Lexie Palladino was named the MAAC offensive player of the year. (Photo courtesy of Monmouth SID)
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The seven-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season champion Monmouth University women boasts a total of 15 All-MAAC honorees, announced by the league office Monday morning.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our program to be recognized by the coaches in the league with this many awards,” head coach Krissy Turner said. “It is a testament to the talent and the depth we have on our team. My staff did an amazing job of not only recruiting these players, but also developing them.”
For the third consecutive year, Monmouth had three major award winners as Lexie Palladino was named the MAAC offensive player of the year, Anna Lazur was chosen as the defensive player of the year and Amanda Knaub earned the goalkeeper of the year award.
They were three of Monmouth’s program-record tying seven All-MAAC first team selections. They were joined by forward Madie Gibson, midfielders Jess Johnson and Jill Conklin and defender Sarina Jones. Forward Dana Scheriff, midfielder Maddison Perna and defender Jesi Rossman landed on the second team. Perna and Alexa Correa were named to the All-Rookie Team.
In its seven seasons in the MAAC, Monmouth has been awarded 71 all-conference selections and 17 major award winners. The Hawks became the first team in league history to go 10-0-0 in the regular season and improved their all-time MAAC record to 63-4-3.
Monmouth claimed the offensive player of the year for the second consecutive year and the fifth time in seven seasons. Palladino joined Gibson (2018), Dana Costello (2013) and Alexis McTamney (2015, 2016) as Hawks to earn MAAC that honor. The senior led Monmouth and was tied for second in the conference in goals (8) and points (18), with seven of her goals coming in MAAC play. Palladino earned first-team status for the second consecutive season. Monmouth is 17-0-0 when Palladino scores a goal in her career.
For the third straight season, Monmouth’s defense has produced a defensive player of the year award recipient. Johnson, Gabriella Cuevas (2017) and Alexa Freguletti (2014) were Monmouth’s previous winners. Lazur started every game on defense for Monmouth in 2019 and added first team honors for the second consecutive year. The Hawks totaled 12 shutouts. Lazur has been part of 45 clean sheets across her 78 career games.
Knaub became the first two-time goalkeeper of the year in program history. She is the Hawks’ all-time leader in career shutouts (42) and sits atop the goals-against average list (0.58). The Hawks have surrendered an NCAA-low four goals as Knaub finished the regular season with a scoreless streak of 642:55. She owns a goal-against average of 0.24, a number that leads the MAAC and ranks third in the NCAA. Knaub is a four-time All-MAAC player, including a first team recipient in 2017 and 2019.
Gibson capped off an outstanding career with her fourth first team selection and became the second Monmouth to accomplish the feat, alongside McTamney. The senior forward led Monmouth with five assists and was second on the team with 17 points. Gibson is one of three active NCAA Division I players with at least 30 goals and 30 assists in her career. Her 97 points rank fifth in Monmouth history and are the most for a Hawk under Turner’s guidance since Kristen McDermott’s 103 (1997-00).
Last season’s defensive player of the year, Johnson grabbed and her second first team award in as many years. The senior split time in the midfield and on defense and scored two goals and added one assist. A team co-captain, Johnson started every game. It was the first time the Hawks gave up less than five goals in the regular season.
Conklin and Jones rounded out Monmouth’s first team honorees after both were first team selections for the second straight year. Last year’s rookie of the year, Conklin scored three goals and assisted on another, all in MAAC play. Jones started 15 games on the back line, totaled four assists and scored her first career goal in the win over Rider University.
Monmouth had second team selections at all three field positions. Scheriff scored five goals, four in the MAAC, and added two assists in 15 starts at forward. Scheriff, a senior, has 14 career goals and earned her first league honor. In the midfield, Perna scored three goals and added one assist in MAAC play and made 15 starts as a freshman. As a sophomore, Rossman started every game on defense for the Blue and White and scored once in the victory over Canisius.
Alongside Perna, Correa’s All-Rookie Team selection gave the Hawks 15 all-conference awards. Correa played in 15 games as a reserve, mostly at forward, and totaled six points with two goals and two assists. All of Correa’s statistical contributions came in the second half of MAAC play.
The MAAC also announced its MAAC Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team. A total of 148 athletes comprise the All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. Monmouth placed 15 student-athletes on the list.
The players:
Laruen Albergo So. Health Studies
Jill Conklin So. Nursing
Ashley DellaPietro Jr. Business Marketing (2-time honoree)
Lauren Fester So. Chemistry
Deanna Graziani Sr. Health Studies (3-time honoree)
Jessica Johnson Sr. Social Work (3-time honoree)
Sarina Jones Jr. Health Studies (2-time honoree)
Amanda Knaub Sr. Criminal Justice (3-time honoree)
Anna Lazur Sr. Health Studies (3-time honoree)
Megan Leffler Jr. Health Studies (2-time honoree)
A’Liah Moore So. Communication
Jesi Rossman So. Biology
Dana Scheriff Sr. Health Studies (3-time honoree)
Ava Sullivan So. Undeclared
Esther Wellman Sr. Political Science (3-time honoree)
