CHARLOTTE --- The Gardner-Webb lacrosse program has placed two players on the Big South All-Conference Teams in its inaugural season, as freshmen Monique Martin (Tyngsborough, Mass.) and Alex Fusco (Marietta, Ga.) each earned a spot on the second team, announced league officials Monday.
Gardner-Webb showed steady growth during its first season of competition this spring, culminating in the program's first win on Friday night – a 13-12 come-from-behind victory over Presbyterian in both teams' regular season finale. With the win, Gardner-Webb earned the seventh seed in this week's Big South Conference Championships, and will take on second-seeded Liberty on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm.
Martin put together an outstanding freshman season at Gardner-Webb, concluding the regular season ranked first in the Big South and fifth in the nation with an average of 3.31 ground balls per game. The Tyngsborough, Mass. native led the Runnin' Bulldogs in both draw controls (50) and caused turnovers (25) this season, while tallying 10 goals, four assists and 14 points in 16 games.
Fusco made a major impact in her rookie season, making her collegiate debut in the Runnin' Bulldogs' Big South opener against High Point and scoring two goals on four shots. The Marietta, Ga. native appeared in a total of seven games, tallying 12 goals, six assists and 18 points to rank second on the team in goals and points. She posted perhaps her best performance of the season on Friday, recording four goals, three assists and six draw controls to lead GWU to its first win in program history.
Gardner-Webb returns to action on Tuesday afternoon when the seventh-seeded Runnin' Bulldogs travel to Lynchburg, Va. to take on second-seeded Liberty in the quarterfinal round of the Big South Tournament at 4:00 pm.
2015 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
ATT Jenna Kasmarik, Sr., Winthrop
ATT Allie Foard, Jr., High Point
ATT Loren Day, Jr., Campbell
MF Leah Pace, Jr., High Point
MF Shannon Gallagher, Jr., Winthrop
MF Nina Dunay, R-Sr., Liberty
MF Erica Perrotta, Fr., High Point
MF Sarah Butler, Jr., Longwood
D Maddy Ciardi, Jr., Coastal Carolina
D Katie McLaughlin, Sr., High Point
D Colleen Ekert, Jr., Liberty
GK Alaina Girani, Fr., Winthrop
AL Morgan Becker, Sr., Liberty
AL Keri White, Jr., Coastal Carolina
AL Shiloh McKenzie, Jr., Longwood
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
ATT Katy Pridemore, Fr., Liberty
ATT Sam Struss, Sr., Liberty
ATT Erica Hitch, Jr., Campbell
MF Katherine Judge, Fr., Winthrop
MF Haley Kyger, Fr., Coastal Carolina
MF Kallie Britton, Jr., Liberty
MF Monique Martin, Fr., Gardner-Webb
MF Alex Fusco, Fr., Gardner-Webb
D Hayley Krause, Jr., Winthrop
D Erin O'Hara, Soph., Campbell
D Maura Talvacchia, Soph., Presbyterian College
GK Julia Burns, Sr., High Point
AL Alyssa Blevins, Sr., Winthrop
AL Jen Cosgrove, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
AL Nyra Constant, Jr., Coastal Carolina
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
GK Jenna Stover, Soph., Coastal Carolina
ATT Katy Richardson, Jr., Presbyterian College
ATT Katie McHugh, Jr., Longwood
D Karley Barreno, R-Soph., Coastal Carolina
GK Juliann Elmer, Jr., Liberty
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Erin O'Hara, Soph., D, Campbell
Maddy Ciardi, Jr., D, Coastal Carolina
Samantha Brown, Soph., ATT, High Point
Sam Struss, Sr., ATT, Liberty
Liz Trainer, Sr., MF, Longwood
Maggie Richardson, Sr., MF/D, Presbyterian College
Logan McCarthy, Jr., MF, Winthrop
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jenna Kasmarik, Sr., ATT, Winthrop
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Maddy Ciardi, Jr., D, Coastal Carolina
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Alaina Girani, GK, Winthrop
COACH OF THE YEAR
John Sung, Winthrop
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Liz Trainer, Sr., MF, Longwood
