Cassidy Spilis, Rutgers, Big Ten, lacrosse
Cassidy Spilis (Photo by Michael Franco)

Three Scarlet Knights Named to Big Ten Women's Lacrosse First Team

The Big Ten Conference announced its 2022 women’s lacrosse all-conference teams Wednesday. The teams were voted on by the conference’s seven head coaches. Three Rutgers Scarlet Knights were named to the All-Conference First Team while two were named to the Second Team. Junior defender Meghan Ball, graduate student attacker TT Naslonski and junior midfielder Cassidy Spilis all received first-team honors. Ball and Spilis were unanimous selections.

The five All-Big Ten selections for the Scarlets Knights is the most in a single season since the program began league play in 2015. 

Rutgers, led by head coach Melissa Lehman, finished the regular season with a record of 14-3. The 14 wins ties a program single-season record. 

Ball is a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season. She leads the team in draw controls (90), ground balls (48) and caused turnovers (41). Her 2.41 caused turnovers per game leads the Big Ten and is seventh nationally, while her 2.82 ground balls per game is second in the conference.

In 17 games, Spilis totaled 60 points on 59 goals and an assist to go along with 61 draw controls, 40 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. She is a three-time Big Ten Midfielder of the Week. 

This season, Naslonski is third in the Big Ten with 73 points on 54 goals and 19 assists. Naslonski became the program's all-time points (249) and goal (175) scorer this season and has played in the most games in school history with 75 appearances.

Junior defender Jessica Beneducci, and graduate attacker Stephanie Kelly, received second-team honors. Senior midfielder Caroline Perry was the Scarlet Knights honoree of the Big Ten Women's Lacrosse Sportsmanship Award. 

The 2022 Big Ten Women’s Lacrosse Tournament begins Friday at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., with two semifinal contests, as top-seeded Maryland battles No. 4 seed Johns Hopkins (5:30 p.m. ET) and second-seeded Northwestern faces No. 3 seed Rutgers (8 p.m. ET). The two semifinal winners will then play at noon (ET) Sunday, with the victor earning the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Championship. Jersey Sporting News will have complete coverage of the tournament. 

All three games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be televised live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app.

2022 Big Ten Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference Teams

First Team

Jeanne Kachris, Grad., D, Johns Hopkins

ABBY BOSCO, Grad., D, Maryland

AURORA CORDINGLEY, Grad., A, Maryland

Grace Griffin, Grad., M, Maryland

Hannah Leubecker, Jr., A, Maryland

EMILY STERLING, Jr., GK, Maryland

Maddie Burns, So., D, Michigan

Kaitlyn Mead, Sr., M, Michigan

Erin Coykendall, Jr., A, Northwestern

LAUREN GILBERT, Grad., A, Northwestern

JILL GIRARDI, Grad., M, Northwestern

Ally Palermo, Grad., D, Northwestern

Kristin O’Neill, So., M, Penn State

MEGHAN BALL, Jr., D, Rutgers

TT Naslonski, Grad., A, Rutgers

CASSIDY SPILIS, Jr., M, Rutgers
 

Second Team

Shelby Harrison, Grad., A, Johns Hopkins

Madison McPherson, Jr., M, Johns Hopkins

Annika Meyer, Sr., D, Johns Hopkins

Shaylan Ahearn, Jr., M, Maryland

Libby May, Jr., A, Maryland

Maddie Sanchez, Sr., D, Maryland

Kaley Thompson, Sr., A, Michigan

Arielle Weissman, Grad., GK, Michigan

Morgan Whitaker, Sr., D, Michigan

Lindsay Epstein, Grad., M, Ohio State

Nicole Ferrara, Jr., A, Ohio State

Chloe Johnson, Sr., A, Ohio State

Ava Keethler, Sr., D, Ohio State

Sammy Dupcak, So., D, Penn State

Jessica Beneducci, Jr., D, Rutgers

Stephanie Kelly, Grad., A, Rutgers

ALL CAPS indicates unanimous selections

 

Big Ten Women’s Lacrosse Sportsmanship Honorees

Keegan Barger, Grad., M, Johns Hopkins

Maddie McSally, Sr., GK, Maryland

Julia Henry, Sr., A, Michigan

Katie Shanley, Jr., M, Northwestern

Ali Beekhuizen, Grad., M, Ohio State

Rachel Spilker, Jr., D, Penn State

Caroline Perry, Sr., M, Rutgers

Gregg Snyder