Gilroy Named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, Four Others Named to First Team
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 | Lacrosse
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Senior Shannon Gilroy was unanimously selected as the 2015 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and four other Gators were named All-BIG EAST First Team, as announced by the conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Joining Gilroy on the BIG EAST First Team were senior midfielder Nora Barry, junior attacker Devon Schneider, sophomore attacker Mollie Stevens and sophomore defender Caroline Fitzgerald. The Gators' five student-athletes named All-BIG EAST First Team were the most of all conference schools.
A year after being named the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Midfielder of the Year, Gilroy dominated her new conference, finishing with a league-best 80 points and 59 goals. In addition to ranking fourth nationally in goals and third nationally in points, the midfielder established a new career-best for assists (21) in 2015.
The Northport, New York, native and 2015 Tewaaraton nominee continued to leave her mark on both the UF and NCAA record books. On March 3, she surpassed former Gator Kitty Cullen to become the program's all-time leading goal scorer. Additionally, entering this week's BIG EAST Tournament, Gilroy ranks 13th all-time in goals scored with 241.
Gilroy will end her career as a three-time all-conference first-team recipient, and along with her goal scoring prowess, she has registered a career-high 25 ground balls, 62 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers in 2015.
Barry, earned her third all-conference selection and second first-team nod, after registering 24 goals, six assists and 30 points from her midfield position. The two-way standout also has added 13 ground balls, 26 draw controls and seven caused turnovers.
This season, the senior also became the fifth Gator to eclipse 100 career goals and was named a McWhorter Award Nominee by the Southeastern Conference.
After tallying 23 goals during the regular season, Schneider picked up All-BIG EAST First Team laurels for the first time in her career. The junior posted a team-best .742 shooting percentage and chipped in with five assists.
Stevens, a unanimous selection, also earned her first all-conference award after scoring 33 goals and dishing out six assists. Her 39 points in 2015 not only ranks second on the squad, but set a new career high for the sophomore.
Sophomore Mollie Stevens was named All-BIG EAST First Team. (Photo Jim Burgess).
The attacker has been a model of consistency for the Gators since arriving in Gainesville, scoring in a program-record 21 straight games dating back to last season. Through her first two seasons for the Orange and Blue, the Centreville, Maryland, native has accumulated 69 goals.
Fitzgerald rounded out the Gators' BIG EAST First Team recipients after leading a UF defense that allowed a conference-low 7.82 goals per game and only 5.1 goals per game in league play.
The sophomore, who was a unanimous selection, has earned all-conference accolades in each of her first two seasons and led all Florida defenders with 22 ground balls, while adding 11 caused turnovers and 10 draw controls. She even scored her first-two collegiate goals against Marquette on April 8.
In addition to UF's five first team honorees, redshirt junior Nicole Graziano and sophomores Taylor Bresnahan and Sammi Burgess were named All-BIG EAST Second Team.
2015 All-BIG EAST Selections
BIG EAST Attacker of the Year
Jackie Froccaro, Villanova, Sr., A
BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Shannon Gilroy, Florida, Sr., M*
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Lauren Kwasnowski, Connecticut Jr., D
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Shannon Nee, Connecticut, Jr., GK*
BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, Fr., A*
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Connecticut
*unanimous selection
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Emily Anderson, Connecticut, Sr., M
Kristen Bandos, Georgetown Jr., M
Nora Barry, Florida, Sr., M
Adrianne Devine, Georgetown, Sr., D*
Alex Duckenfield, Vanderbilt, Sr., D
Kate Finkelston, Connectict, Jr., A*
Caroline Fitzgerald, Florida, So., D*
Jackie Froccaro, Villanova, Sr., A*
Shannon Gilroy, Florida, Sr., M*
Lauren Kwasnowski, Connecticut Jr., D*
Jess Mucci, Villanova, Sr., A
Shannon Nee, Connecticut Jr., GK*
Devon Schneider, Florida, Jr., A
Mallory Schonk, Vanderbilt, Jr., A
Mollie Stevens, Florida, So., A*
Caroline Tarzian, Georgetown, Sr., A
Nicole Tiernan, Temple, Jr., M
*unanimous selection
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Meghan Breen, Villanova, Jr., A
Taylor Bresnahan, Florida, So., D
Sammi Burgess, Florida, So., A
Claire Costanza, Marquette, Jr., A
Courtney Curtis, Cincinnati, Jr., M
Emma Dagres, Vanderbilt, Jr., M
Jill Doherty, Vanderbilt, So., A
Corinne Etchison, Georgetown, Jr., A
Maddy Fisher, Georgetown, So., GK
Elizabeth Goslee, Marquette, Jr., D
Nicole Graziano, Florida, R-Jr., M
Alexa Kunowsky, Vanderbilt, Jr., M
Maddie Kratz, Vanderbilt, Sr., GK
Megan Marinelli, Georgetown, Sr., D
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, Fr., A
Carly Palmucci, Connecticut, Jr., A
Sam Scarfogliero, Villanova, So., D
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
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