June 17, 2004
FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason University's Lisa Hagan was honored at a banquet Sunday (June 13) as the Women's Lacrosse Club of South Jersey Collegiate Player of the Year, Sue Paige, chairperson of the College All-Star Committee, announced. Hagan is the first South Jersey athlete from Mason to receive the award.
"It was such an honor and a surprise to receive this award," expressed Hagan. "I had been to the banquet four years earlier, but never expected that I would be one of the people standing at the podium giving a speech to the other high school players. It was a very nice event and I had a great time."
A native of Collingswood, N.J. and Collingswood High School, the accolade is the third postseason award given to Hagan this season. She was also selected to the all-Colonial Athletic Association second team and the Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) all-Academic team. She was one of two Patriot athletes elected to participate on the South team in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) North/South Senior All-Star game.
Hagan, a midfielder and 2004 team co-captain, garnered second team all-CAA honors for the fourth straight year. She started every game this season and led George Mason in assists with 17. She concluded the year ranked second in points (37), totaled 20 goals and was eighth in the league in assists per game.
Hagan, who owns the Patriot record for career assists (78) and is second overall in points scored (152), started 68 consecutive games in a Mason uniform, breaking the Patriot record for consecutive games started and consecutive games played previously held by two-time IWLCA All-American Jill Toomey (2000-03). Hagan's 74 career goals are fourth all-time at Mason. She also contributed 31 ground balls, 13 caused turnovers and 15 draw controls, concluding her illustrious career ranked in the Patriot top 10 in four major statistical categories.
Hagan has been just as competitive in the classroom as she has been on the field. Including her 2004 VaSID all-Academic selection, she was a Dean's List student and member of the Athletic Director's Honor every semester throughout her career. A 2004 graduate with a 3.7 grade-point average and a degree in biology, Hagan received a 4.0 GPA in the fall 2003 semester and was named to the 2003 IWLCA national Academic Honor Roll following the season. Her other academic accolades include earning the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award three times, being selected a George Mason Scholar-Athlete four times, and receiving the Verizon Academic All-District III Women's At-Large award in 2002. Over the past two seasons, Hagan was also a member of the George Mason University Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
Coaches of the high school teams in South Jersey comprise the Women's Lacrosse Club of South Jersey. First formed in 1984, the Club recognizes players who have gone on to play lacrosse in college and have had successful careers. A committee made up of collegiate umpires and past coaches reviews nominations and selects players of the year from the various college divisions. Consideration is based on the athlete's success as a player, contribution to the team, and coach's recommendation.
George Mason ended its season with a 7-10 overall record and a No. 19 ranking in the IWLCA Top 20 national poll. The Patriots tied for third in the league standings at 4-3 and were the No. 4 seed in the CAA conference tournament. Mason had five players named to the all-CAA first and second teams.
