Makayla Kelly named PSAC West Women’s Lacrosse Freshman of the Year, Bald Eagles land four on All-Conference team

LOCK HAVEN– Makayla Kelly (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Freshman of the Year and four Lock Haven women’s lacrosse student-athletes were named to the All-PSAC West team, the conference office announced on Wednesday afternoon (May 8).

Kelly is the program’s first PSAC Freshman of the Year since Jessica Pandolf in 2011.

Attacker Gabby Gunnip (Elbridge, N.Y./Jordan Elbridge), midfielder Josey Shaffer (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) and defender Mackenna Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) were named to the All-PSAC West First Team, while midfielder Nadia Baskot (Damascus, Md./Damascus) was tabbed Second Team.

Under ninth-year head coach Lindsey Reese, the quintet helped lead the Bald Eagles on a remarkable turnaround, as the program won 14 games for the first time since 2016, while reaching the PSAC Postseason Tournament for the first time since 2018 as the number three seed.

The Bald Eagles reached as high as No. 15 in the USA Magazine top-20 National Poll, while also receiving votes in the NCAA DII National Rankings. Lock Haven ended the regular season as the sixth-ranked team in the Atlantic Region.

The Haven traveled to the No. 2 seed Slippery Rock University on Tuesday (May 7) for the PSAC Championship quarterfinal. Slippery Rock earned the victory at home, 15-6.

Kelly, who brought home the Rookie of the Year on the Bald Eagles’ attack line, finished the season with 41 goals and six assists to total 47 points, which ranked third on the team. Kelly was also one of four Bald Eagles to cause double-digit turnovers, while scooping up 12 ground balls. The freshman scored in every game, including a season-best five goals against Slippery Rock on March 27.

Gunnip, who led the team and finished fifth in the conference with 56 goals and 77 points, was named to the First Team as an attacker. Gunnip was one of three Bald Eagles to bring home an Athlete of the Week honor, doing so twice on the offensive end. The sophomore scored in every game, while scoring multiple goals 15 times, including five or more goals four times. Gunnip netted a season-high seven goals in the Bald Eagles’ victory over Gannon. She also dished out 20 helpers on the year.

Shaffer went out with a bang in her senior season and landed on the First Team in the midfield. The senior scored 27 goals, dished out six assists, while leading the team with 55 draw controls and finishing second with 33 ground balls. Shaffer scored a season-high four goals twice and hauled in a season-high 10 draw controls in the Bald Eagles’ victory over Gannon.

Brown was the lone defender of the group to earn All-PSAC honors and was also named to the First Team. Brown was a monster on the defensive end for Lock Haven all season and led the team with 33 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls. The two-time PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, Brown, caused multiple turnovers in 10 games, including a season-high of four, three different times.

Baskot was the lone Bald Eagle to land on the Second Team, doing so in the midfield. Baskot did a little bit of everything for Lock Haven this season, as she scored 26 goals and dished out 13 assists, for a total of 39 points. The junior also caused 16 turnovers and picked up 18 groundballs, while finishing second on the team with 45 draw controls. Baskot scored and dished out an assist in nine games, while racking up a season-high six draw controls twice.