April 26, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two Penn State lacrosse student-athletes - junior goalie Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) and sophomore attack Maggie McCormick (Eldersburg, Md.) - were named Tewaaraton Award Nominees Friday evening. Each student-athlete is one of 25 members on the respective men's and women's lists, which recognize the best players in college lacrosse. Penn State is one of just eight schools to feature a men's and women's candidate on the two lists.
Kaut finds himself among the distinguished elite for the second straight season, helping to form the second-best defense in the nation. He has posted a 7.08 goals-against average, second in the nation, and a .624 save percentage, good for third in the country. Kaut has saved 10 or more shots nine times this season with three games of 16 saves. In those games with 10 or more saves, Penn State is 8-1.
Kaut has helped guide the Nittany Lions to an eight-game winning streak, 10-3 overall record and 5-0 start in the Colonial Athletic Association. Kaut has been especially effective in the past six weeks, posting a 5.32 GAA and .714 save percentage in the past eight games. During his three years in Happy Valley, Kaut has won 26 games, saved 511 shots and has a lifetime goals-against average of 7.75. His career save percentage is .614.
No. 8 Penn State travels to Hofstra Saturday night for a 7 p.m. showdown in search of its first perfect regular season conference record. The Nittany Lion men are the host of the CAA Championship May 1-3, starting with a semifinal matchup against the to-be-determined No. 4 seed.
One of 25 women's lacrosse players nominated for the award, McCormick has helped lead the sixth-ranked Nittany Lion women's lacrosse team to an 11-4 overall record and 4-1 conference mark as Penn State clinched a share of its first ALC regular-season championship.
During McCormick's breakout 2013 campaign, the Eldersburg, Md., native leads Penn State in goals (39), assists (30) and points (69) and ranks 12th in the country in points per game (4.6), 13th in points (69) and 19th in assists (30). McCormick has recorded at least one point in all 15 games and has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in all but three games.
The attacker has set numerous career highs during the season, including goals, points, caused turnovers, goals in a game and assists in a game. The sophomore netted a personal-best six goals in a 13-12 victory against James Madison and notched a career-high five assists in a 16-9 triumph against Duquesne. McCormick also collected her 100th career point against Drexel March 22.
The second-year player is the fourth Nittany Lion women's lacrosse player to be nominated for the award since 2003 and the second in as many years (Dana Cahill). McCormick and the Nittany Lions will conclude their regular season Saturday, April 27 when the team visits No. 13/18 Princeton. Opening draw at the Class of 1952 Stadium is set at 1 p.m.
Penn State, Maryland, Syraucse, North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Loyola and Notre Dame are the other programs that have a male and female nominee. The two lists of 25 candidates will be pared down to a finalists' list of five on May 9. The 13th annual Tewaaraton Award will be presented on May 30 at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
--NITTANY LIONS--