RC's Feeney, W&L's O'Brien Headline ODAC Women's Lacrosse Awards

RC's Feeney, W&L's O'Brien Headline ODAC Women's Lacrosse Awards

Generals' Tucker, R-MC's Schnell Take Home Major Honors

FOREST, Va. --- Roanoke College playmaker Claire Feeney and Washington and Lee University mentor Brooke O'Brien headline the All-ODAC Women's Lacrosse awards as the pair were named the ODAC Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.  Generals' midfielder Haley Tucker garnered the ODAC Rookie of the Year award, while Randolph-Macon College defender Natalie Schnell received ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete laurels.

This season, the all-conference teams slant heavily in favor of experience with upperclassmen garnering 26 selections, including 16 seniors. There is also a strong number of returning performers with 16 overall repeat standouts, including eight on the All-ODAC First Team.  Attackers Melissa Coggins from W&L and RC's Feeney were both first team choices last season, along with Virginia Wesleyan College midfielder Megan Schallock and R-MC's Schnell. Fellow Yellow Jackets Alicia Hsieh and Alex Lightfoot were All-ODAC Second Team choices a season ago. Lynchburg College midfielder Kat Francis and Bridgewater College goalkeeper Rachel Gruber also made the jump from the second team.

Feeney, a senior from Old Greenwich, Conn., leads the league in overall scoring with 94 points.  She beat opposing goalkeepers for 56 goals and dished out 38 assists, both of which rank fourth in the conference.  She registered 62 draw controls, which also sits fourth on the ODAC tables.  Feeney notched at least one point in each game played this season, picking up four or more tallies in all but three contests.  She posted a season-best 12 points on seven goals and five assists in a non-conference win over Centre.  The 12 points tied for the fourth-most in school history, while her seven goals matched the second-highest output for the Maroons' program.  Feeney will graduate having recorded 222 career points on 150 goals and 72 assists.

O'Brien enjoys her fourth ODAC top coaching honor as her team prepares for play in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament.  In her ninth season holding the reins at W&L, O'Brien led the nationally 20th-ranked Generals' to their seventh straight and 17th overall ODAC title with a 16-3 win over Randolph-Macon in the conference championship.  It is the eighth trophy she has hoisted in her tenure.  Entering the NCAA postseason, O'Brien boasts a 130-44 (.747) overall record that includes a 77-4 (.951) mark in ODAC play.

Tucker, a freshman from Manakin-Sabot, Va., has posted 31 points as she became an integral part of W&L's offense in her first season in Lexington.  She is currently ranked third on the team with 25 goals to go with six assists to account for her point total, which ties for third on the Generals' roster.  Tucker registered at least one point in 13 of her 17 games played, including each of the past nine contests.  Twice she recorded a season and career-high four points, with the first occasion coming via a personal-best four goals in a win at Bridgewater College.  Tucker has done plenty of work away from the opposition's goal, pulling down a team-high 48 draw controls to go with 23 ground balls, which ties for the W&L lead. She also caused 10 turnovers while only surrendering possession nine times herself.

Schnell, a senior from Bowie, Md., adds this award to an All-ODAC First Team selection this season.  In the classroom, Schnell maintains a 3.70 grade point average as a History major with a minor in English. A multi-honoree on both the Randolph-Macon Dean's List and the All-ODAC Academic Team, she was inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta (English) and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies this year, earning the Douglas W. Ford Award in the latter.  She also received the R-MC history department's Russell B. DeVine Award.  On the field, Schnell helped the Yellow Jackets' defense allow just 171 goals towards a 9.50 goals-against-average this season, both of which rank second in the ODAC.  She registered 22 ground balls and caused 17 turnovers.

Listed below are the full All-ODAC Women's Lacrosse Teams.  For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics

2016 ALL-ODAC WOMEN'S LACROSSE AWARDS
ODAC Player of the Year:
Claire Feeney, Sr., Att., Roanoke
ODAC Coach of the Year: Brooke O'Brien, Washington and Lee
ODAC Rookie of the Year:
Haley Tucker, Fr., Mid., Washington and Lee
ODAC/Va. Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Natalie Schnell, Sr., Def., Randolph-Macon 
 
All-ODAC First Team
Attack
Melissa Coggins Sr. Washington and Lee
Claire Feeney Sr. Roanoke
Shannon Jamieson Sr. Randolph-Macon
Alex Lightfoot So. Randolph-Macon
 
 
 
Midfield
Kat Francis Sr. Lynchburg
Alicia Hsieh So. Randolph-Macon
Megan Schallock So. Virginia Wesleyan
Haley Tucker Fr. Washington and Lee
 
 
 
Defense
Emma Boris Fr. Roanoke
Marissa Dadura Sr. Lynchburg
Parker Hamill Jr. Washington and Lee
Natalie Schnell Sr. Randolph-Macon
 
 
 
Goalkeeper
Rachel Gruber Jr. Bridgewater
 
 
 
All-ODAC Second Team
Attack
Caroline Carozza Sr. Lynchburg
Courtney McCartin Jr. Roanoke
Claire Palermo-Re Jr. Bridgewater
Nicole Zelnik Sr. Roanoke
 
 
 
Midfield
Marina Bailey Sr. Guilford
Meredith Bigelow Sr. Roanoke
Jenna Devilbiss Sr. Bridgewater
Susie Snee Jr. Randolph-Macon
 
 
 
Defense
Rachel Henderson So. Lynchburg
Caroline Hutchinson Sr. Washington and Lee
Tricia Mangas Sr. Randolph-Macon
Kayla O'Sullivan So. Bridgewater
 
 
 
Goalkeeper
Sammi Milbourn Jr. Guilford
 
 
 
All-ODAC Third Team
Attack
Amanda Dionne Fr. Guilford
Nicole Dorton Fr. Randolph
Laura Meisner Jr. Lynchburg
Abby Zorrilla So. Shenandoah
 
 
 
Midfield
Demming Carlow Jr. Guilford
Annie McCorry So. Shenandoah
Anna O'Hara Fr. Bridgewater
Jenelle Whitman Sr. Randolph-Macon
 
 
 
Defense
Helen Boniface Jr. Lynchburg
Julia Galanto Jr. Roanoke
Jackie Hemler So. Shenandoah
Shannon Ruffalo Sr. Virginia Wesleyan
 
 
 
Goalkeeper
Treva Tyson Sr. Lynchburg