The Empire 8 announced its 2012 Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference team with juniors Tracy Rivas and Jess Worthman of Ithaca College being named Empire 8 Player of the Year and Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively.
Rivas led all Empire 8 scorers, totaling 35 points (21 goals and 14 assists) from her attack position in seven conference games. She added 21 ground balls, 15 draw controls, and three caused turnovers in leading the Bombers to an undefeated regular season in conference action and the top seed in the Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
Worthman posted conference-bests of a 3.43 goals against average and a 61.8 save percentage in Empire 8 regular season play. She made 39 saves.
Senior attacker Nicole Borisenok repeated as a first-team selection, finishing with 27 points on 17 goals and 10 assists in Empire 8 action. Senior defender Siobhan Sullivan of the Bombers also earned first-team all-conference recognition after recording 14 ground balls, four draw controls, and six caused turnovers in seven conference contests.
Three players from third-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology were named to the all-conference first team, including Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Amanda Ingersoll. The defender finished regular season conference play with 21 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Senior defender Ashley Carey repeated on the first team after totaling five points (three goals, two assists), 16 ground balls, 16 draw controls, and 10 caused turnovers. Junior midfielder Spencer Waybright garnered first-team honors, leading all midfielders with 29 points on 15 goals and 13 assists, adding 16 ground balls and 26 draw controls.
Junior Melissa Leonhard of second-seeded St. John Fisher College repeated as a first-team all-conference midfielder and 2011 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Taylor Hughes was named to the first team for the first time. Leonhard led all Empire 8 scorers with 24 goals and contributed 23 ground balls, 32 draw controls, and 12 caused turnovers. Hughes was the Cardinals’ top attacker with 16 goals, 13 assists, and 29 points in conference play.
Senior midfielder Katlyn Banker and first-year defender Megan Kane of Utica College were named to the all-conference first team. Banker paced the Pioneers with 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists), adding 20 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Kane scored eight goals and finished with 23 ground balls, 15 draw controls, and 12 caused turnovers in Empire 8 play.
Junior Alyssa Johnston of fourth-seeded Nazareth College repeated as a first-team selection. She totaled 22 points, 11 ground balls, and 24 draw controls in conference games.
Shannon McHale and her staff were named Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for leading Ithaca to an undefeated mark in conference play in her first season at the helm of the Bombers. She also won the award in 2007 with St. John Fisher.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 Women’s Lacrosse Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
2012 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Awards
Player of the Year: Tracy Rivas, Ithaca College
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jess Worthman, Ithaca College
Rookie of the Year: Amanda Ingersoll, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coaching Staff of the Year: Shannon McHale, Ithaca College
2012 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse All-Conference Release