May 29, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Three members of the Penn State women's lacrosse team have been recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and US Lacrosse with All-Region and All-America honors. Headlining the group is senior midfielder Kerry Shea (Baltimore, Md.), who was named First Team All-West/Midwest Region and Third Team All-America. Sophomore defender Ashley Boccio (Northport, N.Y.) was also selected to the All-West/Midwest Region First Team while junior goalkeeper Stephanie Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) received Second Team All-West/Midwest Region honors.
A versatile midfielder who is equally adept at scoring on the attack and making defensive stops, Kerry Shea put together a standout senior season to secure her third consecutive all-region honor and first career All-America accolade. She finished 2009 second among Nittany Lions in goals (24), ground balls (34), and caused turnovers (19) and third in points (27) and draw controls (27). A three-time All-ALC performer, including a first team selection in 2009, Shea totaled 84 goals and 17 assists over the course of her brilliant 58-game career. Shea was also recently recognized as Best Senior Midfielder by a nationwide vote in the 2009 LaxPower.com Fan Awards and was chosen to play in the 2009 IWLCA/Under Armour North-South Senior All-Star Game on Sat., June 13 at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, Pa.
In her first season as a starter, Ashley Boccio blossomed into a legitimate force, serving as a linchpin of the Penn State defense throughout the year. A Second Team All-ALC selection, she was often tasked with matching up one-on-one with the opposition's top offensive weapon. Boccio earned her first career point in her first collegiate start, notching an assist in a 20-7 rout of Lafayette. In 17 games, the second generation Nittany Lion tallied 11 ground balls, three caused turnovers, and two draw controls. Boccio was also named a Third Team All-American by womenslacrosse.com.
In the starting line-up for all 17 games this season, Stephanie Ellis becomes Penn State's first all-region goalkeeper since Lee Tortorelli in 2005. A two-time ALC Defensive Player of the Week honoree in 2009, Ellis compiled a 10.57 goals against average and a .450 save percentage. The anchor of the ALC's second-ranked defense, she also led the team in ground balls with 37 and had eight caused turnovers to her credit.
In 2009, Shea, Boccio, and Ellis helped lead Penn State to its best conference record in two years and was instrumental in the Nittany Lions clinching the No. 2 seed in the ALC Championship, their highest seeding in the three-year history of the tournament. Penn State then advanced to the conference championship game for the first time, falling to eventual national champion Northwestern.