Northwestern University Athletics
Trio of Wildcats Earn IWLCA All-West/Midwest Region Honors
5/16/2016 10:31:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — Three Northwestern student-athletes were named to the IWLCA All-West/Midwest Regional Team, the organization announced last Friday. Included on the All-Regional teams were first-team selection Kaleigh Craig and second-team honorees Christina Esposito and Selena Lasota.
The three Wildcats are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA All-American teams, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 18. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on Saturday, June 4.
The IWLCA's West Region is composed of institutions from across a broad geographic cross-section of the nation, including schools as far east as Penn State, throughout the Midwest and all members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). It is one of four regions the IWLCA uses to honor its member institutions, along with the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South Regions.
Craig's first-team plaudit adds another postseason honor to her unanimous All-Big Ten selection after setting career highs in her senior season in goals (53), assists (14), points (67), game-winning goals (4), ground balls (35) and caused turnovers (16). She led the Wildcats in goals, points, game-winning goals and ground balls. The Wantagh, New York native scored at least one goal in 17-straight games – a career-best streak – to close the season and scored at least two goals in 17 of 21 games this season. A Northwestern co-captain, Craig ranks fifth in the Big Ten in goals per game (2.58), seventh in points per game (3.26), first in game-winning goals and fourth in ground balls per game (1.74).
She finished her career just outside the top 10 in program history with 134 career goals.
Esposito also earned All-Regional honors for the first time with a breakout season of by posting a career-best campaign as an attacker. The redshirt junior and co-captain started all 21 games for the Wildcats, scoring a career-high 34 goals and tying for the team lead with 22 assists to finish with a career-best 56 points. She also set new career highs with 19 ground balls, 20 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers. The West Babylon, New York, native had 17 multi-point games during the 2016 season and had at least one point in each of the final 16 games of the year. She matched her career high with five points four different times, including in three-straight games from April 3-10. Her 22 assists were the most by a Wildcat since Shannon Smith's 28 in 2012 and ranked her sixth in the Big Ten in assists per game (1.05).
Lasota was named to the All-West/Midwest Team for the second-straight year with her second-team nod. After being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Second-Team All-American in 2015, Lasota followed up her breakout campaign with another All-Big Ten honor and led the league in goals during conference play. She finished the regular season with 50 goals and had career-bests with 17 assists and 48 draw controls. She became the fastest player in program history to score 100 goals when she accomplished the feat in her 35th career game.
A native of Campbell River, British Columbia, Lasota tied the second-best single-game scoring effort with a career-high eight goals in 22-13 win over No. 19 Ohio State to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2016. She also earned the plaudit following the opening game of the season when she scored five goals in an 11-8 win at Duke.
The Wildcats were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the second round by No. 6-seed Notre Dame to finish the season 11-10 overall. Chicago's Big Ten Team will return eight starters in 2016 as they attempt to win their eighth national title in program history.
The three Wildcats are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA All-American teams, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 18. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on Saturday, June 4.
The IWLCA's West Region is composed of institutions from across a broad geographic cross-section of the nation, including schools as far east as Penn State, throughout the Midwest and all members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). It is one of four regions the IWLCA uses to honor its member institutions, along with the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South Regions.
Craig's first-team plaudit adds another postseason honor to her unanimous All-Big Ten selection after setting career highs in her senior season in goals (53), assists (14), points (67), game-winning goals (4), ground balls (35) and caused turnovers (16). She led the Wildcats in goals, points, game-winning goals and ground balls. The Wantagh, New York native scored at least one goal in 17-straight games – a career-best streak – to close the season and scored at least two goals in 17 of 21 games this season. A Northwestern co-captain, Craig ranks fifth in the Big Ten in goals per game (2.58), seventh in points per game (3.26), first in game-winning goals and fourth in ground balls per game (1.74).
She finished her career just outside the top 10 in program history with 134 career goals.
Esposito also earned All-Regional honors for the first time with a breakout season of by posting a career-best campaign as an attacker. The redshirt junior and co-captain started all 21 games for the Wildcats, scoring a career-high 34 goals and tying for the team lead with 22 assists to finish with a career-best 56 points. She also set new career highs with 19 ground balls, 20 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers. The West Babylon, New York, native had 17 multi-point games during the 2016 season and had at least one point in each of the final 16 games of the year. She matched her career high with five points four different times, including in three-straight games from April 3-10. Her 22 assists were the most by a Wildcat since Shannon Smith's 28 in 2012 and ranked her sixth in the Big Ten in assists per game (1.05).
Lasota was named to the All-West/Midwest Team for the second-straight year with her second-team nod. After being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Second-Team All-American in 2015, Lasota followed up her breakout campaign with another All-Big Ten honor and led the league in goals during conference play. She finished the regular season with 50 goals and had career-bests with 17 assists and 48 draw controls. She became the fastest player in program history to score 100 goals when she accomplished the feat in her 35th career game.
A native of Campbell River, British Columbia, Lasota tied the second-best single-game scoring effort with a career-high eight goals in 22-13 win over No. 19 Ohio State to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2016. She also earned the plaudit following the opening game of the season when she scored five goals in an 11-8 win at Duke.
The Wildcats were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the second round by No. 6-seed Notre Dame to finish the season 11-10 overall. Chicago's Big Ten Team will return eight starters in 2016 as they attempt to win their eighth national title in program history.
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