NEW HAVEN, Conn. (April 30, 2024) -- Wilmington University standout Ella Royer on Tuesday was named the 2024 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year as announced by Commissioner Dan Mara. Royer, who also was placed on the All-CACC First Team as a midfielder, earned the honors via voting conducted by the league's 10 head coaches in the sport.

Joining Royer as major-award winners were Caldwell University's Tiana Cipot (CACC Rookie of the Year), Dominican University's Erin Carr (CACC Defensive Player of the Year) and WilmU's Katie Vindigni (CACC Goalkeeper of the Year). Dominican's Rob Grella was named the CACC Coach of the Year, while Post University was named the CACC Team Sportsmanship Award winner.

Royer leads the conference with 80 goals while ranking third with 100 points. She also assisted on 20 other markers scored by the Wildcats this season. Royer has put 103 of her 128 shots on goal this season which tops the conference in that category. She has scored at least one goal in each game this season and logged four goals or more in 15 contests. Royer scored a season-high seven times in a pair of games this season.

Cipot posted 24 goals, seven assists and 31 points this season. She ranked among the top 10 in the conference in free-position goals (10) and was 13th in shooting percentage at .585. Cipot closed out her freshman season strong by scoring more than half of her season total goals over the final four games. 

Carr, who also earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2023, has been a defensive stalwart all season long in helping to guide the Chargers to an undefeated conference record (9-0) and the CACC Regular Season Championship. She ranks seventh in the conference with 27 caused turnovers while also ranking sixth with 46 ground balls collected. Carr was also named to the All-CACC First Team as a defender.

Vindigni has gone 13-4 in net this season with an 8.22 goals against average and a league-best .489 save percentage. She also tops the league in GAA, while also playing a CACC-high 1021:52 total minutes in net. Her 13 wins in goal is the second-best mark in the conference. Vindigni was also named to the All-CACC First Team.

Grella earns his second consecutive Coach of the Year honors after guiding Dominican to a 9-0 mark in conference play to win the regular season crown and enter this week's CACC Championship tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Chargers are seeking their second conference crown in as many seasons.

In addition to Carr, All-CACC First Team honors went to Caitlin Costello, Grace DeStasio, Madelyn Grella, Erica Ortz and Jenna Rigo.

Costello earns her third All-CACC First Team honors as she ranks in the top six in the conference in assists, points and draw controls.

DeStasio also makes her third appearance on the All-CACC First Team.  She ranks seventh in the conference in goals and is in the top 15 in points, assists and draw controls.

Sophomore Grella earns her second All-CACC First Team honors.  She sits in the top five in the conference in points, assists and goals.

Ortiz makes her third appearance on the All-CACC First Team.  She is third in draw controls and fourth in goals, while being in the top ten in points.

Defender Rigo earns her second All-CACC First Team accolades.  She is third in the conference in caused turnovers and was ninth in groundballs.

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ella Royer (Wilmington University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Tiana Cipot (Caldwell University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Erin Carr (Dominican University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Katie Vindigni (Wilmington University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE COACH OF THE YEAR
Rob Grella (Dominican University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Post University

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
A – Caitlin Costello (Dominican University)
A – Madelyn Grella (Dominican University)
A – Danielle Kreitler (University of Bridgeport)
A – Erica Ortiz (Dominican University)
M – Grace DeStasio (Dominican University)
M - Tara Dimaio (University of Bridgeport)
M – Remi Reinhardt (Georgian Court University)
M - Ella Royer (Wilmington University)
D - Erin Carr (Dominican University)
D - Faith Hardy (Thomas Jefferson University)
D - Payton Pugh (Holy Family University)
D - Jenna Rigo (Dominican University)
GK – Katie Vindigni (Wilmington University)

2024 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
A – Erin Avanzato (Thomas Jefferson University)
A – Alea Javorowsky (Wilmington University)
A – Isabel Raimondi (Georgian Court University)
A – Rianna Shields (Holy Family University)
M – Amelie Gamache (Wilmington University)
M – Iris Gluck (Thomas Jefferson University)
M – Maura Kilkenny (Holy Family University)
M - Makenzie Stritzinger (Wilmington University)
D - Madison Battle (Georgian Court University)
D – Tereza Kreuzova (University of Bridgeport)
D – Kelsey Naclerio (Georgian Court University)
D - Zorah Perry (Wilmington University)
GK – Kalyn Ammerlaan (Thomas Jefferson University)