Army West Point Athletics
Cortes, Spencer Garner All-League Honors
May 01, 2017 | Women's Lacrosse
WEST POINT, N.Y. – For the first time in program history, Army West Point women's lacrosse players garnered post-season awards from the Patriot League. Manuela Cortes and Kiersten Spencer were both named to the second team after the team capped its season on Saturday.
"I am so thrilled that for the first time in our program's history, two of our Army Women's Lacrosse players have been recognized and selected to the Second Team All-Patriot League, said Noto Family head women's lacrosse coach Kristen Skiera.
Cortes, a sophomore from Shoreham, N.Y., posted the second most points on the team with 45. She notched 39 goals and added six assists for a .390 shot percentage. Cortes leads the team in free position goals by a landslide with 12. She ranks third on the team in ground balls (25) and has 11 caused turnovers. The second-year starter recorded four games with four or more points. Cortes added a career-high six goals against Mercer.
"Manuela grew so much throughout her sophomore campaign and became a match-up nightmare for our opponents," she said. "Manuela has a nose for the cage, great speed and explosiveness and an ability to create her own shot. She was able to consistently put the ball in the back of the net in addition to all her other contributions as a two-way midfielder for us."
Spencer, who hails from Mahwah, N.J., started in 14 of Army's 17 games this season. She scored six goals for Army and added an assist and was primarily active on the defensive end of the ball. Spencer was second on the team in ground balls with 33 and second in caused turnovers with 19. The co-captain picked up 14 draw controls and ended the season on a three-game scoring streak.
"Kiersten is a total work horse all over the field and has taken on a strong defensive role for us this year," explained Skiera. "Her game IQ, athleticism and aggressive play definitely stand out on the defensive end. In addition to her large number of caused turnovers and ground balls in our defensive end, we relied on her heavily to clear the ball and win draw controls. By the end of the season, she was playing high level lacrosse for the full sixty minutes she was out on the field."
The Black Knights finished their second season as a varsity program with a 5-12 mark. Army earned its first Patriot League victory with a 11-9 win over Colgate April 19.
For additional information about the Army West Point women's lacrosse team, follow @ArmyWP_WLAX on Twitter and Instagram.
"I am so thrilled that for the first time in our program's history, two of our Army Women's Lacrosse players have been recognized and selected to the Second Team All-Patriot League, said Noto Family head women's lacrosse coach Kristen Skiera.
Cortes, a sophomore from Shoreham, N.Y., posted the second most points on the team with 45. She notched 39 goals and added six assists for a .390 shot percentage. Cortes leads the team in free position goals by a landslide with 12. She ranks third on the team in ground balls (25) and has 11 caused turnovers. The second-year starter recorded four games with four or more points. Cortes added a career-high six goals against Mercer.
"Manuela grew so much throughout her sophomore campaign and became a match-up nightmare for our opponents," she said. "Manuela has a nose for the cage, great speed and explosiveness and an ability to create her own shot. She was able to consistently put the ball in the back of the net in addition to all her other contributions as a two-way midfielder for us."
Spencer, who hails from Mahwah, N.J., started in 14 of Army's 17 games this season. She scored six goals for Army and added an assist and was primarily active on the defensive end of the ball. Spencer was second on the team in ground balls with 33 and second in caused turnovers with 19. The co-captain picked up 14 draw controls and ended the season on a three-game scoring streak.
"Kiersten is a total work horse all over the field and has taken on a strong defensive role for us this year," explained Skiera. "Her game IQ, athleticism and aggressive play definitely stand out on the defensive end. In addition to her large number of caused turnovers and ground balls in our defensive end, we relied on her heavily to clear the ball and win draw controls. By the end of the season, she was playing high level lacrosse for the full sixty minutes she was out on the field."
The Black Knights finished their second season as a varsity program with a 5-12 mark. Army earned its first Patriot League victory with a 11-9 win over Colgate April 19.
For additional information about the Army West Point women's lacrosse team, follow @ArmyWP_WLAX on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Midfield
/ Women's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Women's LacrosseArmy Hockey Ivey Bros Feature
Monday, December 22
This Week in Army Football: Navy
Tuesday, December 09
Army at UTSA Game Highlights
Sunday, November 30
This Week in Army Football: UTSA
Tuesday, November 25