HIGGINS NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, FIVE OTHERS NAMED ALL-GNAC

WINTHROP, MASS. – Emmanuel College senior Sarah Higgins has been voted the 2016 GNAC Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Tuesday morning. Higgins, a Groveland, Mass. native, was also named the GNAC Women's Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year this past March.

Higgins, who was one of four GNAC First Team selections from Emmanuel, ranked fifth among league leaders in goals (53), third in assists (33) and fourth in points (86) for the Saints. She also led the GNAC in both ground balls (81) and caused turnovers (53) and was third with 101 draw controls.

Joining Higgins on the First Team were Emmanuel teammates Kristen Tuleja, Emily Baker and Savannah Lundwall. Tuleja led the GNAC with 68 goals and had 20 assists for 88 points, while Baker was fourth in the league with 31 assists and had 68 points. Lundwall was part of a defense that allowed just 8.78 goals per contest in league games. 

Senior goalkeeper Lauren White represented the Saints on the GNAC Second Team, while teammate Sophia White was named to the All-GNAC Third Team. Monica Burdick earned a spot on the All-Sportsmanship Team.

Lasell College senior defender Bridget Munnelly was named the 2016 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, as the Bellingham, Mass. native helped the GNAC champion Lasers allow just 75 goals in nine conference games. She also has 19 goals and four assists for 23 points on the season as Lasell prepares for the NCAA Tournament. Also a two-sport standout, Munnelly was a 2015 GNAC Women's Soccer Second Team selection in the fall.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine senior goalkeeper Michelle Cunha was named the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, as the netminder led the conference in save percentage (.541) and goals-against average (4.73) for the Monks, who again won the regular-season title.

Mount Ida College freshman Alyssa Kelly made an impact on the league in her first year, as the first-year was fourth in the GNAC with 56 goals to collect Rookie of the Year honors. She also had 23 assists for 72 points, which was good for sixth among league leaders for the Mustangs.

All four major award winners were voted to the 2016 All-GNAC First Team.

Saint Joseph's of Maine head coach Rupert Holmes was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year for the second time in as many years after another GNAC Tournament top seed. Also for the second consecutive year, the Monks ran the tables with a 9-0 league record en route to the regular-season title.

The regular-season champion Monks had three named to the First Team. Attackers Elyse Caiazzo and Kelsey Dumond were both recognized, as Caiazzo had 67 goals and 15 assists for 82 points and Dumond had 52 goals and 21 helpers for 73 points. Defender Meghan Williams also earned a First Team nod for the Monks, who allowed just 5.46 goals per game, including a 4.56 per-game mark in the conference. Williams also chipped in four goals and six assists for 10 points.

Johnson & Wales University midfielder Lydia Knapp, last year's GNAC Offensive Player of the Year, was also honored on the First Team after leading the GNAC with 93 points on 65 goals and 28 assists.

Lasell midfielder Taylor Yandow rounded out the 12 First Team selections. Named the 2016 GNAC Tournament MVP this past weekend, Yandow currently has 48 goals and 12 assists for 60 points for the conference champs.

Albertus Magnus College was honored with the GNAC Institutional Sportsmanship Award. For the complete list of All-Conference Teams, please see below.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

First Team
A – Emily Baker, Emmanuel (Mass.)
A – Kristen Tuleja, Emmanuel (Mass.)
A – Alyssa Kelly, Mount Ida
A – Elyse Caiazzo, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
A – Kelsey Dumond, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Sarah Higgins, Emmanuel (Mass.)
M – Lydia Knapp, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Taylor Yandow, Lasell
D – Savannah Lundwall, Emmanuel (Mass.)
D – Bridget Munnelly, Lasell
D – Meghan Williams, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Michelle Cunha, Saint Joseph's (Me.)

Second Team
A – Raquel Pederzani, Johnson & Wales (RI)
A – Bridget Doherty, Lasell
A – Amanda Wickens, Rivier
A – Mary Leasure, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
A – Kasey Fries, Simmons
M – Ashlee Pechulis, Lasell
M – Kat Gadbois, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Jackie Wilson, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
D – Elizabeth Tonn, Johnson & Wales (RI)
D – Emma Lafrance, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
D – Lauren Williams, Simmons
GK – Lauren White, Emmanuel (Mass.)

Third Team
A – Kayla Smith, Johnson & Wales (RI)
A – Allison Pazienski, Johnson & Wales (RI)
A – Jordan McComb, Lasell
A – Rose St. Hilaire, St. Joseph (Conn.)
A – Elizabeth Elcock, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Chapel Guarnieri, Norwich
M – Elena Bragg, Simmons
M – Ashley Sheehan, Simmons
D – Sophia White, Emmanuel (Mass.)
D – Isabella Saluti, Johnson & Wales (RI)
D – Lauren Goodspeed, Rivier
GK – Cristal Benton, Johnson & Wales (RI)

Offensive Player of the Year – Sarah Higgins, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Defensive Player of the Year – Bridget Munnelly, Lasell
Goalkeeper of the Year – Michelle Cunha, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Rookie of the Year – Alyssa Kelly, Mount Ida
Coach of the Year – Rupert Lewis, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Albertus Magnus College

All-Sportsmanship Team
Carla Tapia, Albertus Magnus College
Monica Burdick, Emmanuel College
Sherie Binns , Johnson & Wales
Stef Welch, Lasell College
Briana Barker , Mount Ida College
Kasey Jacobs, Norwich
Taylor Lirakis, Rivier University
Chelsea Longo, USJ
Brianne Maloney, Saint Joseph's College (Me.)
Sara Rademacher, Simmons College

~RELEASE COURTESY OF THE GNAC~