High Point Cleans Up National Lacrosse Conference Awards

DAVIDSON, N.C. — The High Point University women’s lacrosse team earned four of the NLC’s seven major awards and had seven players named All-Conference on Saturday evening at the National Lacrosse Conference awards banquet on the campus of Davidson College. HPU’s Mackenzie Carroll was named NLC Co-Player of the Year and Attacker of the Year, Christie Dougherty was named Midfielder of the Year and Anna Wallingford was named Goalie of the Year.

Carroll, Dougherty and Wallingford were all named to the All-NLC first team along with senior midfielder Heather Ziccarelli and sophomore defender Jasmine Jordan. Junior attacker Grace Gaeng and sophomore midfielder Sara Kuhlman were named to the All-NLC second team. Four Panthers were named to the Academic All-Conference team: Carroll, Jordan and sophomores Alec Perry and Cissy Woodyard.

Carroll was named NLC Co-Player of the Year along with Jacksonville junior Rachel Hannon. Carroll averaged a league-high 6.0 points per game and posted an 18-24-42 scoring line in seven NLC games. In 18 overall games, Carroll has 69 points (33-36-69). The sophomore also had five game-winning goals, four coming in NLC games. It’s the second season in a row that HPU had the NLC Player of the Year and Attacker of the Year after Gaeng earned those honors in 2011.

Dougherty has scored 31 goals and had five assists, 33 draw controls, 24 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers while starting all 18 games in the midfield. In seven NLC games, Dougherty scored 11 goals and had 10 draw controls, eight ground balls and seven caused turnovers. The sophomore scored the game-winning goals in both of HPU’s one-goal wins this season, an 11-10 victory over Navy and a 13-12 win over Holy Cross.

Wallingford has played in all 18 games for the Panthers, starting 16. A junior, she made double-digit saves in four games, including 14 each in wins over UC Davis and Robert Morris. Wallingford came up with 12 saves against Duke and 10 in a win over Liberty. Wallingford has a 10.32 goals against average and .421 save percentage and ranked second in the NLC after regular-season games. In seven conference starts, she improved those numbers to 7.36 and .464. Wallingford also had 36 ground balls, which ranks second on the team, and five caused turnovers.

Jordan moved up to the All-NLC first team after earning second-team honors last season. She has team-highs of 45 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers along with 31 draw controls, three goals and three assists. Ziccarelli was HPU’s Panther Cup winner and has started every game this season. She has 20 goals, seven assists, 33 ground balls, 33 draw controls and 10 caused turnovers in 18 games.

Gaeng has started every game this season and has 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points. She battled injuries throughout the season but leads the Panthers with 47 draw controls to go along with 20 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Kuhlman was also an All-NLC first-team selection last season and continued to be a major presence in the midfield. She leads HPU midfielders with 41 points on 31 goals and 10 assists to go along with 26 ground balls, 30 draw controls and 13 caused turnovers.

Along with NLC Co-Player of the Year, Jacksonville’s Hannon was named Defender of the Year. The Dolphins’ Holly Ventimiglia was named Newcomer of the Year and Detroit’s Laura Maness was named Coach of the Year.

The Panthers went 7-0 in league play to win the NLC regular season title. High Point is currently 15-3 and plays for the National Lacrosse Conference Tournament Championship on Sunday at 1 p.m.

   ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
   Goalie                    Anna Wallingford, High Point
   Defense                   Jasmine Jordan, High Point
                             Rachel Hannon, Jacksonville
                             Jessica Hotchkiss, Jacksonville
   Midfield                  Emily Boissonneault, Detroit
                             Christie Dougherty, High Point
                             Heather Ziccarelli, High Point
                             Brittney Orashen, Jacksonville
   Attack                    Ann Fucigna, Davidson
                             Anna Eidem, Detroit
                             Mackenzie Carroll, High Point
                             Ali Hoffman, Jacksonville

   ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
   Goalie                    Jessica Melby, Davidson
   Defense                   Diane Girling, Davidson
                             Chloe McIntosh, Liberty
                             Kathleen Battle, Longwood
   Midfield                  Corina Mahorn, Detroit
                             Sara Kuhlman, High Point
                             Kaitlin Stewart, Jacksonville
                             Kirstin Stenoien, Presbyterian
                             Hannah Riggs, Longwood
   Attack                    Erin Doherty, Davidson
                             Grace Gaeng, High Point
                             Morgan Derner, Jacksonville

   NLC AWARDS
   Goalie of the Year        Anna Wallingford, High Point
   Defender of the Year      Rachel Hannon, Jacksonville
   Midfielder of the Year    Christie Dougherty, High Point
   Attacker of the Year      Mackenzie Carroll, High Point
   Newcomer of the Year      Holly Ventimiglia, Jacksonville
   Co-Player of the Year     Mackenzie Carroll, High Point
   Co-Player of the Year     Rachel Hannon, Jacksonville
   Coach of the Year         Laura Maness, Detroit