Terriers Sweep America East Awards
April 30, 2003 | Women's Lacrosse
(4-30-03)
BOSTON - Following a perfect record in regular-season conference play, Boston University (12-4, 5-0) swept the major awards at the America East women's lacrosse banquet.
Sophomore midfielder Alyssa Trudel (Shoreham, VT) headlined a group of 10 honorees, becoming just the second player in B.U. women's lacrosse program history to win the America East Player of the Year award. Junior defender Sasha Lang (Cornish, NH) earned the inaugural Defender of the Year award while freshman attacker Mary Beth Miller (Berlin, NJ) was honored as the Rookie of the Year. In just her second season as a head coach, Liza Shoemaker was selected by her peers as the Coach of the Year.
Trudel finished the regular season leading the America East and ranking fourth in the nation in scoring with 37 points and 35 assists for 72 points. Trudel also led the league and ranked third in the nation in assists and was 19th in the nation in draw controls (45). Trudel and Chrissy Lombard ('01) are the only two Terriers to earn Player of the Year honors. Lombard also first won the award in her sophomore season in 1999 and went on to win the award two more times during her career.
Lang led the nation's third-best scoring defense and paced the midfield transition with unmatched speed. Starting all 16 regular-season games, Lang led the Terriers in caused turnovers (30) and was second on the team in ground balls (29). Starting the last 35 games, Lang holds the Terriers' longest-active starts and games played streaks.
Miller led a highly potent freshman attack, scoring a team-high 38 regular-season goals while contributing 15 assists to rank fourth in the league in scoring with 53 points. Miller was the only Terrier to contribute a point in all 16 regular-season games, scoring multiple goals on 13 occasions. Miller becomes the third Terrier to win the America East Rookie of the Year award. She follows Lombard (1998) and Polly Purcell (2001).
Shoemaker has guided the Terriers to a 12-4 mark in 2003 and enters the tournament riding a program-record 10-game win streak. Shoemaker follows predecessor Sue Murphy as the Coach of the Year. Murphy won the award in 1999 and 2000.
Trudel, Lang, and Miller are joined on the All-Conference First Team by senior attacker Caroline Kelleher (Duxbury, MA), senior defender Meghan Murphy (Annapolis, MD), and sophomore goalkeeper Anne Sheridan (Baltimore, MD).
Despite battling a chronic knee injury, Kelleher enters the post-season fourth on the team in assists (10) and fifth in scoring (29).
Murphy, who has also been sidelined by a foot injury, anchors the Terrier defense and has forced 34 caused turnovers in her career.
Sheridan leads America East and ranks seventh in the nation in both goals against average (7.04) and save percentage (.570).
Three Terrier freshmen, attacker Lindsay Lewis (Glenelg, MD), midfielder Danica Strutt (Pheonix, MD), and defender Kaitlyn Cuneo (Marlton, NJ) were selected to the All-Conference Second Team.
Lewis and Cuneo were joined by Miller on the All-Rookie Team.
Top-seeded B.U. hosts fourth-seeded Stony Brook in the America East semifinals on Thursday, May 1, at 1:00 p.m.
