Stockton University Athletics

Ospreys Won Program's First Postseason Title

Women's Lacrosse | 5/31/2018 10:42:00 AM

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The Stockton women's lacrosse team had a season to remember as they captured the program's first postseason championship by winning the 2018 ECAC title. Along the way, the Ospreys won 11 games, the second-most in the program's five-year history and set new records under head coach Cristina Maurizi.
 
As a team, Stockton made 144 saves in net, grabbed 214 draw controls and scooped 344 ground balls to set new school records. At 11-7, the Ospreys also finished with a winning record for the fifth straight year. Seventeen players saw action in 10 games or more during the season, providing quality depth for a young team with just one senior and four juniors.
 
Junior Tamara Torales filled the stat sheet for the Ospreys and was voted to the NJAC First Team. Always a solid defensive player, Torales added scoring to her resume this season with 25 goals and five assists for 30 points. She also set school records for caused turnovers (27) and ground balls (44) in a season, tying for fourth and sixth respectively in the NJAC in those categories.
 
Torales became Stockton's career leader in caused turnovers (67) and moved into second in ground balls (108), a mark that she will most likely break next season. Torales also grabbed 29 draw controls, fourth on the Ospreys. She capped her outstanding season by being named MVP of the ECAC Tournament for her fine play in Stockton's two wins.
 
Gaby Ojeda led the way offensively by netting 41 goals in a breakout season for which she was selected NJAC First Team. Ojeda's 41 markers were the third-highest season total in the program's five years, and her 46 points tied for fifth in the NJAC. The junior potted 12 free position goals (T-6th in NJAC) and four game winning tallies (T-3rd in NJAC). Ojeda tied the school record with seven goals in a 14-12 win over Ramapo on April 7.
 
Sophomore Michaella Butrico dramatically increased her offensive production in her second season, scoring 35 goals and dishing a team-high eight assists for 43 points. Butrico buried two game-winning goals and also contributed 19 ground balls for the Ospreys. She was Stockton's leading scorer in the ECAC Tournament with six goals and two assists for eight points.
 
Sophomore Kristen Russo was an effective all-around player for Stockton with 25 goals plus a team-high 59 draw controls, 41 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers. Melanie Patterson scored 24 goals and contributed 34 draw controls, 16 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. The junior moved into second at Stockton in draw controls (84), fifth in caused turnovers (30) and seventh in ground balls (54).
 
Freshmen Danielle Graham and Nicole Jandras chipped in offensively with 20 and 15 goals respectively in their rookie year. Graham finished second on the team behind Ojeda with 10 free-position goals and also totaled 18 draw controls. Jandras earned an NJAC Rookie of the Week nod once this year. Abbey Yannacone was another youngster who contributed offensively, scoring 12 goals in her sophomore year.
 
The Ospreys were solid on defense, led by Amanda Scarpa, the team's lone senior, who rounded out her career with another fine season. Scarpa finished second on the team and tied for ninth in the NJAC in ground balls (42) as well as second on the squad in caused turnovers (19). She started all 69 Stockton games over her four years and leaves the program as its career leader in ground balls (113) and third in caused turnovers (56).
 
Scarpa anchored a young defense that also featured freshmen Jessica Catalioto (21 GB, 16 CT, 39 DC), Olivia Paolillo (19 GB, 9 CT), Samantha Hughes (16 GB, 4 CT) and Jenna Martino (5 CT) along with sophomores Melanie Iatarola (16 GB, 6 CT) and Kaeleigh Becker (6 CT). Catalioto finished second on the team in draw controls and also was named NJAC Rookie of the Week on one occasion this season.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Stevie Ader broke into the school record book with an outstanding rookie campaign. She made a school-record 134 saves (T-3rd in NJAC) and tied for fourth in the conference in saves per game (7.44). Ader also registered a 10.60 goals against average and .429 save percentage while starting all 18 games in her freshman year.