April 24, 2008

Somerset, NJ - Wagner College junior midfielder Cara Gonzalez (Syracuse, NY/ Westhill) was named second-team All-NEC in a vote by league head coaches.

This marks the second straight season that Gonzalez has earned second-team All-NEC honors. She finishes her stellar season ranked third in the league with 2.93 draw controls per game and finished second on the Seahawks with 29 goals, nine assists, 38 points and 36 ground balls.

Gonzalez scored a career-high six goals and added one assist in Wagner's thrilling 19-17 comeback victory over LIU on April 20 in a performance that helped her earn NEC Player of the Week honors. The crafty, athletic junior added three-goal games vs. Saint Francis (PA), Robert Morris and Sacred Heart, while scoring at least one point in 15 of the Seahawks' 16 games.

Quinnipiac junior midfielder was awarded NEC Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year honors Quinnipiac sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Nelson earned NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, while Monmouth freshman attacker Rachel Feirstein was chosen NEC Rookie of the Year. Quinnipiac's Danie Caro was voted NEC Coach of the Year by her peers after leading the Bobcats to a share of their first-ever NEC regular season title.

On the eve of the NEC Women's Lacrosse Tournament, the awards were announced at a banquet held on the campus of tourney host Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. In Friday's semifinals, top-seeded Quinnipiac takes on #4 seed Mount St. Mary's at 12:00 pm, followed by #2 seed Sacred Heart meeting #3 seed Monmouth at 2:30 pm. The championship game is slated for Sunday, April 27 at noon. The winner of the NEC championship will claim the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament and take on the America East champion in a play-in game on a date to be determined.

A listing of the NEC first-team and second-team selections may be accessed via the Northeast Conference website at http://northeastconference.org/News/lacrosse/2008/4/24/wlax-allnecrel08.asp?path=lacrosse