Five from Women’s Lacrosse Named All-Big Ten
May 04 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Five from Rutgers women's lacrosse – Meghan Ball, Jessica Beneducci, Stephanie Kelly, Taralyn Naslonski and Cassidy Spilis – were named 2022 All-Big Ten, announced Wednesday by the league office. Ball, Naslonski and Spilis earned first-team selections, while Beneducci and Kelly collected second-team laurels. Senior midfielder Caroline Perry earned 2022 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recognition.
The five selections for the Scarlets Knights mark the most in a single season since the program began league play in 2015. Ball and Spilis repeat as first-team selections from a year ago and Naslonski lands on the All- Big Ten list for the second consecutive season after she earned second-team accolades in 2021. Ball and Spilis are the program's first unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selections.
Under the direction of head coach Melissa Lehman, Rutgers has placed nine individuals on the all-conference list over the past two seasons. The five all-league honorees have helped the Scarlet Knights to a 14-3 record this spring, which includes wins over four ranked opponents and four Big Ten Conference foes. RU earned its highest finish (third) in the Big Ten since it joined the league in 2015 and has tied the 1999 team for the most wins in a single season at 14.
Individual Big Ten awards – which includes Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Midfielder, Goalkeeper, Freshman, and Coach of the Year – will be announced early next week.
Rutgers opens the 2022 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed and faces No. 2 seed Northwestern on Friday in Piscataway. First draw is set for 8 p.m. ET with a national broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Meghan Ball: First Team All-Big Ten (Defense)*
A Tewaaraton Award Watch List selection and Midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Ball leads the team in draw controls (90), ground balls (48) and caused turnovers (41) this season. Her 2.41 caused turnovers per game leads the Big Ten and is seventh nationally, while her 2.82 ground balls per game is second in the conference and 14th in the NCAA. A two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Ball has caused multiple turnovers in 11 games and three or more turnovers seven times. In 42 career games, Ball has collected 183 draw controls, 105 ground balls and 81 caused turnovers.
Cassidy Spilis: First Team All-Big Ten (Midfield)*
A Tewaaraton Award Top-25 finalist and Midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Spilis finished top 10 in the Big Ten in goals (second), ground balls (fourth), points (fifth), caused turnovers (eighth) and draw controls (eighth). In 17 games, Spilis totaled 60 points on 59 goals and an assist to go along with 61 draw controls, 40 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. A three-time Big Ten Midfielder of the Week to close the regular season, Spilis produced 13 hat tricks this spring and has scored five or more goals six times during the 2022 campaign. In 42 career games, Spilis collected 139 points on 134 goals and five helpers and has also added 159 draw controls, 78 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers.
Taralyn Naslonski: First Team All-Big Ten (Attack)
The most prolific scorer in program history, Naslonski is third in the Big Ten with 73 points on 54 goals and 19 assists this season. Naslonski (54) and Spilis (59) mark the first time Rutgers has had two individuals with more than 50 goals in a single season in its history, as the graduate student has netted 10 hat tricks this spring. Naslonski became the program's all-time points (249) and goal (175) scorer this season and has played in the most games in school history with 75 appearances.
Jessica Beneducci: Second Team All-Big Ten (Defense)
A three-year starter, Beneducci is fourth in the Big Ten in caused turnovers (23) and sixth in ground balls 38) in 17 starts on defense this season. Beneducci helped RU's defense to top-20 regular season finishes nationally in ground balls (13th, 19.06), caused turnovers (16th, 9.71) and scoring defense (17th, 10.00). Beneducci caused multiple turnovers in nine outings and scooped a career-high six ground balls in RU's road win at No. 21 James Madison earlier this spring.
Stephanie Kelly: Second Team All-Big Ten (Attack)
One of the top assisters in the country, Kelly ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally with 36 assists in 17 games. Her 36 assists are a program single-season record, as the graduate student has dished out two or more assists in 11 games this spring. Kelly finished the regular season first on the team in assists (36), tied with Spilis in points (60) and fourth in goals (24). Kelly owns 297 career points after her standout career at St. Joseph's from 2018-21 and is the nation's ninth-leading active career scorer.
Caroline Perry: Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
A two-year starter at midfield, Perry started the team's first 12 games of the season and produced 15 ground balls and six caused turnovers this season. Perry scooped up multiple ground balls in five consecutive games during a five-game winning streak earlier this season, which included two ground balls in RU's win over then-No. 18 Temple in Philadelphia. Perry has played in 34 career games for the Scarlet Knights and has scooped up 29 ground balls and caused 13 turnovers during that span.
