NEW YORK -- The No. 2 Gators swept five of the six major postseason awards and had seven players named to the 2016 All-BIG EAST Conference teams Wednesday, a day before the Orange and Blue (16-1) take to the field against Georgetown in the BIG EAST Tournament at Cooper Field in Washington, DC.
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Sophomore
Sammi Burgess is the Co-Attacker of the Year,
Nicole Graziano the Midfielder of the Year,
Caroline Fitzgerald the Defensive Player of the Year and
Lindsey Ronbeck the Freshman of the Year. To top it all off the Gators coaching staff, under the guidance of
Amanda O'Leary, was tabbed the 2016 BIG EAST Co-Coaching Staff of the Year after tutoring Florida to an undefeated 7-0 in conference play en route to UF's sixth straight conference title, second in the BIG EAST.
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Florida's seven All-Conference honorees tie for the second-most in program history. Composed of five first teamers and two second-team selections, Burgess, Fitzgerald, Graziano and Ronbeck were all unanimous selection All-BIG EAST First Team picks. Junior defender
Taylor Bresnahan is also an All-BIG EAST First Team player this season, her second straight all-conference nod after being on the second team in 2015.
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Senior midfielder
Lauren Lea and sophomore attack
Shayna Pirreca both picked up their first career all-league accolades as All-BIG EAST Second Team selections.
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While Lea, Pirreca and Ronbeck picked up their first all-conference nods, Burgess and Fitzgerald were honored for the third straight season, every year of their Gator careers. Fitzgerald, a third-team All-American last year and top-25 Tewaaraton Award Nominee this year, is a BIG EAST First Team pick for the second straight year, while Burgess made first-team honors for the first time after being the ALC Rookie of the Year in 2014 and a second team all-conference pick in both 2014 & 2015. Graziano, a top-25 Tewaaraton Award Nominee, made it back-to-back all-conference honors after being a BIG EAST Second Team selection in 2015.
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NOTABLES
- Head Coach Amanda O'Leary reeled in Coach of the Year/Staff of the Year honors for the fourth time in her tenure at Florida (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016) and for the first time as a member of the BIG EAST
- The BIG EAST's Midfielder of the Year award went to Florida a second straight season. Nicole Graziano made it back-to-back Gator sweeps after Shannon Gilroy earned the award in 2015. UF has had the Midfielder of the Year in its conference every season since 2013
- Caroline Fitzgerald is UF's second Defensive Player of the Year in program history; last: Sam Farrell in 2013 (ALC). Likewise, Sammi Burgess is the Gators' second Attacker/Offensive Player of the Year; last: Kitty Cullen in 2013 (ALC)
- Lindsey Ronbeck is UF's fourth Rookie of the Year in the Gators' seven-year history
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BIG EAST Co-Attackers of the Year
Sammi Burgess, Florida, A
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, A
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BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Nicole Graziano, Florida, M*
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BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Caroline Fitzgerald, Florida, D
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BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Shannon Nee, Connecticut, GK
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BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Lindsey Ronbeck, Florida, A
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BIG EAST Co-Coaching Staffs of the Year
Florida
Temple
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All-BIG EAST First Team
Kristen Bandos, Georgetown, M*
Taylor Bresnahan, Florida, D
Sammi Burgess, Florida, A*
Kyara Byner, Cincinnati, D
Alexandra Crofts, Connecticut, M
Corinne Etchison, Georgetown, A
Caroline Fitzgerald, Florida, D*
Morgan Glassford, Temple, M
Elizabeth Goslee, Marquette, D
Nicole Graziano, Florida, M*
Allison Lane, Marquette, M
Brenda McDermott, Temple, A*
Shannon Nee, Connecticut, GK
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, A*
Lindsey Ronbeck, Florida, A*
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All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Kassandra Bowling, Georgetown, D
Kelly Chandler, Vanderbilt, A
Emma Dagres, Vanderbilt, M
Cassie Ekstrom, Connecticut, D
Katherine Finkelston, Connecticut, A
Jackie Froccaro, Villanova, A
Chelsey Henderson, Villanova, M
Summer Jaros, Temple, D
Jaqi Kakalecik, Temple, GK
Callahan Kent, Vanderbilt, GK
Lauren Lea, Florida, M
Shayna Pirreca, Florida, A
Rachel Schwaab, Temple, A
Julianna Shearer, Marquette, A
Nicole Tiernan, Temple, M
Francesca Whitehurst, Georgetown, M
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
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*unanimous selection
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UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue re-match with Georgetown in the first round of the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in DC. The Gators secured the No. 1 overall seed in the four-team tourney and will be looking to hoist a tournament trophy for a second-consecutive season in as many years in the BIG EAST. Florida went an undefeated 7-0 in conference play to win the regular-season title in Gainesville April 24 with a 13-8 victory over UConn.
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