2018 IWLCA DIVISION III ALL-REGION TEAMS
MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University women's lacrosse defender
Christina Nelson (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) and goalie
Marissa Guillou (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) were named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association's Division III All-Great Lakes Region Team, both as second-team selections, it was announced on Thursday.
The duo are the first Augsburg women's lacrosse players to ever earn all-region honors in the five-season history of the program. Two 16-member teams were selected from the IWLCA's Great Lakes Region, which includes Division III schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, indiana, Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
The all-region selections are the latest honors for Nelson and Guillou. Nelson was named to the
All-Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference first team for the third straight year, while Guillou was named the MWLC's Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to earning All-MWLC first-team honors. She was an All-MWLC second-team honoree in 2016.
Already considered one of the best defenders in the conference, Nelson added a new dimension to her game this season, becoming the team's primary draw-control specialist. She finished the season with an
MWLC-leading and single-season school-record 111 draw controls, claiming a career-best 11 three times this season -- three of 13 games with five or more draw controls. Along the way, she also had team-best totals of 42 caused turnovers and 49 ground balls, while also scoring six goals on 16 shots. Her 42 caused turnovers were tied for
fifth-most in the MWLC. Nelson was also the leader of a defense that ranks fourth in the
NCAA Division III national statistics in caused turnovers per-game (16.67).
In 54 games over three seasons, Nelson now has 21 goals and two assists for 23 points. Her 129 caused turnovers and 157 draw controls are second-most in school history, while her 144 ground balls are third-most.
Guillou was the top goalkeeper, statistically, in the MWLC in 2018, leading the
conference's overall statistics in both goals-against-average (5.97) and save percentage (.552). Her GAA currently ranks fourth-best in the
NCAA Division III national statistics, while her save percentage is ninth-best. She finished 12-3 in 15 games (14 starts) this season, with her 12 wins second-most in the MWLC.
In 67 career games in goal, Guillou finished with a 39-23 record, a 9.77 goals against-average and a .472 save percentage, with 516 career saves. She also claimed 180 ground balls and 72 caused turnovers in her career, while scoring a goal with five assists. Augsburg's starting goalie the past four seasons, Guillou holds virtually every single-season and career goalkeeping record at Augsburg.
Under fifth-year coach
Kathryn Knippenberg, Augsburg finished 13-5 overall and 10-1 in MWLC play in 2018, setting new marks for wins in both overall and conference play. The Auggies qualified for the MWLC postseason playoffs for the third straight year since joining the conference, reaching the playoff title game this season. In Augsburg's five years of women's lacrosse, the Auggies are 49-31 overall, including a 24-7 record in its three seasons of MWLC play.
(NOTE: This story includes information taken from Augsburg's 2018 All-MWLC release.)
