IWLCA Players of the Week —May 5, 2026

IWLCA Admin, 05/05/26, 2:30PM ET

Photo courtesy of Denver Athletics.

IWLCA Players of the Week –May 5, 2026

NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. – The IWLCA has chosen eight student-athletes for the IWLCA Player of the Week awards for the week ending May 3, 2026. This weekly award recognizes the best offensive and defensive performances by players in Division I, II, III and the NAIA each week during the regular season.

Division I

Offensive Player of the Week
Brooke Ross—Davidson College

Ross was named Most Outstanding Player of the A-10 Women’s Lacrosse Tournament after leading Davidson to its first conference title in program history. She scored nine goals across three games, including the game-winner with 4.7 seconds remaining in an 11–10 semifinal victory over top-seeded Richmond. Ross and the Wildcats capped the run with a 10–5 win over VCU in the championship.

Defensive Player of the Week

Lexi Gwaku—University of Denver

Gwaku delivered back-to-back career-high performances, posting a .765 save percentage in the Big East Championship win over No. 25 Georgetown. Across two games, she made 23 saves on 33 shots faced, allowing just 10 goals to anchor Denver’s defensive effort. Gwaku currently ranks second in save percentage (52.4%) and third in goals-against average (6.94) nationally.

Division II

Offensive Player of the Week
Megan Gehrt—University of Indianapolis

Gehrt powered Indianapolis to the GLVC Championship, posting a hat trick in the championship final against No. 2 seed Maryville after registering an impressive 11-points in the semifinal against Missouri Western. Her five-goal, six-assist performance marked the second-highest single-game point total in program history.

Defensive Player of the Week

Ava Graham—University of Indianapolis

Graham anchored the defensive effort during the Greyhounds’ championship run, earning GLVC All-Tournament honors. She tied for the most ground balls in a game since 2019 with six against Maryville and was the only player in the contest with multiple caused turnovers. Graham also added 14 saves on the weekend, bringing her program-record total to 333—more than 60 ahead of the next closest in school history.

Division III

Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Thomas—Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Thomas led MIT to the NEWMAC Championship with a standout two-game performance, totaling four goals and 11 assists. She recorded two goals and six assists in the title game as the top-seeded, No. 24 Engineers defeated U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 12–5, to secure their second consecutive championship and third overall.

Defensive Player of the Week

Caroline Messer—Middlebury College

Messer anchored No. 1 Middlebury’s defense in its run to the NESCAC Championship, helping the Panthers secure their third title in four seasons and a league-leading 13th overall. She totaled six ground balls, six caused turnovers, and six draw controls across the semifinals and championship games, including three caused turnovers in each contest. She leads the team with 51 ground balls and 39 caused turnovers and is part of a defensive unit that ranks third nationally in scoring defense (5.11 goals allowed per game).

NAIA

Offensive Player of the Week
 Ella Grace Giedd—Marian University

Giedd led Marian to its first-ever WHAC Tournament title with standout performances in both rounds. She recorded three goals, four assists, four ground balls, and two caused turnovers in the 11–7 championship win over Lawrence Tech. In the semifinal victory over Bethel, Giedd added three goals and two assists. This marks her second IWLCA Player of the Week honor this season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Maya Francisco—Keiser University

Francisco anchored the defense in Keiser’s 20–10 win over SCAD-Savannah to secure the Sun Conference Tournament Championship. The junior defender totaled three ground balls and three caused turnovers, playing a key role in the title-clinching performance.