2012 NEWLA All-Conference Team (PDF)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Junior Shelby Farland was selected as the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Defensive Player of the Year to highlight Bridgewater State's six representatives on the NEWLA All-Conference Team.

Farland anchors a BSU defensive unit which has posted a team 8.29 goals against average to date in 2012 including a 5.00 mark versus conference opponents.  Through 18 games, the Fiskdale, Massachusetts product has amassed 40 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers and 14 draws to go along with seven goals and three assists.

Joining Farland on the NEWLA All-Conference First Team are sophomore midfielder Taylor Clancy (Braintree, Mass.) and freshman attack Riley Cachelin (Westwood, Mass.).  Junior midfielder Michelle Navoni (Mansfield, Mass.), sophomore attack Melanie Appleman (Hyannis, Mass.) and sophomore defender Braylan Wenzel (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) earned second team honors.

Clancy leads Bridgewater in scoring (51 points), goals (42), game-winning goals (3), ground balls (51), draws (65) and caused turnovers (25).  She ranks second in the NEWLA in draws and is fourth in caused turnovers, fifth in ground balls and eighth in goals.

Cachelin has had a terrific rookie campaign for the Bears as she has started all 18 games with 29 goals and a team-leading 14 assists for 43 points.  Cachelin ranks eighth in the Alliance with her 14 helpers.

Navoni checks in with 20 goals, ten assists, 48 ground balls, 40 draws and 23 caused turnovers.  She is fifth in the NEWLA in caused turnovers and eighth in ground balls.

Appleman is third on the team in scoring, registering 39 points in 16 games.  She is also third in both goals (28) and assists (11).  Appleman has also been one of the Bears' most productive free position shooters connecting on 8 of 12 attempts.

Wenzel ranks third on the squad in draw controls with 40 trailing only Clancy and Navoni.  She has also forced nine turnovers, scooped up 15 ground balls, and tallied a pair of goals to go along with an assist in 14 games.

Bridgewater State is currently 11-7 on the season. The Bears went 8-0 in NEWLA play to capture their fifth straight conference regular season title.  Seeded first in the NEWLA Tournament, Bridgewater downed fourth-seeded Fitchburg State, 13-2, in the semifinal round to advance to the championship game for the fifth consecutive season.

The Bears will take on second-seeded Westfield State in the NEWLA title game on Saturday night at seven o'clock at Swenson Field.