East Stroudsburg Sweeps PSAC Women's Lacrosse Major Awards
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- East Stroudsburg swept the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse major awards, the conference announced Thursday afternoon in conjunction with the release of the all-conference lacrosse teams.
The teams and awards were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
ESU is the third team in PSAC history to sweep all three major award and first since IUP in 2013. Lock Haven was the first team to accomplish the feat in 2009.
ESU sophomore Emma Rufolo was named PSAC Athlete of the Year and is the third Warrior to earn the award and first since 2010. She is ninth in the league in draw controls with 58 and fifth in caused turnovers per game with 2.18. Rufolo has appeared and started in all 17 ESU contests while scoring 31 goals to go with 15 assists. The sophomore has netted three game-winning goals and has helped ESU boast an 8-1 home record.
ESU’s Tatyana Petteway was tabbed PSAC Freshman of the Year and is the third Warrior to earn the award and first since 2002. Petteway leads the league in save percentage (55.7) and saves per game (11.07). The freshman sits third in the league in saves (166) and goals against average (9.04).
ESU’s Xeni Barakos earned PSAC Coach of the Year recognition for the second consecutive season. The Warriors have claimed the merit five times overall. Barakos has led the Warriors to a 15-2 mark in the regular season while posting an 11-1 record in PSAC play. ESU earned the No. 1 seed for the PSAC Women’s Lacrosse Tournament while sitting at No. 13 in Division II and No. 3 in the South Regional Rankings.
West Chester senior Ashley Pyle capped off a stellar career by landing on the All-PSAC First Team for the third time in her career. Teammate Dina Cifelli appeared on an all-conference team for the fourth team.
Bloomsburg senior Brigid Kyne earned all-conference recognition for the fourth time.
ESU’s eight all-conference representatives is the most from one school since the PSAC established the current one-division, three-team format that was introduced in 2011.
A complete list of all honorees is below.
PSAC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| A |
Ally Burrows+ |
IUP |
So. |
Marcellus, N.Y. / Marcellus |
| A |
Ashley Pyle** |
West Chester |
Sr. |
Springfield, Pa. / Garnet Valley |
| A |
Dina Cifelli^+^ |
West Chester |
Sr. |
Robbinsville, N.J. / Notre Dame |
| A |
Rachel Engler* |
Lock Haven |
Sr. |
Perkiomenville, Pa. / Rutgers |
| M |
Leilani King+^ |
Gannon |
Jr. |
St. Albans, Vt. / Bellows Free Academy |
| M |
Emma Rufolo |
East Stroudsburg |
So. |
Woodstock, Md. / Chapelgate Christian |
| M |
Carly Zimmerman^ |
Mercyhurst |
Sr. |
Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville Chili |
| M |
Chessie Rahmer |
East Stroudsburg |
Jr. |
Salfordville, Pa. / Souderton |
| D |
Hannah Bertolo |
IUP |
Sr. |
Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional |
| D |
Valerie Hertz |
Shippensburg |
So. |
Eldersburg, Md. / Liberty |
| D |
Courtney O’Neill* |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Stratford, N.J. / Sterling |
| D |
Danie Porath |
Slippery Rock |
So. |
Hartland, Mich. / Hartland |
| GK |
Tatyana Petteway |
East Stroudsburg |
Fr. |
Nanuet, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus |
SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| A |
Charlotte Cunningham |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
Germantown, Md. / Seneca Valley |
| A |
Sarah Gabriele+ |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
Felton, Pa. / York Catholic |
| A |
Taylor Izzo |
Mercyhurst |
Jr. |
Buffalo, N.Y. / Frontier |
| A |
Shannon Bissnette^+ |
Lock Haven |
Sr. |
Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford Sutherland |
| M |
Brigid Kyne^^+ |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Broomall, Pa. / Marple Newtown |
| M |
Keagan Pontious |
Seton Hill |
R-So. |
Caledonia, Mich. / Caledonia |
| M |
Kristin Anderson* |
Mercyhurst |
Jr. |
Manorville, N.Y. / Eastport South Manor |
| M |
Tia Torchia |
Slippery Rock |
R-So. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Seton- La Salle |
| D |
Kira Kolb |
Mercyhurst |
Fr. |
Watertown, N.Y. / Watertown |
| D |
Eden Olson^ |
Seton Hill |
Jr. |
Plainfield, Ill. / Benet Academy |
| D |
Natalie Sukanick+ |
Millersville |
So. |
Stevens, Pa. / Cocalico |
| D |
Julia Stauffer |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Reinholds, Pa. / Cocalico |
| GK |
Emily Bitka |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Amherst, N.Y. / Amherst Central |
THIRD TEAM
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| A |
Lauren Green |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
North Wales, Pa. / North Penn |
| A |
Christine Palmeri |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Allegheny |
| A |
TJ Jefferis |
East Stroudsburg |
So. |
Phoenixville, Pa. / Phoenixville |
| A |
Sabrina Fusco+^ |
Millersville |
Jr. |
Glen Mills, Pa. / Garnet Valley |
| M |
Janelle Williams |
Mercyhurst |
Sr. |
Huntington Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei |
| M |
Sami Barnett^ |
West Chester |
So. |
Glenolden, Pa. / Interboro |
| M |
Emily Fitzsimmons |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
East Meadow, N.Y. / East Meadow |
| M |
Max Barkley |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Havre de Grace, Md. / C. Milton Wright |
| D |
Kerry Mulcahy |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Stony Point, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus |
| D |
Hannah Powell |
Seton Hill |
So. |
Frederick, Md. / Middletown |
| D |
Annemarie Cericola+* |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Morton, Pa. / Ridley |
| D# |
Bethany Cunningham |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Barnegat, N.J. / Barnegat |
| D# |
Mollie Gallagher |
IUP |
So. |
Evans City, Pa. / Seneca Valley |
| GK |
Angela DiPasquale |
Bloomsburg |
Fr. |
Paramus, N.J. / Paramus |
*Indicates previous All-PSAC First Team selection
^Indicates previous All-PSAC Second Team selection
+Indicates previous All-PSAC Third Team selection
#Number of honorees altered due to tie
Athlete of the Year: Emma Rufolo, East Stroudsburg
Freshman of the Year: Tatyana Petteway, East Stroudsburg
Coach of the Year: Xeni Barakos, East Stroudsburg