Women's Lacrosse All-Region Team Features Nine Landmark Players

MADISON, N.J. - A season that saw two Landmark teams earn spots in the national rankings has now seen nine conference competitors honored with selection to the 2012 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Region Teams.

Sophomore Emma Ehler and junior Emily Stankaitis of Susquehanna University, along with seniors Mary Swarthout and Meghan Murray from The Catholic University of America were all first-team All-Region choices and will now be eligible for selection to the IWLCA All-America Team. Catholic and Susquehanna both added two more second-team choices in their respective regions with senior Marra Landino and sophomore Michelle McGinniss representing Susquehanna and senior Mallory Vogel and freshman Lindsay Brophy earning the nod for Catholic. Drew University senior Lindsay Fry was also honored with a second-team selection.

Ehler, in her first season with SU, led the team in nearly every offensive category including goals (61), assists (16), points (77), shots (116) and tied for the team lead with three game-winning goals. Her goals and points all marked SU single-season records. In addition, she accounted for 35 ground balls, 39 draw controls and six caused turnovers. Ehler captured first-team All-Conference laurels this season and this marks her first All-Region selection

Starting goalie Stankaitis was again solid in the net for SU, starting all 17 games and racking up 194 saves to go along with a league-high .577 save percentage and an 8.73 goals-against average (GAA). Her 11.41 saves-per-game average also was tops in the conference. She was a first-team All-Conference selection as well and collects her first All-Region accolades.

Swarthout continues to add to her collection of hardware following a terrific season.  The Maryland native led CUA in goals (69), assists (30), points (99), draw controls (130), ground balls (65) and caused turnovers (37).  The 130 draw controls set a new single season record at CUA. A four-time First Team All-Landmark Conference selection, this is Swarthout's fourth selection to the All-Region First Team as well.  She scored multiple goals in every game she played in 2012, with a high of six coming vs. No. 1 Salisbury in early March.  Swarthout wrapped up her brilliant career in the red and black with 226 goals and 331 points.

One of the top defenders in the region, Murray earns her first career All-Region honor.  The Maryland native started every game of her career for CUA and was a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree.  Murray totaled 44 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers, three draw controls and an assist in 2012. Murray picked up at least two ground balls 15 times this season, with a high of five coming against Susquehanna in mid-April.  She also caused three turnovers in two games and registered her only assist of the year against Rowan.  Murray concludes her career with totals of 138 ground balls and 78 caused turnovers.

It was the first All-Region selection for McGinniss finished the spring second on the team in goals (45), assists (11), and points (56). She also picked up a team-high 62 ground balls and dominated on draw controls, winning 135. She also finished the season as the league leader in ground balls per game (3.65).

Landino was solid on the defensive end for the Crusaders this spring, scooping up 56 ground balls and led the squad with 21 caused turnovers in addition to 10 draw controls and two goals. She was an All-Region pick for the first time in her career.

Vogel saved her best for last, turning in her most impressive season as a senior.  A First Team All-Conference selection, Vogel scored 42 goals and dished out 27 assists in 2012, to go along with 21 ground balls, 12 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers.  She ranked second on the Cardinals in goals and points (69). Vogel scored a career-high six goals in CUA's 18-5 win over Scranton on April 28 and she scored multiple goals 13 times overall.  Vogel was 10 of 13 on free position shots and scored at least one point in every game, but one.  The Maryland native finished her career with 64 goals and 95 points.

Rounding out CUA's All-Region selections is Brophy, who was named the 2012 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-Conference selection. Brophy had a great first year for the Cardinals, netting 29 goals, handing out 24 assists, scooping up 46 ground balls and winning 17 draw controls. After going the first seven games of the season without scoring a goal, Brophy broke out with three goals in a win over Messiah on March 28. She then proceeded to score at least one goal in each of the remaining games, but two, topping out with five goals at McDaniel. Brophy scooped up a season-high seven ground balls vs. Goucher, which was the same game in which she established her season best in assists with four.

Fry was a First Team All-Conference selection for the second season in a row after emerging as one of the league's top players off the draw. The senior was tops on the team and third in the Landmark Conference with 89 draw controls this season. Three times this year she collected double-digit draw controls in a game, falling two shy of the school record with back-to-back 12 draw control efforts earlier in the season. Fry was fifth on the team with 22 goals and ranked second on the squad with 15 assists. She earns her first All-Region nod in her senior season for the Rangers.

A total of 224 athletes were selected for the All-Region Teams which has 16 players on a first and second team in seven regions.

The nine All-Region selections marks the fifth-straight year in which the conference has placed at least eight players on the IWLCA All-Region teams.

Story provided by Catholic, Drew, and Susquehanna Sports Information