Ashcroft, Walters Earn All-Indy Honors

NEWBERRY, South Carolina (May 2, 2012) - In its second season of competition, the Urbana University women's lacrosse team landed a pair of players on the NCAA D-II All-Independent teams.  Junior defender Alyssa Ashcroft (Amherst, NY/Williamsville South HS) earned Urbana's only First Team nod, and freshman midfielder Hannah Walters (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Pickerington Central HS) made the All-Independent Freshman Team. 

After sitting out a year after transferring, Ashcroft made a huge impact in the Blue Knights' back row this season.  She tied for 5th on the squad in goals (3) and assists (1), leading all defenders in both categories.  She finished 2nd on the team in ground balls (46) averaging 3.07 ground balls per game, which is the 3rd highest mark in a season at UU.  The junior defender also finished 2nd in caused turnovers (25), tying the school record for caused turnovers in a game with 6 vs. Colorado-Mesa.  Ashcroft finished the season in the Top 25 in the country in caused turnovers.  In a 13-7 two-man down win over Waynesburg, Ashcroft recorded the game-winning goal.  Her 18 draw controls were third best on the squad.

Walters turned in a fantastic freshman season.  She was 1 of 3 Blue Knight freshmen to start all 15 games this season.  (Teammates Emily Brumley and Taylor Andersen were the others.)  Walters led the team and set a school record with 46 draw controls this season.  Her 8 draw controls at Converse are a school record.  The freshman central midfielder also finished 2nd on the squad in points (28), goals (26), assists (2), shots (80) and shots on goal (55), and she was 3rd on the team in ground balls (41), caused turnovers (20) and free position goals (6).  Walters began her career with a goal-scoring streak of 6 games, scoring 14 goals over that stretch.  On the year, she recorded 5 hat tricks (3+ goals), including 1 in her very first collegiate game.

Tiffin junior Alexandria Quast was named the Division II Independent Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Year.  The Division II Independent Women’s Lacrosse awards were voted on by coaches who elected to participate in the selection process. Schools participating were Catawba College (N.C.), Florida Southern College, Grand Valley State University (Mich.), Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.), Newberry College (S.C.), Shepherd University (W. Va.), Tiffin University (Ohio) and Urbana University (Ohio).  Quast also earns a spot on the All-Independent midfield first team. The Lockport, N.Y., native finished the regular season as the nation’s leader in goals scored with 82 and goals per game with 4.82. Quast also finished second in the country in ground balls per game with 4.18 and second in total points with 104.

The No. 14-ranked Florida Southern Moccasins were honored with two individual award winners, as Parkton, Md., native Megan Asper earned Freshman of the Year honors. Mocs head coach Kara Reber was honored by her fellow coaches with Coach of the Year accolades.

Florida Southern led the eight schools that elected to create the All-Independent teams, with six selections spread between the first and second teams. In its first season of collegiate action, Florida Southern finished the regular season 12-4 and was ranked as high as No. 13 in the IWLCA Division II poll. The Moccasins sported the No. 8 scoring offense and scoring defense in the county.

On the All-Independent First Team the Mocs were led by attacker Mara Mason, midfielder Megan Asper and defenders Katie Gladhill and Melissa Halstead.

Lenoir-Rhyne placed four on the First Team, while Shepherd added three.

Joining Mason on the First Team for attackers was Sarah Minick of Lenoir-Rhyne and a duo of Shepherd Rams in Christina Ferrara and Georgia Karr.

In the midfield Quast and Asper were joined by Nicole Ruane of Shepherd and Lenor-Rhyne’s Lauren Donovan. The defense saw Madelyn Teel of Lenoir-Rhyne and Ashcroft of Urbana honored alongside Gladhill and Halstead.

Due to a tie in the voting at goalkeeper two student-athletes were honored on the first team, eliminating a spot on the second team. Allison Senft of Lenoir-Rhyne and Jessica Bombard of Tiffin were honored by the eight coaches at goalkeeper.

All eight schools saw at least one student-athlete honored by the Independent coaches.

Independent Player of the Year: Alexandria Quast, Tiffin
Independent Freshman of the Year: Megan Asper, Florida Southern
Independent Coach of the Year: Kara Reber, Florida Southern

All-Independent First Team
Attacker
Christina Ferrara, Shepherd
Georgia Karr, Shepherd
Mara Mason, Florida Southern
Sarah Minick, Lenoir-Rhyne
Midfielder
Alexandria Quast, Tiffin
Lauren Donovan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Megan Asper, Florida Southern
Nicole Ruane, Shepherd
Defender
Alyssa Ashcroft, Urbana
Katie Gladhill, Florida Southern
Madelyn Teel, Lenoir-Rhyne
Melissa Halstead, Florida Southern
Goalkeeper*
Allison Senft, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jessica Bombard, Tiffin
*Two-way tie for first team goalkeeper; no second team distinction

All-Independent Second Team
Attacker
Elysse Braun, Tiffin
Katie Ferree, Florida Southern
Mary Minick, Lenoir-Rhyne
Victoria Devine, Grand Valley State
Midfielder
Ebony Mills, Catawba
Jordan Luberto, Grand Valley State
Krista Tippett, Shepherd
Lorianne Hoover, Florida Southern
Defender
Alexia O’Connor, Grand Valley State
Alyssa Neumen, Grand Valley State
Ashley Stoltenberg, Grand Valley State
Victoria Thomas, Newberry

All-Independent Freshman Team
Alexis MacMillan, Tiffin
Allison Senft, Lenoir-Rhyne
Caitlin Chase, Florida Southern
Georgia Karr, Shepherd
Hannah Walters, Urbana
Jessica Bombard, Tiffin
Jordan Luberto, Grand Valley State
Katie Ferree, Florida Southern
Lauren Donovan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Lorianne Hoover, Florida Southern
Madelyn Teel, Lenoir-Rhyne
Mary Minick, Lenoir-Rhyne
Megan Asper, Florida Southern