Photo by Dave Saffran
NEC Release
Smithfield, RI – At the annual banquet held on the eve of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Women's Lacrosse Tournament (NEC) on Wednesday night, the league revealed its 2018 All-NEC Teams, which included five Seahawks who combined to receive seven different honors.
Headlining the Wagner recipients were two major award winners in senior
Lauren Ednie, who was named NEC Midfielder of the Year, and freshman midfielder
Ally Alliegro, who took home NEC Rookie of the Year honors.
In addition to being tabbed Midfield of the Year, Ednie was also named to the All-NEC First Team. Alliegro's name, meanwhile, appeared in three different categories. Apart from her NEC Rookie of the Year honor, the Bayport, NY native was also named to the All-NEC Second Team, as well as to the NEC All-Rookie Team.
Joining Ednie on the All-NEC First Team were junior attack
Anna Belle Reilly and junior defender
Maddie Courtney, while senior attack
Heidi Colford joined Alliegro as a Second-Team selection.
"We are extremely proud of these five ladies, as well as the whole team, for all of their efforts and contributions this season and are very excited to again have the opportunity to compete in the NEC Tournament," said Wagner third-year head coach
Katie Rowan.
Ednie, who was a Second-Team all-NEC choice last year, joins Wagner all-time great and two-time winner Shea Gegan (2015 & 2016) as NEC Midfielder of the Year award recipients. A dominant force at both ends of the field, the senior ranks fourth in the NEC in both goals per game (2.56) and ground balls per game (2.88), and is seventh in points per game (3.06). A second-team all-NEC selection last season, Ednie leads Wagner in goals (41), free position goals (11), ground balls (46) and caused turnovers (24), and ranks second in draw controls (43).
Alliegro exploded onto the scene this year culminating in her selection as Wagner's first-ever NEC Rookie of the Year. The freshman midfielder was named the NEC Rookie of the Week a conference-high five times and was also the lone freshman to earn an NEC Player of the Week award back on April 30th. Alliegro leads the Seahawks with 52 points and 48 draw controls, and ranks second in goals (34) and free position goals (10). The Bayport, NY native is also fourth in the NEC in points per game (3.47), fifth in goals per game (2.27) and sixth in assists per game (1.20).
Reilly, who is Wagner's second-leading scorer, paces the Seahawks with 29 assists, which ranks third on the Wagner single-season chart. In addition, the Arizona native ranks second in the NEC with 1.81 assists per game. A year ago, she was a Second-Team All-NEC choice.
Courtney is an athletic and aggressive defender who has been a stalwart on the Seahawk back line throughout the season and ranks second on the team in both ground balls (43) and caused turnovers (23).
Colford, who earns her second consecutive Second-Team All-NEC accolade, is a powerful and accurate lefty whose sizzling .613 shooting percentage ranks among the nation's top-10. On the season, the Minnesota native has amassed 42 points on the strength of 31 goals and 11 assists.
The Seahawks earned the No. 2 seed in NEC Tournament and will me the No. 3 seed, Robert Morris, 4:00 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals.
The Seahawks (11-5, 6-1 NEC) shared the NEC regular season title with Bryant (11-5, 6-1) but the Bulldogs earned the No. 1 seed based on their 11-10 comeback win at Wagner last Friday.
By virtue of their top seed, Bryant is the host institution for the NEC Tourney and will host No. 4-seeded Mount St. Mary's at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday with the championship game set for Saturday, May 5 at 1:00 p.m.
Two days after claiming the No. 1 seed with their win over the Seahawks, the Bulldogs dropped their season finale by a 12-6 count to the same Mount St. Mary's team it now faces on Thursday.
This marks the second straight year that Wagner and Robert Morris will be in the NEC semifinals. In 2017, the Seahawks got past RMU, 12-10, before falling to Bryant, 16-7 in the title game.
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 37th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#22), Baltimore (#26), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.
2018 Northeast Conference Women's Lacrosse Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year
Jess DeMeo Bryant A Jr. Mount Sinai, NY/North Babylon
Defensive Player of the Year
Jillian Petito Mount St. Mary's GK Jr. Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur
Midfielder of the Year
Lauren Ednie Wagner MF Sr. Verona, NJ/Verona
Rookie of the Year
Ally Alliegro Wagner MF Fr. Bayport, NY/Bayport Blue Point
Coach of the Year
Lauren Schwarzmann Mount St. Mary's
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics
Women's Lacrosse:
Wagner Gameday:
