def York Baltimore, Md./Mercy
Mariah Ginebra So. Def Christopher Newport Myersville, Md./Middletown
Megan Strauch Jr. Def York Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall 1st in '14
Gianna Falcone Fr. GK Salisbury Florham Park, N.J./St. Elizabeth
Second Team Yr. Pos. Team Hometown/High School Previous Honors
Christy Bishop Sr. Att St. Mary's Glenwood, Md./Glenelg 2nd in '14
Catie Chess Fr. Att Christopher Newport Fairfax, Va./Flint Hill
Kate Haker Sr. Att Salisbury Westminster, Md./Westminster
Allison Kolacy Jr. Att York Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls
Bethany Baer Sr. Mid Salisbury Westminster, Md./Westminster 1st in '14; 1st in '13
Kylie Chaplin Jr. Mid Christopher Newport Oak Hill, Va./Chantilly
Emily Mott So. Mid Mary Washington Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place 2nd in '14
Tori Poffenberger Jr. Mid St. Mary's Sharpsburg, Md./Boonsboro 2nd in '14
Tess D'Arcy Fr. Def Christopher Newport White Plains, N.Y./White Plains
Jessica Jones Sr. Def Frostburg State Linthicum, Md./North County 2nd in '13
Kate Somerville Jr. Def St. Mary's Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep
Anna Sparr Sr. Def Salisbury Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills
Hanna Slough Jr. GK Christopher Newport Henrico, Va./Mills E. Godwin
Lexi Thorne Fr. GK St. Mary's Riva, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti
2015 CAC Player of the Year: Karlie Dougherty, York
2015 CAC Rookie of the Year: Gianna Falcone, Salisbury
2015 CAC Coach of the Year: Jim Nestor, Salisbury (11th time, also in 2003-10 and 2013-14)