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Somerset, NJ -- The Northeast Conference (NEC) announced its 2019 women’s lacrosse major award winners and All-Conference selections at its pre-tournament banquet tonight, and it was Mount St. Mary’s that came away the big winner.
 
The NEC regular season champion and tourney hosts took home four of the five major awards, highlighted by the selection of Mount sophomore attacker Jordan Butler (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) as the NEC Offensive Player of the Year and Mount junior defender Kaitlyn Ridenour (Boonsboro, MD/Middletown) as the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Mount St. Mary’s freshman Jordan Groover (Germantown, TN/Hutchison School) was selected as the NEC Rookie of the Year, while the Mount’s Lauren Skellchock was named the NEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
 
Wagner sophomore midfielder Erin Kerstetter (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) earned NEC Midfielder of the Year honors, becoming the fourth Seahawk to win the award in the last five seasons.
 
Butler, who played in just three games as a freshman, took home the NEC Offensive Player of the Year award after leading a Mount attack that paces the league in goals per game (14.35) and shot percentage (.463). With 54 goals and 15 assists, the sophomore tops the Mountaineers and ranks third among NEC leaders in goals per game (3.18) and points per contest (4.06). The two-time NEC Player of the Week is also sixth in the conference with 11 free position goals on the year. A Bel Air, MD native, Butler is the second NEC Offensive Player of the Year in Mount history, joining Naomi Campano (2004).
 
Ridenour became the second Mountaineer to be named NEC Defensive Player of the Year in as many seasons after spearheading a defensive unit that currently leads the circuit in goals against average (7.24) and allowed the fewest goals (49) against conference opponents during the regular season. An NEC All-Tournament honoree last season, she currently ranks second on the team with 14 caused turnovers. Ridenour, who hails from Boonsboro, MD, joins Jacqui Ricca (2007), Aly Jost (2009 & 2011), Melissa Cox (2015) and current teammate Jillian Petito (2018) as Mount players who have won this award.
 
The fourth NEC Midfielder of the Year honoree for Wagner in the last five seasons, Kerstetter stuffed the stat sheet as a dominant two-way player for Wagner in her sophomore campaign. She is tied for fourth in the NEC in assists per game (1.31) and ground balls per game (2.75).  An NEC Player of the Week honoree back on April 8th, Kerstetter also ranks third in draw controls per game (6.31) and fourth in caused turnovers (1.56). The Shamong, NJ product enters the postseason with 29 goals, 21 assists and 50 points to rank in the top-three on the Seahawks in all three categories. Wagner’s Shea Gegan won this award in 2015 and 2016, and Lauren Ednie was the 2018 honoree.
 
Groover, who hails from Germantown, TN, is the first Mountaineer since Nicole Lantuh (2015) to be named the NEC Rookie of the Year and fifth in school history. She wrapped the regular season ranked fourth among league leaders in game-winning goals (three) and eighth in draw controls per game (3.94). A three-time NEC Rookie of the Week who was also named to the All-NEC second team, Groover currently ranks third on the Mountaineers in points (38) and assists (14), and leads the team in draw controls (67). Along with Lantuh, the Mount’s Kelly Morgan (2000), Erin Gargan (2001) and Katie Mason (2004) have also been recognized as the NEC Rookie of the Year.
 
Skellchock was voted the NEC Coach of the Year for the second straight season after leading the Mountaineers to their first regular season title since 2007 and fourth overall. With a 7-0 NEC record, it also marked the Mount’s first unblemished regular season since finishing 8-0 in 2007. The Mountaineers have won a school record 12 straight matches heading into the NEC Tournament, and with a 15-5 record, have matched the program record for single-season victories set back in 2004. The Mount’s Courtney Martinez Connor (2004) and Denise Westcott (2007) have previously been named NEC Coach of the Year by their peers.
 
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
 
Mount St. Mary’s and Wagner led the way with four All-NEC first team selections and six All-NEC honorees overall. Robert Morris and Bryant each had three All-NEC award winners, while LIU Brooklyn and Saint Francis U sported a pair of NEC all-stars.
 
For Mount St. Mary’s, Jillian Petito (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) made her third-straight All-NEC appearance and earned her second consecutive All-NEC first team accolade. Petito leads the NEC in both goals against average (7.33) and save percentage (.549). Petito was joined on the All-NEC first team by teammates Jordan Butler (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll), Carly Miller (Marriottsville, MD/Marriotts Ridge) and Kaitlyn Ridenour. Miller, a junior who was an All-NEC second team honoree last season, paces the Mount with 21 assists and ranks seventh in the league with 1.24 assists per game.
 
Bryant’s Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) collected her third consecutive All-NEC first team honor after leading the conference during the regular season in assists per game (2.19) and ranking second in points per contest (4.12). Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) made her fourth straight All-NEC appearance. DeMeo, a two-time NEC Offensive Player of the Year, ranks second in the league in goals per game (3.25) and fifth in points per contest (3.56).
 
Wagner’s Erin Kerstetter (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) was joined on the All-NEC first team by sophomore Madeline Seims (Westbury, NY/W. Tresper Clarke) and seniors Maggie Jent (Sparta, NJ/Sparta) and Maddie Courtney (Columbia, MD/Marriots Ridge). Seims ranks third in the NEC in game-winning goals (five) and sixth in points per game (3.44). Jent is third in caused turnovers per game (1.62) and tops the Seahawks in caused turnovers (26). Courtney made her second consecutive appearance on the All-NEC first team after a regular season that saw her finish sixth in ground balls (2.62) and seventh (1.44) in caused turnovers per outing. 
 
