University of Delaware Athletics
Hranicka's CAA Defensive Player Of The Year Honor Highlights Five All-Conference Selections
5/3/2023 2:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – Madison Hranicka has been named CAA Defensive Player of the Year to highlight five All-Conference selections for Delaware women's lacrosse, as announced on May 3, 2023. In addition to Defensive Player of the Year, Hranicka was named All-CAA First-Team. Joining her on the First-Team was reigning CAA Rookie of the Year Delaney McDaniel, while Lizzie Yurchak was named Second-Team. Morgan Gore and McKenzie Didio were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. Between First, Second, and All-Rookie, the five All-Conference selections are the most for Delaware since having seven in 2017.
Hranicka was named the second CAA Defensive Player of the Year in Delaware program history, joining Erin Wein in 2016, and earned First-Team All-CAA honors in consecutive seasons. She's the first Delaware player to earn First-Team All-CAA honors in two consecutive years since Becky Gohsler in 2017 and 2018. Hranicka is one of four players this year in all of Division I with at least 45 caused turnovers (46) and 35 ground balls (39). She is currently in fifth place on the all-time Delaware career caused turnover leaderboard with 79, and has already broken the Delaware single-season caused turnover record. She became the eighth player in program history with at least 30 caused turnovers and 30 ground balls in a season, joining Christy Buck (2000), Liz Walton (2000), Ashley Moderacki (2001), Laurie Tortorelli (2002), Wein (2014, 2015), Caitlin McCartney (2015), Gohsler (2018), and Chantae Simms (2018, 2019). Hranicka is one of four Division I players this season with multiple games with at least six caused turnovers. She also has five games this season with at least five ground balls. Against Drexel, Hranicka became the third player in program history with at least seven caused turnovers in a game, tying Wein (March 5, 2016 vs Canisius) and McCartney (March 4, 2015 vs Monmouth) for the most in program history. She is also one of five players this season with at least seven caused turnovers and six ground balls in a game, and the only CAA player. Hranicka and Simms are the only players in Delaware history to have two games of at least six caused turnovers for their careers, and she and McCartney are the only players in UD history with three career games with at least five caused turnovers. Hranicka is the only player in program history with three games of at least five caused turnovers in one season. She was the only player this season with three CAA Player of the Week honors, and the first CAA player with three since Paulina DiFatta of Elon did so in 2021. She's the first UD player with three CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors in a season. In the final game of the regular season, she had six caused turnovers and five ground balls in a win over Towson, helping hold the Tigers to their lowest goal total of the season at nine and clinching a spot for the Blue Hens in the CAA Conference Tournament. Heading into the CAA Tournament, she ranks third nationally and first in CAA in caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game, and third in CAA and 49th nationally in total ground balls, second in CAA in ground balls per game and 33d nationally.
A season after winning CAA Rookie of the Year, McDaniel landed on the First-Team after scoring 11 goals, dishing out 31 assists, and recording 42 points. She is one of seven players this season in all of Division I with multiple games of at least six assists, and the only CAA player. She recorded eight points against Lafayette and Old Dominion, the fourth most by a CAA player this season, and is one of three CAA players this year with multiple eight-point games. Her seven assists against Lafayette were tied for the fourth most in Delaware history in a single-game, and tied for the second most ever in a women's lacrosse game at Delaware Stadium. With her 31 assists, she joined Mia DeRuggiero (53, 2019 and 36, 2018), Denise Swift (43, 1984), and Karen Emas (34, 1983 and 32, 1984) as the only players in Delaware history with at least 30 assists in a season. She currently ranks first in the CAA in assists and 31st nationally and first in CAA in assists per game and 28th nationally. Hranicka and McDaniel are the first pair of UD teammates to be named First-Team All-CAA since DeRuggiero and Simms in 2019.McDaniel is the first Delaware sophomore to earn First-Team honors since Erin Wein and Casey Lyons in 2014.
Yurchak was named Second-Team All-Conference, her first postseason honor in the CAA. A former Big-South First-Team selection at Campbell, Yurchak has recorded 26 goals, eight assists, 34 points, 17 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers, and 46 draw controls this season. She is one of three CAA players with 45+ draw controls, 30+ points, 15+ ground balls, and 15+ caused turnovers on the year. She was named IWLCA Co-Offensive Player of the Week and CAA Player of the Week on March 28 after scoring six goals to tie a Delaware Stadium record, including five in the second half, to turn a 10-5 deficit into a 13-12 overtime win over Monmouth. She was the first of three CAA players this season to receive national Player of the Week honors.
Gore has scored 14 goals and handed out four assists this season to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team. She scored a goal in the first six games of her career, the longest streak by a Blue Hen in over 14 years. She was the first Delaware freshman to score a goal in six straight games at any point in a season since McKenzie Rafferty in 2013. Gore scored a season-best three goals in a 16-12 win over Lafayette, and also scored two goals against Georgetown. She also scooped up 10 ground balls. Her 14 goals scored so far are the most by a Delaware freshman since Christine Long scored 19 in 2017.
Didio scored 10 goals on the season, including a stretch to begin CAA play where she scored in four straight games. She scored two goals against Old Dominion and two against Stony Brook, who were ranked No. 5 nationally at the time. In a comeback win against Elon, Didio scored the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining to give Delaware to a 12-11 road win. Gore and Didio are the first pair of UD teammates named to the All-Rookie Team since Long and Sydney Rausa in 2017, and the first pair of freshmen to score at least 10 goals in a season since Long (19), Rausa (12), and DeRuggiero (10) in 2017
Delaware is in the CAA Conference Tournament for a second consecutive season and 13th time overall. They concluded the regular season with eight wins, four CAA wins, and five wins at home. It's their most overall wins and home wins in a season since going 8-10 overall and 5-3 at home in 2018. Their 4-3 CAA record is their best since going 4-2 in 2017. The Blue Hens will play No. 1 seed and No. 11 nationally ranked Stony Brook on Thursday at noon, with the winner playing either No. 2 seed Towson or No. 3 seed Drexel in the CAA Championship on Saturday.
