May 17, 2011

Lacrosse Magazine Feature on Tewaaraton Finalists

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern junior Shannon Smith has been chosen as one of five finalists for the 2011 Tewaaraton Award as announced by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance. Smith becomes the fifth different Northwestern player to be named a finalist for the prestigious award, handed out annually to the nation's top performer in men's and women's college lacrosse.

Smith is in the midst of one of the most prolific seasons in Northwestern history, having scored 73 goals and racked up 40 assists through 20 games, totals which rank fifth and sixth, respectively, on NU's single-season ledgers. Her Division I-leading 113 points, meanwhile, are fourth-most in a single year by a Wildcat and trail only Hannah Nielsen's totals from 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Smith, who has scored at least once in 42 consecutive games, has stepped up big in Northwestern's first three postseason games, scoring exactly five goals in all three outings. She brought home the ALC Championship MVP trophy after helping NU rally from a late three-goal deficit against top-seeded Florida in the final game.

For her career, the junior sits sixth all-time at NU with 78 assists, seventh with 252 points and eighth with 175 goals. She has started every game of her Wildcat career.

Northwestern has brought the Tewaaraton Award back to Evanston on four occasions, with Kristen Kjellman receiving the honor in 2006 and 2007 before Hannah Nielsen was recognized the next two seasons.

Below is a list of this year's finalists for the Tewaaraton Award in Division I women's lacrosse, which will be awarded on June 2 at a reception in Washington, D.C.

2011 Tewaaraton Trophy Finalists
Grace Gavin, Loyola (Md.)
Emma Hamm, Duke
Sarah Mollison, Maryland
Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland
Shannon Smith, Northwestern

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