Women's Lacrosse Has Four Players Named to All-ACC Team
April 26, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia had four players selected to the 2017 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Lacrosse Team, as voted upon by the league’s head coaches and announced on Wednesday (April 26).
Sophomore Maggie Jackson (Alexandria, Va.) was named to the All-ACC First Team, while senior Maggie Preas (Rockville, Md.), junior Kasey Behr (Northport, N.Y.) and sophomore Kaitlin Luzik (Alexandria, Va.) earned second team honors. UVA’s four selections was second most in the ACC, behind North Carolina’s six.
Jackson, one of three midfielders selected to the first team, earned her first All-ACC honor. This season, Jackson has led Virginia in all areas of the field with 59 points (33 goals, 26 assists), 52 ground balls, 60 draw controls and 31 caused turnovers. She is the lone ACC player to lead her team in each of those areas. Jackson has earned a point in all 17 games, scoring at least one goal in 16 of those. She is seventh the ACC in points per game (3.47) and leads the league with 3.06 ground balls per game. Jackson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week (March 21) after tallying seven caused turnovers, nine ground balls and seven draws in wins over Loyola and then-No. 10 Notre Dame.
This is the second-straight All-ACC second team selection for Preas and Behr and the first honor for Luzik.
Preas is a standout defender for the Cavaliers. She has helped lead the defense that has held opponents to single-digit goals in eight games this season. Preas has recorded 27 ground balls, five draw controls and 18 caused turnovers. She propelled UVA to a victory over JMU with a career-high seven ground balls and six caused turnovers.
Behr, a Tewaaraton Award Watch List selection, is fourth on the team with 28 goals, second with 33 draw controls and third with 21 caused turnovers. The midfielder has scored multiple goals in nine games this season with four hat tricks. Behr recorded a career-high five points with four goals and one assist at Syracuse. In the win over William & Mary, she tallied a career-high seven ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Luzik has been another steady contributor on defense. She is third on the team with 32 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers and fourth with 35 ground balls. Luzik recorded a career-high five ground balls and five draw controls in the win at William & Mary. She forced a career-high four caused turnovers this season against Boston College.
Virginia will begin play at the 2017 ACC Women’s Lacrosse Championship on Thursday, April 27. The Cavaliers are the three-seed and take on six-seed Louisville at 8 p.m. in the quarterfinals at Richmond Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va.
All seven games of the tournament will be broadcast on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks and will be available on ACC Network Extra.
2017 ACC Women’s Lacrosse All-ACC Team
First Team
A – Sam Apuzzo, So., Boston College *
A – Hannah Koloski, Sr., Louisville
A – Ela Hazar, Jr., North Carolina *
A – Molly Hendrick, Sr., North Carolina *
A – Cortney Fortunato, Sr., Notre Dame *
M – Marie McCool, Jr., North Carolina *
M – Casey Pearsall, Sr., Notre Dame *
M – Maggie Jackson, So., Virginia
D – Maura Schwitter, Sr., Duke *
D – Maggie Auslander, Sr., North Carolina
D – Kaeli O’Connor, Sr., Syracuse
G – Brittany Read, Jr., Louisville
Second Team
A – Kate Weeks, Sr., Boston College
A – Sammy Jo Tracy, GS, North Carolina *
A – Riley Donahue, Jr., Syracuse *
M – Kasey Behr, Jr., Virginia*
M – Maddie Crutchfield, Jr., Duke *
M – Meghan Siverson, So., Louisville
M – Alex Dalton, Sr., Notre Dame
M – Natalie Wallon, So., Syracuse
D – Kaitlin Luzik, So., Virginia
D – Maggie Preas, Sr., Virginia
D – Elizabeth Miller, So., Boston College
G – Caylee Waters, Sr., North Carolina *
* 2017 Tewaaraton Award Watch List