Drexel University Athletics
Women's Lacrosse Takes Major Haul in CAA Postseason Awards
5/3/2023 2:02:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Five Dragons were Named to All-CAA Teams and Two Earned Major Awards
RICHMOND, Va. – Corinne Bednarik was named the CAA Attacker of the Year and Jenika Cuocco earned Rookie and Goalkeeper of the Year, leading five Drexel women's lacrosse players honored by the conference in its annual awards on Wednesday as voted on by the league's coaches. Bednarik, Belle McHugh, and Cuocco were selected to the First Team with Maura Cissel and Hayleigh Simpson earning Second Team accolades. Additionally, Cuocco garnered a spot on the All-Rookie Team and is the first of 29 Rookies of the Year in league history to add a second major award.
#2 Corinne Bednarik- CAA Attacker of the Year + First Team All-CAA
Bednarik has been the CAA's top-scoring attacker with 45 goals and 21 assists while also adding 66 draw controls to her stats. The senior from Glenmoore, Pa. has found 2.81 goals and 4.12 points per game which is second in the CAA and first among conference attackers. Additionally, she ranks sixth in the conference with 4.12 draws per game. The captain also collected USA Lacrosse Magazine National Player of the Week honors in March and a CAA Player of the Week accolade in February. This is Bednarik's second All-CAA First-Team honor.
#22 Jenika Cuocco - Goalkeeper And Rookie Of The Year, First Team All-CAA + All-CAA Rookie Team
Cuocco is the top goalie in the conference with a .533 save percentage which is third in the nation. This season she has amassed 163 saves, 29 ground balls, and caused three turnovers in the cage for the Dragons. Additionally, she ranks 12th with a 9.08 goals-against average and 11th with an average of 10.19 saves per game across Division One. The sophomore broke the CAA record with seven Rookie of the Week awards and was honored as the IWLCA Co-Defensive Player of the Week in April.
#16 Belle McHugh- First Team All-CAA
McHugh has led a defensive unit that is 16th in the NCAA in scoring defense at 9.19 goals/game. The captain has 20 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers, and found seven draw controls. She held San Diego State's top scorer to two tallies in a matchup on March 28 and guided the Dragons to an overtime victory over Temple in April with three caused turnovers.
#12 Hayleigh Simpson- Second Team All-CAA
The fifth-year senior has been an integral part of Drexel's offense with 32 goals and five assists this season. The midfielder has added six caused turnovers and 20 ground balls on defense. Simpson's five goals against Johns Hopkins led the Dragons to their first program victory against the Big Ten opponent, 16-11. Additionally, the captain has anchored a team that is heading into their third consecutive CAA Championships.
#15 Maura Cissel- Second Team All-CAA
Cissel coming off a strong season last year continued her success in 2023. She has taken the majority of the draws this season and is tied with Bednarik with 66 draw controls. The defender has found 13 ground balls and caused 11 turnovers including two against Maryland. She now holds three overall conference honors and two Second Team All-CAA recognitions.
The Dragons take on Towson, tomorrow at Tiger Field in the CAA Semifinals. The opening draw from Towson, Md. is at 2:30pm and will be streamed on LacrosseTV.
