May 2, 2012
Syracuse, N.Y. – Notre Dame women’s lacrosse senior Maggie Tamasitis and sophomore Margaret Smith each earned first team all-BIG EAST honors on Wednesday night to highlight the night for the Irish at the annual conference awards banquet on the eve of the beginning of the 2012 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship in Syracuse, N.Y.
In addition to the first team honors for Smith and Tamasitis, sophomore Lindsay Powell, freshman Barbara Sullivan and senior Megan Sullivan received all-BIG EAST second team accolades.
Tamasitis, a Tewaaraton Trophy nominee, earns her second all-BIG EAST first team scroll after a remarkable senior campaign that saw her dish out a school and BIG EAST-record 31 assists in conference games and 56 for the entire regular season. The co-captain dished out two or more helpers in 13 of the 16 regular season games and four or more in nine contests. In a 16-9 win at Connecticut, Tamasitis assisted on eight goals, which broke a school and BIG EAST mark and moved her into the top six all-time for assists in a game. Nationally, she ranks second in total assists (56) and third in assists per game (3.50).
Proving that she wasn’t just a helper, the Boyertown, Pa., native scored 20 goals in addition to the 56 assists for an impressive 76 points. She scored goals in 13 games, including five in a 14-11 win at Boston. She also dished out four assists in that contest to give her nine points total, which was one of two times she did that on the year. She was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week once and earned a spot on the Weekly Honor Roll three times.
Smith proved to be a disrupter all over the field as she racked up 33 ground balls, 44 draw controls and 29 caused turnovers. She leads the team in draw controls and caused turnovers and is second in ground balls. Smith recorded one or more of each in 14 of the team’s 16 games. Smith turned in seven games with three or more ground balls, 12 games with two or more draw controls and seven games with two or more caused turnovers. She earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times on the year.
The Westminster, Md., native also helped the Irish on the offensive end of the field, as she scored goals in seven of the first eight games, including a hat trick in a 17-7 win over Duquesne.
One of Tamasitis’ favorite targets, Powell earns her first all-BIG EAST scroll after missing her entire freshman campaign with a knee injury. The sophomore scored 44 goals in the regular season, which moved her into the top 10 in Irish history and put her fourth in the BIG EAST in both goals (44) and goals per game (2.75). The Honeoye, N.Y., product scored three or more goals in 10 contests, including a string of four straight to open the year. She earned her first career spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll earlier this week after scoring six goals and scooping up five draw controls in two games last week.
B. Sullivan turned in an impressive freshman campaign as she helped anchor the Irish defense, leading the team in ground balls (36), while finishing second in draw controls (27) and caused turnovers (28). She started all 16 games, producing 12 games with two or more ground balls, seven games with two or more draw controls and six games with two or more caused turnovers. As the season progressed the Garden City, N.Y., native became the team’s top drawer, often times collecting her own draw. Over the last five games, she scooped up three or more draw controls four times. Sullivan earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once during the season.
M. Sullivan turned in a strong year from the midfield, scoring 23 goals, scooping up 21 ground balls and 27 draw controls and causing 14 turnovers. The tri-captain earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after scoring two key second half goals in a win over Vanderbilt and scoring the first goal of the game in a double overtime win over Georgetown. The all-conference scroll is the first of her career.
The No. 3 seed Irish open up the 2012 BIG EAST Championship on Thursday as they battle the No. 2 seed Loyola Greyhounds in a 5:30 p.m. contest at Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome. The game can be viewed nationally on CBS Sports Network.
2012 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Major Award Winners
BIG EAST Attack Player of the Year
Michelle Tumolo, Syracuse, Jr., A
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Kellye Gallagher, Loyola, Sr., D
BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Marlee Paton, Loyola, So., M
BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Gary Gait, Syracuse
2012 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference Teams
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Kelly Barnes, Georgetown, Sr., D
*Becca Block, Syracuse, D
Kelsi Bozel, Georgetown, Jr., M
*Kellye Gallagher, Loyola, Sr., D
Ana Heneberry, Loyola, Sr., D
M.E. Lapham, Connecticut, Sr., A
*Alyssa Murray, Syracuse, So., A
*Marlee Paton, Loyola, So., M
Ali Steinberg, Rutgers, Sr., M
Margaret Smith, Notre Dame, So., M
Kerry Stoothoff, Loyola, Sr., GK
Maggie Tamasitis, Notre Dame, Sr., A
Annie Thomas, Loyola, Fr., A
*Sophia Thomas, Georgetown, Jr., M
Sydney Thomas, Loyola, Fr., M
*Michelle Tumolo, Syracuse, Jr., A
Katie Webster, Syracuse, So., M
* unanimous First Team selection
^Due to a tie, an extra member was added to the First Team
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Stephanie Anderson, Rutgers, Jr., M
Linley Block, Syracuse, Jr., D
Nikki Boltja, Louisville, So., A
Alyssa Costantino, Syracuse, So., GK
Justine Donodeo, Villanova, Sr., A
Sarah Holden, Syracuse, Sr., M
Ashley Hunter, Georgetown, Jr., D
Dina Jackson, Georgetown, Jr., A
Lauren Kahn, Connecticut, So., M
Kailah Kempney, Syracuse, Fr., A
Lindsay Powell, Notre Dame, So., A
Hannah Schmitt, Loyola, Fr., A
Janelle Stegeland, Syracuse, Sr., D
Barbara Sullivan, Notre Dame, Fr., D
Megan Sullivan, Notre Dame, Sr., M
Caroline Tarzian, Georgetown, Fr., A
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