Following a one-year hiatus — no one needed a reminder of how much 2020 sucked — we were stoked to put together our latest year-in-review edition.
Over 18 pages in the December edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine, we encapsulated the last 365 days in lacrosse with stories of the year, photos of the year and Best of Lax finalists in select categories.
Thanks to you, we had a blast celebrating #BestOfLax in 2021. Congratulations to all the winners, and we cannot wait to honor even more players, coaches and personalities next year.
#BESTOFLAX
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) November 29, 2021
There's so much to celebrate from 2021 — the year lacrosse came back.
Our December edition drops with a twist. We want YOU to help us decide WHO wins our annual Best of Lax awards. More info coming tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/erzgGjzsbb
THE CATEGORIES
BEST TEAM BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Boston College women
Imagine the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl in their fourth straight try in 1993, but with a cast of players considered inferior to their predecessors. That is what BC accomplished in its first full season following the graduation of the Big Three, as Charlotte North led the Eagles to an NCAA title after three championship game losses from 2017-19. See the rest of the nominees here.
And the winner for Best Team Breakthrough in #BestOfLax is...@BCwlax with 37% of the vote pic.twitter.com/0EGe04XDjz
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 2, 2021
BEST IN CLUTCH
Winner: Joe Robertson
The King of Clutch for the Blue Devils, Robertson scored five game-winning goals in 2021 — including three in overtime. In his three-year career, the attackman has scored 10 game-winners. Talk about cool under pressure. See the rest of the nominees here.
And the winner for Best in Clutch in #BestOfLax is...@DukeMLAX star Joe Robertson, who picked up 51.1% of the vote. pic.twitter.com/nqej3vBv7r
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 3, 2021
BEST IN FASHION
Winner: Izzy McMahon
Izzy McMahon has style on and off the field. The USC alum took her talents to the pro arena for Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse this summer and was a always a favorite during FIT Friday Walk-Ins. See the rest of the nominees here.
And the winner for Best in Fashion in #BestOfLax is...@AUProSports pro and @USCTrojansLax alum Izzy McMahon with 45.5% of the vote pic.twitter.com/PHkemglnAr
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 6, 2021
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Winner: Charlotte North
North was a cheat code in 2021, and she put together video game numbers on April 10 against Virginia Tech. She had 10 goals (Boston College and ACC single-game records, one assist and 13 draw controls in the 21-11 win.
And the winner for Best Individual Performance in #BestOfLax is ...
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 7, 2021
Who else? It's @BCwlax's Charlotte North with 35.8% of the vote — narrowly beating @UVAMensLax's Connor Shellenberger.
North's 10 goals against Virginia Tech set BC and ACC single-game records. pic.twitter.com/krBRbG6qGl
BEST HIGHLIGHT
Winner: Charlotte North
We seriously had to resist giving North her own highlight category. A human highlight reel, North can get on SportsCenter every single week. This goal, in our opinion, was by far her best — and it didn't happen in a BC uniform.
And the winner for Best Highlight is ...
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 8, 2021
Could it be anyone but Charlotte North? She takes the #BestOfLax poll with 45.4% of the vote pic.twitter.com/8oUaI9Sasg
BEST LACROSSE GENES
Winner: The Kirsts
There were few feel-good stories better in lacrosse. Connor and Colin Kirst transferred to Rutgers last winter to fulfill a family legacy and honor their late father, a former Rutgers goalie who died suddenly on June 16, 2015. The brothers helped revitalize a Rutgers program that ultimately made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2004. To make it even better, they matched up against their younger brother Cole Kirst, a Lehigh goalie, in the first round of the tournament.
And the winner for the lacrosse family with the Best Genes in 2021 is ...
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 9, 2021
The inspiring Kirst family with 43.2% of the vote
Don't know their story? Check it out here: https://t.co/VZAOKIJMpP pic.twitter.com/CCguexOdPw
BEST GLOW-UP
Winner: Mike Sisselberger
Spoiler alert: We will have more on Sisselberger in our January edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine — a lot more. But for now, just know that the bodybuilding faceoff man is a force to be reckoned with. He parlayed a successful (albeit, shortened) 2020 season into an otherwordly 2021, winning 79.5 percent of his draws.
And the winner for Best Glow Up in #BestOfLax is...@LehighLacrosse's Mike Sisselberger with 29.2% of the vote in our closest poll yet pic.twitter.com/wJnq5JGynz
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 10, 2021
BEST PERSONALITY
Winner: Sam Swart
The bubbly Syracuse midfielder who has trained with the U.S. national team this summer was a rising star in the college ranks last spring. From her flashy footwear to her postgame chest bumps, Swart — who is also well-versed in TikTok — is quickly becoming a household name.
And the winner for Best Personality in #BestOfLax is ...
