Grow the Game®

underrated lacrosse players of all-time ncaa college
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Share on whatsapp

Top 5 Underrated Women’s Lacrosse Players Of All-Time

There’s always those players on championship caliber teams that act as critical pieces to the overall success of the squad. They rarely get the recognition they deserve, yet handle their business anyway.

We wanted to celebrate those players here at Lacrosse All Stars, and as such, decided to put together two list s. The first is the top 5 underrated women’s lacrosse players of all-time at the NCAA level, while the second will be a similar list of the top 5 underrated men’s lacrosse players of all-time of the NCAA game. Honestly, this was going to be a list of the top 10 underrated lacrosse players of all-time, with five selections being from the men’s game and five selections being from the women’s game, but I got so into putting this together for the women’s side that it got to be about 2,000 words and then figured I better break this up. So, stay tuned for the men’s list, which will be coming out soon.

Now then, what is the criteria for choosing these players?

Well, the guiding principle in all of this boils down to two things. First, the overall impact that the player had on a team’s success, whether it be through statistical contributions, hustle plays or for simply having that X-factor that seems to be so hard to coach. And second, this player didn’t receive all of the media attention, name in the headlines or post-season recognition that other players did on their team during the same time that they played.

Now, that obviously doesn’t mean that these weren’t good players, or that we are trying to slight them. These are players who I figured were incredibly successful, but maybe had to share the limelight a little bit with others when they could have been the No. 1 option had they played on other teams.

Based on these two factors, I have selected a list of the top 5 underrated women’s lacrosse players of all-time. See below for my list and why I think these players belong there. Players are listed in no particular order. Obviously, I’m not going to fit everybody who deserves to be on this list — these are just my personal picks based on what I know. Given the fact that I’ve only been involved in lacrosse since roughly 2002 as a grade school kid, there are probably a lot of people I’m missing from years prior. I tried to do my best to research players that played before my time.  I’d love to hear any suggestions for players that you think should be deserving to make this list. Let us know about them in the comments or tag us using our handle @LaxAllStars on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Top 5 Underrated Women’s Lacrosse Players of All-Time

Women

Kim Chorosiewski – (Goalie) Maryland, Class of 1988

Maryland goalkeeper Kim Chorosiewski was a major factor in Maryland winning its first-ever NCAA lacrosse championship. Maryland had won a national title in the AIAW in 1981, but 1986 was the year that Maryland would take home the first of its 14 NCAA championship titles. Chorosiewski kept up an impressive 60 percent save percentage over her career, while also earning second-team All-America honors while starring as a goalkeeper for the women’s lacrosse and women’s field hockey teams. Not only did she win the national championship for lacrosse in 1986 — saving a shot at the last second to defeat Penn State 11-10 — but also won a national championship with the women’s field hockey team her senior year in 1987. A very capable lacrosse goaltender, she was equally impressive at field hockey, as she ended her career with the most saves in school and ACC history for field hockey (747). Chorosiewski would go on to coach the Scottish national women’s lacrosse team as well, and was also inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

Other stars on the 1986 championship team included Anysia Fedec, who totaled 240 points for her career with 157 goals and 83 assists and currently sits in 16th place in all-time scoring for Maryland women’s lacrosse. She was named an All-American in both 1986 and 1987. Then, there was defender Tracy Stumpf, who was named to the women’s lacrosse All-America team in both 1985 and 1986, while being inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2013.

All were critical pieces in helping Maryland win its first-ever NCAA title. However, Chorosiewski is the first player we are highlighting on our top 5 underrated women’s lacrosse players of all-time list.

Kenzie Kent – (Attack) Boston College, Class of 2018, Grad Year 2019

Look, we all know that Boston College has been one of the most impressive teams over the last 3-4 years. They’ve made it to the NCAA championship game every year since 2017, but haven’t quite been able to achieve the school’s first-ever NCAA title in women’s lacrosse.

In spite of the fact that Boston College hasn’t yet been able to make it to the tip-top of the NCAA lacrosse pile, you can’t argue against the fact that the level of success that Boston College has seen over the last few years has been impressive.

Kenzie Kent has been a large part of that.

Although Kent has had to share the stage with Tewaaraton-winner and multiple-finalist Sam Apuzzo, as well as ANOTHER Tewaaraton finalist in Dempsey Arsenault, Kent has shined and made her presence felt on the field.

Apuzzo and Arsenault may be receiving all of the major awards and a large share of the attention, but Kent should not be overlooked, as she is an incredible player in her own right.

Kent has been named to preseason All-America teams, the Tewaaraton Watch List, has been an All-ACC First-Team selection, was named the 2016-2017 ACC Athlete of the Year, has tied the NCAA Championship single-game scoring record with 10 points (five goals, five assists), all while helping the Boston College women’s hockey team make it to the Frozen Four and national championship game in separate years. I could go on, but you get the point.

The fact that Boston College has been so stacked with talent and hasn’t been able to win the national title yet just goes to prove how competitive the women’s college game is right now. There’s loads of talent, like Kent, all fighting for the same thing.

