TicketsCINCINNATI – The American Athletic Conference has announced its inaugural preseason awards and coaches polls for the 2019 lacrosse season with three University of Cincinnati players earning recognition. Monica Borzillo, Amanda Donovan and Sam Mlkvy were selected to the 2019 AAC Preseason All-Conference Team in a vote of the coaches in the newly formed AAC while the Bearcats team was voted fifth in the six-team league.
// MAKING HISTORY
With their selections, the trio of Borzillo, Donovan and Mlkvy made history as they became the first Bearcats selected to a conference preseason all-conference team in program history. Borzillo and Donovan are two of the four individuals that earned post season accolades for UC prior to this year, but this year will mark the first time anyone has earned a preseason honor.
// INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Borzillo, one of the top scorers in program history in her first two seasons, was a unanimous selection to the AAC all-conference team, giving her the third all-conference honor of her career after twice being named to the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team following her 2017 and 2018 campaigns. Donovan, who is entering her senior season, earned her second career conference accolade after being named to the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team in 2017 while Mlvky, set for her junior season, garnered her first award.
The three awards earned from the AAC, when combined with the postseason honors from the BIG EAST, gives the Bearcats eight total honors with all eight coming since the end of the 2015 season when Courtney Curtis was named the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team. Kyara Byner earned first-team honors in 2016 before Borzillo and Donovan earned their trio of awards.
// NEW START
The 2019 season will mark the first year the AAC will sponsor lacrosse. The Bearcats, entering their 12th year as a varsity program, spent the previous 11 years in the BIG EAST Conference after playing their inaugural year of 2008 as an independent. The AAC will be comprised of six schools, including AAC members UC, UConn, ECU and Temple, along with associate members for lacrosse in Florida and Vanderbilt. With the excepetion of ECU, who is in their second year as a program, all AAC teams were together in the BIG EAST last year.
// TEAM STANDINGS
In the coaches' poll, the Bearcats earned nine points and were projected to finish fifth in the six-team league. Florida, who won or shared the BIG EAST crown each of the past four years, was voted to claim in the inaugural AAC title with 25 points and five first place votes. Vanderbilt, UConn and Temple all were picked close to one another with the Commodores, who received the final first place vote, selected to finish second with 18 points, the Huskies in third with 17 points and the Owls fourth with 16 points. ECU earned five points and was voted to finish sixth overall.
// LIFT THE LID
The Bearcats will open their 2019 season on February 8 when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to town for a 3 p.m. start at Gettler Stadium. That game will be the first of two on the weekend as UC will then play host to Kent State at 1 p.m. at Gettler Stadium on Sunday, February 10. The Sunday game will be the first varsity competition KSU will play as their program gets started in 2019.
// THE AAC IS COMING TO UC
Mark your calendars for May 2 and 4 as the 2019 American Athletic Conference Lacrosse Championships will be held at the Sheakley Athletic Center on the UC campus. The Top 4 teams in the standings will play in the three-game event in Cincinnati with the semifinals being held May 2 and the final May 4. Game times and ticket pricing will be made available later this season on both GoBearcats.com and TheAmerican.org.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.
// MAKING HISTORY
With their selections, the trio of Borzillo, Donovan and Mlkvy made history as they became the first Bearcats selected to a conference preseason all-conference team in program history. Borzillo and Donovan are two of the four individuals that earned post season accolades for UC prior to this year, but this year will mark the first time anyone has earned a preseason honor.
// INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Borzillo, one of the top scorers in program history in her first two seasons, was a unanimous selection to the AAC all-conference team, giving her the third all-conference honor of her career after twice being named to the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team following her 2017 and 2018 campaigns. Donovan, who is entering her senior season, earned her second career conference accolade after being named to the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team in 2017 while Mlvky, set for her junior season, garnered her first award.
The three awards earned from the AAC, when combined with the postseason honors from the BIG EAST, gives the Bearcats eight total honors with all eight coming since the end of the 2015 season when Courtney Curtis was named the BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team. Kyara Byner earned first-team honors in 2016 before Borzillo and Donovan earned their trio of awards.
// NEW START
The 2019 season will mark the first year the AAC will sponsor lacrosse. The Bearcats, entering their 12th year as a varsity program, spent the previous 11 years in the BIG EAST Conference after playing their inaugural year of 2008 as an independent. The AAC will be comprised of six schools, including AAC members UC, UConn, ECU and Temple, along with associate members for lacrosse in Florida and Vanderbilt. With the excepetion of ECU, who is in their second year as a program, all AAC teams were together in the BIG EAST last year.
// TEAM STANDINGS
In the coaches' poll, the Bearcats earned nine points and were projected to finish fifth in the six-team league. Florida, who won or shared the BIG EAST crown each of the past four years, was voted to claim in the inaugural AAC title with 25 points and five first place votes. Vanderbilt, UConn and Temple all were picked close to one another with the Commodores, who received the final first place vote, selected to finish second with 18 points, the Huskies in third with 17 points and the Owls fourth with 16 points. ECU earned five points and was voted to finish sixth overall.
// LIFT THE LID
The Bearcats will open their 2019 season on February 8 when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to town for a 3 p.m. start at Gettler Stadium. That game will be the first of two on the weekend as UC will then play host to Kent State at 1 p.m. at Gettler Stadium on Sunday, February 10. The Sunday game will be the first varsity competition KSU will play as their program gets started in 2019.
// THE AAC IS COMING TO UC
Mark your calendars for May 2 and 4 as the 2019 American Athletic Conference Lacrosse Championships will be held at the Sheakley Athletic Center on the UC campus. The Top 4 teams in the standings will play in the three-game event in Cincinnati with the semifinals being held May 2 and the final May 4. Game times and ticket pricing will be made available later this season on both GoBearcats.com and TheAmerican.org.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.