University of Massachusets Athletics
Five Minutewomen Named To IWLCA All-Region Lacrosse Teams
May 12, 2015 | Women's Lacrosse
After posting a 19-2 overall record, winning its seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title, and reaching the NCAA Tournament second round, five UMass women's lacrosse players were honored Monday night with IWLCA Northeast All-Region accolades. Junior defender Kate Farnham and sophomore midfielder Hannah Murphy were named to the first team, while junior attack Erika Eipp, junior defender Amber Tobin and senior goalie Rachel Vallarelli were named to the second team.
This marked the fourth straight season that UMass has posted five players on the all-region squad. Players who are all-region first team honors will be eligible to be named IWLCA All-Americans. A total of 128 student-athletes in Division I were selected to regional teams.
The All-America teams will be announced on May 18. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on Saturday June 6, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa.
Farnham was an A-10 All-Conference First Team selection and a member of the A-10 All-Tournament team this spring. The native of Andover, Mass., started all 21 games on what was the nation's No. 1 scoring defense for much of the season. She led UMass with 37 caused turnovers and ranked second with 43 groundballs and was second also with 31 draw controls. Her 37 caused turnovers are tied for the second-most in program history for a single-season. Nationally, she ranked 18th in caused turnovers per game (1.76) and led the Atlantic 10. As a team, the Minutewomen gave up just 6.10 goals per game.
Murphy was named the A-10 Midfielder of the Year, earned All-Atlantic 10 First-Team honors and was chosen to the A-10 All-Tournament Team. She was one of five players nationally to record 40+ goals and 100+ draw controls. Her 113 draw controls for the season set a new single-season record for UMass and will be among the top-25 single-season performances in NCAA history once the year is finished. The Duxbury, Mass., native led the Minutewomen with 46 goals and was second with 57 points. Nationally, she ranked 8th in draw controls per game (5.38) which led the Atlantic 10 as well.
Eipp earned all-region second team honors after being named the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year and All-Atlantic 10 First-Team. The Townsend, Mass., native led UMass with 75 points and was second with 45 goals. She also led the Minutewomen in assists with 30 which ranked 22nd nationally. Her 75 points ranked 24th nationally as well and are tied for fourth all-time at UMass for a single season. In the NCAA Tournament, Eipp posted 10 points in two games. She had five goals in the first round win over Jacksonville and added four goals and an assist in the loss at No. 1 Maryland.
Tobin had a breakout year for the Minutewomen as part of the nation's best defensive unit. The Wilbraham, Mass., native started all 21 games and led UMass with 47 groundballs while ranking second with 30 caused turnovers. She ranked 2nd in the Atlantic 10 just behind Kate Farnham in caused turnovers per game (1.76) and was fifth in the league in groundballs per game (2.24).
Vallarelli was named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-Atlantic 10 First-Team honors and was selected to the A-10 All-Tournament Team. The Hartsdale, N.Y., native finished her UMass career in grand fashion as she was ranked the No. 1 goalie for the bulk of the season. She ended the year as the NCAA leader in save percentage (.523) and ranked second in goals-against-average (5.77). Her goals-against-average is currently the 10th-best in NCAA history for a single-season. For her career, she sports a 6.77 goals-against-average which ranks 8th-best all-time in NCAA history. She finished her career in Amherst with a 48-6 overall record which stands as the second most career wins in program history.
The Minutewomen will return the bulk of the 2015 squad next season as UMass graduated just three seniors: starting midfielder Amy Tiernan, starting defender Morgan Walker and Vallarelli. Six of UMass' seven players scoring 20-or-more points will return next season as will three-of-four starting defenders. UMass carries a 36-game Atlantic 10 Conference win streak into 2016 after going undefeated in league games for the last five years. The Minutewomen are just three A-10 wins shy of setting a new NCAA record for that streak. Additionally, the first win of 2016 will make head coach Angela McMahon the winningest coach in program history. She is currently tied for first Hall of Fame coach Pam Hixon who had 91 wins from 1979-1987.
Northeast Region
First Team
Rachel Bowles, University of Albany, Junior, Midfield
Kate Farnham, University of Massachusetts, Junior, Defense
Emma Ford, Harvard University, Sophomore, Defense
Maureen Keggins, University of Albany, Senior, Attack
Kailah Kempney, Syracuse University, Senior, Attack
Lauren Kwasnowski, University of Connecticut, Junior, Defense
Halle Majorana, Syracuse University, Junior, Attack
Sarah Mannelly, Boston College, Junior, Midfield
Hannah Murphy, University of Massachusetts, Sophomore, Midfield
Shannon Nee, University of Connecticut, Junior, Goalkeeper
Mikaela Rix, Boston College, Senior , Midfield
Jessica Roach, University of Vermont, Senior, Attack
Covie Stanwick, Boston College, Senior, Attack
"Kayla Treanor, Syracuse University, Junior, Attack
Lindsay Toppe, Cornell University, Senior, Attack
Mallory Vehar, Syracuse University, Senior, Defense
Second Team
Lauren Descalzo, Bryant University, Junior, Attack
Alyssa DiBona, Brown University, Senior, Defense
Aime Dickson , Cornell University, Sophomore, Midfield
Erika Eipp, University of Massachusetts, Junior, Attack
Kate Finkelston, University of Connecticut, Junior, Attack
Jenna Frost, Colgate University, Senior, Defense
Jaclyn Leto, Dartmouth College, Junior, Attack
Caroline Margolis, Boston College, Junior, Midfield
Haley O'Hanlon, Colgate University, Freshman, Midfield
Meghan Reda, Fairfield University, Senior, Defense
Marisa Romeo, Harvard University, Sophomore, Attack
Dakotah Savitcheff, University of Albany, Sophomore, Attack
Chelsey Sidaras, Fairfield University, Junior, Goalkeeper
Amber Tobin, University of Massachusetts, Junior, Defense
Rachel Vallarelli, University of Massachusetts, Senior, Goalkeeper
Vanessa VanderZalm, University of Vermont, Junior, Midfield