Black and Martin Take Home NEC Lacrosse Major Awards
4/30/2024 2:20:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Seven Pios earn NEC postseason recognition
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The Sacred Heart University women's lacrosse team had another spectacular regular season, resulting in two Northeast Conference (NEC) major award winners and seven players receiving All-NEC recognition, with five earning First Team honors, as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.
Maci Black was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Lisa Martin was named Goalkeeper of the Year. Black's NEC Defensive Player of the Year crowning is a historic one for the Pioneers. In the 19-year history of the award, she is the first-ever player in Sacred Heart annals to don the prestigious title. For the second time in the award's history, a Sacred Heart player was named the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year with Martin's selection.
Along with major award selections, Black and Martin earned a spot on the All-NEC first team. Emma Kittredge, Kelly Nolan, and Madelyn Breitbeil also join the pair on the first team. Breitbeil was also named to the All-NEC rookie team, along with her first-team nod.
Maggie Araneo and Ellie Holt were named to the All-NEC second team.
Today's honorees from SHU were all key contributors to the team's success in winning their second consecutive NEC regular-season title. The Pioneers demonstrated their dominance, closing the regular season with an impressive conference record of 9-1. They earned a share of the NEC regular-season title with the Sharks of LIU, who also finished with a 9-1 league record.
A native of Spring Lake, NJ, Black served as the ringleader of one of the nation's top defensive units. Boasting a 5.86 goals-against average during the 10-game league slate, it's an understatement to say that the Pioneers suffocated fellow NEC competitors. Causing a team-best 30 turnovers, including 19 during conference play, Black is second in the league in the category and is eighth in ground balls per game (2.27). Nine times this season, she caused multiple miscues, including a recent four caused turnover effort in a pivotal overtime triumph over Wagner on April 20. She garnered NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for that dominant performance.
With Martin patrolling the net, the Pios' defense proved to be one of the best in the nation, ranking 12th overall after holding opponents to 8.80 goals per game. Goals were hard to come by for fellow conference competitors when facing Martin, with just one team (Wagner) managing to put up more than seven goals. The veteran closed out the regular season ranked first in save percentage (.490), second in goals against average (9.26) and seventh in saves per game (8.07). Martin joined former Pioneer netminder Chelsea Wagner, who pocketed the first-ever Goalkeeper of the Year award back in 2010.
Kittredge earned her third All-NEC selection of her career after being named to the All-NEC second team for the last two seasons. The Baldwin Place, N.Y. native has served as an offensive threat for the Pioneers this spring as she is first on the team in points with 44 points and goals with 35, while she ranks second with nine assists. Kittredge has recorded 14 multi-point games this season, including six hat tricks. She also earned her 100th career point on February 24 against Brown, where she recorded her first hat trick of the season.
Nolan claims her second All-NEC nod of her career after an impressive senior season. She is third on the team in points at 31, coming from 20 goals and a team-leading 11 assists. The Cross River, N.Y. native has registered three hat tricks and tallied eight multi-point games, including a season-high five points against Delaware State and CCSU. She also has scooped up nine ground balls, forced eight turnovers, and won three draw controls.
Breitbeil collects her first two All-NEC year-end accolades. She has started all 15 games as a first-year defender, ranking second on the team with 18 caused turnovers and third with 25 ground balls. The New Fairfield, Conn., native tallied nine games with multiple ground balls and five with multiple caused turnovers. Breitbeil posted a stellar stat line against Le Moyne on March 9, finishing with four caused turnovers, three ground balls, and one draw control.
Araneo tallies her second straight All-NEC nod as a sophomore. She has been a critical component of the SHU offense, ranking second on the team with 39 points and 32 goals. The Merrick, N.Y. sophomore scored a goal in 12 straight games and has not scored in only one contest this season. She has recorded 12 multi-point games and three hat tricks during the regular season. Araneo's overtime goal against Wagner on April 20 helped the Pios clinch hosting rights in the NEC Championship.
Holt wraps up the All-NEC accolades for SHU, earning her second All-NEC nod of her career. The senior defenseman has served as one of the Pioneers' multiple threats in the draw control circle with a team-leading 67 wins. Her 4.47 draw controls per game ranked her in the conference's top five. The Cumberland Center, Maine native has tallied three or more draw controls on ten occasions and ranks fourth on the team in caused turnovers with 13 and ground balls with 21.
The Pioneers begin the NEC Tournament on Thursday, May 2, with a home semifinal matchup against sixth-seeded Wagner. The opening draw is at 1 p.m. at Campus Field in Fairfield, Conn.
