BEST adj.
/best/
superlative of GOOD

1: excelling all others

2: most productive of good: offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction

3: most, largest

(Source: Merriam-Webster)

Best of Lacrosse 2018 Finalists
Men’s Player | Women’s Player
Men’s Coach | Women’s Coach
Men’s Breakthrough | Women’s Breakthrough
Men’s Performance | Women’s Performance
Game | Moment

As the lacrosse calendar turns from 2018 to 2019 and we reflect on one of the most riveting years in recent memory, US Lacrosse Magazine is taking to Twitter for the fans’ perspective on what made it so. We’ve identified four finalists each in 10 categories in preparation for our annual “Best of Lacrosse” edition.

Below, we present the finalists for Best Women’s Player.

Sam Apuzzo (@BCwlax), Steph Colson (@GburgWlax), Marie McCool (@uncwlax / @Baltimore_Brave) and Kylie Ohlmiller (@StonyBrookWLAX / @NY_Fight ) are finalists for Best Women's Player of 2018.

VOTE #BestofLax

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) October 16, 2018

Sam Apuzzo
Boston College

The hoopla over Kenzie Kent, given the two-sport star’s epic performance in the 2017 NCAA tournament, kept Apuzzo from receiving the recognition she deserved that year. But with Kent focusing exclusively on ice hockey in 2018, Apuzzo proved she could carry BC just as far, leading the Eagles to the NCAA championship game for the second consecutive year and becoming the first BC player to win the prestigious Tewaaraton Award. She shattered school records for goals (88), points (129) and draw controls (163). The stars are aligning for the Eagles in 2019. Apuzzo and fellow first-team All-Americans Dempsey Arsenault and Elizabeth Miller headline the senior class, with Kent on board for a full season as a grad student.

Steph Colson
Gettysburg

After appearing in Sports Illustrated following the Bullets’ NCAA championship run in 2017, Colson, who missed parts of her first two seasons due to injuries, proved she’s more than just a face in the crowd. She belongs in the conversation among the best players in the women’s game, period. Colson backed up that assertion by leading Gettysburg to its second straight Division III title and earning the inaugural IWLCA Division III Player of the Year award. Colson smashed Gettysburg’s school record with 140 draw controls, tied for the team lead with 76 points and ranked second in goals (50), assists (26) and caused turnovers (25). She does it all, and performs at her best when the lights are brightest — evidenced by MVP nods in both the Centennial Conference and NCAA championships.

Marie McCool
North Carolina/Baltimore Brave

The only two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist in North Carolina history and the first two-time ACC Midfielder of the Year in conference history, McCool set a UNC record with 165 draw controls while leading the Tar Heels in ground balls (35), caused turnovers (23) and game-winning goals (six). Perhaps more importantly, she shepherded freshman stars like Jamie Ortega and Taylor Moreno, who played important roles in North Carolina’s run to its third straight ACC title. McCool, who was one of the youngest players on the gold medal-winning U.S. national team in 2017, followed up those impressive laurels by being named the WPLL MVP in the league’s inaugural season.

Kylie Ohlmiller
Stony Brook/New York Fight

Also a two-time Tewaaraton finalist, Ohlmiller probably had just as strong of a case to win the award in 2018 as she did in 2017, when she set the NCAA single-season scoring record. Now she owns the top two spots, thanks to a senior campaign in which she recorded 88 goals and 69 assists for 157 points. Moreover, she broke NCAA career records for both assists and points, finishing her stellar four-year run with 246 and 498, respectively.  With the rare distinction of being the No. 1 overall pick in two different professional lacrosse drafts, Ohlmiller chose to play for the WPLL’s New York Fight and emerged as a face of the nascent league.