Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  The Massachusetts Maritime women’s lacrosse team has been named as the recipient of the 2011-12 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Presidential Sportsmanship Award in recognition of their actions during competition this spring.  The award was announced by MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann during the league’s annual spring meetings.

The MASCAC Presidential Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to a student-athlete or team that has demonstrated acts of sportsmanship during competition while also consistently demonstrating good sportsmanship and ethical behavior in his, her or their daily participation in intercollegiate athletics.  Additionally, recipients have exemplified the values of respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty, integrity and responsibility in their actions.

The honor is the second straight for Massachusetts Maritime Athletics, as former women’s cross country and outdoor track & field standout Meredith Hall ’11 earned the accolade last year.  Hall, who stopped competing during a cross country race in September 2010 to assist a student-athlete from Brandeis University who was suffering an asthma attack, was one of four individuals to receive the prestigious NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award last August, an honor that the Buccaneer women’s lacrosse team will also be nominated for.

On March 31^st, the women’s lacrosse team traveled to Elms College for its inaugural New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance match.  As a first-year varsity program, Massachusetts Maritime entered the contest after recording its first victory just two days earlier at Wheelock College after being outscored in its first five matches by an aggregate 80-20 score.  An injury to a starting player forced the host Blazers to play short one person for most of the match, and another injury later in the match forced Elms to play two men down for the final 15 minutes of action.  Buccaneer Head Coach Julie Rigo knew of the situation and pulled one of her players off the field to start the match to even up sides (10 vs. 10).  When the second Elms injury occurred later in the contest, Rigo again pulled one of her players off the field to even the sides up (9 vs. 9).  Massachusetts Maritime went on to win the match by a 9-6 final, the Buccaneers’ second and final victory of the 2012 season.

In a letter that was sent to Massachusetts Maritime Director of Athletics Bob Corradi, Elms Head Coach Ruth Ness said the following:  “I am writing to express my sincerest appreciation for the sportsmanship and kindness of your lacrosse staff.  Due to injuries, my team had to play short one player for most of the game, and then down two for the final 15 minutes.  Your head coach pulled players off the field in order to keep numbers equal.  When I thanked her, she said “We’ve been there, why wouldn’t I want to plan an equal game?”  Julie has my utmost respect, and to me has shown what sportsmanship and true competition is all about.  I believe those women on her team are extremely fortunate to have her as their coach, and your department is lucky to call her a colleague.”

Massachusetts Maritime received the 2012 New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance Sportsmanship Award earlier this month as voted by the league’s coaches before adding the MASCAC accolade last week.  The recipients of the 2011-12 NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Awards will be announced later this summer.

“The example that Coach Rigo, (Assistant) Coach (Kelsey) Lareau and the entire women’s lacrosse team set is something that reflects the incredible character and integrity that our cadets display on a daily basis,” Corradi says of this year’s MASCAC honor.  “The lessons they have learned are, in turn, providing examples to emulate, and they have given enhanced meaning to the term ‘Buccaneer Pride’.”