SynapseSports.com Names Meagher Goalie of the Year, Recognizes Six Gators with Postseason Honors
Sunday, May 27, 2012 | Lacrosse
SynapseSports.com honored Florida junior Mikey Meagher (Liverpool, N.Y.) as the 2012 Goalie of the Year. The national organization also recognized five Gators as All-Americans. Meagher is joined by Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) and Sam Farrell (Millersville, Md.) on the All-America First Team. Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) picked up Second Team honors and freshman Shannon Gilroy (Northport, N.Y.) was named to the All-American Third Team. Additionally, Gilroy and Nora Barry (Marcellus, N.Y.) were named to the All-Rookie Squad.
Mikey Meagher, who was also named Goalie of the Year and an All-American by WomensLax.com, finishes the season leading the nation in both save percentage (.537) and goals-against average (7.03). Meagher made 145 saves and allowed just 125 goals in 1066:31 minutes of play, earning a 16-3 record in 21 appearances. An IWLCA First Team All-South Region selection and a member of the All-ALC Second Team, Meagher was named the Most Valuable Player of the ALC Tournament after making 16 saves and allowing just 11 goals in her two tournament starts.
Brittany Dashiell earns a SynapseSports.com First Team All-America nod after being named to the WomensLax.com All-America team. The junior midfielder has been spectacular on both ends of the field, sitting among the team's leaders in every statistical category. One of five finalists for the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, Dashiell led the team in assists (25) and points (69), tied for third in goals (44), fourth in ground balls (31), third in draw controls (46) and tied for second with 17 caused turnovers. A member of the IWLCA All-South Region First Team, the All-ALC First Team and the ALC All-Tournament team, Dashiell ranks 43rd in the NCAA in assists.
Sam Farrell, a 2011 Second Team All-American from SynapseSports.com (then WomensLacrosse.com), anchored the Gators' defensive line that led the nation in scoring defense. The Millersville, Md., native finished the season tied for second on the team in caused turnovers (17) and second in ground balls (41). An IWLCA First Team All-Region selection and a member of the All-ALC First Team and ALC All-Tournament team, Farrell's season was highlighted by her two performances against then-No. 1 Northwestern. Farrell caused three turnovers and tabbed three ground balls in the Gators' 8-7 regular-season road victory, and followed that by holding second-leading scorer Erin Fitzgerald scoreless while earning five ground balls and two caused turnovers in the ALC Championship game.
Kitty Cullen, a 2011 SynapseSports.com First Team All-American, was named to the 2012 Second Team after tying for the team lead with 69 points on 45 goals and 24 assists. Despite drawing her opponents' top defenders and facing double and triple team defenses all season long, Cullen continued to be a prolific attacker, finishing second on the team in both goals and assists. A two-time First Team All-South Region selection, First Team All-ALC selection and Tewaaraton Award nominee, Cullen ranks 34th in the nation in points and 42nd in goals.
Shannon Gilroy, the Gators' first freshman to be named All-American, was honored with a Third Team selection and an All-Rookie Squad nod. One of just two freshmen to earn SynapseSports.com All-America, Gilroy has had tremendous success in her first season, emerging as a true draw specialist and leading the Gators to rank fifth in the nation in draw controls, averaging 15.24 per game. With Gilroy in the center circle, the Gators have out-drawn their opponents 336-191. Individually, the rookie middie ranks 25th in the nation in draw controls, totaling 83 on the year, and finished ranked third among freshmen in total goals scored.
Nora Barry, the American Lacrosse Conference Rookie of the Year, was named to the 2012 SynapseSports.com All-Rookie Squad after a fantastic season in the midfield. The Marcellus, N.Y., native led the Gators in ground balls, with 48, and finished second on the team with 49 draw controls. One of six Gators to score 40 goals, she finished eighth in the nation among rookies in total goals and 49th overall in ground balls.
In addition to Goalie of the Year, SynapseSports.com awarded six other individual honors. Syracuse junior Michelle Tumolo was named Attacker of the Year, Katie Schwarzmann of Maryland earned Midfielder of the Year and Northwestern's Taylor Thornton was named Defender of the Year. The three Tewaaraton Award finalists all participated in this weekend's Final Four action.
