Cretella, Hadla Headline Owls Women's Lacrosse All-Conference Picks

Westfield, Mass. — The Westfield State duo of Emma Cretella and Olivia Hadla are the 2023 MASCAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year and headline the All-Conference teams which are voted on by the coaches from around the league.

 

Earning 2023 MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Cretella, a senior midfielder from Cheshire Conn., was a force for the undefeated regular season champion Owls. She collected 83 points on 60 goals and 23 assists which were all in the top five of the conference. She also registered 68 draw controls. 19 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers. During the MASCAC Tournament Championship on Saturday, she collected her 100th career goal. She finished with a season-high eight points on six goals and two assists with two ground balls, three draws and two caused turnovers in the win over Framingham State to clinch the regular season crown.

 

Joining Cretella as a major award winner, Hadla takes home the 2023 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. The junior from Westfield, Mass. was part of a defense that only 180 goals on the season, 38.3 shooting percentage and 44.7 free position shot percentage. She collected 34 ground balls, 10 draw controls and 19 caused turnovers in leading the Owls to the top seed in the tournament. With this All-Conference accolade, Hadla earned both a league honor in women's lacrosse and women's basketball this year.

 

Claiming the 2023 MASCAC Rookie of the Year is Jessica St. George of Fitchburg State. The freshman from Dracut Mass. netted 23 goals and 12 assists for 36 points along with 57 draw controls, 39 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. In the Falcons win over MCLA, she had two goals and three assists for five points while grabbing 10 ground balls, five draws and three caused turnovers.

After leading the Owls to the MASCAC regular season title and the top seed in the tournament, Jeff Pechulis of Westfield State has been named the 2023 BSN Sports Coach of the Year. This is the fifth time the coach has received the honor from his peers and second straight.

 

Earning a spot on the 2023 MASCAC First Team with Cretella and Hadla, Delaney Langton of Bridgewater State, Regan Fein, Maggie Grout and Hannah Guerin of Framingham State, Cassie Llewellyn of Mass. Maritime, Kara Banagan, Cassidy Harvey, Paige Jelliffe and Victoria Paine of Westfield State and Clare Conway and Shea Jarvis of Worcester State.

 

On this year's MASCAC Second-Team All-Conference squad with St. George are Camryn Gonsalves, Erin McIntyre of Bridgewater State, Grace Wetherbee of Fitchburg State, Rachel Erickson of Framingham State, Taylor Sujko of Salem State, Cassidy Connolly, Victoria Paine and Lindsey Panneton of Westfield State and Mckayla Fisher, Lily Gendron and Savanna Rosado of Worcester State.

 

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation's first Division III men's and women's playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men's ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as a football affiliate member in 2013 and Castleton in 2024. Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, Mitchell College and Springfield College joined as men's golf affiliates in 2019 and New England College in 2021.