Gabriel BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year, Garcia Freshman of the Year

NEW YORK – Marquette University women's lacrosse senior Grace Gabriel has repeated as BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year and rookie Shea Garcia has been named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.

Five Golden Eagles notched All-BIG EAST First or Second Team recognition. Gabriel was joined by classmate Cate Soccodato and sophomore Jocelyn Miller on the All-BIG EAST First Team, while graduate student Charlotte McGuire and junior Erin Dowdle earned Second Team honors.

Grace Gabriel | BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year, All- First Team Selection
After being tabbed the BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year for the first time last season, Gabriel was named the BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 – and the senior lived up to the billing.

She earned BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week honors five times this season while posting a team-leading 56 goals, accounting for nearly 25 percent of Marquette's scores. The Lancaster, New York native added in six assists for a team-best 62 points heading into postseason play.

Gabriel also surpassed the school's program record for career points this year to own Marquette's points (196), goals (172), shots (428) and draw controls (324) career records. Her unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team was her third consecutive and she shares Co-Midfielder of the Year honors with Georgetown senior Francesca Whitehurst.

Shea Garcia | BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Garcia posted an impressive rookie campaign, ranking top-five on the team in three categories: points (38), goals (29) and assists (9). The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year was the most accurate attacker on the Marquette roster as she put 54-of-63 shots on target (85.7 percent). Garcia had six hat tricks this season and in MU's 17 regular season contests, had only one game with more than one shot off the mark.

All-BIG EAST First Team | Gabriel, Cate Soccodato, Jocelyn Miller
Gabriel is joined on the All-BIG EAST First Team by classmate Soccodato, who proved to be the main distributor for the Marquette offensive with a team-high 42 assists during the regular season. The senior, who was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last year, assisted on nearly 20 percent of all of MU's goals and had at least one assist in all but two of the Golden Eagles' 17 games this season. Despite having only six goals, Soccodato managed to rank second in points (49) behind Gabriel.

Miller, who has started all 17 of Marquette's games, scooped up 35 ground balls and caused 23 turnovers in her sophomore campaign. In conference action alone, she tallied a team-leading 14 ground balls and forced nine turnovers, also ranking first for Marquette.

All-BIG EAST Second Team | Charlotte McGuire, Erin Dowdle
McGuire ranked second on the team in goals (41) and shots (85) as well as third in points (45). The graduate student totaled nine hat tricks in Marquette's 16 games and never notched below a .500 shots-on-goal percentage.

Dowdle anchored the Golden Eagles' defense, leading Marquette in ground balls (36) and caused turnovers (24). The junior also collected 37 draw controls, enough for third on the team.

The Golden Eagles earned the No. 2 seed in their second BIG EAST Tournament appearance in as many years and will host No. 3 Georgetown in the semifinals on Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m Central time.

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2019 BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Postseason Award Winners

Attacker of the Year
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Denver, A

Co-Midfielders of the Year
Grace Gabriel, Marquette, Sr., M
Francesca Whitehurst, Georgetown, Sr., M

Defensive Player of the Year
Katherine Fischer, Sr., Denver, D*

Goalkeeper of the Year
Carson Gregg, Denver, Jr., GK

Freshman of the Year
Shea Garcia, Marquette, Fr., A

Coaching Staff of the Year
Denver*

All-BIG EAST First Team^
Maddie Baum, Denver, Sr., M
Elizabeth Behrins, Denver, Sr., M*
Katherine Fischer, Sr., Denver, D*
Carson Gregg, Denver, Jr., GK
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Denver, A*
Molly Little, Denver, Jr., D
Eliza Radochonski, Denver, So., A
Taylor Gebhardt, Georgetown, Sr., A*
Katie Hudson, Georgetown, Jr., D*
Morgan Ryan, Georgetown, Sr., A
Francesca Whitehurst, Georgetown, Sr., M*
Grace Gabriel, Marquette, Sr., M*
Jocelyn Miller, Marquette, So., D
Cate Soccodato, Marquette, Sr., A
Sydney Frank, Villanova, Fr., D
Devin Hassinger , Villanova, R-Sr., M
Liz Trojan, Villanova, Jr., A

All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Julia Feiss, Denver, Sr., A
Hannah Liddy, Denver, So., A
Kennedy Milburn, Denver, Sr., D
Audrey Schreck, Denver, Sr., D
Michaela Bruno, Georgetown, Jr., A
Haelle Chomo, Georgetown, Sr., GK
Natalia Lynch, Georgetown, Jr., M
Mollie Miller, Georgetown, So., D
Noelle Peragine, Georgetown, Jr., D
Erin Dowdle, Marquette, Jr., D
Charlotte McGuire, Marquette, Grad., M
Glory Johnson, Old Dominion, Jr., A
Alyssa, Sebesto, Old Dominion, Sr., M
Brittany Bruno, Villanova, So., A
Alexa Moro, Villanova, Fr., GK
Grainger Rosati, Villanova, Jr., M

*unanimous selection
^extra players added due to a tie in voting