The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the 2018 Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference teams as voted on by the conference’s coaches. In addition, the Player of the Year, Goalie of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year have been selected.
Player of the Year: Kyra Bednarski, Stevens Institute of Technology
Kyra Bednarski is the fifth Player of the Year honoree in Stevens storied history. Bednarski’s offensive output guided the Ducks to an E8 championship appearance helped Stevens earn an NCAA at-large bid. She has 61 goals and a league best 105 points in 19 games. Around half of her scoring came in conference contests as she she finished with 54 point on 28 gaols in eight E8 games.
Goalie of the Year: Brianna Rizzari, Nazareth College
Junior Brianna Rizzari has been named the Goalie of the Year, marking the fourth time in program history a Nazareth student-athlete has earned the honor. She played in all 17 games, making 16 starts and totaling 879 minutes in net. She turned away a league best 189 saves for a .564 save percentage which ranks ninth nationally. Her 189 saves ranked 14th in Division III this season, while her 11.12 saves per game puts her at 36th. Rizzari had 10 games in which she recorded double-digit saves, including a season high 20 saves on March 14.
Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Husnay, Utica College
In her first collegiate season, Husnay started all of Utica’s 17 games and played a major role in helping the Pioneers qualify for the E8 postseason tournament for the first time since 2006. Husnay finished her freshman campaign with 59 points (34 goals, 25 assists) which led the team and ranked sixth in the conference. The rookie registered at least one goal in 14 games, including a season high five goals on March 28. Husnay also collected 31 ground balls and caused 18 turnovers. She is the second Pioneer to be named the Rookie of the Year.
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology
Head Coach Celine Cunningham and her staff at Stevens have been named the 2018 E8 Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Staff of the Year. The Stevens staff has guided its team to a current 14-5 overall record, marking the fourth straight winning season. The Ducks finished with a 8-0 league record and made its 11th straight E8 tournament, including an appearance in the conference championship game for the second straight year. Stevens earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament marking its first appearnance since 2011.
Sportsmanship Team
In addition to the yearly awards and all-conference teams, one member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2018 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.
2018 All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year: Kyra Bednarski, Stevens Institute of Technology
Goalkeeper of the Year: Brianna Rizzari, Nazareth College
Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Husnay, Utica College
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology