May 28, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Several members of the Penn State women's lacrosse team have been nationally lauded for their standout play during the 2012 season, headlined by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) recognizing three Nittany Lions, senior goalkeeper Dana Cahill (Towson, Md.), sophomore defender Lizzy Carney (West Chester, Pa.), and freshman Tatum Coffey (Toms River, N.J.), with All-America honors.
Cahill and Carney were selected to the second team while Coffey was named to the third team. Coffey was the lone freshman in the nation to earn first, second, or third team honors. Penn State's three honorees are the most since 2005 when Emily Chambers (2nd team), Renee Cipro (3rd team), and Lori Havrilla (3rd team) received IWLCA recognition.
Cahill, Carney, and Coffey will be honored at the IWLCA All-American banquet on June 16, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa. Earlier in the day, Cahill will participate in the 2012 IWLCA/Under Armour North-South Senior All-Star Game.
Cahill also earned a spot on WomensLax.com's All-America Team and was honored by SynapseSports.com as a Third Team All-American while Carney earned a place on SynapseSports.com's All-America Second Team. Coffey's impressive postseason award haul additionally included two Rookie of the Year Awards (WomensLax.com and SynapseSports.com), a Third Team All-America nod (SynapseSports.com), and an All-American Team recognition (WomensLax.com).
Also, freshman attacker Maggie McCormick (Eldersburg, Md.), who led Penn State in assists (30) and points (59) and was a 2012 Second Team All-ALC selection, was recognized, along with Coffey, on SynapseSports.com's All-Rookie Squad.
Serving as the foundation of a defense that was ranked nationally in the top 20 for much of 2012, Cahill was one of just two goalkeepers to be selected as a Tewaaraton Award nominee. In the starting line-up for all 19 games this season and 37 straight overall, she ranked among the nation's best in saves, save percentage, and goals against average. In recognition of her standout 2012 campaign, Cahill, a team co-captain, was named First Team All-ALC for the second consecutive season and became the first Nittany Lion to be named ALC Goalkeeper of the Year twice.
Carney made the seamless transition from the midfield prior to the season and emerged as one of Penn State's premier playmakers and a First Team All-ALC defender in 2012. Often drawing the assignment of matching up with the opposition's top offensive weapons, she regularly shut down some of the nation's most prolific scorers. Carney finished the season ranked second on the team in ground balls (36) and caused turnovers (16) and also scored five goals, including two during Penn State's run to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship.
Coffey firmly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the midfield with a brilliant freshman campaign, earning Second Team All-ALC recognition. A starter in all 19 games, she tied for second on the team in goals with 34, ranked third in points (40), and led the Nittany Lions in draw controls (53) and caused turnovers (18). Coffey earned conference and multiple national honors during the regular season and appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" after scoring a combined 11 goals in road wins over Hofstra and Vanderbilt.
Penn State finished the 2012 season with 12-7 record, earning the program's most wins since 2005 and its third consecutive double digit win season. Five of those wins came against ranked opponents, including three versus top 10 teams. Penn State excelled on the road in 2012, registering eight victories, the most by the Nittany Lions since the 1989 national championship team. Penn State received an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Championship, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999.