Lasell Senior Bridget Lynch Again Named GNAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year

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League scoring leader collects third
straight Offensive Player of the Year honor

WINTHROP, Mass. – For the third consecutive year, Lasell College senior forward Bridget Lynch has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, as voted upon by the league's head coaches. The league office handed the announcement down Tuesday morning along with its All-Conference selections and other major award winners.

Lynch helped lead the Lasers to their fifth GNAC Championship title in as many years this past weekend, while leading the league this fall in goals (32), assists (11) and points (76). Ranked among the top-five in the nation in both goals and points, the 2014 GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and First Team selection enters NCAA Tournament play against Williams with 98 career goals.

The Dover, N.H. native was one of six from Lasell to receive All-Conference honors, while twin sister and senior midfielder Kayla Lynch also garnered First Team recognition for the second time in three seasons.

Simmons College junior back Issy Verilli was voted the league's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Sharks to the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Tournament. Verilli helped anchor one of the conference's stingiest defenses, as Simmons allowed just 21 goals in 19 contests.

Verilli joined two teammates on the GNAC First Team, as junior forward Greer Gilbert and junior midfielder Ali Berkman both earned First Team accolades as well.

Simmons head coach Erica Schuling was named the 2014 GNAC Coach of the Year, as voted upon by her peers, as she directed the Sharks to an 8-3 league mark before a tough-luck quarterfinal setback to sixth-seeded Johnson & Wales University via penalty kicks.

Suffolk University freshman Jessica Harmon received league Rookie of the Year honors, as the Huntington Beach, Calif. led all GNAC rookies this season in goals (11) and points (24).

From Emmanuel College, which advanced to the GNAC Championship this past weekend, senior forward Kelsie Dumas, junior midfielder Katelyn Fink and junior defender Ari Cardillo all garnered First Team honors.

Albertus Magnus College sophomore forward Danielle Polvan, sophomore back Alexis Mack and junior goalkeeper Maria Case were all named to the First Team as well.

Rivier University received the GNAC Women's Soccer Institutional Sportsmanship Award.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.

First Team
F – Kelsie Dumas, Emmanuel (Sr., Dalton, Mass.)
F – Bridget Lynch, Lasell (Sr., Dover, N.H.)
F – Greer Gilbert, Simmons (Jr., Falmouth, Mass.)
M – Danielle Polvan, Albertus Magnus (So., East Haven, Conn.)
M – Katelyn Fink, Emmanuel (Jr., Sanford, Maine.)
M – Kayla Lynch, Lasell (Sr., Dover, N.H.)
M – Ali Berkman, Simmons (Jr., Natick, Mass.)
B – Alexis Mack, Albertus Magnus (So., Meriden, Conn.)
B – Ari Cardillo, Emmanuel (Jr., Richmond, Mass.)
B – Issy Verilli, Simmons (Jr., Naugatuck, Conn.)
GK – Maria Case, Albertus Magnus (Jr., West Haven, Conn.)

Second Team
F – Gabriella Weithofer, Johnson & Wales (Fr., East Longmeadow, Mass.)
F – Megan Cullen, Lasell (So., Amesbury, Mass.)
F – Emily Burke, Saint Joseph (CT) (Jr., Windsor Locks, Conn.)
M – Maggie Carey, Emmanuel (So., Swampscott, Mass.)
M – Megan Dockweiler, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Wantagh, N.Y.)
M – Devon Day, Lasell (So., Hartford, Vt.)
M – Alexis Eusebio, Simmons (Jr., Dartmouth, Mass.)
B – Angelina Piccirillo, Albertus Magnus (Fr., Naugatuck, Conn.)
B – Mackenzie Kingman, Lasell (So., East Bridgewater, Mass.)
B – Lindsey Cifaldi, Saint Joseph (CT) (Jr., Wolcott, Conn.)
GK – Melissa Dodge, Saint Joseph (CT) (Jr., Watertown, Conn.)

Third Team
F – Isabelle Moody, Mount Ida (Jr., Naugatuck, Conn.)
F – Maggie Cohoon, Rivier (So., Derry, N.H.)
F – Jessica Harmon, Suffolk (Fr., Huntington Beach, Calif.)
M – Kaitlyn Fedumenti, Albertus Magnus (So., Stratford, Conn.)
M – Sarah Murphy, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Huntington Station, N.Y.)
M – Molly Masiero, Lasell (Sr., Richmond, Mass.)
M – Sam Peters, Saint Joseph's (ME) (Sr., Gorham, Maine)
B – Nadine Simpson, Johnson & Wales (Fr., Bellmore, N.Y.)
B – Megen Pollini, Saint Joseph's (ME) (Jr., Wolfeboro, N.H.)
B – Hannah McNulty, Suffolk (Sr., Stowe, Vt.)
GK – Brooke Troup, Saint Joseph's (ME) (Fr., East Bridgewater, Mass.)

Offensive Player of the Year – Bridget Lynch, Lasell
Defensive Player of the Year – Issy Verilli, Simmons
Rookie of the Year – Jessica Harmon, Suffolk
Coach of the Year – Erica Schuling, Simmons
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Rivier University

All-Sportsmanship Team
Shannon Murphy, Albertus Magnus (Fr., Hamden, Conn.)
Emily Gorrivan, Anna Maria (Fr., Windham, Maine)
Abaigeal Thivierge, Emmanuel (Sr., Bennington, Vt.)
Shannon Feulner, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Rockleigh, N.J.)
Mackenzie Kingman, Lasell (So., East Bridgewater, Mass.)
Rachel Lambert, Mount Ida (Fr., Lebanon, Conn.)
Victoria Sohn, Norwich (Jr., Embrun, Ontario)
Megan Caron, Rivier (So., Tyngsborough, Mass.)
Kate Mirabella, Saint Joseph Conn. (Sr., Seymour, Conn.)
Kelly Flaherty, Saint Joseph's Maine (Sr., Wilmington, Mass.)
Paige Wilcox, Simmons (Sr., East Sandwich, Mass.)
Alicia Villett, Suffolk (Jr., Peabody, Mass.)

All-Tournament Team
Kaitlyn Fedumenti, Albertus Magnus
Danielle Polvan, Albertus Magnus
Ari Cardillo, Emmanuel
Kaitlyn Fink, Emmanuel
Victoria Laroche, Emmanuel
Alex Place, Johnson & Wales
Gabrielle Weithofer, Johnson & Wales
Megan Cullen, Lasell
Mackenzie Kingman, Lasell
Bridget Lynch, Lasell
Kayla Lynch, Lasell
Molly Masiero, Lasell

Tournament MVP – Bridget Lynch, Lasell

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