PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey’s senior
Jennifer LaRocca (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) and teammate
Wayden Ay (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Attack and Defensive Players of the Year respectively for the 2022 season. Their selections highlighted the 23-member 2022 NJAC women’s lacrosse all-conference team which was announced on May 6.
Additionally, Kean’s
Katie Pileggi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) was named Midfielder of the Year and Montclair State’s
Allyn Lilien (Washington Twp., NJ/Westwood) was named Goaltender of the Year; both are repeat winners. Rowan’s
Molly Green (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) has been named Rookie of the Year.
All selections were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches and were based on both overall and conference-only statistics.
A two-time NJAC All-Conference selection,
LaRocca leads the NJAC in points per game (7.00) and assists per game (4.13); she leads the assists category by over 2.5 per game over the next highest. She is closing in on her 100th career assist. She also ranks third in goals per game (2.88). LaRocca earned four Offensive Player of the Week honors this season while leading TCNJ to a 13-2 regular season overall record and 6-0 in conference play.
Pileggi, now a two-time NJAC Midfielder of the Year and two-time First Team All-Conference honoree, leads all NJAC players in draw controls per game (6.82) and is ranked in the top 10 in four more statistical categories. The two-way player is second in the NJAC in caused turnovers per game (2.29) and fourth in ground balls per game (3.12), while being an offensive weapon as well as she ranks seventh in points per game (3.41) and eighth in assists per game (1.18). She was twice named NJAC Defensive Player of the Week this year.
Ay is a two-time First Team All-Conference selection who anchored the Lions’ near impenetrable defensive unit that held 12 of 15 regular season opponents to single digit goals, including six opponents to five or fewer. She and the Lions’ back line allowed a league-low 108 goals and yielded just 31 in NJAC play. She was a key defender in TCNJ’s 18-6 romp over No. 24 Haverford and 16-10 win over No. 4 Gettysburg. Ay also ranked 10th in the NJAC in ground ball pickups, averaging 2.31 per game.
Lilien is now a two-time NJAC Goaltender of the Year and two-time First Team All-Conference pick. She posted the NJAC’s best save percentage (.473), ranked second with 9.43 saves per game and third with a 10.45 goals against average. A Week 5 Defensive Player of the Week this year, Lilien wrapped up a decorated career at MSU with 20 wins, a career .520 save percentage and career 9.86 goals against average.
Green splashed on to the scene this year to lead Rowan to a 9-7 overall regular season record and 5-1 NJAC record this year, including the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. A seven-time NJAC Rookie of the Week, Green leads the Profs in both caused turnovers per game (1.47) and draw controls per game (4.53), ranking seventh and fifth in the NJAC, respectively. She also ranks seventh in the NJAC in ground balls per game (2.53). She has contributed 47 points on 32 goals and 15 assists in her rookie season.
TCNJ head coach
Sharon Pfluger was tapped as the NJAC Coach of the Year by her peers. In 2022, she has led the Lions to a 13-2 overall regular season record and the NJAC regular season championship. Pfluger’s 555 career lacrosse victories are the most in NCAA history at any level. She owns a 555-69-1 record in her 36 seasons on the sidelines.
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| ATTACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jennifer LaRocca, TCNJ |
| MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR: Katie Pileggi, Kean |
| DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wayden Ay, TCNJ |
| GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR: Allyn Lilien, Montclair State |
| ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Molly Green, Rowan |
| COACH OF THE YEAR: Sharon Pfluger, TCNJ |
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| FIRST TEAM |
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| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
| Elise Cohan^ |
SR |
A |
Rowan |
Far Hills, NJ/Bernards |
| Jennifer LaRocca* |
SR |
A |
TCNJ |
River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley |
| Ashley Lechliter* |
SR |
A |
Rowan |
Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West |
| Michelle Pascrell*# |
SR |
A |
Stockton |
Howell, NJ/Freehold Township |
| Ally Tobler |
SO |
A |
TCNJ |
Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Twp. |
| Molly Green |
FR |
M |
Rowan |
Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional |
| Tristin Konen* |
SR |
M |
Montclair State |
Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan |
| Katie Pileggi* |
SR |
M |
Kean |
Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial |
| Jennifer Toal^ |
SR |
M |
Stockton |
Pine Beach, NJ/Toms River South |
| Jillian Westerby* |
JR |
M |
TCNJ |
Marlton, NJ/Cherokee |
| Wayden Ay* |
JR |
D |
TCNJ |
Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial |
| Emily Bretschneider^+ |
SR |
D |
Kean |
Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown |
| Kylie Evans |
SR |
D |
Stockton |
Marlton, NJ/Cherokee |
| Gianna Rusk |
SR |
D |
Rowan |
Westmont, NJ/Haddon Township |
| Julia Charest |
SO |
G |
TCNJ |
Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson |
| Allyn Lilien* |
SR |
G |
Montclair State |
Washington Twp., NJ/Westwood |
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| HONORABLE MENTION |
| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
| Kaitlyn Arcede |
SR |
A |
Montclair State |
Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock |
| Amanda Ehrhart |
SR |
A |
Kean |
Patchogue, NY/Connetquot |
| Casey Shultz# |
SR |
A |
Stockton |
Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp. |
| Julianna Corson |
SR |
M |
Rowan |
Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley |
| Claire Gailliout |
SR |
M |
Rutgers-Camden |
Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown |
| Sabrina Phillips^ |
JR |
D |
TCNJ |
Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame |
| Kaitlin Zazzaro |
SR |
D |
Montclair State |
Mount Olive, NJ/Mount Olive |
Key:
* First Team All-Conference 2021
^ Honorable Mention 2021
+ First Team All-Conference 2019
# Honorable Mention 2019 |