Three members of w. lax nominated for coveted Tewaaraton

Although women's lacrosse has seen a number of impressive players in recent years, the Tigers have always stressed team accomplishments over individual accolades. This emphasis has led to two straight national titles and a vice-like grip on the pinnacle of this season's United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association rankings. As Coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work."

In addition to an abundance of victories, another curious result of this emphasis on team success is national recognition of how skilled individual Tigers have become. On Monday, the selection committee for the Tewaaraton Award announced its candidates for male and female college lacrosse players of the year, an announcement that reflected this recognition.

On the women's side, 20 athletes from among all players in Divisions I, II and III were nominated, including three Princeton players — senior attack Theresa Sherry, junior attack Lindsey Biles and junior midfielder Elizabeth Pillion. The list of nominees will be reduced to five finalists in early May, and the trophy presentation will be in June.

The Tewaaraton Award, "the most coveted and prestigious award a varsity lacrosse player can receive and a symbol of excellence in college lacrosse" according to press releases, has been presented each year for the past three years.

"There are actually five criteria for the award," head coach Chris Sailer, the chair of the seven-person selection committee, said. "Dominance as a player in their position; what the player does for their team throughout the entire season; how the player impacts their team's overall success; what the player does against the toughest opponents and the top teams; and whether the player demonstrates good sportsmanship."

Princeton's Rachael Becker '03 captured this honor last season, and one of her former teammates could bring it home again this year.

"There are so many great players out there," Sailer said, "so to have three players nominated for this award is a wonderful accomplishment for our team."

Sherry is one of seven players who are returning nominees, and her senior season has left little doubt that she deserves this repeat honor. A four-year starter, Sherry has earned first-team All-America selection for the past two years, and in that time she has played in 50 of 53 games. She is tied with Biles for the team lead in goals (38) and points (48), and she is second in assists with 10. Sherry's persistence on the field has been rewarded by her climb up the Tiger record books. Currently, she ranks third all-time with 151 career goals and fifth all-time with 181 career points.

Biles has developed into the team's most consistent sniper, and she is lethal when free in front of the crease. After finishing fifth in goals scored last year in somewhat limited action, she has already surpassed her previous goal total. She is tied with Sherry in goals, assists and points and commands the top spot in groundballs with 31.

Pillion, a second-team All-America and All-Ivy selection last season, rounds out the three Princeton nominees. She leads the team in draw controls with 37 and is sixth nationally with an average of 3.09 per game. Her 13 assists also lead the squad, but most importantly, she displays a powerful tenacity and persistence on both ends of the field that cannot be captured by numbers alone.

Sherry speaks for all three Tigers when she says, "My personal approach to the season certainly does not include the goal of being nominated for any award. We aim to have fun and to strive for excellence on the lacrosse field every single day. We are talented enough that nothing we try to do requires us to step outside of our abilities. Therefore, it's not hard to be very focused on the present moment. It's all of those little moments along the way that make the end result special, whether we win or lose the last game. I think we all recognize that it is the players around us that make us good."

If that statement holds any truth, it is no wonder that Princeton players received more nominations than any other school. Their focus on team and their wealth of talent yield many opportunities for individuals to shine.