STANDISH, Maine - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse postseason awards have been announced and 2026 GNAC Champion Saint Joseph's College is well represented.
The Monks claimed three major awards, as senior Celia Melanson (Waterford, Maine) was named the 2026 GNAC Attacker of the Year, sophomore Ava Molineaux (Rowley, Mass.) earned 2026 GNAC Defender of the Year honors, and second-year Head Coach Lydia Dexter was selected as the 2026 GNAC Coach of the Year.
Melanson and Molineaux are joined on the All-Conference First Team by sophomore midfielder Ella Highbarger (Kennebunk, Maine) while junior attack Taylor Dumond (Minisink, N.Y.) and senior defender Alexis Copp (New Durham, N.H.) collected Second Team All-Conference honors.
Melanson becomes the fourth Saint Joseph's player to earn the GNAC's top offensive honor after totaling 21 goals and 83 assists for 104 points in 20 games this spring. She leads the nation with 4.15 assists per game while pacing the conference in both assists and points. Her 83 assists are an SJC single-season record and she is just the second player in program history to eclipse 100 points in a season.
The 2025 Third Team All-GNAC selection heads into the NCAA Tournament with 83 goals and 164 assists for 247 total points to go along with 125 ground balls, 54 draw controls, and 36 caused turnovers in 73 career games. The program's all-time assists leader, Melanson also ranks third in team history in points.
Molineaux, the second player in program history to earn GNAC Defender of the Year honors (joining Rachelle Messuri '14 in 2014), also garnered First Team All-Conference recognition after leading the conference in ground balls (77) while ranking second in draw controls (92) and caused turnovers (54). Her 2026 totals rank sixth in SJC single-season history in ground balls, seventh in draw controls, and second in caused turnovers.
A 2025 Second Team All-Conference selection, Molineaux anchored a Saint Joseph's defense that led the GNAC in fewest goals allowed (64) and goals-against average (4.92). Through two seasons, she has totaled 147 draw controls, 129 ground balls, and 81 caused turnovers and already ranks seventh in team history in draw controls.
Dexter guided Saint Joseph's to a perfect 13-0 mark in conference play and a 17-3 overall record during her second season at the helm. The Monks led the GNAC in goals (231), assists (138), goals per game (17.77), shots (498), shots on goal (379), ground balls (316), fewest goals allowed (64), goals-against average (4.95), and save percentage (.492). Saint Joseph's scored double-digit goals 14 times and held opponents to five goals or fewer in 10 contests en route to the program's first conference championship since 2022. Dexter becomes the third coach in program history to earn GNAC Coach of the Year honors, joining Rupert Lewis (2015, 2016) and David Keenan (2023).
Highbarger claimed the first All-Conference honor of her career after totaling 65 goals, 12 assists, 52 draw controls, 42 ground balls, and 31 caused turnovers during her sophomore campaign. She ranked second in the GNAC in shots (143), fourth in shots on goal (102), fifth in goals, and eighth in points (77).
Dumond earned the first all-conference honor of her career after totaling 65 goals, four assists, 53 draw controls, 44 ground balls, and 24 caused turnovers. The 2026 GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player established career highs in nearly every statistical category while leading the conference in shots (147) and shots on goal (106) and tying for fifth in goals scored.
Copp rounds out the Monks' all-conference selections and collected the second All-GNAC honor of her career after helping lead the conference's top defensive unit as a senior captain. One of just three players to start all 20 games for Saint Joseph's this spring, she totaled 22 ground balls, 17 caused turnovers, and 15 draw controls and heads into Saturday's NCAA Tournament contest with 76 caused turnovers, 70 ground balls, and 23 draw controls in 74 career games.
Saint Joseph's claimed the GNAC Championship with a 12-3 victory over Emmanuel College on Saturday to secure the program's third conference title and first since 2022. With the GNAC Champion's automatic qualifier into the national tournament, the Monks will make their third NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday when they face Stevens Institute of Technology at Amherst College at 1:00 PM.
Major Awards
Attacker of the Year: Celia Melanson, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Midfielder of the Year: Madeline Wright, Emmanuel
Defender of the Year: Ava Molineaux, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Addison Glavin, Colby-Sawyer
Rookie of the Year: Grace Joly, Colby-Sawyer
Coach of the Year: Lydia Dexter, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Institutional Sportsmanship: Mitchell College
First Team
A- Celia Melanson, SJC
A- Emily Watson, Lasell
A- Lauren Vignola, Colby-Sawyer
A- Meadow Gilchrist, NEC
M- Madeline Wright, Emmanuel
M- Ella Highbarger, SJC
M- Caitlyn Fielder, Norwich
M- Grace Joly, Colby-Sawyer
D- Ava Molineaux, SJC
D- Brooke Farquhar, Colby-Sawyer
D- Halle Miller, Emmanuel
D- Madelyn Poulton, Rivier
GK- Addison Glavin, Colby-Sawyer
Second Team
A- Anna LeGault, USJ
A- Riley Davis, NEC
A- Taylor Dumond, SJC
A- Kailey Krusewski, USJ
M- Alana Picard, USJ
M- Ruby Cahill, Lasell
M- Cecilia Ponzini, Colby-Sawyer
M- Hayleigh Young, Rivier
D- Luci Walden, Colby-Sawyer
D- Alexis Copp, SJC
D- Kaitlyn Eisentraut, Norwich
D- Abigail Graham, Emmanuel
GK- Tia Spenlinhauer, Lasell
Third Team
A- Mackenzie McDonald, NEC
A- Rose Finlayson, Colby-Sawyer
A- Emilia Ferraro, Emmanuel
A- Athena Merck, Norwich
M- Avery Robillard, Emmanuel
M- Everett Garner, Simmons
M- Jackie Cronin, Elms
M- Mara Boldy, Lasell
D- Leila Kollmorgen, Lasell
D- Abigail Kirrane, Norwich
D- Maria Turriza, Simmons
D- Jamie Blondin, NEC
GK- Shea Cassani, Dean
