EVANSTON, Ill. -- A pair of Northwestern Wildcats, freshman attacker Selena Lasota and sophomore midfielder Sheila Nesselbush, were among those named to the All-West/Midwest Region squads by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), the organization announced Monday. Lasota, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, earned first-team honors, while Nesselbush was a second-team selection.
The IWLCA's West Region is composed of institutions from across a broad geographic cross-section of the nation, including schools as far east as Penn State, throughout the Midwest and all members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). It is one of four regions the IWLCA uses to honor its member institutions, along with the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South Regions.
Lasota's first-team plaudit adds to a series of accolades the first-year player has earned, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-Big Ten honors. She has been the leader of the Wildcats' offense throughout the entire season, scoring at least one goal in all 20 games to rank ninth in single-season history with 67 total. A native of Campbell River, B.C., Lasota has scored at least two goals in 18 of 20 games and recorded at least two points in 19 of 20. She ranks fifth in the country in goals, eighth in goals per game (3.35) and 18th in points (76).
Nesselbush, also a member of the inaugural All-Big Ten Team, has been the `Cats' most consistent player from end to end all season long, providing shut down defense as well as a consistent spark on offense. A starter in every game of her career thus far, Nesselbush opened the season by earning a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and has since displayed her offensive skill set in scoring 25 goals after tallying just three as a freshman. Most recently, Nesselbush scored a career-high four goals in the Purple and White's 16-11 win over Notre Dame to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals.
As the only two position players to start every game for the Wildcats this season, Lasota and Nesselbush will look to continue their stellar campaigns this weekend when they travel to College Park, Maryland to take on the top-seed Maryland Terrapins. The game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT and will air on the Big Ten Network.