Hranicka was named the second CAA Defensive Player of the Year in Delaware program history, joining Erin Wein in 2016, and earned First-Team All-CAA honors in consecutive seasons. She's the first Delaware player to earn First-Team All-CAA honors in two consecutive years since Becky Gohsler in 2017 and 2018. Hranicka is one of four players this year in all of Division I with at least 45 caused turnovers (46) and 35 ground balls (39). She is currently in fifth place on the all-time Delaware career caused turnover leaderboard with 79, and has already broken the Delaware single-season caused turnover record. She became the eighth player in program history with at least 30 caused turnovers and 30 ground balls in a season, joining Christy Buck (2000), Liz Walton (2000), Ashley Moderacki (2001), Laurie Tortorelli (2002), Wein (2014, 2015), Caitlin McCartney (2015), Gohsler (2018), and Chantae Simms (2018, 2019). Hranicka is one of four Division I players this season with multiple games with at least six caused turnovers. She also has five games this season with at least five ground balls. Against Drexel, Hranicka became the third player in program history with at least seven caused turnovers in a game, tying Wein (March 5, 2016 vs Canisius) and McCartney (March 4, 2015 vs Monmouth) for the most in program history. She is also one of five players this season with at least seven caused turnovers and six ground balls in a game, and the only CAA player. Hranicka and Simms are the only players in Delaware history to have two games of at least six caused turnovers for their careers, and she and McCartney are the only players in UD history with three career games with at least five caused turnovers. Hranicka is the only player in program history with three games of at least five caused turnovers in one season. She was the only player this season with three CAA Player of the Week honors, and the first CAA player with three since Paulina DiFatta of Elon did so in 2021. She's the first UD player with three CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors in a season. In the final game of the regular season, she had six caused turnovers and five ground balls in a win over Towson, helping hold the Tigers to their lowest goal total of the season at nine and clinching a spot for the Blue Hens in the CAA Conference Tournament. Heading into the CAA Tournament, she ranks third nationally and first in CAA in caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game, and third in CAA and 49th nationally in total ground balls, second in CAA in ground balls per game and 33d nationally.
A season after winning CAA Rookie of the Year, McDaniel landed on the First-Team after scoring 11 goals, dishing out 31 assists, and recording 42 points. She is one of seven players this season in all of Division I with multiple games of at least six assists, and the only CAA player. She recorded eight points against Lafayette and Old Dominion, the fourth most by a CAA player this season, and is one of three CAA players this year with multiple eight-point games. Her seven assists against Lafayette were tied for the fourth most in Delaware history in a single-game, and tied for the second most ever in a women's lacrosse game at Delaware Stadium. With her 31 assists, she joined Mia DeRuggiero (53, 2019 and 36, 2018), Denise Swift (43, 1984), and Karen Emas (34, 1983 and 32, 1984) as the only players in Delaware history with at least 30 assists in a season. She currently ranks first in the CAA in assists and 31st nationally and first in CAA in assists per game and 28th nationally. Hranicka and McDaniel are the first pair of UD teammates to be named First-Team All-CAA since DeRuggiero and Simms in 2019.McDaniel is the first Delaware sophomore to earn First-Team honors since Erin Wein and Casey Lyons in 2014.
Yurchak was named Second-Team All-Conference, her first postseason honor in the CAA. A former Big-South First-Team selection at Campbell, Yurchak has recorded 26 goals, eight assists, 34 points, 17 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers, and 46 draw controls this season. She is one of three CAA players with 45+ draw controls, 30+ points, 15+ ground balls, and 15+ caused turnovers on the year. She was named IWLCA Co-Offensive Player of the Week and CAA Player of the Week on March 28 after scoring six goals to tie a Delaware Stadium record, including five in the second half, to turn a 10-5 deficit into a 13-12 overtime win over Monmouth. She was the first of three CAA players this season to receive national Player of the Week honors.
Gore has scored 14 goals and handed out four assists this season to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team. She scored a goal in the first six games of her career, the longest streak by a Blue Hen in over 14 years. She was the first Delaware freshman to score a goal in six straight games at any point in a season since McKenzie Rafferty in 2013. Gore scored a season-best three goals in a 16-12 win over Lafayette, and also scored two goals against Georgetown. She also scooped up 10 ground balls. Her 14 goals scored so far are the most by a Delaware freshman since Christine Long scored 19 in 2017.
Didio scored 10 goals on the season, including a stretch to begin CAA play where she scored in four straight games. She scored two goals against Old Dominion and two against Stony Brook, who were ranked No. 5 nationally at the time. In a comeback win against Elon, Didio scored the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining to give Delaware to a 12-11 road win. Gore and Didio are the first pair of UD teammates named to the All-Rookie Team since Long and Sydney Rausa in 2017, and the first pair of freshmen to score at least 10 goals in a season since Long (19), Rausa (12), and DeRuggiero (10) in 2017
Delaware is in the CAA Conference Tournament for a second consecutive season and 13th time overall. They concluded the regular season with eight wins, four CAA wins, and five wins at home. It's their most overall wins and home wins in a season since going 8-10 overall and 5-3 at home in 2018. Their 4-3 CAA record is their best since going 4-2 in 2017. The Blue Hens will play No. 1 seed and No. 11 nationally ranked Stony Brook on Thursday at noon, with the winner playing either No. 2 seed Towson or No. 3 seed Drexel in the CAA Championship on Saturday.
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