ROCHESTER, NY - Seniors
Kelsey Evans (Carlisle, PA/Cumberland Valley) and
Jerica Young (Jay, NY/Northwood School), along with junior
Ashley Pezze (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) were named to the 2009 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Empire Region team on Friday. Evans and Young were named to the first team and are now eligible for All-American accolades. Pezze was a second team selection.
It is the first time RIT has had three players earn All-IWLCA All-Region honors in one season.
Evans, an IWLCA All-Region second team selection in 2008 and a womenlacrosse.com Division III third-team All-American selection in 2009, was also named the Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year for the third straight season earlier in the month. She wrapped up a stellar four-year career in which she was an All-Empire 8 selection four times and holds virtually all RIT single-season and career records in net.
This season, Evans enjoyed her finest season between the pipes, leading RIT to its best-season in program history, with a 13-5 mark and trip to the Empire 8 Championship game. Evans tied for the lead in Division III with a sparkling .594 save percentage (.584). She was fifth in the nation with 215 saves and ninth in goals against average (8.38). She helped RIT win a program-best eight straight games in April. She posted a miniscule 6.91 goals against average and .606 save percentage in Empire 8 play this season.
Evans finished her RIT career with school records for games played (65), wins (31), minutes played (3,629), saves (825) and save percentage (.560). Her 825 career saves are the 12th most all-time in Division III women's lacrosse.
Young, a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2008 and 2009, enjoyed another tremendous season for the Tigers. She finished second on the squad with 47 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers. Young, a co-captain, is second all-time at RIT with 184 career ground balls and seventh with 69 draw controls. She was the first Tiger non-goalkeeper to earn All-Empire 8 first team honors in consecutive seasons.
Pezze, who was also an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2009, led the Tigers in goals (38), points (48), free-position goals (10), ground balls (73), draw controls (48) and caused turnovers (32). The 48 draw controls are a single-season RIT record. In just two seasons with RIT, Pezze is already sixth on the all-time draw control list with 71 and is 10th at RIT with 124 career ground balls.
RIT had its most successful season in program history, finishing 13-5.