Vikings finish 18-3; win the CCIW regular season and tournament championships for the second year in a row; reach NCAA Division III Tournament round of 16 for the fourth consecutive year; Anne Hopkins and Olivia Mayer named CCIW Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year; another six Vikings earn all-conference recognition
 
The 2016 season marked the fourth straight in which the Augustana women's lacrosse team was an undefeated conference champion and reached the NCAA's Division III Tournament round of 16. Coach Meredith Newman's Vikings finished the year with an 18-3 record, including an undefeated (6-0) CCIW regular season championship as well as a conference tournament title.
 
In five seasons of varsity competition, Augustana has posted an overall record of 88-13 (.871) and is 30-0 in conference play with four straight league championships (two in the MWLC and two in the CCIW). The Vikings competed as an independent in their inaugural season of 2012.
 
The season opened with a pair of games played in and indoor facility at Detroit Country Day School. The Vikings defeated Albion 20-7 on February 20 and fell 13-8 to Denison the next day. That would be the team's last loss for more than nine weeks, as Augustana ran off a streak of 14 consecutive wins. A 9-8 victory at Allegheny on March 1 marked the only contest with a margin of less than five goals.
 
The Vikings once again stormed through conference play, winning six straight games. The closest of those was a 13-7 win over North Central in a torrential downpour in Naperville, Illinois on April 20. The team's other five league wins all featured margins of at least 11 goals. The regular season ended with a showdown at Thorson-Lucken Field against Colorado College. The Tigers came away with a 20-13 win and Augustana entered the postseason with a record of 15-2.
 
Wins over Carthage (16-7) and Illinois Wesleyan (15-3) gave the Vikings their second straight CCIW Tournament championship and fourth consecutive conference tournament title overall. Concordia (Wis.) was Augustana's opponent in its NCAA Tournament opener at home and the Vikings were a 17-6 winner, handing the Falcons just their third loss in 18 games—two of which were to Augustana. Second-ranked College of New Jersey ended the Vikings' season with a 13-3 win in the NCAA round of 16 on May 21 in Hartford, Connecticut.
 
Individually, Augustana had both the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in the CCIW. Junior Anne Hopkins (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago, Ill.) won offensive honors, with junior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) taking defensive honors. Seniors Nellie Bubb (Holy Family HS, Excelsior, Minn.), Emily Handrahan (Lake Zurich HS, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) and Kaylee Nolan (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) joined the pair on the All-CCIW first team and seniors Kaitlin Hightower (Providence HS, Matthews, N.C.), Quinn Foley (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) and Kendall Maduro (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) earned second team recognition. In addition, Hopkins, Mayer and Bubb were Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association first team all-region selections, with Handrahan and Nolan named to the second team.
 
Hopkins was Newman's leading goal-scorer this year with 69. She was also second on the team with 30 assists and 99 points. Mayer led the Vikings with 39 caused turnovers. She also had 47 goals, 27 assists, 43 ground balls and 31 draw controls.
 
Handrahan led Augustana in assists (64) and points (100) this year and was the team's fifth-leading goal scorer with 36. Her 185 career assists broke Hilary Kargl's previous school record by one and she also set career marks for free-position goals (35) and games played (tied with 83). Handrahan ranks second all-time in points (321) and fifth in goals (136). Nolan was second on the team with 49 goals this year. She led the Vikings in draw controls (167) and ground balls (45) for the fourth consecutive year and holds Augustana's top four single-season marks in each of those categories. She is the school's career record holder in games (tied with 83), draw controls (506), ground balls (190) and caused turnovers (112). Maduro contributed 38 goals, 40 ground balls, 36 draw controls and 30 caused turnovers.
 
Bubb and Hightower anchored Augustana's back line of defense. Bubb snared 44 ground balls, caused 36 turnovers and controlled 16 draws. Hightower had 27 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.
 
Sophomore Analia Fowler (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) played the majority of minutes (689:30) in goal this year and went 16-2 with a goals against average of 6.53 and a save percentage of .483. Senior Jenna Hofmann (Columbine HS, Littleton, Colo.) logged 372 minutes and was 1-1 with a 6.77 GAA and a .432 save percentage. She is the school record holder with 38 career wins.
 
Shortly after the season ended, Newman resigned her position to return to Virginia, where she will take over as head coach at her alma mater, Sweet Briar College. She leaves Augustana with a two-year record of 37-5, two CCIW regular season and tournament titles and two trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament round of 16.
 
