Courtesy: CAA http://www.caasports.com/ CAA Assistant Commissioner Melissa Conti and Old Dominion's Kelly Kimener
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (April 29, 2009) – Old Dominion senior Kelly Kimener was chosen as the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association women’s lacrosse Player of the Year based on a vote of the league’s eight head coaches. The award was presented at a banquet Wednesday night on the eve of the 2009 CAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which is being hosted by top-seed William & Mary.
Joining Kimener as major award winners were Towson’s Julie Ondrako, who was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Old Dominion’s Sarah Geary, who was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Year, and ODU’s Sue Stahl, who received CAA Coach of the Year.
Kimener is ODU’s first CAA Player of the Year in women’s lacrosse since 1993. The senior midfielder from Oakton, Va. led the Lady Monarchs with 57 points on 42 goals and a team-high 15 assists. She also was second on the team with 22 caused turnovers. Kimener was among the CAA’s top 10 in goals, assists and points per game, setting career-highs in all three categories. The ODU captain recorded 10 hat tricks this season and had five games with five or more points, including a season-high seven points against UMBC.
Ondrako became Towson’s first CAA Defensive Player of the Year honoree. The senior defender from Manlius, N.Y., anchored a Tigers’ defense that allowed only 9.81 goals per game, which ranked second-best in the league. Ondrako was credited with shutting down the opponent’s top scorer in multiple contests this season, and ranked among the top five in the conference with 3.00 ground balls per game and 1.75 caused turnovers per game. She also contributed two goals and two assists.
Geary is the first ODU player since 2001 to receive CAA Rookie of the Year accolades. The freshman goalkeeper from Springfield, Pa., played all but 30 minutes in cage for the Lady Monarchs this season. With a record of 11-4, she tallied 146 saves, 45 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. She ranks among the top five in several CAA categories, including ground balls per game (3.00), goals against average (10.20), save percentage (.493) and saves per game (9.73).
Stahl earned CAA Coach of the Year honors for the second time in the past three years and the fifth time in her career. She guided the Lady Monarchs to an overall record of 11-4 and they finished in a three-way tie for second in the CAA at 5-2. ODU recorded three victories over nationally ranked opponents this season, including a 13-10 triumph over #9 Virginia.
In addition to the four major awards handed out on Wednesday, the CAA also announced the 2009 All-CAA first and second teams along with the CAA All-Rookie squad.
2009 ALL-CAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE TEAM (selected by CAA lacrosse coaches)
First Team
Ashley Holofcener, William & Mary
A
So.
Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School
Ashley Kellogg, Old Dominion
A
Jr.
Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West
Meggie McNamara, Towson
A
Sr.
Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius
Corrine Gandolfi, Hofstra*
MF
Jr.
Smithtown, N.Y./Northport
Grace Golden, William & Mary *
MF
So.
Manhasset, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy
Kim Griffin, James Madison#
MF
Jr.
Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford
Kelly Kimener, Old Dominion
MF
Sr.
Oakton, Va./Oakton
Nikki Marcinik, Towson
MF
Jr.
Deale, Md./Southern
Maggie Bridges, George Mason*
D
Sr.
Fairfax, Va./Paul VI
Julie Ondrako, Towson*
D
Sr.
Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius
Erin Zimmerman, Delaware
D
Sr.
Malvern, Pa./Great Valley
Jessica Cerveny, Delaware*
GK
Sr.
Islip, N.Y./Islip
Second Team
Jaime Dardine, James Madison
A
Sr.
Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown
Liz Falco, Hofstra
A
Jr.
Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown
Madalyn Jamison, George Mason
A
So.
Finksburg, Md./Westminster
Katie Lawson, Drexel
MF
Jr.
Sewell, N.J./Washington Township
Emily Schaknowski, Delaware*
MF
Jr.
Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River
Deb Sloan, Delaware
MF
Sr.
Thornton, Pa./West Chester East
Molly Wannen, William & Mary
MF
So.
Silver Spring, Md./The Blake School
Britt Woodfield, Towson#
MF
Sr.
New Windsor, Md./South Carroll
Lindsey Belle, Old Dominion
D
Sr.
Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baker
Sarah Jonson, William & Mary
D
So.
Dallas, Texas/The Hockaday School
Alysse Ruszkowski, Hofstra*
D
Sr.
Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem East
Sarah Geary, Old Dominion
GK
Fr.
Springfield, Pa./Springfield
2009 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kelly Kimener, Old Dominion
2009 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Julie Ondrako, Towson
2009 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Sarah Geary, Old Dominion
2009 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Sue Stahl, Old Dominion
Courtesy: CAA
