CLEVELAND, OH - Kenyon senior Kate Lengel (Glenwood, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel), DePauw junior Bridget Driscoll (New Albany, OH/New Albany) and Denison junior Mary Daniel (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) earned top Player of the Year honors to headline the 2024 All-North Coast Athletic Conference women's lacrosse squads following balloting by the league coaches.
Lengel was one of the league's top scorers in conference action with 22 goals and 29 points, helping propel her to Offensive Player of the Year. She earns Kenyon its third-consecutive and sixth overall Offensive Player of the Year honor. Lengel secured a career-high nine points after netting a career-high six goals and three assists in a win over Wittenberg on April 10. In 16 overall games this season, the attacker netted 61 goals, dished 13 assists, scooped up 18 ground balls, caused four turnovers and earned one draw control. Lengel recorded at least two goals in 15 of the Owls' 16 games this season and had four or more goals in four of the six league matches. The senior collects her first all-conference certificate this season after landing on the top team.
Driscoll earns her third All-NCAC certificate after collecting her second-consecutive first-team honor this season and being named to the second team in 2022. She is the first DePauw player to earn the NCAC Midfielder of the Year award. Driscoll averaged 3.67 points-per-NCAC-game this year, tallying 10 goals and 12 assists in league play. In conference games, she led the league in caused turnovers averaging 2.50 per game, was second in the NCAC in draw controls averaging 6.67 per game and was third in ground balls per game with 3.17. The midfielder also recorded at least two draw controls, one point and one caused turnover in each league game, with her highlight of the year coming on a 10-draw control, four-assist, three-goal, one-caused turnover performance against Wooster on April 20. In 15 overall games, Driscoll recorded 106 draw controls, 52 ground balls, 40 caused turnovers, 34 goals and 26 assists.
Daniel, who is making her second-consecutive appearance on the All-NCAC first team, earns Denison its 11th NCAC Defensive Player of the Year award. In conference games, the Big Red defense led the league in caused turnovers with 18.50 per game and kept opponents off the board with the conference's best goals-against-average at just 6.67, which helped Denison post a perfect 6-0 mark in NCAC action. In six conference starts, the defender earned a team-high 28 draw controls, to go along with 13 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. The senior caused a season-high five turnovers in a win over Wittenberg on April 6, while adding seven draws and four ground balls in the victory. When looking at all matches, Daniel led Denison with 35 ground balls, to go along with 79 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers.
Ohio Wesleyan senior attack Nicole Klabus (Delaware, OH/Hayes) is the only four-time selection after earning a spot on the top team this season and in both 2022 and 2021 to go along with a third-team nod in 2023. Denison senior attack Josie Lucchesi (Villanova, PA/Radnor) and Kenyon junior Nola Garand (Southborough, MA/Algonquin Regional) each collect their third all-conference laurels after earning first-team selections this season. Garand captures her third-consecutive first-team accolade, while Lucchesi repeats as a first-team honoree from 2023 after claiming a second-team selection in 2022. Ohio Wesleyan sophomore defender Abbie Grogan (Louisville, KY/Kentucky Country Day) elevates to the top team after being named to the third team in 2023.
Five player make their All-NCAC debuts this season: Denison sophomore midfield Bridget Sheehy (Pawleys Island, SC/Westminster), Kenyon senior defender Lauren Gilbert (Darien, CT/New Canaan) and Wooster senior attack Kenzie Smith (Gahanna, OH/Columbus Academy), junior defender Lexi Sarne (Media, PA/Merion Mercy Academy) and sophomore midfielder Lizzie Hardy (Gibsonia, PA/Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh).
Additionally, Denison first-year defender Grace Schlossberg (Baltimore, MD/St. Pauls School for Girls) earned the 2024 NCAC Newcomer of the Year honor. Schlossberg is the sixth overall Big Red athlete to claim the award, the first since Casey McTague was selected in 2019. Making all six starts against NCAC opponents, the defender caused seven turnovers and scooped up six ground balls. In 19 overall games so far this season, the rookie leads the Big Red and ranks fourth in the NCAC with 26 caused turnovers, while adding 30 ground balls and five draw controls. Notably, she caused a career-high four turnovers and scooped up three ground balls in two games this season, one of which was against NCAC opponent Wooster on April 10.
Finally, Denison’s leadership earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Anchored by head coach Amanda Daniels, the Big Red collected their league-leading 23rd NCAC championship and 17th NCAC tournament title. Daniels is assisted by Tori Vernau and Kat Schneeberger, as the trio earns Denison its 12th NCAC coaching honor. In six conference games, the Big Red led the league with 106 goals, 40 assists, 146 points, 111 caused turnovers, 106 draw controls and a .451 shot percentage, while allowing an NCAC-low 6.67 goals-against average.