Three Wolverines Named IWLCA All-Americans
5/23/2024 3:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- For the first time in program history, the University of Michigan women's lacrosse team had two players -- Maddie Burns and Erin O'Grady -- named IWLCA first team All-Americans, while Jill Smith was named to the second team, the association announced Thursday (May 23).
The honor is the first for both Burns and O'Grady's, while Smith notched second-team honors in 2023.
Burns anchored the nation's top defense and started all 20 games this season. The Philadelphia, Pa., native had a team-best 29 caused turnovers and 41 ground balls, while ranking fourth on the team with 20 draw controls. Burns broke the U-M career ground-ball record with her 101st pickup against Northwestern on April 21 and closed out her career with 111. The senior was the Big Ten Defender of the Year and also earned Inside Lacrosse All-America honors as well as first team all-region honors.
O'Grady started 19 games in the cage and leads the nation in goals-against average (6.96) and save percentage (.566). The junior goalie made 150 saves this season and became just the fifth goalie in U-M history to record 100 saves in a single season. O'Grady produced six games with double-digit saves this year, including 10 against No. 4 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament second round and was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and a three-time National Defensive Player of the Week. She also was the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, an Inside Lacrosse All-American and an all-region selection.
Smith, U-M's career goals leader, led the Wolverines with 71 points (57 goals, 14 assists). The Farmington Hills, Mich., native became the U-M career goals leader after scoring five goals against Johns Hopkins and carries a career total of 137 goals in just under three seasons of work. This season, Smith had 11 contests with three points or more and 10 hat tricks to her name. The junior attacker recorded a Michigan-best nine points at Marquette with her seven goals and two assists, while also producing five games with six points this season. Smith ranked second on the team with 66 draw controls that featured 13 games with three draw wins or more. The attacker earned first team All-Big Ten honors and was an Inside Lacrosse second team All-American and an all-region selection.
