Sophomore Nichole Weeks and Mary Fafard both earned North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Honors as announced at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Weeks earned a spot on the Second Team All-Conference while Fafard made the Sportsmanship Team. See below for the full women's lacrosse All-Conference team release:
NAC All-Conference selections are determined by a vote of the conference coaches.
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MacKay has been an offensive force this season especially in conference play, tallying an impressive 56 points from 47 goals and nine assists. She collected at least two points in every conference game, while also scoring at least five goals in seven of eight games and dishing at least one assist in five NAC games. The senior leads the NAC in points and goals, while scoring on 64.4 percent of her shots and recording an impressive 90.4 shots on goal percentage. She also tallied 19 ground balls to go along with seven caused turnovers in conference action. According to the most recent Division III rankings, she is currently 16th in goals per game (4.21), 24th in goals (59), 29th in points per game (5.29), and 39th in points (74).
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Els has been solid for the Castleton defense once again, claiming her second-consecutive NAC Defensive Player of the Year honor. The senior has allowed only 24 goals in conference action, while posting a notable 70.7 save percentage and a miniscule 3.74 GAA. She started all eight NAC games and recorded 58 total saves in 384:56 minutes of action, including three double-digit save performances and five games in which she allowed no more than two goals. Compared to all other Division III goalkeepers, Els ranks fifth in the nation with a 0.561 save percentage to go along with two 25th place rankings in both saves (148) and save per game (10.57). |
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Bainbridge has enjoyed an impressive first season with the Pilgrims. The rookie standout finished the conference regular season ranked second in goals (30) and fifth in points (35). She started in six of the seven conference games she played in, while tallying at least three points in all games. The rookie scored two or more goals in all seven conference matchups, including three games where she scored three goals and two games where she found the back of the net seven times. Bainbridge recorded 12 ground balls, five assists, and five caused turnovers in NAC action, while also claiming NAC Rookie of the Week honors three times this season. |
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Bombardier has been selected as the first women's lacrosse Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is being recognized for excelling academically and athletically throughout her undergraduate experience, while serving as a role model in both the classroom and on the field. The Heath Science major and Statistics minor is a dual sport student-athlete, as she also competes on the Spartans' women's ice hockey team, serving as a captain for both squads. After earning NAC All-Conference honors as a lacrosse goalie each of the past two seasons, Bombardier moved to defense this season and in eight conference games she tallied two goals, 11 ground balls and six caused turnovers. In the classroom, she was named the Most Outstanding Student in the Natural Sciences Department this year and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District last year, while also earning All-Academic honors from the ECAC, NAC, NEHC and the IWLCA throughout her career. |
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Corkery Collins was honored as the NAC Coach of the Year for the third-consecutive season after once again leading her squad to an undefeated record in conference play. The Spartans led the NAC in nine statistical categories, including goals (143), goals per game (17.88), assists (69), shot percentage (50%), shots on goal percentage (83.2%), draw controls (115), goals allowed (33), goals against average (4.13), and save percentage (67.3%). Nationally, Castleton is impressively ranked in the top 45 in five different categories. Most notably the Spartans are seventh in save percentage (55.8%), 17th in scoring offense (14.71), and 19th in points per game (21.57) in all of Division III. Over her three years at the helm, Castleton has gone 26-0 against conference competition. Her teams have won all but two games by eight or more goals and have only allowed ten or more goals once in 26 games. She has led the team to three-straight NAC titles and last year helped them to a program-record 17 wins and the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. |
Joining Bainbridge (attack), Els (goalkeeper), and MacKay (attack) on the first team were Castleton senior midfielder Brandi Whittemore (Middlebury, Vt.) and junior defender Tiffany Danyow (Middlebury, Vt.), Colby-Sawyer senior attacker Caitlyn Whearty (Hampstead, N.H.), senior midfielder Sara Berry (Bowdoinham, Maine), and sophomore midfielder Nicole Lavigne (Berlin, Vt.), UMaine-Farmington junior defender Erica Letellier (Biddeford, Maine), Husson senior attacker Alissa Fallon (Kennebunk, Maine) and junior defender Lauren Coughlin (Windham, Maine), and New England College junior midfielder Allison Granata(Norwalk, Conn.) and senior defender Caroline Mols (Verona, N.J.).
