SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Student-athletes from all eight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) institutions sponsoring women’s lacrosse were represented on the 2012 All-CCC Women’s Lacrosse Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye.  In addition to the all-conference team, winners of five major individual awards and the team sportsmanship award were also selected.

Curry College placed four student-athletes on the all-conference squad: Junior attack Ana Bottary and sophomore defender Mel Brickey earned All-CCC Second Team honors, while senior defender Michaela Powers and senior goalkeeper Maria Lynch both earned All-CCC Honorable Mention honors.

Endicott College senior Morgan DeShaw was named CCC Offensive Player of the Year, Endicott senior Leah Neff and University of New England junior Nicolle Steel shared the honor of CCC Defensive Player of the Year, University of New England freshman Gina Newsome was chosen CCC Rookie of the Year, University of New England’s Jenna Barton was honored as CCC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, Endicott’s Meghan Fitzgerald was honored as CCC Coach of the Year and Salve Regina University was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.

 Joining DeShaw (attack), Steel (defense) and Neff (goalkeeper) on the first team were attackers Jordan Alexander (Gordon), Danica Delia (Roger Williams), and Hannah Tavella (University of New England), midfielders Anna Blomberg (Gordon), Kelly Burke (Salve Regina), Holly Davis (Endicott) and Katie Toomy (Western New England), defenders Kelsey Barnes (Endicott) and Krysti Leach (Gordon).
     
In addition to Newsome (attack), second-team selections included attackers Ana Bottary (Curry),  Sarah Livingston (Salve Regina) and Kelly Tierney (Endicott), midfielders Jessalyn Dvorak (University of New England), Emily Lodge (University of New England) and Michelle Loizzo (Endicott), defenders Mel Brickey (Curry), Mackenzie Logan (Roger Williams), Danielle Malconian (Salve Regina) and Veronica Miano (Western New England) and goalkeeper Josie O’Reilly (Salve Regina).
     
Receiving honorable mention were attackers Megan Doyle (Western New England), Callie Murphy (Endicott) and Krista-Jean Forand (Nichols), midfielders Stephanie Fitzgerald (Gordon), Liz McRoberts (Western New England), Jessica Scannapieco (Western New England) and Lauren Todd (Endicott), defenders Taylor Checchia (Western New England), Stacia Geno (Endicott), Michaela Powers (Curry) and Catherine Smeykal (Roger Williams) and goalkeepers Maria Lynch (Curry) and Danielle Mott (Nichols).
     
DeShaw, a senior native of Danville, N.H., finishes out her collegiate career at Endicott on a high note. As an attacker, she ranked second in the league in points (78), third in goals scored per game (3.47) and fifth in assists dished out per game (1.73). DeShaw helped lead an offense that placed 30th in the most recent NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse rankings in points (321), while individually ranking in the top 100 among NCAA DIII players in points (36th), points per game (44th), goals per game (87th), total assists (46th), assists per game (26th) and total goals (52nd). This senior standout hit a career milestone as she scored her 200th career goal to help the Gulls cap a perfect 7-0 CCC record over the regular season, netting seven goals against Nichols to bring her career record to 201, entering the CCC tournament. The Gulls finished the regular season at 10-5 overall and earned the #1 seed in the upcoming CCC women’s lacrosse championship.
    
 Newsome, an attacker from Danbury, Conn., made an immediate impact in her first season for the Nor’easters. In her freshman campaign, she led the University of New England in assists (33), was second on the team in goals (41) and second in total points (74), while starting in 15 of the Nor’easters’ 16 contests. Newsome also stood out among CCC leaders, ranking second in assists per game (2.20) and fourth in points per game (4.93). Her performance also stood out among NCAA DIII women’s lacrosse players as she was individually ranked in the top 55 in assists (20th), assists per game (24th), points (43rd) and points per game (55th). University of New England finished its regular season at 12-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play, to secure the #2 seed in the upcoming CCC women’s lacrosse championship.
     
Neff, a senior goalkeeper from South Berwick, Maine, was a dominant force in net this season and led a defensive corps that is ranked 41st among all NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse teams in scoring defense, which allowed just 9.47 goals per game. She ranked first among conference keepers in goals against average (9.47) and save percentage (.496), while starting in all 15 of the Gulls’ contests this season. On top of this season’s accolades, Neff is a two-time All-CCC Second Team Selection (2010, 2011).
     
Steel, a junior defender from Ocean City, N.J., was a key contributor to the Nor’easters’ success this season. She topped the league in caused turnovers per game as she tallied an average of 2.53 per contest (38 total) and also ranked second among  CCC leaders in ground balls per game as she scooped up 3.27 a contest (49 total). Nationally, Steel stands out among NCAA DIII players in turnovers, causing an average of 2.43 per contest to rank eighth. She has played in 15 games for her team this season and has started in all but two. The Nor’easters finished the regular season with a 12-4 overall record, 6-1 in conference play, which earned the team the #2 seed in the upcoming CCC women’s lacrosse championship.
     
Barton, a senior attacker from Wolfeboro, N.H., is a prime example of an ideal scholar-athlete. In the classroom, Barton earned Dean’s List recognition every semester at UNE, is a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society, has been a two time CCC All-Academic Selection (2010 & 2011), and is on the University Judicial Review Board. As an Applied Exercise Science Major, Barton has maintained a 3.92 cumulative grade point average and will be attending Tufts University for dental school in the fall. In addition to excelling academically, Barton was a key contributor on the field for Nor’easters. She ranked fourth on her team in goals (22), tied for third in assists (9) and was fourth in total points (31). Barton was also selected as one of the team’s two captains this year as a result of her leadership on the field.
           
In her fourth season as at the helm of the Endicott Gulls women’s lacrosse program, Fitzpatrick is being recognized for the second time as CCC Coach of the Year for her strong leadership. In Fitzpatrick’s first three years with the program, she directed the Gulls to three consecutive CCC Championships. The six-time reigning CCC champions enter the 2012 CCC women’s lacrosse championship as the top seed after posting an untainted 7-0 conference record, and a 10-5 overall mark.

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