Blog from Todd Carton
Maryland players occupy eight of the 20 spots available on the Big Ten Women’s All-Conference Team. Nine players were unanimous selections and five of those come from the roster of the undefeated conference champs.
Taylor Cummings
No surprises here. Cummings has done nothing as a junior to take any sheen off her National Player of the Year sophomore season. If anything, she has shown a more well-rounded game in 2015. Cummings is second on the team in goals (53) and leads the squad in assists (28), points (81), ground balls (37), caused turnovers (30) and, of course draw controls (121). Before the season ends, she Will Likely surpass her sophomore season totals in every category. Cummings is a five time B1G Offensive Player of the Week and, just for good measure, complemented that two weeks ago with a Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Megan Douty
The only defender among the five 2014 Tewaaraton finalists, Douty again finds herself one of the 25 final Tewaaraton nominees in 2015. The senior rarely posts eye-popping numbers. She is second on the team in ground balls and caused turnovers. Douty shows her value as a shutdown on on one defender and in using her speed to initiate Maryland’s transition offense.
Brooke Griffin
Griffin, a redshirt senior from Edgewater, MD, may only be third in goals and points for the Terrapins but she is a threat every time the ball is in her crosse. She is among the most creative passers and shotmakers in the the country.
Alice Mercer
Mercer is another stalwart in Maryland’s defensive unit that is, according to the NCAA website, the eighth best defensive squad in the nation conceding just 7.06 goals per game. Mercer, a junior, has 14 ground balls, 10 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers this year.
Casey Pepperman
The third Terrapins defender to make the squad and last of the unanimous choices, Pepperman has made her presence felt crashing into the draw circle. She is third on the team with 28 draw controls. The senior is also tied for third in ground balls with 20.
Alex Fitzpatrick, Zoe Stukenberg and Megan Whittle
Of the three players who were not unanimous selections, perhaps the most surprising is Megan Whittle. Scoring at a clip of 3.29 goals per game, Whittle sits just behind the 3.50 average of fellow freshman Selena Lasota of Northwestern. However, Lasota was a unanimous choice. Both score three goals per game in conference play. Whittle has the edge in Freshman of the Week Awards winning six to Lasota’s three.
Zoe Stukenberg, the 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year has added an All-Big Ten honor to her list of achievements. The sophomore from Ellicott City is fourth on the Terps in goals, third in assists and fourth in total points.
Alex Fitzpatrick is one of two goalies to be named to the All-Conference team. The transfer from Lehigh has started all 17 games in goal for Maryland and leads the B1G in save percentage (.481) and goals against average (6.68).
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