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 14, 2021
Sam Swart with 42.9% of the vote pic.twitter.com/ZwcwO4WoBO
BEST SAVE
Winner: Sophia LeRose
You’re not alone if you found yourself re-watching the field-level replay of Sophia LeRose’s last-second save against Maryland. LeRose was doing it, too.
Watch the replay a second (or third, or fourth) time and you’ll count four Duke defenders swarming Maryland’s Libby May with just about 3 seconds left in the game and the Blue Devils clinging to a one-goal lead. With four sticks in May’s face, she fired a shot to the top-right corner of the cage from just inside the left wing of the 8-meter arc. It was perfectly placed, putting extra pressure on LeRose. By doing their jobs, the defenders also made LeRose’s job considerably harder.
She got her stick up just in time and popped the ball into the air. Maryland’s Catie May hauled in the rebound, but the buzzer had already sounded, sending Duke to its first NCAA quarterfinal since 2015.
This one was
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 14, 2021
But the winner for Best Save in 2021 with 32% of the vote is @DukeWLAX's Sophia LeRose for her HUGE stop against Maryland pic.twitter.com/sgk6rmH1u0
BEST IN ANOTHER SPORT
Winner: Jared Bernhardt
Three months after leading Maryland to the NCAA championship game and winning the Tewaaraton Award, Berhardt started at QB for Division II powerhouse Ferris State and accounted for seven touchdowns. Now, Bernhardt is gearing up for the Division II national championship game on Saturday. He won the GLIAC Player of the Year award, too.
The #BestOfLax winner for Best In Another Sport just so happens to be competing for a national championship with @FerrisFootball on Saturday.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 15, 2021
Read more about how Jared Bernhardt is honoring his late father's legacy: https://t.co/3ikCzBZ8eh pic.twitter.com/A8x7UUgJLr
BEST GAME
Winner: Duke vs. Notre Dame
Cameron Mulé scored with 1:55 left in overtime to lift Duke to an ACC win. This one was insane. Trailing 12-7, Duke capped the contest with six goals in the final 8:41. Notre Dame was held scoreless for the final 10:36. Nakeie Montgomery and Michael Sowers scored four of the six goals during the stretch. After not playing all game, Mulé took advantage of the lone extra man opportunity of the night for Duke.
The people have spoken.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 16, 2021
You might remember it as "The Shoe Game." We'll remember it as the Best Game of 2021.@DukeMLAX v. @NDlacrosse wins with 42.2% of the vote pic.twitter.com/aJp4FLMdMp
BEST MILESTONE
Winner: Charlotte North
North scored 102 goals in 2021, breaking the single-season record previously held by Courtney Murphy of Stony Brook. Better yet, North achieved the milestone in the NCAA championship game against Syracuse. Can she top her own record in 2022?
Charlotte North keeps cleaning up in #BestOfLax.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 17, 2021
The @BCwlax superstar is the winner for Best Milestone of 2021 for breaking the single-season Division I women's goals record. pic.twitter.com/e81SKXUNyT
BEST INSPIRATION
Winner: Chris Bocklet
Twenty-six days after suffering a traumatic brain injury while longboarding in Delray Beach, Fla., Bocklet, the former Virginia lacrosse star, regaled doctors and nurses — and his Instagram following of nearly 22,000 — with NSYNC hit “Bye Bye Bye” as he was discharged from the Shepherd Center for brain rehabilitation in Atlanta on Jan. 26.
And the winner for Best Inspiration of 2021 in #BestOfLax is ...
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 20, 2021
Chris Bocklet, who sang and danced his way back from a devastating head injury in January.@PLLChrome | @CRockN10 pic.twitter.com/of08J4oQY1
BEST COMEBACK STORY
Winner: Mary Griffin
Three days after testing positive for COVID-19, Griffin found out she had cancer. Both of her parents lost their jobs during the pandemic. The family dog died. Still, Griffin remained optimistic, returning to the field after doctors removed a lacrosse ball-sized tumor, her spleen and 40 percent of her pancreas. We’re not crying, you’re crying. Ready Mary Griffin’s inspiring story here in its entirety.
Mary Griffin is a fighter.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 21, 2021
She's also the winner for Best Comeback Story of 2021, as voted by YOU
Read her story here: https://t.co/aMkNpGuVhr pic.twitter.com/Uy0J5y5Jag
BEST PLAYER
Winner: Charlotte North
The Tewaaraton Award winner, North’s star gets brighter by the day. From her rocket sidearm shots from the 8-meter arc to her exuberant fist pumps after goals, North is one of the most recognizable figures in lacrosse. She’s looking to lead Boston College to its second straight NCAA title in 2022.
The people love Charlotte North.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 22, 2021
The @BCwlax superstar is the #BestOfLax Best Player of 2021, as voted by YOU.
In Best of Lax, North won Best Individual Performance, Best Highlight, Best Milestone and Best Player.
Sheesh. pic.twitter.com/nb2VoxncUC