*Unanimous Selection
The five selections for the Scarlets Knights mark the most in a single season since the program began league play in 2015. Ball and Spilis repeat as first-team selections from a year ago and Naslonski lands on the All- Big Ten list for the second consecutive season after she earned second-team accolades in 2021. Ball and Spilis are the program's first unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selections.
Under the direction of head coach Melissa Lehman, Rutgers has placed nine individuals on the all-conference list over the past two seasons. The five all-league honorees have helped the Scarlet Knights to a 14-3 record this spring, which includes wins over four ranked opponents and four Big Ten Conference foes. RU earned its highest finish (third) in the Big Ten since it joined the league in 2015 and has tied the 1999 team for the most wins in a single season at 14.
Individual Big Ten awards – which includes Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Midfielder, Goalkeeper, Freshman, and Coach of the Year – will be announced early next week.
Rutgers opens the 2022 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed and faces No. 2 seed Northwestern on Friday in Piscataway. First draw is set for 8 p.m. ET with a national broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Meghan Ball: First Team All-Big Ten (Defense)*
A Tewaaraton Award Watch List selection and Midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Ball leads the team in draw controls (90), ground balls (48) and caused turnovers (41) this season. Her 2.41 caused turnovers per game leads the Big Ten and is seventh nationally, while her 2.82 ground balls per game is second in the conference and 14th in the NCAA. A two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Ball has caused multiple turnovers in 11 games and three or more turnovers seven times. In 42 career games, Ball has collected 183 draw controls, 105 ground balls and 81 caused turnovers.
Cassidy Spilis: First Team All-Big Ten (Midfield)*
A Tewaaraton Award Top-25 finalist and Midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Spilis finished top 10 in the Big Ten in goals (second), ground balls (fourth), points (fifth), caused turnovers (eighth) and draw controls (eighth). In 17 games, Spilis totaled 60 points on 59 goals and an assist to go along with 61 draw controls, 40 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. A three-time Big Ten Midfielder of the Week to close the regular season, Spilis produced 13 hat tricks this spring and has scored five or more goals six times during the 2022 campaign. In 42 career games, Spilis collected 139 points on 134 goals and five helpers and has also added 159 draw controls, 78 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers.
Taralyn Naslonski: First Team All-Big Ten (Attack)
The most prolific scorer in program history, Naslonski is third in the Big Ten with 73 points on 54 goals and 19 assists this season. Naslonski (54) and Spilis (59) mark the first time Rutgers has had two individuals with more than 50 goals in a single season in its history, as the graduate student has netted 10 hat tricks this spring. Naslonski became the program's all-time points (249) and goal (175) scorer this season and has played in the most games in school history with 75 appearances.
Jessica Beneducci: Second Team All-Big Ten (Defense)
A three-year starter, Beneducci is fourth in the Big Ten in caused turnovers (23) and sixth in ground balls 38) in 17 starts on defense this season. Beneducci helped RU's defense to top-20 regular season finishes nationally in ground balls (13th, 19.06), caused turnovers (16th, 9.71) and scoring defense (17th, 10.00). Beneducci caused multiple turnovers in nine outings and scooped a career-high six ground balls in RU's road win at No. 21 James Madison earlier this spring.
Stephanie Kelly: Second Team All-Big Ten (Attack)
One of the top assisters in the country, Kelly ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally with 36 assists in 17 games. Her 36 assists are a program single-season record, as the graduate student has dished out two or more assists in 11 games this spring. Kelly finished the regular season first on the team in assists (36), tied with Spilis in points (60) and fourth in goals (24). Kelly owns 297 career points after her standout career at St. Joseph's from 2018-21 and is the nation's ninth-leading active career scorer.
Caroline Perry: Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
A two-year starter at midfield, Perry started the team's first 12 games of the season and produced 15 ground balls and six caused turnovers this season. Perry scooped up multiple ground balls in five consecutive games during a five-game winning streak earlier this season, which included two ground balls in RU's win over then-No. 18 Temple in Philadelphia. Perry has played in 34 career games for the Scarlet Knights and has scooped up 29 ground balls and caused 13 turnovers during that span.
*Unanimous Selection
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