PAC Release

TRAFFORD, Pa. -- For only the second time in program history, an Allegheny College women's lacrosse student-athlete won a major conference award as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Junior Amelia Henderson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) highlighted Allegheny's 2025 year-end honorees as the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Year. Henderson joined Lauren Petrarca (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) on the All-PAC First Team, while Erin Lowthert (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) earned All-PAC Honorable Mention accolades.

Henderson is the first Gator to win a Defensive Player of the Year award since midfielder Emily Deering Crosby '06, an Allegheny Hall of Famer, was recognized by the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) during her senior year in 2006. Henderson, now a three-time All-PAC selection, finished the season second in the PAC with 3.88 ground balls per game and fourth with 2.29 caused turnovers per game while ranking among the top 50 in the country in both categories. Her 66 ground balls and 39 caused turnovers were both career-bests. Against Thiel College on April 12, she posted an incredible stat line with 10 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Henderson also had a two-goal performance while leading a defense that surrendered only one goal in a 22-1 victory over Geneva College on April 23.

Petrarca is another three-time All-PAC award winner and repeat first-team honoree. The senior midfielder led the team in several statistical categories, including points (65), goals (54), caused turnovers (40), and draw controls (138). Among national leaders, Petrarca was eighth in Division III with 8.12 draw controls per game. She scored multiple goals in 14 of 17 games in 2025, including a seven-goal effort in a 20-14 win over Franciscan University on March 22. She also tied a team record with nine goals in a 23-10 victory against Bethany College on April 26, the same game she won a career-high 18 draw controls.  Petrarca will graduate with the second-most goals (205) and fourth-most points (240) in program history.

An All-PAC Honorable Mention, Lowthert had a successful debut campaign in 2025. The first-year midfielder made an impact in all phases of the game, ranking second on the team in goals (32) and draw controls (55), tied for second in ground balls (59), and third in caused turnovers (28). Lowthert netted four goals to lead Allegheny to its first win of 2025, a 14-7 victory over Keuka College on March 1. She ended the year on a strong note with two six-point outings against Geneva and Bethany in the last two home games of the season.

Caroline Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty), another first-year midfielder, earned additional honors from the conference as Allegheny's PAC Sportsmanship Team representative. The PAC's Sportsmanship Teams were established to recognize student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior and are an ongoing effort to both recognize and encourage positive sportsmanship among all conference teams. Smith logged 34 points (22g-12a) with 38 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers in her rookie season with the Gators.