NEW HAVEN, Conn. (May 2, 2016) -- Philadelphia University standout Liz Mower on Monday was named the 2016 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year, as announced by CACC Commissioner Dan Mara. The announcement of Mower's major honor highlighted a list of worthy student-athletes who earned all-conference recognition in the sport.

In addition to Mower being named the league's top player, Caldwell University emerging star Rachel Lucia was named the CACC Rookie of the Year, while Mower's teammate Isabella DiGnazio garnered the conference's defensive player-of-the-year honor. PhilaU's George Chis-Luca was recognized as the BSN Sports CACC Coach of the Year and first-year program Felician University was tabbed as the league's Team Sportsmanship Award winner in women's lacrosse.

Mower was nothing short of sensational during the 2016 season, as she helped guide the Rams to a perfect 9-0 CACC record and the league's regular season championship. She has started all 17 games this season and has dumped in 66 goals, while assisting on 33 others for 99 points. The markers and points pace the CACC and the assists are the second-highest mark in the conference. Mower has also logged 108 shots (3rd most in the CACC) and has put a whopping 96 of those on net (tops in the league). She also leads the CACC in free position goals with 25 on 32 attempts.

Mower logged at least three goals in 12 games, including registering a season-high seven in back-to-back wins on April 2 and 5 versus Post University and Holy Family University, respectively. She also posted double digits in points in two games, including 11 each against Wilmington University and Dominican College. In both of the games Mower went for eight goals and three helpers each time.

Lucia has had a terrific debut season at the collegiate level in 2016, as she has recorded 18 goals and four assists for 22 points. Her play helped spark Caldwell to the No. 5 seed and a berth in this week's CACC Women's Lacrosse Championship. Lucia also made her mark in several defensive categories, including ranking sixth in the CACC with 25 caused turnovers and ninth with 39 ground balls.

DiGnazio was a dual threat in the midfield this year, as she went for 25 goals and eight assists for 33 points. While she was strong offensively, DiGnazio was even more impressive defensively as she led the CACC with 33 caused turnovers and ranked sixth with 43 grounders.

Chis-Luca gathered the conference's top coaching award after leading Philadelphia to a 12-5 overall record and a 9-0 CACC mark. The Rams captured the league's regular season crown and the No. 1 seed in this week's conference championship.

Felician captured the Team Sportsmanship Award after demonstrating outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2016 campaign under the guidance of head coach Angelica Gero.

Mower's recognition was not limited to the player-of-the-year honor, as she also earned a spot on the All-CACC First Team. Mower was joined by 11 other women's lacrosse standouts including Erin Harmer (Attack, Holy Family), Karis Walborn (Attack, Nyack College), Melissa Williams (Attack, Georgian Court University), Callie Brown (Midfield, Georgian Court), Emorie Keimig (Midfield, Chestnut Hill College), Lauren Lebo (Midfield, Nyack), Paige Settar (Midfield, Holy Family), Kacie Booth (Defender, Holy Family), Ursula Coyle (Defender, Holy Family), Xena Valenzuela (Defender, Georgian Court) and Stephanie Lehner (Goalie, Georgian Court).

DiGnazio was placed on the All-CACC Second Team, as the squad was made up of 16 student-athletes. The other 15 to make the squad included Kathryn Avanzato (Attack, Philadelphia), Laura Dunne (Attack, Philadelphia), Samantha Herron (Attack, Chestnut Hill), Sara LeBrun (Attack, Wilmington), Jacklyn O'Leary (Attack, Chestnut Hill), Elizabeth Seitzinger (Attack, Philadelphia), Nicole Braungart (Midfield, Holy Family), Christina Brennan (Midfield, Dominican), Haliann Fitzgerald (Midfield, Dominican), Hunter Leckonby (Midfield, Chestnut Hill), Melanie Schaefer (Defender, Georgian Court), Courtney Shaw (Defender, Philadelphia), Amanda Timmes (Defender, Caldwell), Courtney Weidner (Defender, Chestnut Hill) and Katie Joe Lang (Goalie, Chestnut Hill).

The announcement of the All-CACC Women's Lacrosse team comes on the eve of the 2016 Championship, which begins with a pair of matchups in the first round on Tuesday. Those games feature No. 6 seed Wilmington at No. 3 seed Georgian Court and No. 5 seed Caldwell at No. 4 seed Holy Family. Both games will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday's two winners will advance to Championship Weekend at Georgian Court in Lakewood, N.J. The Holy Family/Caldwell winner will face top-seeded Philadelphia in the semifinals on Saturday at 12 p.m., followed by second-seeded Chestnut Hill facing either GCU or WilmU at 2:30 p.m. The two semifinal winners will then square off in the CACC Championship Final on Sunday at 12 p.m. All three games over the weekend will be held at Georgian Court's lacrosse field in Lakewood.

The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Nyack College, Philadelphia University, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Liz Mower (Philadelphia) 

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Rachel Lucia (Caldwell) 

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Isabella DiGnazio (Philadelphia) 

2016 BSN SPORTS CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE COACH OF THE YEAR
George Chis-Luca (Philadelphia) 

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Felician University

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
A Erin Harmer (Holy Family)
A Karis Walborn (Nyack)
A Melissa Williams (Georgian Court)
M Callie Brown (Georgian Court)
M Emorie Keimig (Chestnut Hill)
M Lauren Lebo (Nyack)
M Liz Mower (Philadelphia)
M Paige Settar (Holy Family)
D Kacie Booth (Holy Family)
D Ursula Coyle (Holy Family)
D Xena Valenzuela (Georgian Court)
GK Stephanie Lehner (Georgian Court) 

2016 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
A Kathryn Avanzato (Philadelphia)
A Laura Dunne (Philadelphia)
A Samantha Herron (Chestnut Hill)
A Sara LeBrun (Wilmington)
A Jacklyn O'Leary (Chestnut Hill)
A Elizabeth Seitzinger (Philadelphia)
M Nicole Braungart (Holy Family)
M Christina Brennan (Dominican)
M Isabella DiGnazio (Philadelphia)
M Haliann Fitzgerald (Dominican)
M Hunter Leckonby (Chestnut Hill)
D Melanie Schaefer (Georgian Court)
D Courtney Shaw (Philadelphia)
D Amanda Timmes (Caldwell)
D Courtney Weidner (Chestnut Hill)
GK Katie Joe Lang (Chestnut Hill)