Seven Tar Heels Tabbed IWLCA All-South Region

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – University of North Carolina women's lacrosse had seven Tar Heels tabbed All-South Region, the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) announced on Friday. Sam Forrest, Ashley Humphrey, Chloe Humphrey and Brooklyn Walker-Welch claimed first-team recognition, while Betty Nelson, Eliza Osburn and Ellie Traggio were named second team.

Forrest, a junior defender from Glastonbury, Conn., is one of the key cogs in Carolina's top-ranked defense. A Tewaaraton Award Top 25 Nominee, second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honoree, Forrest has tallied 18 groundballs, 17 caused turnovers and four draw controls for a defense that is allowing just 6.95 goals per game. The Heels 139 goals allowed is the fewest allowed in the nation this year. Forrest is often assigned UNC opponent's top scorer and has done a masterful job keeping them in check. Over 11 games against some of the nation's best attackers, Forrest held them collectively to just 13 goals and four assists.

A graduate student from Darien, Conn., Ashley is the top playmaker in the country and a Tewaaraton Award finalist. A four-time All-American, she set the NCAA record for career assists, passing Stony Brook's Kylie Ohlmiller during Thursdays quarterfinal game versus Princeton. Ashley currently stands at 250 career assists. She also tied UNC's school record for points in a single season with 113. A first-team All-American, first-team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team member, she's tallied 82 assists, UNC's single-season record, and 31 goals on the year to accumulate her 113 points, despite being face-guarded in numerous games. Humphrey's 82 assists and 4.1 assists per game lead the nation.

Chloe, the freshman phenom from Darien, Conn., is widely considered the nation's most dynamic young attacker, having scored 79 goals to go along with 27 assists for 106 points. A Tewaaraton Award finalist, first-team All-American, first-team All-ACC and the ACC Tournament MVP, her 79 goals set an NCAA record for goals by a freshman, passing the previous mark of 74 by Maryland's Karri Ellen Johnson. Chloe has scored five or more goals eight times this season and has tallied hat tricks in 16 of the first 20 games of her collegiate career. She is the main reason UNC ranks first nationally in goals per game at 17.6.

Walker-Welch, a junior defender from Courtice, Ontario, is now a three-time All-American and the general of UNC's top-ranked defense. A Tewaaraton Award Top 25 Nominee and first-team All-ACC performer, she has collected 26 groundballs this season to go along with 16 caused turnovers for a defense that is allowing just 6.95 goals per game. The Heels 139 goals allowed is the fewest in the nation this year. In eight games against some of the nation's best attackers, Walker-Welch only allowed 10 goals and four assists.

A redshirt freshman from Littleton, Colo., Nelson has been a stalwart in goal all season. A third-team All-American, second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team member, she has played 939 minutes and made 114 saves on 368 shots for a 49.1 save percentage. Nelson's 7.54 goals against average leads the country and her 118 goals allowed are the fewest of anyone who has played more than 16 games.. She only allowed 22 goals over three games in the ACC Tournament to help Carolina win the title and claim her spot on the all-tournament team.

Osburn, a freshman from Castle Rock, Colo., has turned in an outstanding freshman season in midfield, earning ACC Freshman of the Year, Honorable Mention All-America, second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament. She has scored 31 goals and dished out eight assists for 39 points to support the nation's No. 1 offense. She's also tallied 48 draw controls, 13 groundballs and eight caused turnovers to assist the country's top-ranked defense.

A junior from Sharon, Conn., Ellie Traggio has been a stalwart for the nation's top-ranked defense. Traggio has tallied 32 groundballs and 17 caused turnovers for a defense that is allowing just 6.95 goals per game. The Heels 139 goals allowed is the fewest in the nation this year. During four regular-season games against UNC's best opponents, Traggio held her marks to just one goal and two assists. She held Northwestern's Riley Campbell and Duke's Mattie Shearer pointless, while she allowed just one goal and two assists against Notre Dame's Kathryn Morrissey and Boston College's McKenna Davis.

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Players Mentioned

Sam Forrest

Ashley Humphrey

Chloe Humphrey

Betty Nelson

Eliza Osburn

Ellie Traggio

Brooklyn Walker-Welch

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