EDISON, NJ (Apr. 28, 2023) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the Women’s Lacrosse Major Award winners and All-MAAC Teams for the 2023 season, voted on by the league’s nine head coaches.
Headlining major award winners was Fairfield University’s senior, Olivia Doody, claiming the 2023 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year award. Doody scored 23 goals and handed out 34 assists, scoring a total of 57 points during the regular season. She ranked tied for second on the MAAC leaderboard in total assists and fourth on points, while finishing third in the league in assists per game (2.13) and fifth in points per game (3.56). In eight MAAC games during the 2023 campaign, Doody paced the conference in points (35) and points per game (4.38), assists (22) and assists per game (2.75), and she was the only player to post 20+ assists in league games this season, with the next closest player having 16. She was honored as MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on April 3.
Fairfield’s Caroline Mangan was selected as the 2023 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. One of just two unanimous All-MAAC First Team selections this season, Mangan recorded 31 caused turnovers and averaged 1.94 caused turnovers per game, which both ranked tied for fourth in the MAAC. During conference action, she ranked tied for third in both caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game, forcing 18 and averaging 2.25, respectively. The graduate student also won 33 draw controls, scooped up 31 ground balls, and scored a goal in 2023. Mangan collected a pair of MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season on April 10 and April 24.
2023 MAAC Co-Midfielders of the Year, were Kira Varada of Iona University and Rachel Crane from Niagara University. Last season’s top rookie, Varada led the MAAC in draw controls (70), draw controls per game (5.00), caused turnovers (40) caused turnovers per game (2.86), and ground balls average (3.14). The sophomore also ranked fourth in points per game (3.64), sixth in goals per game (2.79), eighth in goals (39), and ninth in points (51). Crane was the MAAC leader in goals, scoring 51, while ranking second in goals per game, with a 3.00 average. The senior served as the top offensive threat for the Purple Eagles this season, taking a league-leading 107 shots, and the fourth-highest shots per game average in the conference at 6.29 per outing.
The 2023 MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year was Kat Henselder of Quinnipiac University. The senior from Lindenhurst, NY started all 16 games in the net for the Bobcats this season, making 158 saves in 885 minutes of action. Henselder led the league in saves percentage (.511), and ranked second on the MAAC charts in goals against average (10.24), saves, and saves per game (9.88). She scooped up the seventh-most ground balls (36) and registered the eighth-best ground balls average (2.25) in the conference. Henselder snagged MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on March 27 during the year additionally.
Quinnipiac’s Mia Delmond was voted as the 2023 MAAC Rookie of the Year. The first year attack, racked up 31 points, scored 28 goals, and dished three assists her rookie campaign. Defensively, she picked up 18 ground balls caused five turnovers and won four draw controls. Delmond won a couple of MAAC Rookie of the Weeks during 2023, earning the awards on March 27 and April 10. She was the lone first year player to be selected to an all-conference team, earning second team accolades and she was one of three unanimous choices to the All-Rookie lineup.
Laura Field was named the 2023 MAAC Coach of the Year. The longest-tenured head coach in Fairfield history, the Stags earned their third MAAC Regular Season championship under her leadership, 14th in program history, in 2023 by way of a league-best record of 7-1 while posting an overall mark of 12-4. In her eighth year at the helm of Fairfield’s women’s lacrosse program, Field’s earned her 100th career win on April 22 during the regular season finale. Field’s produced one of the best teams in the conference both offensively and defensively this season, with her Stags leading the MAAC in 15 team statistical categories. On the offensive side of the ball, Fairfield ranked first in points, points per game, goals, goals per game, assists, assists per game, shots per game, total shots on goal, shots on goal per game, and scoring margin. Defensively, the Stags were the top team in the MAAC in goals allowed, goals against average, ground balls, ground balls per game, caused turnovers, and caused turnovers per game.
The full list of All-MAAC Teams and major awards winners are below.
| 2023 Women’s Lacrosse Major Awards |
| Awards |
Player |
School |
| Offensive Player of the Year |
Olivia Doody |
Fairfield |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Caroline Mangan |
Fairfield |
| Co-Midfielder of the Year |
Kira Varada |
Iona |
| Co-Midfielder of the Year |
Rachel Crane |
Niagara |
| Goalkeeper of the Year |
Kat Henselder |
Quinnipiac |
| Rookie of the Year |
Mia Delmond |
Quinnipiac |
| Coach of the Year |
Laura Field |
Fairfield |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Olivia Doody |
Sr. |
Attack |
Fairfield |
| Kerri Gutenberger |
Sr. |
Attack |
Marist |
| Lexi Brainecki |
Jr. |
Attack |
Niagara |
| Mary Soures |
5Y. |
Attack |
Siena |
| Skylar McArthur |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Paige Stachura |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Nicollette LaVista |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Kira Varada |
So. |
Midfield |
Iona |
| Rachel Crane |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Niagara |
| Jill Galanti |
Jr. |
Defense |
Canisius |
| Lindsey Barnes |
Sr. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Caroline Mangan* |
Gr. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Andrea Liotta* |
Sr. |
Defense |
Manhattan |
| Jenna Colabufo |
Sr. |
Defense |
Siena |
| Kat Henselder |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Quinnipiac |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Libby Rowe |
Sr. |
Attack |
Fairfield |
| Elizabeth Talluto |
Sr. |
Attack |
Fairfield |
| Micaela FitzPatrick |
Jr. |
Attack |
Iona |
| Mia Delmond |
1Y. |
Attack |
Quinnipiac |
| Jordan Bentley |
R-So. |
Attack |
Siena |
| Haley Burns |
So. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Maggie Fort |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Rylee Harrell |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Emily Stewart |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Iona |
| Emily Derrico |
So. |
Midfield |
Manhattan |
| Julianna Iovine |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Manhattan |
| Sophie Spencer |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Julia Rigolizzo |
Jr. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Margaret Lonergan |
Sr. |
Defense |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Abby Zeigenfuse |
Sr. |
Defense |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Sydney Huhtala |
Fr. |
Defense |
Niagara |
| Melissa Murphy |
Sr. |
Defense |
Quinnipiac |
| Madison Bradley |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Mount St. Mary's |
| MAAC All-Rookie Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Jody Chu |
Fr. |
Goalkeeper |
Canisius |
| Meg Hiltz |
Fr. |
Attack |
Canisius |
| Maggie Tifft |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Arianna Burns |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Iona |
| Maliya Haddock |
Fr. |
Attack |
Iona |
| Lauren Sweeney |
Fr. |
Goalkeeper |
Iona |
| Caitlin McNaboe* |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Marist |
| Hailey Chester |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Logan Cook |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Sydney Huhtala* |
Fr. |
Defense |
Niagara |
| Katie Ling |
Fr. |
Goalkeeper |
Niagara |
| Giordan Peck |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Niagara |
| Mia Delmond* |
1Y. |
Attack |
Quinnipiac |
*Denote Unanimous Selection
The 2023 MAAC Women's Lacrosse Championship is a six-team, single-elimination tournament taking place April 30 - May 7, 2023. The Opening Round will take place on Sunday, April 30 and will be hosted by the third and fourth seeds. The semifinal and final are set for Friday, May 5 and Sunday, May 7, with the highest overall seed set to serve as host. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Women’s Lacrosse Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/wlax.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.