Two Roberts Wesleyan College women’s lacrosse players have landed spots on USA Lacrosse Magazine’s D-II Women’s Preseason All-American team.
Graduate student Lindsey Brinkel, who led NCAA Division II in assists last season, is a second-team selection and senior goalkeeper Natalie Arieno, the MVP of the NCAA East Region, is a third-team pick.
“Lindsey and Natalie have worked so hard, and it is nice to see them get recognized going into the season,” said Kristin Paolini, who is entering her seventh season as head coach at Roberts. “This is going to fuel them during the season because they are both humble and hard-working individuals.”
Both Brinkel and Arieno played key roles as the Redhawks made the 2021 season the best in program history. Roberts (14-2) set a program record for wins while winning its first East Coast Conference Tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II semifinals in Salem, Virginia.
Brinkel was named a second-team All-America and first-team East Region selection by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association after registering 34 goals, 57 assists, and 91 points. The Aquinas Institute graduate and ECC Attacker of the Year ranked fifth in the nation in points while finishing second in assists per game and fifth in points per game (5.69).
“Lindsey is so crafty around the crease,” Paolini said. “She is known as a feeder but she has really honed in on her shooting. She is very patient with her shot and that keeps goalkeepers on their toes. She has learned and grown as a player each year and the game has really seemed to slow down for her.”
Arieno played every second of every game for the Redhawks and was a first-team All-ECC selection. The Greece Athena graduate ranked ninth in Division II in goals-against average (8.28) while making 114 saves and a save percentage of .462.
“Natalie is such a student of the game,” Paolini said. “She learns from every shot that is taken on her. To see her being recognized is great because she is not only a great goalie in the cage, she is vocal and she is a leader. She has also perfected getting the ball out of her stick quickly and making that quarterback pass to start our transition offense.”
Roberts begins practice for the 2022 season on January 18 and is scheduled to play its first game on February 27 at Walsh University.
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