Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/13/17
From press Release
The Tewaaraton Foundation has announced the men’s and women’s finalists for the 2017 Tewaaraton Award. Five men and five women were selected as finalists and will be invited to Washington, D.C., for the 17th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony on June 1.
The five men’s finalists are:
Trevor Baptiste, Denver – Jr., Faceoff
Connor Fields, Albany – Jr., Attack
Matt Rambo, Maryland – Sr., Attack
Ben Reeves, Yale – Jr., Attack
Patrick Spencer, Loyola – Soph., Attack
The five women’s finalists are:
Nadine Hadnagy, Maryland – Sr., Defense
Olivia Hompe, Princeton – Sr., Attack
Marie McCool, North Carolina – Jr., Midfield
Kylie Ohlmiller, Stony Brook – Jr., Attack
Zoe Stukenberg, Maryland – Sr., Midfield
Ben Reeves (Yale) is the only returning finalist from 2016, while Kylie Ohlmiller becomes Stony Brook’s first Tewaaraton finalist, and Trevor Baptiste (Denver) is the first faceoff specialist to be a finalist for the award. All 10 finalists will compete in this month’s NCAA Tournament, at the conclusion of which the selection committees will vote on and select the 2017 winners.
“The Tewaaraton Foundation congratulates these 10 finalists that have been chosen by our selection committees from such an amazing pool of talented players this season,” said Jeffrey Harvey, chairman of The Tewaaraton Foundation. “We look forward to welcoming each of them and their families to Washington, D.C., on June 1, and we look forward to following along throughout the playoffs to see who emerges in this wide-open race.”
The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and top female college lacrosse player in the United States. Finalists come from a pool of 25 men’s and 25 women’s nominees that were announced April 28. The selection committees are comprised of 16 men’s and 17 women’s current and former college coaches.
Brief bios
Matt Rambo (La Salle), Sr, Maryland
The all-time points leader in Maryland’s prestigious history, senior Matt Rambo has led Maryland to the No. 1 overall seed and Big Ten Championship for the second straight season. The 2017 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and two-time USILA All-America selection is looking to lead the Terrapins to their fourth straight NCAA Semifinal, following two straight championship game appearances. Competing against the nation’s top-ranked strength of schedule, Rambo leads the Big Ten in both points (4.5 per game) and assists (2.2 per game). He is Maryland’s second Tewaaraton finalist (Joe Walters, 2006), and would be the program’s first award winner.
Olivia Hompe, Sr, Princeton
Princeton senior Olivia Hompe leads the nation in goals per game (4.12) and is third in points per game (6.06). She has 103 points this season and 70 goals, both of which are Tigers’ single-season records. This year she became Princeton’s all-time leading scorer and goal-scorer with 278 career points and 193 career goals. Hompe was named the Ivy League Attacker of the Year, while also earning unanimous first-team All-Ivy League and Ivy League All-Tournament team honors. She helped lead the Tigers to both the conference regular-season and tournament titles and earn the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Hompe is Princeton’s sixth Tewaaraton finalist and first since 2005, and looks to become the Tigers’ second Tewaaraton winner.
Marie McCool (Moorestown), Jr, North Carolina
The 2017 ACC Midfielder of the Year is one of two current college players on the 2017 U.S. Women’s National Team that will compete in the FIL World Cup this summer. She has done it all for the Tar Heels this year, putting up eight points twice, while ranking second on the team in goals (42), third in points (58), third in assists (16), second in ground balls (30), second in draw controls (48), second in free-position goals (14), second in shots (121) and first in caused turnovers (18). She is North Carolina’s sixth Tewaaraton finalist and seeks to be the Heels’ first Tewaaraton winner.