Woodward is Big East Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Marquette University men’s lacrosse defenseman Mason Woodward is the unanimous BIG EAST Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and joins attackmen Devon Cowan and Bobby O’Grady on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, it was announced on Thursday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles are picked to finish third in the league’s annual preseason coaches’ survey, while the selection of Cowan and Woodward to the all-conference team was unanimous.

Woodward is MU’s first preseason defensive player of the year since Liam Byrnes shared the distinction with Denver’s Christian Burgdorf prior to the 2016 campaign. Woodward and Byrnes are the only two players from rosters outside of Denver or Georgetown to earn BIG EAST offensive of defensive player of the year since 2014, a span of 10 years. In that stretch, Denver (12), Georgetown (7) and Marquette (2) are the only schools with players recognized.

Woodward, who became the first three-time USILA All-American in program history with third team honors last spring, is the only Marquette player to be selected as team captain four times. He was a unanimous All BIG-EAST First Team selection in 2023 and led the team in caused turnovers in all four of his campaigns. He was a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection last season at close defense and was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List last February, becoming only the third MU player to earn mention on the list. Woodward was also a first team all-league pick during his first conference season in 2021 and was a second team choice in 2022.

The native of Towson, Maryland is the program’s all-time leader in ground balls per game (4.71 per contest) and begins his 2024 campaign just six behind Marquette all-time ground ball leader Liam Byrnes (218) with 212. He ended the 2023 regular season second in NCAA Division I among close defensemen in ground balls per game (5.00).

Cowan (86 career goals) and O’Grady (88 goals) form one of the most productive attack pairings in the country and are each positioned to overtake former USILA All-American Ryan McNamara (102 goals) as Marquette’s all-time scoring leaders this spring. Last season, the Golden Eagles scored a league-best 77 goals in conference play, a 15.40-goals-per-game clip against BIG EAST foes, and boasted the league’s most efficient man-up scoring and penalty killing units. MU also led the conference in shooting percentage (.383) and had a league-low 14.20 turnovers per game (tied with Georgetown).

Cowan was All-BIG EAST First Team selection last year in addition to second team honors in 2022 and first team recognition in 2021. He scored 26 goals last season and added four assists for the second 30-point season of his career (he had 29 points in 11 games in 2022).

The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native became the fourth player in Marquette history to reach 100 career points with two goals against St. John’s on April 8 and his 114 career points rank third all-time at MU behind Ryan McNamara (152) and Conor Gately (140). He also ranks third all-time at MU in goals (86), fourth in game winners and seventh in assists.

O’Grady once again led MU in scoring last year, posting 43 goals and 49 points over 14 games to place him 15th nationally in goals per game (3.07). Through just 29 games of his NCAA career, he’s second in program history in career goals (88) and the all-time leader in man-up scores (19).

The native of Milton, Massachusetts earned six BIG EAST weekly recognitions last year and is the only Marquette player to score 40 goals in a season and has done it twice – 43 this year and a program-record 45 as a true freshman.

It is the sixth time Marquette has had at least three players earn preseason accolades and it is the fourth time MU is projected to finish third-or-higher in the preseason poll.

Keep up with the Marquette men’s lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and ‘liking’ on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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