2024 Michigan Women's Lacrosse Awards and Honors
6/14/2024 1:48:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
• O'Grady Named IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year (5/29/24)
• Three Wolverines Named IWLCA All-Americans (5/23/24)
• Five Wolverines Garner Inside Lacrosse All-America Recognition (5/17/24)
• Five Wolverines Earn IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Honors (5/16/24)
• Five Wolverines Garner USA Lacrosse All-America Recognition (5/9/24)
• Seven Wolverines Earn All-Big Ten Honors, Four Named to First Team (4/24/24)
IWLCA National Co-Defensive Player of the Week (May 14) -- Junior goalie Erin O'Grady earns the honor for the third time this season after making 10 stops against No. 4 Notre Dame to help send Michigan to its first-ever NCAA quarterfinal appearance. She made three straight saves with under four minutes remaining in the third quarter that were crucial to the momentum shift and the Wolverines buzzer-beating win over the Irish. » IWLCA Release
Tewaaraton Award Nominees (April 17) -- Senior Maddie Burns and juniors Erin O'Grady and Jill Smith were named Tewaaraton Award nominees.
Burns anchors a defense that leads the nation with a 6.27 goals-per-game scoring defense. The Philadelphia, Pa., native has a team-best 19 caused turnovers and 29 ground balls as she average 1.70 ground balls per game, good for 10th in the Big Ten. Burns has scored two goals and has added 16 draw-control wins. She was named IL Women Midseason All-American honorable mention and is a just two ground balls away from breaking the Michigan career record.
O'Grady leads the nation in goals-against average (5.91) and save percentage (.611). The Massapequa, N.Y., native is a two-time IWLCA Defensive Player of the Week, a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and was named to the IL Women Midseason All-American first team. She has five games with 10 saves or more, including tying a career-best 13 twice.
Smith recently broke the U-M career goals record with five against No. 8 Johns Hopkins run her total to 125. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native paces the Wolverines with 57 points (45 goals, 12 assists). Smith has produced eight games with three points or more, including a nine-point (seven goals, two assists) outing. She was named an IL Women Midseason All-American second-team honoree.
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (March 19) -- Junior Kaylee Dyer earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career after she recorded a 10-point weekend. Dyer started off the week with a career-best six goals and two assists at Rutgers to lead Michigan to victory in the B1G opener. Her eight points against RU made her the first U-M player to record eight points or more in a single game since Molly Garrett did so at Penn State on March 21, 2021. The Elkins Park, Pa., native finished the weekend with a goal and an assist at No. 15 Penn to move Michigan to 10-0 on the season. Dyer ranks sixth in the Big Ten in goals per game and eighth in points per game. » Big Ten Release
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (March 19) -- Junior Erin O'Grady was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season and career as she protected the cage in two wins for the Wolverines. O'Grady made 25 saves in two games, including tying a career-best 13 against Rutgers in the Big Ten opener. The Massapequa, N.Y., native continues to lead the nation in goals-against average (5.26) and save percentage (.657). » Big Ten Release
Big Ten Midfielder of the Week (March 12) -- Senior Lily Montemarano was named the Big Ten Midfielder of the Week for the first time after breaking the Michigan single-game draw-control record with 12 wins against Ohio State. She ended the weekend with 19 draw-control wins, including seven against Central Michigan. She also added three goals, with two against the Chippewas, to her weekend tally. » Big Ten Release
IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 27) -- For the second straight week, junior goalie Erin O'Grady was named the IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after earning her fourth win in the cage this season and second over a ranked opponent. She made nine saves to record her fourth game with eight save or more this season and gave up just three goals for a 2.76 goals-against average. O'Grady leads the nation in GAA and save percentage and ties for 16th nationally in saves. » IWLCA Release | Big Ten Release
IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week, USA Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 20) -- Junior goalie Erin O'Grady earned two wins, first making eight saves against Cincinnati (Feb. 14) on the road before opening the home season with a win over No. 4 Denver (Feb. 17). She made a career-best 13 saves in the win over Denver, conceding just four goals to the high-powered Pioneers offense. The awards are the first for O'Grady since entering the starting role for the Wolverines this season. » IWLCA Release | USA Lacrosse Magazine Release | Big Ten Release
Tewaaraton Watch List (Feb. 16) -- Senior Maddie Burns and junior Jill Smith were named to the Tewaaraton Watch List for the second time in their careers.
In week one of the 2024 season, Burns started both games for the Wolverines and has won five draw control and picked up two ground balls. She has led a defense that has given up just five goals in two complete games.
Smith has tallied 13 points in two games as she scored four goals and two assists against Jacksonville and added five goals and two assists against Cincinnati. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native, has also won three draw controls, had two caused turnovers and picked up three ground balls.
Big Ten Players to Watch (Jan. 31) -- Senior Maddie Burns and juniors Kaylee Dyer and Jill Smith were named to the 2024 Big Ten Players to Watch list. The honor is the third for Burns and the first for Dyer and Smith.
Burns anchored the backline in all 20 games in 2023 and led U-M with 23 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls while winning 49 draw controls to rank second on the team. Her list of accolades last season include All-Big Ten (first team), IWLCA All-Region (second team), ILWomen All-America (third team), midseason All-America (honorable mention) and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America (honorable mention).
Dyer appeared in 13 games (six starts) last season. The Elkins Park, Pa., native ranked fifth for the Wolverines with 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) and picked up 10 ground balls. She had five points in the season-opener against Jacksonville with two goals and three assists and produced a seven-point game with five goals and two assists against Penn State.
Smith led the Wolverine attack in 2023, breaking the U-M single-season points (77) and goals (65) records while she ranked third on the Wolverines with 46 draw-control wins. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native produced 16 multi-goal games -- 14 of them hat tricks. Smith became just the fourth Michigan player to be named a Tewaaraton Award nominee; she also was an ILWomen All-America third team honoree, a first team All-Big Ten selection, an IWLCA All-Region honoree and a USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America honorable mention. » Big Ten Release
Big Ten Preseason Poll (Jan. 31) -- The conference coaches picked U-M to finish fourth in the league standings behind Northwestern, Maryland and Johns Hopkins. U-M advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in both the 2022 and 2023. » Big Ten Release
