Falcone, Ripley Earn National Player Of Year Honors From IWLCA
June 15, 2009
CHAPEL HILL - University of North Carolina women's lacrosse players Amber Falcone and Logan Ripley both have earned national player-of-the-year honors at their respective positions, the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association announced this weekend. Falcone was named the Division I Defender of the Year and Ripley was the C. Markland Kelly Goalkeeper of the Year. The IWLCA announced the award winners in Division I, II and III on June 13 in King of Prussia, Pa. Eight schools had student-athletes named as the top player for their respective positions by the organization. Carolina was the only Division I school to boast two student-athletes so honored. Ripley, a junior, was named the C. Markland Kelly Goalkeeper of the Year, the first time Ripley has been named as an All-America. In her first season as a starter, Ripley was named first-team All-ACC this spring after leading the conference in goals allowed per game. She logged nearly every minute of every game in the cage for UNC in 2009, leading one of the nation's top defenses to the NCAA championship game. Falcone, a senior and member of the US World Cup team currently competing in the 2009 FIL World Cup in the Czech Republic, is the 2009 Defender of the Year. The first player in UNC history to earn All-Americ honors four times, Falcone is also a three-time All-ACC selection who was a finalist for the 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy and the 2009 Lacrosse Honda Sports Award. She leaves Carolina as the school's career leader in games played and games started. She started 65 consecutive games, leading the Tar Heels to the national championship game for the first time in program history in 2009. The Midfielder of the Year, Caitlyn McFadden from Maryland, is a teammate of Falcone's on the USA World Cup team. The junior led the Terps with 86 points on 54 goals and 32 assists. The 2009 ACC Player of the Year tallied at least one goal in every game during Maryland's 21-game winning streak and recorded at least a point in every match in 2009.
McFadden and Falcone will face the 2009 Attacker of the Year, Hannah Nielsen, in the World Cup. Nielsen, the reigning Tewaaraton Trophy recipient for the second year in a row, owns every assist record in Division I - assists in a game, a season, and in a career. She also owns the career and single-season record for assists in the NCAA Tournament after helping the Northwestern Wildcats win their fifth consecutive national championship. Nielsen, a two-time World Cup team member from Australia, lost three games during her collegiate career and never lost in the post-season. 2009 IWLCA NCAA Division I Players of the Year |
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