University of Connecticut Athletics
Mullaney Earns BIG EAST Weekly Defensive Honor
5/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
STORRS, Conn. (May 2, 2005) – Versatile University of Connecticut senior midfielder Tracy Mullaney (Cockeysville, Md.) was named the BIG EAST Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week in women’s lacrosse on Monday. It is the fourth time Mullaney has been named the league’s Player of the Week, but her first defensive recognition. She has thrice been named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the week during her UConn career, most recently on April 11.
Mullaney is the first Husky to ever earn the award on both offense and defense in either a single season or her career. She joins Meghan O’Connell of Syracuse as the only players to ever accomplish this feat in a single season in BIG EAST history. O’Connell, who also accomplished this feat in 2005, Mullaney and Maggie Bopp of Rutgers are the lone BIG EAST players to ever do it in an entire career.
Mullaney led UConn in three major defensive categories with her six ground balls, nine draw controls and four caused turnovers as the Huskies went 1-1 last week, beating St. Bonaventure while being edged in the final seconds by No. 19 Yale. She had seven draw controls in the tight loss to the Bulldogs, tying the school record for a single game. Mullaney contributed a team-high four ground balls to UConn’s monumental win over St. Bonaventure on April 29. The win gave UConn an 11-5 mark on the year, establishing a school record for wins in a season. The previous best finish by the Huskies came in 2000 when the team went 10-6. Mullaney also caused a pair of turnovers in each of UConn’s games last week.
Meanwhile, Mullaney’s defensive work did nothing to deter her offensive play as she netted four goals and added an assist for five points on the week. The points give Mullaney 201 for her Husky career as she became the first UConn player to ever eclipse the 200-point plateau. She also now boasts 153 career goals, tying Pam Lowie’s school record set from 1999-2002. During the St. Bonaventure game she broke the seasonal record for points in a season as she now boasts 59 to her credit. With 45 goals this season, she ranks second all time to Lowie’s 48 in 2000 while Mullaney’s 14 assists in 2004 tie for the fifth best in a single season in UConn lore.
The Huskies have wrapped up their 2005 regular season and await word on possible post season play. Selections will be made on May 9. In addition to its school record 11 overall wins in 2005, UConn posted a 3-2 mark in BIG EAST play, the first winning conference record in school history. UConn also pulled in to last week’s IWLCA poll at No. 15, the highest national ranking in school history.
