Thacker, Behrins Named 2022 IWLCA All-Americans
5/26/2022 11:22:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Defender Sam Thacker earns First-Team honors, attacker Bea Behrins on the Third-Team
DENVER – Two University of Denver women's lacrosse players were named All-Americans by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Thursday, as junior defender Sam Thacker earned First-Team honors while graduate attacker Bea Behrins was chosen for the Third-Team.
Thacker and Behrins helped the Pioneers to an 18-3 record during a 2022 season that saw the squad earn its third-straight Big East regular-season title and second-straight conference tournament championship.
Thacker led the nation in caused turnovers with 64 during the campaign, leading DU's defense that ranked first in the country in total caused turnovers (273) and sixth in the nation by only allowing 8.38 goals per game. The Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Thacker forced three or more turnovers in 13-of-21 outings, including in all four postseason matchups.
In addition to leading the Pioneers in caused turnovers, the Lutherville, Maryland, finished second on the squad with 49 draw controls and 47 ground balls. Her 64 caused turnovers ranked as the second-most in a season in program history, and her 102 caused turnovers in her career are also the second-most behind only Kate Henrich (170, 2010-2013).
Thacker was also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team, All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, the Big East Defensive Player of the Week four times and was recognized as the IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 8-16, becoming the first Pioneer to earn national weekly honors multiple times in a season.
Behrins led the Pioneers in all three scoring categories this season, recording career highs in goals (71), assists (25) and points (96). Nationally, the graduate student presently ranks 10th in goals, tied for 14th in points and sixth in shots (151). In the postseason, she recorded 20 points (15 goals and five assists) in four games, including registering three goals and two assists in her final contest at No. 3 Boston College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on May 15.
The Basking Ridge, New Jersey, native scored in all 21 games during the season, recording 13 hat tricks and tallying three or more goals in each of her final five contests. Behrins posted two sock tricks during the year, both times scoring a career-high seven goals on March 15 versus Fairfield and April 2 versus Butler. Her seven markers in those outings are tied for the fourth-most in a game in school history, while her 10 points against Fairfield (seven goals, three assists) were also tied for the fourth-most in a contest in the program annals.
Behrins' 72 goals on the season are the most in a single campaign in school history, and she also set a program record this past year with 82 career games played (2018-2022), surpassing the previous mark of 78 set by both Kelly O'Connell and Danielle Provance from 2005-2008. Her 199 career goals rank as the second-most at DU (Ali Flury, 202, 200-2010), while her 258 career points are the third-most in Denver annals.
She was also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team, All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, the Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player after scoring the overtime-winning goal versus Georgetown on May 7 and was recognized as the Big East Attacker of the Week on three occasions. This is Behrins' second career All-American honor as she was also named to the IWLCA's Third-Team in 2021.
DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Lacrosse on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WLAX on Twitter
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Thacker and Behrins helped the Pioneers to an 18-3 record during a 2022 season that saw the squad earn its third-straight Big East regular-season title and second-straight conference tournament championship.
Thacker led the nation in caused turnovers with 64 during the campaign, leading DU's defense that ranked first in the country in total caused turnovers (273) and sixth in the nation by only allowing 8.38 goals per game. The Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Thacker forced three or more turnovers in 13-of-21 outings, including in all four postseason matchups.
In addition to leading the Pioneers in caused turnovers, the Lutherville, Maryland, finished second on the squad with 49 draw controls and 47 ground balls. Her 64 caused turnovers ranked as the second-most in a season in program history, and her 102 caused turnovers in her career are also the second-most behind only Kate Henrich (170, 2010-2013).
Thacker was also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team, All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, the Big East Defensive Player of the Week four times and was recognized as the IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 8-16, becoming the first Pioneer to earn national weekly honors multiple times in a season.
Behrins led the Pioneers in all three scoring categories this season, recording career highs in goals (71), assists (25) and points (96). Nationally, the graduate student presently ranks 10th in goals, tied for 14th in points and sixth in shots (151). In the postseason, she recorded 20 points (15 goals and five assists) in four games, including registering three goals and two assists in her final contest at No. 3 Boston College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on May 15.
The Basking Ridge, New Jersey, native scored in all 21 games during the season, recording 13 hat tricks and tallying three or more goals in each of her final five contests. Behrins posted two sock tricks during the year, both times scoring a career-high seven goals on March 15 versus Fairfield and April 2 versus Butler. Her seven markers in those outings are tied for the fourth-most in a game in school history, while her 10 points against Fairfield (seven goals, three assists) were also tied for the fourth-most in a contest in the program annals.
Behrins' 72 goals on the season are the most in a single campaign in school history, and she also set a program record this past year with 82 career games played (2018-2022), surpassing the previous mark of 78 set by both Kelly O'Connell and Danielle Provance from 2005-2008. Her 199 career goals rank as the second-most at DU (Ali Flury, 202, 200-2010), while her 258 career points are the third-most in Denver annals.
She was also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team, All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, the Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player after scoring the overtime-winning goal versus Georgetown on May 7 and was recognized as the Big East Attacker of the Week on three occasions. This is Behrins' second career All-American honor as she was also named to the IWLCA's Third-Team in 2021.
DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Lacrosse on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WLAX on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_WLAX on Instagram
Players Mentioned
Attack
/ Women's Lacrosse
Defense
/ Women's LacrosseSunday, May 10
Friday, May 08
Friday, May 08
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