Tumolo was a dynamo for the Orange all season long. She was as adept at creating her own shot as she was at setting up her teammates. Her touch around the goal circle generated many highlight-reel goals, and it freed up her teammates, who she was able to feed with dexterity. Schwarzmann powered the Maryland side at both ends of the field, leading the Terps in goals and draw controls while ranking second in points, caused turnovers, and ground balls. Her speed factored into every matchup, and her ability to handle the ball created many problems for the defense. Thornton anchored a defense that posted the nation's second best goals-against average despite facing the nation's second-toughest schedule. A tough defender who can take the ball away from an attacker and transition it upfield to score a goal, Thornton did whatever the Wildcats needed, whenever it was needed. She led NU in ground balls while ranking second in draw controls and third in caused turnovers; she also ranked fourth on the team in goals.
Penn State's Tatum Coffey was named Rookie of the Year, and Northwestern's Gabrielle Flibotte picked up the final player award, being named the Unsung Hero of the Year. Coffey, who joins Gilroy as the only two freshmen to be named SynapseSports.com All-Americans, led the Nittany Lions back into the NCAA Tournament, ranking first at State in draw controls and caused turnovers while ranking second in goals. Coffey helped Penn State break back into the top 10, post significant wins, and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while showing the poise of a veteran. Flibotte worked hard behind the scenes for the Wildcats all season long, picking up draw controls, causing turnovers and snaring ground balls. She was a significant part of the defense that ranked second nationally while facing the nation's second-toughest schedule.
Oregon Head Coach Jen Larsen-Beck was selected as the 2012 Coach of the Year after guiding the Ducks to within a goal of the NCAA Tournament, falling in overtime in the play-in game after capturing the MPSF title. Oregon, who went 8-9 last year, won the league and finished the season at 14-5.
Individual Honors
Attacker of the Year: Michelle Tumolo, Syracuse
Midfielder of the Year: Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland
Defender of the Year: Taylor Thornton, Northwestern
Goalie of the Year: Mikey Meagher, Florida
Rookie of the Year: Tatum Coffey, Penn State
Unsung Hero of the Year: Gabrielle Flibotte, Northwestern
Coach of the Year: Jen Larsen-Beck, Oregon
First Team All-Americans
Ally Carey, Vanderbilt
Brittany Dashiell, Florida
Sam Farrell, Florida
Kellye Gallagher, Loyola
Karri Ellen Johnson, Maryland
Alayna Markwordt, Ohio State
Mikey Meagher, Florida
Alyssa Murray, Syracuse
Sarah Plumb, Dartmouth
Iliana Sanza, Maryland
Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland
Sloane Serpe, North Carolina
Shannon Smith, Northwestern
Taylor Thornton, Northwestern
Michelle Tumolo, Syracuse
Laura Zimmerman, North Carolina
Second Team All-Americans
Alex Aust, Maryland
Becca Block, Syracuse
Gabby Capuzzi, Ohio State
Lizzy Carney, Penn State
Kara Cannizzaro, North Carolina
Alyssa Constantino, Syracuse
Kitty Cullen, Florida
Taylor D'Amore, Johns Hopkins
Danielle Etrasco, Boston University
Katie Ferris, Massachusetts
Alex Frank, Northwestern
Emma Hamm, Duke
Kristin Igoe, Boston College
Becky Lynch, North Carolina
Marlee Paton, Loyola
Kim Wenger, Duke
Third Team All-Americans
Erin Brennan, Penn
Dana Cahill, Penn State
Tatum Coffey, Penn State
Lindsey deButts, Princeton
Erin Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Shannon Gilroy, Florida
Ana Heneberry, Loyola
Josie Owen, Virginia
Claire Petersen, Stony Brook
Maddie Poplawski, Penn
Margaret Smith, Notre Dame
Jessi Steinberg, Cornell
Maggie Tamasitis, Notre Dame
Mary Teeters, Towson
Sophia Thomas, Georgetown
Lacey Vigmostad, Northwestern
All-Rookie Squad
Nora Barry, Florida
Tatum Coffey, Penn State
Mallory Collins, Boston University
Tori DeScenza, Ohio State
Taylor Foussadier, Penn
Kelsey Gahan, Virginia
Shannon Gilroy, Florida
Kaliah Kempney, Syracuse
Caitlin McCartney, Delaware
Maggie McCormick, Penn State
Kelly McPartland, Maryland
Mikaela Rix, Boston College
Michelle Rubino, Stony Brook
Covie Stanwick, Boston College
Barbara Sullivan, Notre Dame
Annie Thomas, Loyola