Robert Morris junior defender Kelly Colegrove (Marriottsville, MD/Marriotts Ridge) repeated as a member of the All-NEC first team. Colegrove is the league leader with 43 caused turnovers and 2.69 caused turnovers per game. Classmate Mackenzie Gandy (Baltimore, MD/Dulaney) has been an offensive force for the Colonials, ranking in the NEC top-10 in goals (43), assists (21) and points (64).
 
LIU Brooklyn twin sisters Amanda Masullo (Selden, NY/Centereach) and Rachel Masullo (Selden, NY/Centereach) both took home All-NEC accolades. Amanda Masullo earned her second consecutive All-NEC accolade after posting league-high totals with 73 points and 4.29 points per game during the regular season. She also led LIU and ranks in the NEC top-10 in goals (52), assists (21) and draw controls (74). Rachel Masullo’s selection to the second game came on the heels of a sophomore campaign that saw her finish with 43 goals and 15 assists.
 
Sacred Heart attacker Lydia Werlau (Brewster, NY/North Salem) joined NEC Rookie of the Year Jordan Groover (Germantown, TN/Hutchison School) as the lone freshman to earn All-NEC honors. Both were named to the second team.
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 38th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#22), Baltimore (#26), and Hartford/New Haven (#30).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. Merrimack will join the NEC as a full-time member in July, 2019. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.
 
2019 Northeast Conference Women’s Lacrosse Award Winners

Offensive Player of the Year
Jordan Butler               Mount St. Mary’s        A     So.   Bel Air, MD/John Carroll
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Kaitlyn Ridenour            Mount St. Mary’s        D     Jr.   Boonsboro, MD/Middletown
 
Midfielder of the Year
Erin Kerstetter             Wagner                  M     So.   Shamong, NJ/Seneca
 
Rookie of the Year
Jordan Groover              Mount St. Mary’s        M     Fr.   Germantown, TN/Hutchison School
 
Coach of the Year
Lauren Skellchock           Mount St. Mary’s           
  
2019 Northeast Conference Women’s Lacrosse First Team All-Conference
 
Name                        School                  Pos    Yr    Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Caitlin Breglia             Bryant                   A     Jr.   Long Beach, NY/Long Beach 
Jordan Butler               Mount St. Mary’s         A     So.   Bel Air, MD/John Carroll
Mackenzie Gandy             Robert Morris            A     Jr.   Baltimore, MD/Dulaney
Carly Miller                Mount St. Mary’s         A     Jr.   Marriottsville, MD/Marriotts Ridge
Erin Kerstetter             Wagner                   M     So.   Shamong, NJ/Seneca
Amanda Masullo              LIU Brooklyn             M     So.   Selden, NY/Centereach
Madeline Seims              Wagner                   M     So.   Westbury, NY/W. Tresper Clarke
Kelly Colegrove             Robert Morris            D     Jr.   Marriottsville, MD/Marriotts Ridge 
Maddie Courtney             Wagner                   D     Sr.   Columbia, MD/Marriotts Ridge
Maggie Jent                 Wagner                   D     Sr.   Sparta, NJ/Sparta
Kaitlyn Ridenour            Mount St. Mary’s         D     Jr.   Boonsboro, MD/Middletown
Jillian Petito              Mount St. Mary’s         GK    Sr.   Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur 
 
2019 Northeast Conference Women’s Lacrosse Second Team All-Conference
 
Name                        School                  Pos    Yr    Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Jess DeMeo                  Bryant                   A     Sr.   Mount Sinai NY/Mount Sinai 
Stephanie Falcone           Wagner                   A     Jr.   Breinigsville, PA/Perkiomen School
Rachel Masullo              LIU Brooklyn             A     So.   Selden, NY/Centereach
Lydia Werlau                Sacred Heart             A     Fr.   Brewster, NY/North Salem
Lauren Britton              Bryant                   M     Sr.   Monmouth Beach, NJ/Shore Regional 
Emily Davis                 Mount St. Mary’s         M     Sr.   Salisbury, MD/Parkside
Jordan Groover              Mount St. Mary’s         M     Fr.   Germantown, TN/Hutchison School
Emileigh Scott              Saint Francis U          M     So.   Ellicott City, MD/Howard
Madison Burke               Robert Morris            D     Jr.   Finksburg, MD/Notre Dame Prep
Jane Henry                  Central Connecticut      D     Sr.   Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham
Peyton LeConte              Saint Francis U          D     Jr.   Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron
Kelsey Fee                  Wagner                   GK    R-Sr. White Plains, NY/White Plains (Ithaca College) 
 
2019 Northeast Conference Women’s Lacrosse All-Rookie Team
 
Name                        School                   Pos    Yr   Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Jordan Groover              Mount St. Mary’s         M      Fr.  Germantown, TN/Hutchison School
Giana Kapoosuzian           Bryant                   GK     So.  Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun
Autumn McHenry              Saint Francis U          MF     Fr.  Branford, CT/Branford
Isabelle Peng               LIU Brooklyn             MF     Fr.  South Pasadena, CA/Westridge School for Girls
Alexa Weber                 Bryant                   A      Fr.  South Windsor, CT/East Catholic
Lydia Werlau                Sacred Heart             A      Fr.  Brewster, NY/North Salem