Nine Maryland women’s lacrosse players earned Big Ten honors for their performances during the regular season, according to a Wednesday release. The Terps produced the most award winners in the conference.
Meghan Ball, Shaylan Ahearn and Eloise Clevenger were named to the All-Big Ten first team. Emily Sterling, Kennedy Major, Kori Edmondson, Hannah Leubecker and Libby May were announced as part of the All-Big Ten second team.
Ball, now a four-time All-Big Ten first team awardee, has collected 31 ground balls and caused 30 turnovers in her first 16 games at Maryland. She’s also won 61 draw controls, second-most on the team. Ball is in contention for her second consecutive Big Ten Defender of the Year award, with the winner released next week.
“[Ball] is the best defender, I think, in the conference,” Maryland coach Cathy Reese said. “She’s one of the best, if not the best defender in the nation.”
Ahearn, the reigning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, leads the Terps with 78 draw controls. She collected a season-high 10 draw controls against Northwestern earlier this month. Ahearn has scored five goals this season — including one in conference play against Ohio State.
[Maryland women’s lacrosse’s offense shined in regular season finale]
Clevenger earned her second straight first team honor in large part due to her 47 assists, a mark that’s 10th-best in the country. Her scoring production has soared in the later part of the year. She’s tallied goals in five consecutive games, notching hat tricks in victories at Michigan and Princeton. The senior leads the team with 70 points.
Sterling ranks second in the conference in save percentage and goals against average, posting a 52.4 save percent and averaging just under nine goals saved per game. Edmondson, Leubecker and May have combined for 100 of the Terps’ 196 goals this year. Leubecker has scored a team-high 45 goals, fifth-best in the Big Ten.
Sterling and Ball were named Tewaaraton Award nominees last week. Maryland’s last winner was Megan Taylor in 2019.
Major’s Big Ten honor is the first of her career. She caused 12 turnovers and scooped up 15 ground balls this year.
Julia Hammerschlag was the Terps’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree.