Six Lacrosse Players Named to Inaugural All-Heart Team; Erickson Tabbed as the Coach of the Year
Culver-Stockton College placed six players on the inaugural Heart of America Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse All-Conference Team, the league announced Thursday afternoon. In addition, Head Coach Caitlin Erickson was named Coach of the Year.
Senior midfielder Sopheea Vomund, junior attacker McKayla Nevarez and junior defender Anaya Lopez were named to the first team, while senior attacker Melanie Sanchez, senior defender Erin Bodine and junior defender Jessica Hornberger were second team selections.
Vomund, of St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood West HS / Adams State University), started all 13 matches for the Wildcats. She scored a team-high 34 goals and added four assists for 38 total points. In addition, Vomund registered a team-leading 57 draw controls and recorded 11 caused turnovers, which was second on the team.
The 34 goals scored by Vomund were 11th best in the Heart. She totaled 99 shots overall, which was third in the Heart, and 64 shots on goal, which was fifth in the Heart.
Nevarez, of Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS), started all 13 games and netted 28 goals and a team-best 12 assists for a team-high 40 overall points. She garnered 69 total shots and put 49 of those shots on goal. Nevarez set a single-game school record with five assists in a victory over Missouri Valley College on April 1.
Lopez, of Hollywood, Fla. (Flanagan HS), played and started all 13 games on defense this season. She caused a team-high 13 turnovers, which was sixth in the Heart, and picked up a team-high 35 ground balls, which was first in the Heart during the season.
Sanchez, of Simi Valley, Calif. (Simi Valley HS / William Penn University), also scored 28 goals this season while playing in 12 of the 13 games this season. Sanchez, who led the Wildcats with eight free position goals, also added seven assists for 35 total points. She was third on the team with 64 shots overall, and second on the team with 51 shots on goal.
Bodine, of Wentzville, Mo. (Holt HS), started all 13 games this season, tallying four goals and three assists for seven total points. She recorded 21 ground balls and caused eight turnovers.
Hornberger, of St. Louis, Mo. (Francis Howell HS), also started all 13 games during the season. She registered 14 ground balls and caused nine turnovers during the season.
The Wildcats, under Erickson's direction, finished with a 6-7 overall record and qualified for the Heart postseason tournament with a 2-3 league mark. The six victories marks the third straight season the Wildcats have improved their win total from the previous year.