Maryland women’s lacrosse defender Lizzie Colson named Tewaaraton finalist

After locking down Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, Maryland women’s lacrosse defender Lizzie Colson added another accolade to her list as she was named a Tewaaraton finalist Friday morning.

She joins the likes of Northwestern attacker Izzy Scane, Boston College attacker Charlotte North and North Carolina’s Jamie Ortega (attacker) and Taylor Moreno (goalie) for collegiate lacrosse’s most prestigious award.

This is the first such nomination for Colson, which comes off of the heels of possibly her most impressive season yet despite not playing in-game competition for 637 days.

With an abbreviated schedule and coming off of an ACL injury that kept her out of the previous season, Colson’s 42 caused turnovers not only crush her previous single-season marks but also place her at the top of the nation’s leaderboard for the category.

In typical fashion, Colson was also a force on the draw circle, accumulating a 4.60 per game average. On top of that, her ground ball numbers were up as well, as she compiled a career-high 51 and owned the Big Ten with a 3.40 per game clip.

This nomination for the fifth year defender marks the 14th consecutive season a Terp has been named to the final five.

If Colson were to edge the rest of the nominees, she would be the first defender since Princeton’s Rachael Becker in 2003 to win the award. She would also be the second straight Terrapin, following the footsteps of her former teammate Megan Taylor, the first ever goalie to win the Tewaaraton.

Colson’s defense has been the anchor for a Terrapin team that has held its opponents to single-digit scores on six occasions this season. That defensive prowess sets Maryland up for a first round NCAA Tournament matchup against High Point at 7 p.m. Friday.