Liberty League announces 2016 Women's Lacrosse Awards
The Liberty League has announced its 2016 All-League awards for women's lacrosse as voted by league coaches. The major award winners and all-league teams are listed below.
CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sage Sarkis, Sr., Attack, Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT senior Sage Sarkis shares Liberty League Player of the Year honors after leading the Tigers and the league in scoring, averaging 3.94 goals per game for 63 goals on the year. She also handed out 19 assists and totaled 82 points this season, ranking her second among league leaders. The senior attack posted a season-high eight points on two occasions this season against Williams and Farmingdale State. Sarkis ends her career at RIT second all-time in points (267) and goals (213). Sarkis contributed at least 60 points in each of her four seasons in a Tiger uniform.
CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Christine Wright, Sr., Midfielder, Clarkson University
Clarkson senior Christine Wright shares Liberty League Player of the Year honors after posting a league-best 86 points on 42 goals and 44 assists this season. She set Clarkson program records in assists and points in a season while pacing the league in both categories, averaging 2.75 assists per game and 5.38 points per game en route to becoming Clarkson’s all-time scoring leader. Nationally, she is ranked 12
th in assists per game. Wright also helped the Golden Knights defensively with a team-high 18 caused turnovers and she was second on the team with 35 draw controls on the year. In her four years at Clarkson, the senior midfielder netted 161 goals and dished out 126 assists totaling 287 points.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rachel Talanian, Jr., Midfielder, Skidmore College
Skidmore junior Rachael Talanian was selected as the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year as the Thoroughbreds advanced to their second straight league championship. She anchored the Skidmore defense, that allowed 8.44 goals per game while leading the league in ground balls (76) and caused turnovers (50). It was Talanian’s defensive versatility in one-on-one battles and her efforts in the transition that help Skidmore the most as she was typically assigned to cover opposing teams’ top offensive threats throughout the season.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Cas Swajkowski, Fr., Attack, Skidmore College
Skidmore freshman Cas Swajkowski was selected as Liberty League Rookie of the Year after helping the Thoroughbreds to a 10-8 overall record and a 6-3 mark in league play. She was second on the team in scoring with 50 goals and two assists for 52 points. The only rookie to earn All-Liberty League first team honors, she was among the league’s top-ten scorers, averaging 2.78 goals (5
th) and 2.89 points per game (9
th). Swajkowski started all but two games for Skidmore and had three game-winning goals on the season, including the overtime goal that advanced the Thoroughbreds to the league championship with their first victory over Union since 2006.
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Head Coach Anne Phillips; Assistant Coaches Morgan Achilles and Matt Dorn
First-year head coach Anne Phillips and her staff earned Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Phillips and her assistants guided William Smith to an 8-1 Liberty League record and an 11-7 overall record as the Herons captured their first league title since 2004. As a team, William Smith averaged 10.06 goals per game and they led the league in women down goals (five). Defensively, the Herons allowed 6.56 goals per game, ranking them second in the league and among the top-twenty nationally.
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
A- Maggie Comiskey, Sr., Union
A- Hannah Connolly, Sr., William Smith
A- Sage Sarkis, Sr., RIT
A- Cas Szwajkowski, Fr., Skidmore
M- Jessica Farland, Sr., Union
M- Isabelle Goldstein, Sr., Vassar
M- Tyler Phillips, Jr., Skidmore
M- Kiera Taussig, Jr., St. Lawrence
M- Christine Wright, Sr., Clarkson
D- Holly Leone, Sr., RIT
D- Rachel Talanian, Jr., Skidmore
D- Cat Wolf, So., William Smith
G- Sarah Honan, Jr., William Smith
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE SECOND TEAM
A- Ashley Flick, Jr., Clarkson
A- Emily Livecchi, So., RIT
A- Chloe Knapp, Sr., St. Lawrence
M- Jamie Wallisch, Jr., Rochester
M- Corrina Mandell, Sr., RIT
M- Allie Flaherty, Jr., William Smith
M- Madeline Levy, So., Rochester
M- Sammy Ward, So., RIT
M- Kayla Schmalz, So., St. Lawrence
D- Emma Garfield, Sr., St. Lawrence
D- Paige Smith, Sr., Union
D- Kate Kurchena, Sr., Union
G- Samantha Gladd, Fr., Clarkson
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE HONORABLE MENTION
A- Julia Trudell, Jr., Vassar
A- Melissa Moore, So., William Smith
A- Cailin Pandolfi, So., Union
M- Kellie Cronin, Fr., Union
M- Emy Stratton, Sr., William Smith
M- Natalie Sullivan, Jr., Union
M- Nicole Ellin, Fr., Bard
M- Taylor Collins, So., Clarkson
D- Erin Goodwin, Fr., Rensselaer
D- Gianna Muscari, Fr., Skidmore
D- Laura Rollins, Fr., William Smith
D- Hanna Gleason, Sr., Clarkson
G- Megan Kolopsky, Jr., Skidmore