Best of Lax 2022: Vote for Best in Goal

Mon Dec 19 2022 | Kenny DeJohn | Pro
Athletes Unlimited PLL Waterdogs Notre Dame Maryland Best of Lax 2022

PHOTOS BY KAIT DEVIR/AU, PLL, ADY KERRY, MARYLAND

From left to right: Taylor Moreno (Athletes Unlimited); Dillon Ward (Waterdogs); Liam Entenmann (USA); Emily Sterling (Maryland)

Welcome to #BestOfLax2022. Help us celebrate the past year of lacrosse by voting in 15 polls spread over 15 weekdays in December. All voting will be conducted on Twitter (@usalacrossemag), and fans will have 24 hours to let their voices be heard.

For more information — including upcoming categories, rules and more — check out our introductory post to #BestOfLax2022.

Goalies deserve some love, too.

So, let’s give it to them. In many ways, you could think of 2022 as the year of the goalie. Few times in recent memory have so many goalies left such distinct imprints on championship seasons — some on multiple championships in one season.

Here are the nominees for Best in Goal.

For the goalie who took care of business between the pipes. VOTE in our #BestofLax2022 poll to celebrate the top goalies in the sport this year.

NOMINEES: https://t.co/Dn5X2DsMzB

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 19, 2022

BEST IN GOAL

For the goalie who took care of business between the pipes.

TAYLOR MORENO

Taylor Moreno’s Championship Weekend was stuff of legend. Benched briefly while North Carolina was getting throttled by Northwestern in the NCAA semifinals, Moreno returned to ultimately make a win-sealing save. She then helped UNC dethrone Boston College in a one-goal win in the title game. The summer of Moreno was just getting started. As a rookie, the Huntington, N.Y., product was the champion of Athletes Unlimited’s second lacrosse season.

DILLON WARD

Like Moreno, Ward was a big fan of the summer months. He started it by winning an NLL crown with the Colorado Mammoth and followed it a few months later by capturing the PLL championship with the Waterdogs. For both teams, he was one of the top clutch players in the sport.

LIAM ENTENMANN

A USA Lacrosse Magazine third-team All-American after making 159 saves (57.2 percent) for Notre Dame, Entenmann used the college season as a springboard into the World Lacrosse U21 Men’s Championship in Limerick, Ireland. There, the 6-3 netminder was a key component in the United States’ run to a gold medal.

EMILY STERLING

The 2022 IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year was far from a sure thing entering the spring season. Sterling saved 39.9 percent of shots in 2021 but was one of the most improved players of 2022 after saving 53.1 percent of shots and leading Maryland to the NCAA semifinals. She allowed just 7.87 goals per game.