Hofstra's Altomare Highlights All-CAA Women's Lacrosse Team
Kelly McCarthy
RICHMOND, Va. (April 30, 2015) – Hofstra University senior
Brittain Altomare was the unanimous choice for Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Year while the Pride’s
Shannon Smith was named CAA Coach of the Year, in a vote of the league’s seven head coaches to highlight the 2015 postseason awards. Towson University senior
Michelle Dufault was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year while Elon University midfielder
Stephanie Asher was the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Altomare, also a unanimous All-First selection, becomes the first-ever player from Hofstra to earn CAA Player of the Year honors since the Pride joined the league in 2002. Altomare posted a team-best 78 points on 39 goals and 39 assists this regular season, while also totaling 90 draw controls and nine ground balls. Her point, assist, and draw control totals are all single-season program records. The four-time CAA Player of the Week is ranked in the top-six nationally in four different categories entering the CAA Championship. Altomare is the program’s all-time leader in assists (126), points (244) and draw controls (197), while also compiling 118 goals (seventh all-time).
Smith is the first Hofstra coach to earn CAA Coach of the Year accolades since Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe earned the league’s top honor in 2005. Smith led Hofstra to an 11-5 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in CAA play. It is Hofstra’s first-ever perfect season in CAA play and the first time the Pride went undefeated in regular season conference play since going 6-0 in the America East Conference in 2001. In just her third season at the helm of the program she has led Hofstra to the number one seed in the conference tournament for the first time since the 2007 campaign. Smith heads into the postseason having already won 30 games during her three-year coaching career.
Dufault helped anchor the Towson defense which allows just 8.86 goals against while causing 124 turnovers (7.75/g). Dufault, an All-CAA First Team selection, posted 24 caused turnovers and 23 ground balls in her final year as a Tiger. She picked up CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors on April 13.
Asher had an impressive rookie campaign in which she led the CAA in goals with 44 and ranked fifth in points per game (3.38) en route to All-CAA Second Team and All-Rookie honors. The three-time CAA Rookie of the Week also posted 34 draw controls and 19 ground balls this season.
James Madison had four players earn All-CAA First Team honors: senior attacker Stephanie Finley (44g, 13a), senior midfielder Alison Curwin (29g, 17a), junior midfielder Jaci Gordon (33g, 19a), and senior defender Lexi Cross (42gb, 25ct). Delaware had three First Team selections in junior attacker Casey Lyons (40g, 16a), senior midfielder Caitlin McCartney (36g), and junior defender Erin Wein (37gb, 35ct). In addition to Dufault, Towson had two Tigers named to the league’s top squad in senior attacker Andi Raymond (32g, 23a) and senior goalie Kelsea Donnelly (8.69 GAA). Senior defender April Iannetta (43gb, 31ct) also earned a first team nod for Hofstra.
The
2015 CAA Championship gets underway on Friday evening at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Del. Top-seeded Hofstra takes on fourth-seeded Towson at 4:00 p.m. followed by second-seed No. 17/19 James Madison taking on third-seeded Delaware at 7:00 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on
CAA.tv.
2015 All-CAA Women’s Lacrosse Teams
|
First Team |
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
|
Brittain Altomare |
Hofstra |
Sr. |
A |
Wolfsville, Md. |
|
Stephanie Finley |
James Madison |
Sr. |
A |
Media, Pa. |
|
Andi Raymond |
Towson |
R-Sr. |
A |
Ada, Mich. |
|
Casey Lyons |
Delaware |
Jr. |
A |
Georgetown, Ontario |
|
Alison Curwin |
James Madison |
Sr. |
M |
Pittsford, N.Y. |
|
Jaci Gordon |
James Madison |
Jr. |
M |
Groton, Mass. |
|
Caitlin McCartney |
Delaware |
Sr. |
M |
Doylestown, Pa. |
|
Lexi Cross |
James Madison |
Sr. |
D |
Marriottsville, Md. |
|
Michelle Dufault |
Towson |
Sr. |
D |
Fairport, N.Y. |
|
April Iannetta |
Hofstra |
Sr. |
D |
Wantagh, N.Y. |
|
Erin Wein |
Delaware |
Jr. |
D |
Middletown, Md. |
|
Kelsea Donnelly |
Towson |
Sr. |
GK |
Edgewater, Md. |
|
Second Team |
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
|
Betsy Angel |
James Madison |
R-So. |
A |
Baltimore, Md. |
|
Tiana Parrella |
Hofstra |
So. |
A |
Miller Place, N.Y. |
|
Jamie Schwartz |
Delaware |
So. |
A |
Ellicott City, Md. |
|
Ellen Shaffrey |
William & Mary |
Sr. |
A |
Charlottesville, Va. |
|
Lindsey Alfano |
Hofstra |
Jr. |
M |
Hauppauge, N.Y. |
|
Stephanie Asher |
Elon |
Fr. |
M |
Glenelg, Md. |
|
Taylor Gress |
James Madison |
Jr. |
M |
Westminster, Md. |
|
Abby Junior |
William & Mary |
So. |
D |
Wayne, Pa. |
|
Shelby Milne |
Hofstra |
Jr. |
D |
Camillus, N.Y. |
|
Jocelyn Quaile |
Drexel |
Sr. |
D |
Mullica Hill, N.J. |
|
Emily Roth |
Towson |
Jr. |
D |
Millersville, Md. |
|
Rachel Ramirez |
Elon |
So. |
GK |
Lindenhurst, N.Y. |
|
All-Rookie Team |
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
|
Stephanie Asher |
Elon |
Fr. |
M |
Glenelg, Md. |
|
Audrey Byrd |
Hofstra |
R-Fr. |
D |
Jarrettsville, Md. |
|
Erika Cavallo |
Towson |
Fr. |
A |
Hillsborough, N.J. |
|
Abby Corkum |
William & Mary |
Fr. |
A |
Baltimore, Md. |
|
Emily Gillingham |
Towson |
Fr. |
M |
Kitchener, Ontario |
|
Abby Godfrey |
Elon |
Fr. |
M |
Denver, Colo. |
|
Becky Gohsler |
Delaware |
Fr. |
M |
Mendham, N.J. |
|
Kaitlyn Montalbano |
Towson |
Fr. |
M |
West Islip, N.Y. |
|
Nadia Pelham-Lacey |
Drexel |
Fr. |
A |
Maplewood, N.J. |
|
Haley Warden |
James Madison |
Fr. |
M |
Glen Mills, Pa. |
|
Alexis Zadjura |
Elon |
Fr. |
D |
Woodstock, Md. |
2015 CAA Player of the Year: Brittain Altomare, Hofstra
2015 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Michelle Dufault, Towson
2015 CAA Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Asher, Elon
2015 CAA Coach of the Year: Shannon Smith, Hofstra
|
All-Academic Team |
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
|
Kelli Stack |
Elon |
Jr. |
M |
Lower Gwynedd, Pa. |
|
Alison Curwin |
James Madison |
Sr. |
M |
Pittsford, N.Y. |
|
Elyse Andrews |
Delaware |
R-So. |
M |
Wilmington, Del. |
|
Joelle Hartke |
Drexel |
Sr. |
M |
Clarence Center, N.Y. |
|
Kaitlin Ayres |
Hofstra |
Sr. |
A |
Glenmont, N.Y. |
|
Ellen Shaffrey |
William & Mary |
Sr. |
A |
Charlottesville, Va. |
|
Delaney Fisher |
Towson |
Sr. |
M |
Cypress, Texas |