Feb. 15, 2012
2012 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University Club of D.C. announced on Feb. 15 the 2012 Preseason Tewaaraton Award Watch List, a selection of many of the nation's top players and the early contenders to take home the sport's top honor at the end of the season. Fifty-three players were named to the list on the women's side, including Northwestern senior Shannon Smith (West Babylon, N.Y.) and junior Taylor Thornton (Dallas, Texas/Hockaday School).
Smith is looking to become the third player in NU lacrosse history to win the award multiple times after bringing home the 2011 trophy last spring. The Long Island native led the nation in points per game (5.57) and set a Northwestern single-season record with 86 goals en route to being named the MVP of the ALC and NCAA Championship. Smith recently was named Lacrosse Magazine 2012 Preseason Player of the Year.
Thornton was selected to the Watch List, and later nominated, for the Tewaaraton award for the first time as a sophomore in 2011. Last season's IWLCA Division I Defender of the Year and a first-team All-American, Thornton led NU with 38 ground balls a year ago and was third with 49 draw controls. Thornton began her junior campaign in style last week, scoring a career-high-tying two goals while adding five draw controls and three caused turnovers in a win at No. 6 Stanford.
Both Smith and Thornton are members of the United States Women's National Team.
The Tewaaraton Award is the preeminent lacrosse award, presented annually to the NCAA male and female lacrosse players of the year. Northwestern players have claimed the trophy five times in the last six years, with Smith following in the footsteps of Kristen Kjellman and Hannah Nielsen's four straight Tewaaraton Award wins from 2006-09.
The watch list will eventually be whittled down three more times until the top 10 male and female Tewaaraton Award Finalists are named in May.
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