IWLCA Players of the Week – April 19, 2022
The IWLCA has chosen 10 student-athletes for the IWLCA Player of the Week awards for the week ending April 17, 2022. 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.
Offensive Player of the Week
Maddie Jenner – Duke University
Jenner notched the game-winning goal with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter to push No. 7 Duke past No. 2 Boston College, 16-15. The senior attacker finished with two goals in the matchup and 12 draw controls. The Blue Devils improved to 15-1 with the win and are now ranked No. 5 in the latest ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Olivia Buckman – Georgetown University
Named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week this past week, Buckman had a game-high six caused turnovers against No. 9 Denver and she is ranked in the top three nationally in the category. The senior scored her first goal of the season, helping Georgetown erase a five-goal deficit to get within one (13-12) with under three minutes to play. Buckman also added a ground ball in the matchup.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Maddie Johnston – Duke University
Johnston helped spearhead a tough Duke defense to help push them past No. 2 Boston College, 16-15. Johnston had a career-high five ground balls and a tied for career-high three caused turnovers. No. 5 Duke will face No. 1 North Carolina for its final game of the regular season.
Offensive Player of the Week
Lydia Rudden – Stonehill College
Rudden totaled 18 points with seven goals and 11 assists in a 2-0 week for the No. 15 Skyhawks. She contributed four ground balls and a caused turnover for the week and converted 2-of-3 free-position shot attempts. Rudden registered eight points on three goals and five assists in the 15-13 comeback win against No. 12 Pace, scoring the go-ahead goal with two minutes of play remaining. The junior later matched her career-high with ten points on four goals and six assists in Saturday's 15-3 win over Saint Michael’s, chipping in a team-high four ground balls. Stonehill moved the No. 14 in this week’s ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll with a 10-2 record.
Defensive Player of the Week
Elizabeth Ninesling – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Ninesling was instrumental in the No. 14 Eagles 2-0 week. She tallied a game-high seven points to become the fourth ERAU women’s lacrosse player to record 100 career points. She had back-to-back eight ground ball games and won eight draws against Palm Beach Atlantic. Ninesling also registered a season-high eight caused turnovers in the 15-7 win against No. 9 Florida Southern. ERAU is ranked No. 12 in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Jane Earley – Middlebury College
Earley led the No. 1 Panthers with seven points in a 13-5 victory over No. 4 Colby, helping Middlebury extend its win streak to 38 consecutive victories. The junior attacker tallied a career-high six goals to go along with one assist as the Panthers snapped the Mules’ 10-game winning streak. Earley currently leads the NESCAC in points (56) and goals (45). The Panthers have held the No. 1 ranking for three straight weeks and have a 13-0 record.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Emma Stiffler – Shenandoah University
Stiffler led the Hornets to a pair of ODAC wins last week with 10 goals and six assists for 16 points. Stiffler had five goals and four assists for nine points as SU defeated Randolph-Macon, 19-13. Against Lynchburg, she had five goals and two assists for seven points in Shenandoah's 15-11 win. Three of her five goals and one assist came in the fourth quarter as SU turned a one-goal deficit into the four-goal victory.
Defensive Player of the Week
Katie Walsh – Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham
Walsh, a sophomore midfielder, powered the Devils to a 23-13 win over MAC Freedom rival Stevens with a strong defensive performance. Walsh registered six caused turnovers, six ground balls, eight draw controls, four goals and one assist in the matchup.
Offensive Player of the Week
Bella Ricchiazzi – University of the Cumberlands
Against No. 10 Georgetown, Ricchiazzi had seven goals, nine points, and three caused turnovers. She opened the week tying her career-high with eight goals and dished out three assists in the 25-4 win over Thomas More. With her performance, Ricchiazzi became Cumberlands’ career point leader. The Patriots currently hold a 16-1 record and are undefeated in the Mid-South Conference (6-0).
Defensive Player of the Week
Morgan McGhee – Reinhardt University
McGhee earned tournament MVP honors as Reinhardt captured the 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference title, taking down the No. 1 seed SCAD Savannah, 13-9. The senior recorded six goals, five assists, 10 draw controls and 15 ground balls in the matchup, assisting Reinhardt to a 12-2 overall record for the season.