In my opinion, Kent has to be one of the most successful, undersung players that I am aware of in recent years. I have a feeling that if she was starring for most other teams in the NCAA, she would have been grabbing all of the attention herself. Knowing the kind of character that these players have, though, it wouldn’t surprise me if missing out on some of that attention doesn’t bother Kenzie Kent one bit.

The fact that she has shared the limelight while still achieving so much with the incredible amount of talent on that team is the stuff of legend.

Sascha Newmarch – (Midfielder) Maryland, Class of 1998

Another Terp makes the list. Sascha Newmarch played for Maryland from 1995-1998. During that time, Newmarch only knew what it was like to win. The team lost a total of four games during those four seasons, and won four consecutive NCAA titles. In fact, Newmarch won the College Lacrosse USA Division I Player of the Year in 1998 as she totaled 90 points on the season with 48 goals and 42 assists.

With all of that success, especially garnered during the 1998 season, why are we putting Sascha Newmarch on our list of underrated players?

It’s simple. Those Maryland rosters were completely STACKED during those four years that Newmarch played for the Terps. Names you undoubtedly have heard of like Cathy Nelson, Kelly Amonte and Liz Downing made it a little crowded to share the spotlight.

Even with all of Newmarch’s success and accolades, she has yet to be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and, even more surprisingly, the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame.

Hopefully we will see her giving her acceptance speech to one of the two halls in the near future.

Katie Kerrigan – (Attack) James Madison, Class of 2018

Women’s lacrosse fans will remember the 2018 season as the year that James Madison won its first-ever NCAA national championship, thanks to an incredibly talented senior class that had it in their minds to do something special.

One of those seniors was Katie Kerrigan. Though she never won any awards at the NCAA-level, she took home numerous conference awards for her performance on the field, in addition to many awards for her academic performance.

Oh yeah, and she set the single season record for assists with 60 in 2018. She ranks third all-time in career assists at 107. She totaled 44 assists and 3 assists as a junior and sophomore, respectively.

Having that kind of player on the field who can set up your offense is critical, and was so for the 2018 James Madison team.

In addition to her successful collegiate career, Kerrigan was also drafted by the WPLL in 2018 during the women’s pro lacrosse league’s first season. She was taken with the No. 13 pick by the Upstate Pride, and still plays for the team, although now the league has removed teams from specific markets and is now known simply as “Pride”.

In short, another worthy addition to our list of top 5 underrated women’s lacrosse players of all-time.

Sammy Jo Tracy – (Attack/Midfield) North Carolina, Class of 2017

Sammy Jo Tracy’s bio on the North Carolina athletics website describes Tracy as “a big-game player with a history of success in NCAA Tournament games.”

They’re not kidding.

Sammy Jo Tracy scored the game-winning goal — in triple overtime mind you — to beat Maryland in the national championship game that year.

Oh yeah, and she was a freshman.

I can hear the “she’s a freshman!” chants now.

Well, I’m happy to report that Tracy certainly didn’t peak her freshman year. While she did miss her sophomore season due to a foot injury, Tracy came back with a vengeance for what I like to call Junior year parts one and two, and her senior season.

Her junior year — the first one — saw her score 38 goals and register 5 assists, while securing 44 draw controls. She finished second on the team in goals and draw controls and was fourth in points. During that season, she also happened to lead the ACC in game-winning goals with six. Talk about being clutch.

Her (second) junior year saw her named to the All-ACC First Team, as was also named as a second-team IWCLA All-American.She finished in the top 5 on her team in terms of scoring, goals and assists, while also dismantling the UNC school record of draw controls in a season (75), with 108 draw controls. She also set the single-season game record for UNC in draw controls against San Diego State with 14. North Carolina won its second NCAA Women’s Division I national title that year as well, thanks in large part to Tracy’s contributions.

Tracy would be named to the IWCLA All-America third team during her senior season in 2017, when she totaled 44 points (38 goals, 6 assists) while breaking her own previous school record in draw controls with 145.

The reason why Tracy makes this list is because of her obvious success as a player, and the fact that she was playing with stars of the game like Molly Hendrick, Marie McCool and Aly Messinger — all of who were All-Americans in their own right. Personally, I love that in the women’s game that players that take the draw are still offensive threats on the field and that they don’t come off like the faceoff specialists in the men’s game. Tracy made contributions to her team in multiple aspects of the game. Combine that with the clutch factor that she had, and to me that says that she is a born winner who is willing to do whatever it takes to help her team win and show up in the big moments.

Sammy Jo Tracy currently plays in the WPLL for the Pride.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! These five players are my selections for the top 5 underrated women’s lacrosse players of all-time. I recognize that there are probably plenty deserving players that could be on this list that probably aren’t on it. These were the five players who I felt, through my knowledge of the sport and research that I did, as players that I would pick for this list. As I mentioned, if you have players that you think I missed that are deserving of being mentioned, share a little bit about them in the comments section or by tagging us on social media with our handle @LaxAllStars. Thanks for reading, and be sure to stay tuned for the men’s list coming out soon.