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Descalzo picks up NEC Offensive Player of the Year, headlines six all-conference selections
Posted: Apr 30, 2015

Descalzo picks up NEC Offensive Player of the Year, headlines six all-conference selections

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University junior attack Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) was named the Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year, headlining two major award winners and six all-conference selections for the top-seeded Bulldogs, as announced by league officials on the eve of the 2015 NEC Tournament.

Bulldog head coach Jill Batcheller also garnered major year-end honors, earning her second-straight Northeast Conference Coach of the Year accolade after leading her team to a repeat NEC regular-season crown. The Black and Gold went 12-4 overall under Batcheller's guidance, including a 6-1 mark in league play to earn the top seed and postseason hosting rights for the second-consecutive season.

Bryant's six all-conference selections included four All-NEC First Team nods, as sophomore attack Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) and sophomore defenders Molly Martin (Island Park, N.Y.) and Carly Cronin (Feeding Hills, Mass.) joined Descalzo on the top squad. Senior captain and starting midfielder Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) earned a spot on the All-NEC Second Team, while frosh midfielder Meaghan Brennan (Glen Head, N.Y.) took home an All-Rookie Team accolade.

The leading scorer in the Northeast Conference this season, Descalzo led the Bulldogs with 61 points off a single-season Division I program record 53 goals with eight assists to earn her first NEC Offensive Player of the Year honor and second-consecutive All-NEC First Team nod. The junior ranks fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 3.53 goals per game and found the back of the net in all but a single contest this spring while registering at least one point in every appearances. The top offensive threat picked up 11 hat tricks on her junior campaign, including in each of the final eight games of the 2015 regular season. Descalzo scored a career-high seven goals and eight points Feb. 28 in a win over Manhattan College and notched game winners over Fresno State and Saint Francis U. She enters 2015 postseason play with 15 ground balls, 18 draw controls and nine caused turnovers.

Columbus came onto the scene with a bang in 2015, skyrocketing to the top of the Bryant and NEC scoring charts in her second season donning the Black and Gold. The sophomore scorer finished the regular season with 60 points off 43 tallies and 17 helpers, all three numbers good for second on the squad and ranking inside the top-10 on the league circuit. The owner of four game-winning goals, Columbus picked up eight hat tricks, including a career-high six scores and eight points in a 13-10 win over UC Davis. She recorded two or more points in all 16 contests, finding the back of the net in all but a pair of games. Columbus added 18 ground balls, 11 draw controls and seven caused turnovers while earning two NEC Player of the Week honors.

The stalwart anchor of Bryant's 19th ranked and league-leading defense, Martin earns her first all-conference nod in 2015 after ranking in the NEC's top-6 in both caused turnovers and ground balls. Martin's 36 ground balls lead the Black and Gold, as do her 23 caused turnovers. The sophomore added a pair of assists on the regular season, also collecting 11 draw controls.

Another sophomore who burst onto the scene for the Bulldogs, Cronin provided a spark for the Black and Gold on defense and in transition game in and game out in 2015. A 16-game starter, she ranks second on the team with 35 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers, also sitting third on the side with 30 draw control wins. A speedy and athletic presence on the backline, Cronin added a pair of assists on the year.

A leader for the Bulldogs on and off the field, Burns picks up the first all-conference selection of her career as a senior after earning 16 starts and posting a career-high 19 goals and 20 points. The captain picked up hat tricks in wins over Manhattan and Central Connecticut, registering at least one point in nine contests this spring. The top draw control option for the Black and Gold, Burns led the side with 45 wins, ranking fourth on the league circuit. She enters tournament action with 16 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers and will graduate ranked inside the program's top-20 in draw controls, goals scored and game-winning tallies.

The addition of All-Rookie Team selection Brennan to the 2015 lineup provided yet another quick and skillful scoring option for Batcheller's Bulldogs this spring. The frosh started all 16 games in the midfield for the Black and Gold, notching back-to-back hat tricks in victories over LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris. Brennan finished the regular season with eight goals and two assists to go along with nine ground balls, seven draw controls and three caused turnovers.

The top-ranked Bulldogs open NEC Tournament action Friday at 4:00 p.m. from the Bryant Turf Complex, taking on fourth-seeded Robert Morris in the first of two NEC Semifinals. Both contests can be seen live and free-of-charge at NECFrontRow.com.