Second team selections include Castleton junior midfielder Grace Johnson (So. Burlington, Vt.) and senior defender Emilee Maher (West Haven, Conn.), Colby-Sawyer senior defenders Katie Cawley (Abington, Mass.) and Sarah Harlow (Putney, Vt.) and junior goalkeeper Meghan Castellano (Wallingford, Conn.), Green Mountain sophomore attackers Catie Brewster (Kingston, N.Y.) and Megan Scully (Henderson, N.Y.) and senior midfielder Martha Howe (Sunapee, N.H.), Husson sophomore midfielder Amanda Deshaies (Wells, Maine) and freshman defender Serian Williams (Ulm, Germany), Johnson State sophomore midfielder Nichole Weeks (Barre, Vt.), New England College senior attacker Gabriella Bigos (Branford, Conn.) and senior defender Lindsey Stewart (South Windsor, Conn.), and Thomas junior attacker Sophia LaVallee (Pawling, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Samantha Greenlaw (Windham, Maine).
New to the conference this season is the selection of a Sportsmanship Team which is reserved for those who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The honorees are individuals who have positively affected the women's lacrosse culture and game environment and whose behavior clearly demonstrates sportsmanship and integrity that go beyond the playing rules and etiquette. The following nine individuals have been selected to the NAC Women's Lacrosse Sportsmanship Team, Castleton's Whittemore, Colby-Sawyer's Whearty, UMaine-Farmington junior Alaina Shorey (Lebanon, Maine), Green Mountain's Howe, Husson senior Anna Wolterbeek (Lewiston, Maine), Johnson State junior Mary Fafard (Morrisville, Vt.), Maine Maritime junior Morgan Maxwell (Windham, Maine), New England College's Stewart, and Thomas senior Brittany Fox (Lovell, Maine).
2016 NAC Women's Lacrosse All-Conference Teams
To view a PDF list of the All-Conference team click HERE.
First Team
A - Tara Bainbridge, Freshman, New England College
A - Alissa Fallon, Senior, Husson
A - Brianna MacKay, Senior, Castleton
A - Caitlyn Whearty, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
M - Sara Berry, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
M - Allison Granata, Junior, New England College
M - Nicole Lavigne, Sophomore, Colby-Sawyer
M - Brandi Whittemore, Senior, Castleton
D - Lauren Coughlin, Junior, Husson
D - Tiffany Danyow, Junior, Castleton
D - Erica Letellier, Junior, UMaine-Farmington
D - Caroline Mols, Senior, New England College
GK - Meghan Els, Senior, Castleton
Second Team
A - Gabriella Bigos, Senior, New England College
A - Catie Brewster, Sophomore, Green Mountain
A - Sophia LaVallee, Junior, Thomas
A - Megan Scully, Sophomore, Green Mountain
M - Amanda Deshaies, Sophomore, Husson
M - Samantha Greenlaw, Sophomore, Thomas
M - Martha Howe, Senior, Green Mountain
M - Grace Johnson, Junior, Castleton
M - Nichole Weeks, Sophomore, Johnson State
D - Katie Cawley, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
D - Sarah Harlow, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
D - Emilee Maher, Senior, Castleton
D - Lindsey Stewart, Senior, New England College
D - Serian Williams, Freshman, Husson
GK - Meghan Castellano, Junior, Colby-Sawyer
Player of the Year
Brianna MacKay, Senior, Castleton
Defensive Player of the Year
Meghan Els, Senior, Castleton
Rookie of the Year
Tara Bainbridge, Freshman, New England College
Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year
Rachel Bombardier, Senior, Castleton
Coach of the Year
Hannah Corkery Collins, Third Season, Castleton
Sportsmanship Team
Mary Fafard, Junior, Johnson State
Brittany Fox, Senior, Thomas
Martha Howe, Senior, Green Mountain
Morgan Maxwell, Junior, Maine Maritime
Alaina Shorey, Junior, UMaine-Farmington
Lindsey Stewart, Senior, New England College
Caitlyn Whearty, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
Brandi Whittemore, Senior, Castleton
Anna Wolterbeek, Senior, Husson