Meaghan Tyrrell Named USA Lacrosse Mag D-I Women's Preseason Player of the Year

Syracuse attacker Meaghan Tyrrell was named USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Division I Women’s Preseason Player of the Year, the publication announced Wednesday in advance of the 2023 season.

A quiet superstar, Tyrrell has somehow flown under the radar to produce one of the best careers in Syracuse women’s lacrosse history — and she still has another year left. Entering her final campaign in the Dome, Tyrrell is sixth in program history with 308 points, seventh with 202 goals and fifth with 106 assists.

Tyrrell posted 111 points last spring (and 112 the season prior), and with another year of producing at that pace, she’ll pass Katie Rowan’s points record (396). Tyrrell is 58 goals behind head coach Kayla Treanor’s record (260) and 59 assists behind Rowan’s record (164).

What Tyrrell has yet to accomplish is winning a national championship, something the Orange of hopes of doing in 2023. Syracuse and its vaunted offense enter the spring ranked No. 6 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20.

Continue below to read the full list of USA Lacrosse Magazine Division I Women’s Preseason Positional Players of the Year.

PRESEASON ATTACKER OF THE YEAR

Meaghan Tyrrell, Syracuse

The only returning Tewaaraton Award finalist from 2022, Tyrrell has been a constant in a Syracuse lineup rattled with injuries over the last two years. With attacker Emma Ward sidelined for the entire 2022 season and her sister, Emma Tyrrell, out for half of it, the elder Tyrrell led the Orange in goals (78), assists (33) and points (111). But the attacker, who played for the U.S. in the Sixes discipline at The World Games and won a silver medal, can also be found making hustle plays on the ride. She led all Orange attackers with 17 ground balls in 2022.

PRESEASON MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR

Ellie Masera, Stony Brook

What doesn’t Ellie Masera do? The junior, who was the youngest player invited to U.S. national team tryouts in 2021, led Stony Brook in goals (67), points (87) and draws (100) last season. She was also second in assists (20) and third in caused turnovers (18). The quintessential tough-as-nails Seawolves middie enters the season with international experience under her belt, having represented the U.S. in Sixes at The World Games. She’ll now lead the Seawolves into a new era as they switch to the CAA after nearly a decade of America East dominance and, more importantly, try to help the team burst down the Final Four door after years of knocking on it.

PRESEASON DEFENDER OF THE YEAR

Abby Bosco, Maryland

They don’t call themselves Defender U for nothing over in College Park. A Terp has won Big Ten Defender of the Year in each of its first seven seasons in the conference. Last year, that award went to Bosco, a Penn transfer who scooped a conference-record 63 ground balls and led a Maryland unit that allowed 7.81 goals per game, the second-fewest in Division I. She also tallied a team-high 26 caused turnovers and was second with 89 draw controls, helping the Terps get back to the Final Four after a rare miss in 2021.

PRESEASON GOALIE OF THE YEAR

Emily Sterling, Maryland

Several starting netminders turned their tassels last year, but we still have at least one more year of Emily Sterling. A first-team All-American and IWLCA Goalie of the Year in 2022, Sterling ranked second in Division I with a .531 save percentage and first with a 7.87 goals-against average. From March 30 to April 30, Sterling produced a .500 save percentage in every contest during a torrid seven-game stretch.