May 2, 2018
A quartet of Vanderbilt lacrosse players were honored by the BIG EAST Conference on Wednesday, as junior midfielder Julie Blaze, senior defender Margaret Fee, sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson and senior attacker Kayla Peterson were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the league’s coaches for their outstanding 2018 seasons.
Fee, Mathewson and Peterson each make their first appearances on the All-BIG EAST squad, while Blaze adds the honor to her First Team award last season and her Preseason All-BIG EAST nod in 2018.
“I could not be prouder of this group of girls and what they have done for our team,” Vanderbilt head coach Cathy Swezey said. “They are the ultimate competitors and are very deserving of this honor.”
Mathewson and Peterson fueled the Commodore offense all spring as the first duo in team history to score 50 goals in the same season. Peterson finished the year with a Vanderbilt-record 58 goals, while Mathewson added 51 in her sophomore season. The Commodores finished second in the BIG EAST with 14.06 goals per game, while Mathewson was second in the conference with 77 points and Peterson ranked second in the league with 58 goals.
“Emily and Kayla were quite the scoring duo,” Swezey said. “Their consistency and desire to carry the offense made us formidable. Kayla provided great verbal and playing leadership while Emily primarily led by example. They both made adjustments to their game to stay at their best. They also remained flexible as we changed the offense or adapted to our opponents.”
Peterson finished second in the BIG EAST and 15th nationally with 5.59 shots on goal per game, scoring multiple goals in 15 of Vanderbilt’s 17 contests and posting nine four-goal games. Her season was highlighted by a program-record tying eight-goal performance against Louisville on February 27. The senior finishes her career 10th in school history with 111 collegiate goals and eighth all-time at Vandy with 100 draw controls.
“Kayla has a quiet intensity about her that is amazing,” Swezey said. “She is extremely tough and clearly very skilled. I loved seeing her succeed while pulling top match-ups in every game. She was my go to leader on the offense and I will miss working with her more than I can say.”
Mathewson led the Dores with 77 points in 2018, becoming just the 12th current sophomore in Division I to reach 100 collegiate points. Mathewson scored five or more points in 10 of Vandy’s 17 games, and has scored 107 points in just 32 games through her first two seasons with the Commodores. The Philadelphia native also led the conference and ranked seventh nationally with 1.35 free position goals per game.
“Emily is one of those dual threat attackers that every coach hopes for,” Swezey said. “Her ability to score and feed is second to none as evidenced by her high ranking in the BIG EAST. It’s hard to believe she is only a sophomore, and the sky is the limit for her.”
Blaze followed up her All-BIG EAST First Team nod as a sophomore in 2017 with her inclusion on the Second Team as a junior. The midfielder remains one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the league at her position, finishing third on the Commodores behind Mathewson and Peterson with 44 points and 33 goals, while also collecting 41 draw controls, picking up 33 ground balls and causing 19 turnovers.
“Julie remains one of our top midfielders and creates so much on offense with her scoring ability,” Swezey said. “Julie also took her defensive game up a notch with [associate head coach Beth Hewitt] guiding her. We’re really proud of her growth there. She is always a threat and is one of the hardest-working players I have ever coached.”
Fee ends her Commodore career as a four-year starter on the backline, finishing 10th in program history with 65 caused turnovers. She did not miss a game in any of the past three seasons, and served as a key piece in the Commodores’ transition game and veteran defensive unit.
“Marge is an exceptional athlete and anyone who saw her play couldn’t help but notice her,” Swezey said. “She has phenomenal speed and could have been a midfielder if we didn’t need her on match-up defense so often. I can’t begin to express how good she is and how hard it will be to fill her void.”
Vanderbilt returns seven starters next season as the program moves to the American Athletic Conference for the league’s inaugural year of women’s lacrosse in 2019. The Commodores will join current BIG EAST foes Florida, Connecticut, Temple and Cincinnati, along with East Carolina, in the league.
