Six Bears Earn Spots on All-Conference Team

5/4/2021 2:36:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Hailey Rhatigan, Lily Morin, and Emma Pizzo named to first team

By: Jesika Moore

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –Mercer women's lacrosse earned seven spots on the 2021 All-Conference Team, the league announced on Tuesday. Hailey Rhatigan, Lily Morin, and Emma Pizzo were named to the All-Conference First Team. Maddi Koury and Sami Van Slyke were named to the second team, while Koury joined Chloe Schaeffer on the All-Freshman Team.

Rhatigan, who earns hers her second All-Conference First Team honor, led the Black and Orange with 33 goals and 43 points on the season. The junior midfielder scored a season high seven goals against Kennesaw State on April 6. She snagged 14 groundballs, forced 11 caused turnovers, and won nine raw controls. The Holbrook, N.Y., native became the fifth player in program history to score 100 career goals off a free-position goal against Delaware State on April 1. She took 54 shots on goal to record a .701 shot on goal percentage. Rhatigan is currently ranked in the top five in the conference in four categories: goals per game (3.00), points per game (3.91), shots per game (7.00), and free position goals per game (0.82).

Morin earns her first All-Conference First Team honor as a graduate student. She was one of two players to earn a start in all 12 of the Bears games. Morin led Mercer with 10 free-position goals this season. She totaled 31 goals and four assists for 35 points. She scored a career-high five goals when the Bears welcomed Winthrop. The Marietta, Ga., native snagged 16 groundballs, forced eight caused turnovers, and won 34 draw controls. This season, she became the fourth player in program history to win 100 draw controls in the Bears game against Furman. She enters the tournament with 41 shots on goal for a .719 shot on goal percentage. Morin is ranked in the top five in five categories for the conference; goals per game (2.58), game winning goals (2), shots per game (4.75), draw controls per game (2.83), and free-position goals per game (0.83).

Pizzo joins Morin for her first All-Conference First Team honor. The junior midfielder saw action in 11 games this season, earning a start in all 11. She picked up 12 groundballs and forced nine caused turnovers. The Charleston, S.C., native tied her career high groundballs twice this season. She picked up three groundballs against High Point and Winthrop. Pizzo forced a season high two caused turnovers against Kennesaw State both times the teams played.

Senior Sami Van Slyke earns her first spot on the All-Conference Second Team. The midfielder saw action in all 12 games, earning a start in 11. She found the back of the net four times on seven shots on goal for a .700 shot on goal percentage. While on defense, she snagged 12 groundballs, forced five caused turnovers, and won 19 draw controls. Van Slyke had five games where she won multiple draw controls. She won a season high four draws when the Bears traveled to Winthrop.

Koury is the only Bear to earn a spot on two All-Conference Teams. As a freshman, she led the Black and Orange with 16 assists on the season. She ranks fifth in the SoCon in assists per game, averaging 1.33. The Birchrunville, Pa., native scored 15 goals along with her 16 assists to total 31 points. She set a career high four goals against Kennesaw State on April 24. Koury set her career high four assists twice this season. The first came against Wofford, while the second came against Delaware State. The attacker has 18 shots on goal for a .944 shot on goal percentage. Koury has snagged eight groundballs and forced two caused turnovers.

Schaeffer earns her first spot on an All-Conference Team due to the Covid-19 cancellation of the 2020 season. The sophomore earned a start in 10 of the 12 games she played in. She found the back of the net 15 times with eight assists for a total of 23 points. She scored a career high four goals and five points in the Bears win over Wofford. The Rehoboth Beach, Del., native set a new career high of two caused turnovers against Wofford and then again in the April 6 game at Kennesaw State. Schaeffer has been perfect from the 8-meter line, going five for five for free-position shots. She has totaled 10 groundballs, forced eight caused turnovers, and won eight draw controls.

Below is the full list of the All-Conference winners:

2021 Offensive Player of the Year
Hannah Demis, Sr., A, Furman

2021 Defensive Player of the Year
Avery Whitehead, Sr., D, Furman

2021 Freshman of the Year
Meagan Beal, MF, Furman

2021 Coach of the Year
Rachel Whitten, Furman

2021 All-Southern Conference First Team
A – Samantha Courtemanche, Gr., Coastal Carolina
A – Hannah Demis, Sr., Furman
A – Kyra LaMotte, Sr., Furman
A – Hailey Rhatigan, Jr., Mercer
A – Elisabeth Ralph, Jr., Wofford
M – Hannah Dintino, So., Furman
M – Avery McIlwaine, Fr., Furman
M – Lily Morin, Gr., Mercer
D – Emily D'Orsaneo, Gr., Coastal Carolina
D – Anya McSorley, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
D – Rachel Sindler, Sr., Furman
D – Avery Whitehead, Sr., Furman
D – Emma Pizzo, Jr., Mercer
GK – Claire Martell, R-Fr., Coastal Carolina

2021 All-Southern Conference Second Team
A – Lauren Cremen, R-So., Coastal Carolina
A – Kayla Downey, R-Fr., Coastal Carolina
A – Meagan Beal, So., Furman
A – Maddi Koury, Fr., Mercer
A – Ally Furnari, Jr., Wofford
M – Abbey Buchanan, Gr., Coastal Carolina
M – Avery Drouin, Sr., Coastal Carolina
M – Emma Gentile, So., Wofford
M – Tamrin Swann, Sr., Delaware State
D – Sarah Trupp, Gr., Coastal Carolina
D – Dachelle Johnson, Sr., Delaware State
D – Regan Lingo, Sr., Furman
D – Sami Van Slyke, Sr., Mercer
D – Hannah Wurzel, Sr., Wofford
GK – Meghan Deehan, So., Furman

2021 Southern Conference All-Freshman team
A – Kayla Downey, Coastal Carolina
A - Meagan Beal, Furman
A – Maddi Koury, Mercer
M – Avery Snyder, Coastal Carolina
M - Hannah Dintino, Furman
M - Chloe Schaeffer, Mercer
M - Emma Gentile, Wofford

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