NEW YORK – On the day before the BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship, the Conference announced the annual regular season honors on Thursday. Denver, Connecticut and Marquette each earned two major awards.

For the regular season champion and tournament top seed Denver, senior Sam Thacker was unanimously voted BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and senior Julia Gilbert was named BIG EAST Co-Attacker of the Year. UConn senior Kate Shaffer was tabbed BIG EAST Co-Attacker of the Year while graduate student Landyn White won her second consecutive BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year award. As for the Golden Eagles, senior Lydia Foust was voted BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and Marquette, led by head coach Meredith Black, was honored as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to Shaffer and Gilbert, Villanova sophomore Sydney Pappas was also named BIG EAST Co-Attacker of the Year. Newcomer Xavier earned its first BIG EAST yearly award in program history as attacker Lola Mancuso was awarded BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. All-BIG EAST awards are selected via a vote of the league’s head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

Thacker repeats as BIG EAST Defensive Player and extends Denver’s streak of winning the award to four years. Pioneer defenders Molly Little (2021) and Katherine Fischer (2019) were the last two Denver players to win the award. Thacker leads the league in caused turnovers (2.41 per game, 41 total) and ranks fifth nationally in the category. The senior is tied for fourth in the league in ground balls averaging 2.35 per game. The Denver defense anchored by Thacker has held all 17 of its opponents to single-digit goals this season, including all BIG EAST teams.

Due to a tie in voting, Gilbert, Shaffer and Pappas were all named BIG EAST Co-Attackers of the Year. Gilbert finished the regular season with 44 goals, 52 points and 97 shots. The senior has scored multiple goals in 15 of her 17 appearances during the 2023 season, including all six BIG EAST games. Gilbert led the league in free position goals per game (0.82) and total free position goals (14). This is the fourth consecutive year a Denver player has been awarded Attacker of the Year honors (Bea Behrins: 2021, 2022; Quintin Hoch-Bullen: 2019).

Shaffer enters the postseason with 48 goals, 73 points and 99 shots on the year. The senior ranked second in the BIG EAST for points per game (4.56) and third in goals per game (3.00). Shaffer is also 22nd nationally for points and points per game along with being ranked in the top-40 in goals per game. She scored multiple goals in 12 of 16 games in 2023. Shaffer is the second Husky to earn Attack of the Year honors (Grace Nolan: 2016, 2018).

Pappas finished the regular season with 52 goals, 63 points and 115 shots. The sophomore led the conference in goals per game (3.25), finished second in total goals (52) and third in points per game (3.94). Pappas ranks 20^th in the country in both goals and goals per game. She had 13 multi-goal games throughout the year. She scored a league-high 20 goals in six conference games. Pappas is the second player in Villanova history to be awarded Attacker of the Year (Jackie Froccaro: 2015).

White becomes the first UConn goalkeeper to garner BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons since Shannon Nee won it in both 2015 and 2016. The graduate student led all BIG EAST starting goalkeepers with 176 total saves and an average of 10.69 per game. White also ranks second in the conference in save percentage (.506) among all starting goalkeepers. Her save percentage is eighth nationally, while her saves and saves per game rank fifth and sixth among all Division I goalies. White averages 2.50 ground balls per game, which is third in the BIG EAST and 24^th nationally.

Foust is the second Marquette player to earn the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year award. Grace Gabriel shared the honors in both the 2018 and 2019 season. The senior led the BIG EAST in shots (8.24 per game, 140 total), total goals (54) and tied for first in game-winning goals (6). The four-time BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week in 2023 enters the postseason nationally ranked 16^th in goals and 25^th in goals per game.

Marquette garners BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the first time in program history. Led by 11^th-year head coach Meredith Black, the Golden Eagles have had a historic season with a program-record 15 wins and went on another program-record 12 game-winning streak during the season. Marquette earned its first IWLCA Division I Poll ranking in program history this season and is currently ranked No. 19. The Golden Eagles have the third-best scoring offense in the country (16.24). They are also third in points per game (24.82), fourth in assists per game (8.41) and sixth in win percentage (.882).

In its inaugural season, Xavier claimed its first major award with freshman attacker Lola Mancuso being tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Mancuso is the top scoring freshman in the conference and the fourth-highest rookie in the nation. In 14 games, the attacker has 38 goals, which is fifth in the BIG EAST. The two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week ended the season on a six-game goal streak and scored multiple goals in 10 games during the 2023 season.

In addition to major awards, a 17-member All-BIG EAST First Team and a 16-member Second Team were selected. The First Team had two players added and the Second Team had one player added due to a tie in voting. Thacker and Foust were two of three unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selections along with UConn senior midfielder Madelyn George. Additional First Team honorees include Shaffer, White, Gilbert, Pappas, Butler junior midfielder Leah Rubino, Denver sophomore goalkeeper Emelia Bohi, DEN senior midfielder Ellie Curry, DEN graduate defender Trinity McPherson, Georgetown junior midfielder Tatum Geist, GU junior attacker Kylie Hazen, Marquette senior defender Ellie Henry, MU senior attacker Mary Schumar, MU senior midfielder Emma Soccodato, and Villanova graduate draw specialist Caroline Curnal.

BIG EAST Co-Attackers of the Year^
Kate Shaffer, Connecticut, Sr., A
Julia Gilbert, Denver, Sr., A
Sydney Pappas, Villanova, So., A

BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Lydia Foust, Marquette, Sr., M

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Sam Thacker, Denver, Sr., D*

BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Landyn White, Connecticut, Gr., GK

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Lola Mancuso, Xavier, Fr., A

BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Marquette

All-BIG EAST First Team^
Leah Rubino, Butler, Jr., M
Madelyn George, Connecticut, Sr., M*
Kate Shaffer, Connecticut, Sr., A
Landyn White, Connecticut, Gr., GK
Emelia Bohi, Denver, So., GK
Ellie Curry, Denver, Sr., M
Julia Gilbert, Denver, Sr., A
Trinity McPherson, Denver, Gr., D
Sam Thacker, Denver, Sr., D*
Tatum Geist, Georgetown, Jr., M
Kylie Hazen, Georgetown, Jr., A
Lydia Foust, Marquette, Sr., M*
Ellie Henry, Marquette, Sr., D
Mary Schumar, Marquette, Sr., A
Emma Soccodato, Marquette, Sr., M
Caroline Curnal, Villanova, Gr., DS
Sydney Pappas, Villanova, So., A

All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Kate Kaptrosky, Butler, Fr., M
Grace Coon, Connecticut, Gr., A
Ariana Kline, Connecticut, Sr., D
Lia LaPrise, Connecticut, Gr., A
Lauren Black, Denver, So., A
Ryan Dineen, Denver, Fr., A
Bryn McCaughey, Denver, Jr., D
Abby Jenkins, Denver, Jr., DS
Nicole Massimino, Georgetown, Gr., D
Shea Garcia, Marquette, Sr., A
Leigh Steiner, Marquette, Jr., M
Sami Carey, Villanova, So., A
Mary Kate Conniff, Villanova, Jr., D
Olivia Conquest, Villanova, So., GK
Erin Berls, Xavier, Fr., M
Jess Harrison, Xavier, Gr., M
*denotes unanimous selection
^extra players added due to a tie in voting