Dozen Pios Make CSC Academic All-District At-Large Teams

Dozen Pios Make CSC Academic All-District At-Large Teams

6/25/2024 11:45:00 AM | Field Hockey, General, Men's Fencing, Men's Golf, Men's Ice Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Women's Golf, Women's Ice Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Men's Wrestling

CSC Release

SHU had student-athletes from 10 different teams recognized

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University athletics had a great showing in the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District At-Large Teams, released this afternoon, as 12 Pioneers received this academic and athletic honor.

Zach Buffington (men's lacrosse), Chantal El Chaib (women's golf), Isabelle Chamberlain (field hockey), Andrew Fallon (men's wrestling), John Jaworski (men's ice hockey), Marcus Lim (men's golf), Doria Lukasik-Dres (rowing), Kelly Nolan (women's lacrosse), Jeff Palma (men's fencing), Jillian Petruno (women's ice hockey), Margot Rouquette (women's golf), and Braeden Tuck (men's ice hockey) all received Academic All-District recognition this afternoon.

Buffington, the 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Long Stick Midfielder of the Year, was a key part of the Pioneers' record-breaking season. The New Fairfield, Conn., native finished second on the team with 49 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers. He helped SHU secure its first-ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Buffington ended his graduate season with a cumulative GPA of 3.55 while earning a Master of Business Administration.

El Chaib brought an end to her SHU career with her third straight All-NEC First Team selection and helped the Pioneers win their third consecutive league title. The senior from Abu Dhabi, UAE, maintained a team-leading scoring average of 73.8 with two wins and seven top-10s. El Chaib graduated this spring with a degree in Strategic Communication, PR, and Advertising, holding a GPA of 3.65.

Chamberlain brought in her second academic honor this year as she was also named the NEC Scholar-Athlete for field hockey in February. An All-NEC First Team pick in the fall, Chamberlain started all 20 games for the Pios and finished the season second in the NEC in goals (10) and points (23). The senior midfielder from North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, scored the overtime winner in both of SHU's games at the NEC Championship, to clinch the team's first league title since 2005. Academically, Chamberlain boasts a near-perfect GPA of 3.98 as a Business Economics major.

Fallon, who competed this year at 133 pounds, finished the 2023-24 campaign with an overall record of 17-6 after going14-3 in the regular season. At the EIWA Championship, Fallon recorded a sixth-place finish and was just one match away from making the national tournament. The Falls River, Mass., native recently received the Pioneer Award at the annual Senior Awards Brunch, made the dean's list twice, and earned an EIWA Academic Achievement Award. A Biology major, Fallon graduated this spring with a GPA of 3.56.

Jaworski earned his first All-Atlantic Hockey honor in March, being named Third Team after a strong senior campaign. The Grinnell, Iowa, native finished tied for the team lead in points with 26 (10g, 16a) and assists. He also recorded 86 shots, which ranked second on the team, and blocked 20. In the classroom, Jaworski maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.62 as a Sports Management major.

The postseason accolades keep rolling in for Lim, as he adds today's honor to being named the 2024 NEC Golfer of the Year and making the Ping Division I All-Northeast Region Team. In 2023-24, Lim maintained a team-best average score of 70.8 per round. Lim finished the year with two wins, taking medalist honors at the NEC Championship and at Columbia's Autumn Invitational. The All-NEC First Teamer from Selangor, Malaysia, owned a GPA of 3.75 as a Health Science: Healthcare Administration major.

Lukasik-Dres, a sophomore from Marana, Ariz., made the All-MAAC First Team for the first time this season after a strong performance at the MAAC Championships. She helped lead the Pioneers to a program-best second-place finish overall, being a key component in SHU's second-place showing in the 1V8 race. Academically, she holds a GPA of 3.92 as an Electrical Engineering major.

Nolan capped her SHU career in 2024 by earning her second All-NEC honor, making the First Team for the first time. The Cross River, N.Y., native led SHU with 12 assists this season and was third with 35 points, helping to lead the Pios to their second straight NEC Championship game. She set new career-highs in points and goals (23). A Finance major, Nolan graduated this spring with a GPA of 3.89.

Palma, who is making is second straight CSC Academic All-District At-Large Team, just concluded his junior season on the men's fencing team. The Rockaway, N.J., native led the Pioneers in the Epee at the NEIFC Championships in February, tallying four wins. In the classroom, Palma holds a near-perfect cumulative GPA of 3.96 while studying Psychology.

Petruno announced herself as one of the best backstops in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) by earning All-Conference Second Team honors following her sophomore campaign. The Wixom, Mich., native posted a 10-16-2 record in 2023-24, appearing between the pipes in 30 of SHU's 38 games this winter. Petruno finished first in the conference in goals against average (1.93) and ranked second in save percentage (.942) during the regular season, playing well enough to earn a spot on the Hockey Commissioner's Association Goaltender of the Year Watch List. Off the ice, she holds a 3.79 GPA as a Sports Management major.

Rouquette adds another honor to her impressive senior campaign, as she was also named the 2024 NEC Golfer of the Year. She claimed medalist honors at the NEC Championship to lead the Pios to a dominant victory at the event, giving her two wins on the year. The All-NEC First Teamer finished second on the team with a 74.6 average over 32 rounds. Rouquette, who hails from Montiron, France, ended her senior year with a 3.70 cumulative GPA as a Sports Management Major.

Tuck tallied 17 points this winter on six goals and 11 assists in his graduate season, winning the AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award after being the least penalized player in the conference. The co-captain from Calgary, Alberta, established a new program record this season by appearing in 157 games during his career. Tuck held a graduate GPA of 3.70 while earning a Master of Business Administration.