Erie, Pa. – Two Mercyhurst College student-athletes were recognized Thursday morning as CoSIDA / ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Second Team honorees. Senior goalkeeper
Jason LaShomb of the men’s lacrosse team was voted to the Men’s At-Large Second Team at the College Division while classmate
Valerie Chouinard of the women’s hockey team landed on the Women’s At-Large Second Team at the University Division.
The District II College Division is composed of all NCAA Division II, III, NAIA and junior colleges in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The District II University Division encompasses the same region but only counts NCAA Division I programs. The teams are selected by vote of the district’s sports information directors. In order to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.3 grade point average or higher.
LaShomb guided the Lakers to an 11-3 record this past season. The Rush, N.Y. native made 123 saves while maintaining a 6.50 goals against average and a .612 save percentage. Through 14 games, the East Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year registered seven games of 10 or more saves and posted 14 stops on two different occasions. In the last the game of season, he stopped 12 shots and allowed just five goals to stun then-No. 3 New York Tech, 6-5. A three-time USILA All-American, LaShomb has a grade point average of 3.77 and will graduate this month with a degree in elementary education and special education.
Chouinard was instrumental in the Lakers (31-6-0) trek to the NCAA Division I Women’s Frozen Four title game this year. The College Hockey America Student-Athlete of the Year scored 21 goals and added 24 assists for 45 points, ranking third on the team in offense and tying for 20th nationally. In the Lakers’ 5-4 win over Minnesota in the NCAA Semifinals, she netted a goal and an assist to join teammate
Meghan Agosta as the only Mercyhurst players to reach 200 points in a career. Chouinard has a 3.92 grade point average at the graduate level and will earn her master’s in organizational leadership.
LaShomb and Chouinard join
Bryan Boyce (football),
Zac Wild (football),
Josh Szeluga (football),
Billy Colton (men's soccer),
Taylor Hilinski (women's soccer),
Sarah Powell (women's soccer) and
Elizabeth Maier (softball) as the Lakers' All-District representatives this season.