WEST BABYLON, N.Y. – Roberts Wesleyan took home four major awards as the East Coast Conference announced its 2024 Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference honors on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the 2024 ECC Women’s Lacrosse Championship, set to begin with semifinals action on Thursday.
Roberts Wesleyan junior midfielder Emma Blumenstock (Penfield, N.Y.) was named the Attacker of the Year while senior linemate Sophia Podszebka (Churchville, N.Y.) earned Midfielder of the Year recognition. Mercy junior defender Lindsey Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y.) was voted the Defender of the Year for the second straight season while Roberts Wesleyan’s Shawna Lesmerises and D’Youville’s Brinn Stworzydlak shared Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Molloy freshman midfielder Victoria Bustamante (Manorville, N.Y.) was selected Rookie of the Year while Roberts Wesleyan’s Kristin Paolini was honored as Coach of the Year as all voting was completed by the league’s seven head coaches.
Blumenstock led the ECC with 95 points (16th nationally) on 37 goals and a league-leading 58 assists, the third-most amount of helpers across all of Division II this spring. In conference action, Blumenstock totaled 45 points (1st) on 19 goals (T-3rd) and 26 assists (1st), including eight points in wins over Molloy (2g, 6a), D’Youville (5g, 3a), St. Thomas Aquinas (4g, 4a), and Mercy (1g, 7a), seven points in a win over Daemen (5g, 2a), and six points in a win over District of Columbia (2g, 4a).
The four-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week earned points against tough competition Assumption (5), East Stroudsburg (4), Pace (3), West Chester (3), and Adelphi (2). Ranking ninth nationally in points per game (5.94) with 11 games of four or more points, Blumenstock leads a Roberts Wesleyan offense that leads the nation in assists per game (10.69) and ranks 10th in points per game (25.13).
Podszebka led the nation with 9.63 draw controls per game this season, totaling 154 in total. The one-time Defensive Player of the Week averaged an ECC-leading 8.83 draw controls per conference game, with 17 at District of Columbia, 14 at Molloy, and 12 at D’Youville, and added notable non-conference performances against Pace (14-for-28, .500) and St. Anselm (11-for-21, .523). Podszebka added 31 points on 20 goals and 11 assists out of the midfield to go with 36 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.
With 101 draw controls, 48 ground balls, and 37 caused turnovers, Shimborske repeats as the Defensive Player of the Year after ranking second in the ECC in draw controls per game (6.31), ground balls per game (3.00), and caused turnovers per game (2.31). In conference action, Shimborske tallied high draw control numbers in wins over St. Thomas Aquinas (10), District of Columbia (9), and D’Youville (8) and went off for four ground balls, two caused turnovers, and eight draw controls in Mercy’s regular-season finale victory over Daemen.
Additional notable performances included two points, six ground balls, and two caused turnovers against Assumption, five ground balls and two caused turnovers against East Stroudsburg, four ground balls and two caused turnovers against Saint Anselm, and two points against Pace.
In conference play, Lesmerises (10-4, 6-0 ECC) led all ECC goalkeepers in goals against average (6.21) while Stworzydlak (6-8, 3-2 ECC) led all ECC goalkeepers in save percentage (.485).
A three-time Defensive Player of the Week, Lesmerises went undefeated in conference play; she made seven saves vs. seven goals allowed in back-to-back outings against Daemen and Molloy before going on to shut out District of Columbia and St. Thomas Aquinas. Lesmerises made 102 total saves in 867:48 and was an active goalkeeper for the Redhawks this spring, collecting 32 ground balls and forcing seven turnovers for a RWU defensive unit that held its opposition to 8.50 goals per game, the lowest in the conference.
Stworzydlak made a league-leading 174 saves as she turned in nine games with double-digit saves, including 16 against Molloy, 14 against Roberts Wesleyan, and 12 against Mercy and Daemen. The reigning Goalkeeper of the Year made game-changing stops in double overtime in ECC wins over Molloy and Daemen. With her communication and leadership on the defensive end, Stworzydlak nearly matched Lesmerises’ field stats, scooping 32 ground balls with six caused turnovers in 997:13.
Bustamante totaled 24 points on 16 goals and eight assists to go with 35 ground balls, 17 caused turnovers, and 20 draw controls out of the Lions’ midfield. The five-time ECC Rookie of the Week scored in all six conference games this season, highlighted by a six-point performance(4g, 2a) against District of Columbia and turned in a solid defensive showing of five ground balls, two caused turnovers, and five draw controls at Mercy.
Paolini guided her Redhawks to a perfect 6-0 record in conference play for the first time in program history. Roberts Wesleyan closed the regular season with a thrilling, 12-11 come-from-behind victory over the Mavericks on Friday to clinch their first outright regular-season title. Overall, the Redhawks went 11-5 overall, with all losses coming at the hands of nationally-ranked programs.
2024 ECC Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference Team
First Team
A - Emma Blumenstock, Roberts Wesleyan
A - Leah Hansen, Mercy
A - Leena Moussa, Mercy
A - Annie Mulhall, Roberts Wesleyan
A - Lucy Rugaber, Roberts Wesleyan
A - Megan Rugolo, Molloy
M - Joanna Mauceri, Molloy
M - Sam Newlin, D'Youville
M - Sophia Podszebka, Roberts Wesleyan
M - Erin Shimborske, Mercy
D - Christina Lopreato, Mercy
D - Lauren Parker, D'Youville
D - Madelyn Robinson, Roberts Wesleyan
D - Lindsey Shimborske, Mercy
GK - Shawna Lesmerises, Roberts Wesleyan
GK - Brinn Stworzydlak, D'Youville
Second Team
A - Alexa Amorison, Molloy
A - Madison Buck, D'Youville
A - Ella Dossier, Roberts Wesleyan
A - Madison Handley, D'Youville
A - Andie Mott, Mercy
M - Ella Bouley, Daemen
M - Sofia Quitoni, Molloy
M - Kelly Rosenfeld, Mercy
M - Kadie Tierney, Roberts Wesleyan
D - Allison Clahane, Roberts Wesleyan
D - Carly Diolosa, Mercy
D - Carly Howell, Molloy
D - Jessica Kofod, Molloy
D - Emily Marino, Mercy
D - Emma Taylor, Roberts Wesleyan
GK - Tatiana Wright, Daemen
Attacker of the Year - Emma Blumenstock, Roberts Wesleyan
Midfielder of the Year - Sophia Podszebka, Roberts Wesleyan
Defender of the Year - Lindsey Shimborske, Mercy
Co-Goalkeepers of the Year - Shawna Lesmerises, Roberts Wesleyan and Brinn Stworzydlak, D'Youville
Rookie of the Year - Victoria Bustamante, Molloy
Coach of the Year - Kristin Paolini, Roberts Wesleyan