Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/25/19
From Press Release
A trio of Temple players were honored with selection to the first-ever Preseason American Athletic Conference All-Conference Lacrosse Team as the league is sponsoring the sport for the first time in 2019. Senior Amber Lambeth (Souderton) and juniors Maddie Gebert (Owen J. Roberts) and Kara Nakrasius (Garnet Valley) were all named to the team, while Temple was picked to finish fourth in a vote by the league’s six head coaches.
Florida was selected as the unanimous team favorite and four Gators were named preseason major award-winners. The 2018 Big East Champions and 2018 NCAA Championship quarterfinalist, the Gators earned every possible first-place vote in the coaches’ poll to total 25 points. A quartet of Florida IWLCA All-Americans from last season were tabbed as preseason awardees, including seniors Haley Hicklen, Lindsey Ronbeck and Sydney Pirreca and junior Cara Trombetta.
The Gators were followed in the poll by fellow affiliate member Vanderbilt, which totaled 18 points and the remaining first-place vote. UConn and Temple were close behind in the third and fourth spots, finishing with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Cincinnati (nine points) and ECU (five points) rounded out the results. Florida led the league with seven selections to the Preseason All-Conference Team, with every other team placing at least one on the list.
Gebert, a unanimous selection, led Temple with 33 goals in 2018 and was named to the BIG EAST Second Team in the Owls’ last season as an associate member. She recorded five total hat tricks and scored a career-high six goals at Villanova.
Lambeth, one of the team’s captains this season, ranked second last year with 21 goals and tied for second on the team with 41 draw controls.
Also on the all-league team are two former Phillylacrosse.com Co-Players of the Year, Emily Mathewson (Garnet Valley) of Vanderbilt and Monica Borzillo (Conestoga) of Cincinnati.
One of the Owls’ captains for a second year in a row, Nakrasius was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Her 64 draw controls in 2018 tied for third all-time in program history in a single season, and she ranked second on the team with 21 turnovers and 38 ground balls.
The first season of American Athletic Conference women’s lacrosse is set to begin Friday, Feb. 8, with the first conference matchups scheduled for the weekend of March 30. The 2019 Women’s Lacrosse Championship, featuring the top four teams in the regular season standings, will be held May 2 and 4 at the Sheakley Athletics Center on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.
2019 American Athletic Conference
Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points
- Florida (5)* 25
- Vanderbilt (1) 18
- UConn 17
- Temple 16
- Cincinnati 9
- ECU 5
Preseason Attacker of the Year
Lindsey Ronbeck, Sr., Florida*
Preseason Defender of the Year
Cara Trombetta, Jr., Florida*
Preseason Midfielder of the Year
Sydney Pirreca, Sr., Florida*
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Haley Hicklen, Sr., Florida*
Preseason All-Conference Team
Monica Borzillo (Conestoga), Jr., A, Cincinnati*
Amanda Donovan, Sr., M, Cincinnati
Sam Mlkvy, R-Jr., M, Cincinnati
Caitlin Leary, Sr., A, UConn
Olivia Miles, Jr., M, UConn
Sydney Watson, So., M, UConn*
Megan Pallozzi, So., M, ECU
Sabrina Cristodero, So., D, Florida
Grace Haus, So., A, Florida*
Haley Hicklen, Sr., GK, Florida*
Shannon Kavanagh, So., M, Florida*
Sydney Pirreca, Sr., M, Florida*
Lindsey Ronbeck, Sr., A, Florida*
Cara Trombetta, Jr., D, Florida*
Maddie Gebert (Owen J. Roberts), Jr., M, Temple*
Amber Lambeth (Souderton), Sr., M, Temple
Kara Nakrasius (Garnet Valley), Jr., D, Temple*
Melanie Becker (Moorestown), Sr., M, Vanderbilt
Julie Blaze, Sr., M, Vanderbilt*
Emily Mathewson (Garnet Valley), Jr., A, Vanderbilt*
*denotes unanimous selection
