Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Rachel Prowler Named Patriot League Women's Lax Defensive Player of the Year
4/28/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 28, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior Rachel Prowler (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter) was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year on Friday and was one of a school-record six Bison named to the All-Patriot League women's lacrosse team.
Bucknell, which brings a five-game winning streak into this weekend's Patriot League Tournament, had two players selected to the all-conference first team and four others named to the second team. The Bison and two-time defending champion Colgate led the league with six selections apiece.
Since the All-Patriot League Team was divided into a first and second team in 1999, Prowler is the first Bucknell player to be a first-team choice three times. She is also the eighth league player to be named three times over that span. Prowler is the third Bucknellian to be named defensive player of the year, following in the footsteps of Laura Hagan in 1995 and Nicole Kallis in 2003.
A four-year starter, Prowler is enjoying another outstanding season in 2006. She is tied for second on the team with 36 ground balls and also ranks second in caused turnovers with 20. In Saturday's Patriot League Tournament semifinal game against Holy Cross, Prowler will make her 63rd straight appearance.
Joining Prowler on the all-league first team is a relative newcomer in freshman midfielder Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia). One of two rookies to make the 12-player first team, Buechel is winding up a terrific first year for the Orange & Blue. She has started all 16 games and ranks second on the team in points (31) and assists (8) and fourth in goals scored (23). Buechel has a point in 14 of 16 games this season, including 15 during the team's current five-game winning streak.
Named to the All-Patriot League Second Team were former high school teammates in senior goalie Lizzy McDaniel (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) and junior defensive midfielder Lauren Kremer (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville), along with sophomore defender Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School) and freshman attack Sarah Collins (Goldens Bridge, N.Y./John Jay).
McDaniel, who earned all-league honors for the first time, is currently playing some of the best lacrosse of her career. During Bucknell's current five-game winning streak she has made 50 saves and allowed only 22 goals, good for a save percentage of .694 and miniscule goals-against average of 4.40. In last Saturday's 14-5 victory over American that propelled the Bison into the Patriot League Tournament, McDaniel finished with 15 saves and allowed only one goal in the game's final 36:44.
On the season McDaniel ranks second in the league in saves per game (10.8), second in save percentage (.528) and third in goals-against average (9.60). At the national level, McDaniel ranks 10th in save percentage.
Kremer and Deitrich are two veteran players that seemingly play all over the field for the Bison. They are excellent on-ball defenders, they are key transition players in the midfield and both have excellent scoring touches in the offensive end.
Deitrich, a low defender who has never missed a career start, led the Bison in all three key "possession" categories - ground balls (45), draw controls (27) and caused turnovers (26). She ranked third in the Patriot League in caused turnovers and fifth in ground balls. Deitrich also chipped in eight goals and six assists, both career highs. She had four goals and an assist for a personal-best five points in the regular-season finale against American.
Kremer, a 2006 tri-captain along with Prowler and McDaniel, scored 11 goals and dished out a career-high five assists this season. She also ranked among the team leaders in ground balls (28), draw controls (24) and caused turnovers.
Collins made quite a first impression in the offensive end of the field. With 41 points on 28 goals and 13 assists, she will almost certainly become the first freshman to lead the Bison in scoring in 20 years. Michelle Manion was the last to do it all the way back in 1986.
Collins exploded for 10 points with four goals and six assists against American last weekend. That is tied for the sixth-best single-game output in the nation this season, and it elevated her to ninth on the Patriot League points list for 2006. Collins has scored four or more points in a game five times this season, and she has really come on late in the year, with 28 points (19G, 9A) in her last six games.
Regular-season champion Holy Cross picked up three of the five major awards. Patricia Sutton (45G, 17A) was named offensive player of the year; Megan Orr, the national leader in save percentage, was named goalie of the year; and Stephanie Pavlick was picked as coach of the year.
Sara McIntyre of Lehigh and Kristin Ruminski of Lafayette were co-rookies of the year.
Previously, the most All-Patriot League selections Bucknell had received in a single year was five in 2000. That year Ashley Evans, Melissa Montefusco, Erin Curtis, Suzanne Raffaele and Nicole Kallis were all second-team picks.
Fourth-seeded Bucknell meets top-seeded Holy Cross on Saturday at noon in the first of two Patriot League Tournament semifinal games.
