GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has honored five individuals as recipients of the 2017 ACC Women’s Lacrosse annual awards, as voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.

North Carolina senior attacker Molly Hendrick was named the ACC Attacker of the Year, fellow Tar Heel junior midfielder Marie McCool is the first ACC Midfielder of the Year, while Louisville junior goalie Brittany Read has been named the ACC Defender of the Year. Virginia midfielder Sammy Mueller earned Freshman of the Year honors, and Syracuse’s Gary Gait is the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year. 

Hendrick leads the ACC with 3.67 goals per game (66 in 18 contests). The Tewaaraton Award nominee and three-time All-ACC selection from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was at her best late in the season, tallying a career-high seven goals versus Duke in the Tar Heels’ regular-season finale, and then matching that total in last Sunday’s win over Syracuse in the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Championship title game. Hendrick added two assists in the win over the Orange for a career-high nine points and was named the tournament MVP. Hendrick also leads the ACC in shots (8.2) and the nation in shots on goal per game (6.1).

McCool, a two-time First Team All-ACC selection, owns 58 points on 42 goals and 16 assists, and ranks in the top 10 among all ACC players in goals per game (2.33) and points per game (3.22). She leads North Carolina in caused turnovers with 18 and has totaled 30 ground balls on the season. McCool was recently named one of 25 Tewaaraton Award nominees. 

Read, Louisville’s all-time leader in career saves (315), leads the ACC in saves (186), save percentage (.518) and saves per game (10.33). She owns the ACC’s second best goals against average (9.58) that also ranks 21st nationally. Her 51.8 saves percentage ranks seventh in Division I, while her 186 saves this season ranks fourth. Read has posted 11 games of double-digit saves this season, including in each of the Cardinals’ last four games. 

Virginia’s Mueller has started in all but two games this season at midfield for the Cavaliers. She owns 38 points on 35 goals and three assists, along with 43 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers. Five of her goals were game winners, which ranks tied for second in the ACC. The rookie from Pelham, New York, began her career with an 11-game scoring streak and has tallied a goal in 17 of 19 games this season. 

Gait earned ACC Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three seasons after guiding the Orange to a 15-6 overall record to date and a second-place regular-season conference finish. Syracuse’s win over defending NCAA champion North Carolina on April 15 is the Tar Heels’ only loss in their last 23 games versus ACC opposition. Despite the loss of three-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year Kayla Treanor and a number of other key players from the 2016 national semifinal team to graduation, this year’s Orange squad owns a No. 8 national ranking and a No. 4 RPI heading into this Sunday’s announcement of the 2017 NCAA Championship field.

Attacker of the Year: Molly Hendrick, Sr., A, North Carolina

Midfielder of the Year: Marie McCool, Jr., M, North Carolina

Defender of  the Year: Brittany Read, Jr., G, Louisville

Freshman of the Year: Sammy Mueller, Fr., M, Virginia

Coach of the Year: Gary Gait, Syracuse