3 Philly area men and women finalists for lacrosse's top awards
Three players emerged among the 25 finalists for the men's and women's Tewaaraton Awards, given to the nation's top lacrosse players.
Three players emerged among the 25 finalists for the men's and women's Tewaaraton Awards, given to the nation's top lacrosse players.
Fresh off his third consecutive selection to the all-Atlantic Coast Conference team is former Penn Charter star Joey Sankey. The University of North Carolina senior has 26 goals this season and 34 assists. He surpassed Marcus Holman to become Carolina's all-time leading scorer (217) earlier this season, and he is third (100) all-time in assists.
Sankey is back in town this weekend leading the No. 3-ranked Tar Heels in the ACC tournament at PPL Park. They opened play Friday against third-seeded Syracuse.
On the women's side, Penn senior goalie Lucy Ferguson and senior defensive star Meg Markham went from Watch list to the final 25.
Ferguson, of Montclair, N.J., is ranked fifth nationally in save percentage (.508) and seventh in goal-against average (6.73), and tops the Ivy League in both categories. A few weeks ago she was named the midseason goalkeeper of the year by Lacrosse magazine.
The reigning Ivy League Defensive player of the year, Markham, of Manhasset, N.Y., also joined Ferguson on Lacrosse magazine's midseason All-America team.
Five finalists will be announced May 7. The award will be presented May 28 in Washington.
More ACC stars
Virginia goalie Matt Barrett (Malvern Prep) and North Carolina long-stick midfielder Ryan Kilpatrick (Salesianum in Delaware) joined Sankey on the all-ACC team.
Long time coming
When Shannon Mangini put the ball in the net in Penn's win 13-7 win over Yale, it appeared to be just one goal that helped the No. 14 Quakers clinch a berth in the Ivey tournament.
The goal was the fifth-year senior's first in 715 days. The 2013 Ivy League midfielder of the year missed all of 2014 with an ACL injury suffered on Oct. 17, 2013. She had to endure two surgeries before getting back on the field.
"It was a moment that I had been thinking about for a while," Mangini said. "I had setbacks but my team kept encouraging me. It's a very good feeling."