The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Lacrosse Annual Awards
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Brevard attacker Caitlyn Nemeth was voted the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year, while Hannah Scott from Queens was voted the League's Freshman of the Year. In addition, Queens mentor Julika Blankenship was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.
Nemeth, a sophomore from Old Bridge, N.J., finished the 2016 regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation with 4.71 goals per game and No. 3 in the country with a South Atlantic Conference record 66 total goals. She averaged 5.43 points per game to rank No. 6 in Division II, while her 76 total points on the year is good for No. 13 nationally. Nemeth also converted on 1.14 free position scores per game during the 2016 to rank No. 9 in the country. She scored four-or-more goals in 10 contests this season, including a pair of contests with eight scores. Nemeth was tabbed the Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week a League-best three times this season.
Scott, an attacker from Centreville, Md., finished her 2016 campaign ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in two offensive categories. She passed out 33 total assists on the year to rank No. 22 in the country, while her 2.06 assists per game was good for No. 25. Scott posted 67 points during the regular season with an average of 4.19 points per game. Scott scored a goal in every contest she played in and highlighted her season with five goals and one assist in Queens' 9-8 win over No. 17 Mount Olive to earn Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Scott recorded nine multiple assist games for the Royals and assisted on at least one score in every Queens contest this season.
Blankenship led her squad to their third-straight South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Crown after finishing 8-0 in League play and 14-2 overall. Her squad currently ranks No. 6 in the nation with 16 goals per game, while the Royals' defense leads the League and is No. 14 nationally with just 7.88 goals allowed per game. The Royals' 23.69 points per game is good for No. 6 in the country, while ranking No. 3 in the country with only 12.4 turnovers per game. Queens ranked as high as No. 15 in the national coaches poll this season and turned in a program-record 14 wins so far this season.
Queens' Scott and Abigail Paulus joined Nemeth on the list of first team attackers and Brittany Andrews from Wingate rounded out the first-team attackers. The South Atlantic Conference first team midfielders consisted of Kelly Dowd of Queens, Claire Wach from Lenoir-Rhyne, Emily Nosek of Wingate and Tusulum's Madison Malone.
Defensively, Queens had three defenders earn first team defender honors in Bridgette Larranaga, Aarika Kaester and Sydney Dishman, while Marabeth Durden from Coker finished up the list of first team defender honorees. Ines Flueck from Lenoir-Rhyne was voted the first team goalkeeper.
2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Yearly Honors
First Team
A – Caitlyn Nemeth, Brevard
A – Hanna Scott Queens
A – Abigail Paulus, Queens
A – Brittany Andrews, Wingate
MF – Kelly Dowd, Queens
MF – Claire Wach, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Emily Nosek, Wingate
MF – Madison Malone, Tusculum
D – Bridgette Larranaga, Queens
D – Marabeth Durden, Coker
D – Aarika Kaester, Queens
D – Sydney Dishman, Queens
GK – Ines Flueck, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Faith Kent, Coker
A – Meredith Jones, Catawba
A – Torrey Schwitkis, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Kelsey Crow, Tusculum
MF – Paulena Dempsey, Wingate
MF – Nicolette Salay, Catawba
MF – Hannah Scott, Catawba
MF – Brittany Larranga, Queens
D – Morgan Insel, Wingate
D – Taylor Winters, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Amber Breedy, Brevard
D – Lindsay Ordemann, Coker
GK – Arion Pierre, Wingate
Honorable Mention
A – Kirstyn Kruse, Catawba
A – Shannon O'Neal, Wingate
A – Aubriana Benedetto, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Megan Shortt, Catawba
MF – Claudia Jenkins, Coker
MF – Shannon Masberger, Queens
MF – Bre'Asia James, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Mackenzie Baker, Coker
D – Becky Frost, Catawba
D – Kaitlyn Kimball, Coker
D – Erin Murphy, Wingate
D – Noreen McAllister, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Bethany Davis, Catawba
Player of the Year
Caitlyn Nemeth, Brevard
Freshman of the Year
Hannah Scott, Queens
Coach of the Year
Julika Blankenship, Queens
Statistical Champions
Draw Controls per Game – Bre'Asia James, Lincoln Memorial (4.73)
Ground Balls per Game – Shannon Novak, Lincoln Memorial (3.87)
Assists per Game – Madison Malone, Tusculum (3.00)
Saves per Game – Ines Flueck, Lenoir-Rhyne (11.00)
Goals-Against Average – Christine Wiese, Queens (8.03)
Save Percentage – Ines Flueck, Lenoir-Rhyne (.547)
Goals per Game – Caitlyn Nemeth, Brevard (4.71)
Caused Turnovers per Game – Marabeth Durden, Coker (2.73)
Points per Game – Caitlyn Nemeth, Brevard (5.43)
Team Points per Game – Tusculum (24.20)
Team Caused Turnovers per Game – Coker (14.27)
Team Ground Balls per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (27.25)
Team Scoring Offense – Tusculum (16.27)
Team Scoring Defense – Queens (7.88)
Team Scoring Margin – Queens (8.13)
Team Draw Controls per Game – Tusculum (14.93)