2016 CCIW WOMEN'S LACROSSE STANDINGS

School	Conf	Overall
Augustana	6-0	18-3
Illinois Wesleyan	4-2	15-4
North Central	4-2	13-5
Carthage	4-2	10-6
Dubuque	2-4	11-6
Carroll	1-5	4-13
Elmhurst	0-6	4-12

 
2016 CCIW Tournament
 
Wednesday, May 4
#1 Augustana 16, #4 Carthage 7
#2 Illinois Wesleyan 9, #3 North Central 6
 
Saturday, May 7
Augustana 15, Illinois Wesleyan 3
 
2016 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
IWLCA ALL-GREAT LAKES REGION: 1st team – Nellie Bubb, D; Anne Hopkins, A; Olivia Mayer, M; 2nd team – Emily Handrahan, A; Kaylee Nolan, M.
ALL-CCIW: 1st team -  Nellie Bubb, D; Anne Hopkins, A; Emily Handrahan, A; Kaylee Nolan, M; Olivia Mayer, M; 2nd team – Kaitlin Hightower, D; Quinn Foley, A; Kendall Maduro, M.
CCIW OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anne Hopkins.
CCIW DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Olivia Mayer.
CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Nellie Bubb.
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Carla Bennett, Nellie Bubb, Cori Duncan, Quinn Foley, Jenna Hofmann, Anne Hopkins, Emily Lucnik, Kendall Maduro, Olivia Mayer, Rebecca Pollard.
CCIW PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Anne Hopkins (Offense) 2/22 & 4/25; Analia Fowler (Defense) 2/22; Olivia Mayer (Offense) 2/29; Kendall Maduro (Defense) 3/7; Emily Handrahan (Offense) 3/21; Kaylee Nolan (Defense) 4/4; Nellie Bubb (Defense) 4/18.
 
NCAA TEAM TOP 25 STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Scoring Margin – 9.71, 2nd... Assists per game – 9.57, 2nd... Points per game – 25.10, 4th... Scoring defense – 5.81, 5th... Scoring offense – 15.52, 6th... Win percentage - .857, 6th... Free position percentage - .494, 14th... Caused turnovers per game – 12.71, 16th... Draw controls per game – 14.62, 20th.
 
NCAA INDIVIDUAL TOP 50 STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Assists – 64, Emily Handrahan, 2nd... Draw controls per game – 7.95, Kaylee Nolan, 4th... Assists per game – 3.05, Emily Handrahan, 8th... Points – 100, Emily Handrahan, 10th; 99, Anne Hopkins, 11th... Goals – 69, Anne Hopkins, 15th... Points per game – 4.95, Anne Hopkins, 43rd... Free position percentage - .571, Emily Handrahan, 47th.
 
CCIW TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS: Goals per game – 17.83; Assists per game – 12.00... Points per game – 29.83... Draw Controls per game – 16.50... Shots per game – 32.17; Shot percentage – .554; Fewest turnover per game – 18.33... Caused Turnovers – 15.83... Goals Against Average – 3.50... Shutouts – 1... Shots on Goal per game – 27.50.
 
CCIW INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS LEADERS: Goals per game – 4.33, Anne Hopkins... Assists per game – 3.67, Emily Handrahan... Points per game – 5.67, Anne Hopkins... Game-winning goals – 3, Anne Hopkins... Shots per game – 6.83, Anne Hopkins... Draw Controls per game – 8.17, Kaylee Nolan.
 
SCHOOL RECORDS
Singe Game – Individual
Free position goals – 3, Emily Handrahan vs. Albion, 2/20... Short-handed goals – 1, Bailey Aasen at Thiel, 3/4; Emily Handrahan at Illinois Wesleyan, 4/9; Kaylee Nolan at Illinois Wesleyan, 4/9; Anne Hopkins vs. Illinois Wesleyan, 5/7.
 
Single Game – Team
Man-up goals – 4 vs. Augsburg, 3/20... Short-handed goals: 2 at Illinois Wesleyan, 4/9... Free position goals – 7 at Albion, 2/20...
 
Season – Individual
Draw controls – 167, Kaylee Nolan... Draw controls per game – 7.95, Kaylee Nolan... Caused turnovers – 39, Olivia Mayer... Caused turnovers per game – 2.05, Olivia Mayer... Man-up goals – 4, Anne Hopkins... Short-handed goals – 1, Bailey Aasen; Emily Handrahan; Kaylee Nolan; Anne Hopkins... Free position goals – 12, Emily Handrahan... Games – 21, Emily Handrahan; Carla Bennett; Kendall Maduro; Nellie Bubb; Quinn Foley; Kaylee Nolan; Cori Duncan.
 
Season – Team
Man-up goals – 15... Short-handed goals – 4... Free position goals 40... Goals against average – 5.81.
 
Career – Individual
Assists – 185, Emily Handrahan, 2013-16... Ground balls – 190, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Ground balls per game – 2.29, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Draw controls – 506, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Draw controls per game – 6.10, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Caused turnovers – 112, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Caused turnovers per game – 1.35, Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16... Man-up goals – 6, Anne Hopkins, 2014-16... Short-handed goals – 2, Emily Handrahan, 2013-16... Free position goals – 35, Emily Handrahan, 2013-16... Save percentage - .494, Analia Fowler, 2015-16... Goals against average – 5.65, Analia Fowler, 2015-16... Goalie wins – 38, Jenna Hoffman, 2013-16... Games played – 83, Emily Handrahan, 2013-16; Kaylee Nolan, 2013-16.