Three Dartmouth lacrosse players have been named to the 2004 Tewaaraton Watch List, joining 26 men and 25 women from throughout the NCAA in vying for the Tewaaraton Trophy, the most prestigious award in college lacrosse. The trio of players -- Lana Smith '04, Katieanne Christian '05 and Andrew Goldstein '05 -- will all try to become the first Big Green winner of the four-year-old award.
All three of the athletes have earned this honor through outstanding play thus far in their careers at Dartmouth. Smith, a senior midfielder from Annapolis, Md., and team captain, led the Big Green women's squad in scoring last season with 59 points in addition to pacing the team in both goals (38) and assists (21). Smith's accolades include an All-Ivy selection last year as well as being named to the IWLCA/U.S. Lacrosse All-America second team. Smith is already off to a heated start this year after collecting four goals last weekend in a win over New Hampshire.
Christian, a junior midfielder from Agawam, Mass., joined Smith on the All-Ivy squad in 2003 in addition to earning a spot on the All-America third team. She tallied 34 goals and five assists over the course of the 2003 campaign. Christian also made an impact in her team's first game this season, contributing a goal to Dartmouth's victory over UNH.
Goldstein, a junior goaltender from Milton, Mass., helped spur the men's laxers to an Ivy League championship last season on his way to receiving All-Ivy, All-New England and honorable mention All-America honors.
The Tewaaraton Trophy was established in August of 2000 to recognize the premier male and female varsity lacrosse players in the nation. Starting in 2001, the University Club of Washington, D.C., has presented the award following the conclusion of the spring season.
Last year's winners were Rachael Becker from Princeton University and Chris Rotelli from the University of Virginia. A panel of college coaches from various schools across the country determines the award's recipients.
The inclusion of three Dartmouth players illustrates how strong the lacrosse program has become in Hanover. Among the women's nominees, no school has more representatives on the list than Dartmouth. The only other teams to have two inclusions on the list are fellow national powers Duke, Georgetown, Maryland, Princeton, Syracuse and Virginia.
"I was definitely surprised when I heard the news," Smith said. "It's a great honor and speaks highly of the position of our programs nationally, where we traditionally have been overlooked."
Goldstein's selection also demonstrates the meteoric rise of Dartmouth men's lacrosse to national prominence over the past year. The standout goalie is one of only four Ivy League players to gain this honor.
"It's always nice to hear your name mentioned with those other guys, but it's what you do on the field to help your team during the year and not what people expect of you as an individual before the season starts that really matters," Goldstein said. "Our goal as a team is to make it to the Final Four, and anything else that comes along with that goal is secondary."
The University Club will present the 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy on June 3 in a televised ceremony honoring the winners and finalists.
All three of the Big Green Tewaaraton Watch List members will be on display at Scully-Fahey Field this weekend. The women's laxers face off against James Madison University at 12 p.m. on Saturday, and the men's team will follow at 2:30 p.m. in a contest against Colgate.
