Elyssa Enrique (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover), a member of the Saint Francis women's lacrosse team, has been selected by the Northeast Conference (NEC) as one of two conference representatives moving on to the next stage of the NCAA Woman of the Year. Enrique becomes the third Red Flash student-athlete to be an NEC nominee since 2006 and the first since women's swimmer Teresa Narduzzi in 2020. Ali Williams was also an NEC nominee in 2014 for Saint Francis.
"It is such an honor to get to represent not only Saint Francis, but also the NEC within the NCAA Woman of the Year program," said Enrique. "This has been the best year of my life and I am so thankful to everyone that has supported me and made this crazy year possible. Our team made waves this year in the conference, and I was incredibly blessed to have been a part of it. Saint Francis is just such a special place to me, and I am forever thankful I was able to call it my home for the past five years. The people and experiences on campus have pushed me to grow into the person I am today. I hope that over my time at Saint Francis, I have been able to show my teammates and those around me that no obstacle is too big and that no dream is out of reach."
Enrique moves onto the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, who will identify the Top 30 – 10 from each division – and from there selects three finalists from each division. Enrique looks to become the first Saint Francis player to make the Top 30 in program history and second from the NEC after Sierra Clark from Wagner in 2018. From the nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then selects the NCAA Woman of the Year, who is named during a luncheon at the NCAA Convention. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in October and the nine finalists will be revealed in November. The 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2024 NCAA Convention in January.
These factors will be taken into consideration for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year nomination cycle. Scoring for the academic achievement section is based on the undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of the nominee. NCAA staff will score the athletics excellence section. The selection committee will score the service/leadership section and the personal statement. In the areas of leadership, athletics and personal statements, the selection committee may award five scoring marks up to a maximum score of five at their discretion. The Committee on Women's Athletics understands that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted student-athletes in modifications to academic instruction and cancelation or postponement of athletics seasons and championships, and that not all sports, seasons and schools experienced the same disruptions.
what they are saying about elyssa enrique
Tracy coyne, saint francis women's lacrosse head coach
"There are those rare occasions when the stars align and everything thing just comes together to create a magical experience. Elyssa returning for her final season of eligibility was one of those occasions. History was made for Saint Francis lacrosse in 2023 and none of it would have happened if Elyssa didn't have the courage to pursue uncharted territory. - competing as a DI athlete during her PA clinical rotation. Her request to play was met with a ton of resistance, but she remained undeterred. Without that tenacious resolve to exhaust her eligibility, the 2023 Red Flash lacrosse season would have been a disaster. Lucky for us, she won the battle and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Any time you interact with Elyssa, she radiates warmth and sincerity. A humble but determined athlete, Elyssa has the heart of a champion. There were so many times when she lifted us up whether it was through a kind word, or a killer save at a critical point in the game. She has left an indelible mark on the Saint Francis community; one that will be remembered for years to come."
lisa swope, saint francis senior associate ad/senior woman administrator
"Elyssa is an extraordinary Division I athlete. Her accomplishments on and off the field are a model for all of our female student-athletes and her recognition by the NEC for this nomination is well earned and well deserved. Saint Francis University Athletics is proud that she chose to wear our jersey."
john krimmel, saint francis senior associate ad for student-athlete and leadership development
"Elyssa is one of the most amazing student-athletes and human beings I have ever been around in my entire life. She is so deserving of this honor and is a true recognition of her dedication to being the best student, athlete, and person she could be while here at Saint Francis. We are all better for having had the opportunity to be around Elyssa during her time at SFU and her impact within the Department of Athletics and across the entire university will continue to be felt for many years to come. Elyssa comes from an amazing family and her parents raised a remarkable woman who we were blessed to have had as a part of the Red Flash Family over the past five years. Her involvement in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Student-Athlete Mentors (SAMs) program, and the APPLE Leadership Team left a lasting impression and impact on our office and the entire student-athlete population. Elyssa is deserving of this honor and every honor she has already received and will continue to receive. We are incredibly excited for Elyssa and we are beaming with pride here in Loretto. Thanks, Elyssa, for blessing us with your time here at Saint Francis and enjoy every moment of this incredible honor!"
amy mcnally, saint francis assistant director for student-athlete development/academic services
"Elyssa is a light that Saint Francis University was so fortunate to have over the last five years. She brings excellence and grace in every aspect of her life from the classroom to the lacrosse field, to the locker room, to the weight room, to being a friend, sister, daughter... I can go on and on. Elyssa knows what it takes to be an excellent student-athlete and an even better person.
There is no one more deserving to earn this outstanding award than her. Elyssa has grown into a wonderful young woman that little girls will look up to as she finishes her education to receive a master's degree in physician assistant sciences. Elyssa has such a bright future and I look forward to seeing her shine in the game of life."
dr. carrie beebout, saint francis program director/chair of the physician assistant program/ faculty athletics representative (FAR)
"Elyssa has worked incredibly hard both on the field and in the classroom. It takes a special person to be able to balance the rigor and pace of the physician assistant program and the demands of being at the top of their game as a Division I athlete, and Elyssa has done that. I am very proud of her for all of her accomplishments."
autumn mchenry, saint francis women's lacrosse teammate (2019-23)
"Elyssa is completely committed to whatever she sets her mind to do. She balanced caring for patients all day long and then coming to practice and playing at the highest level. She always came to practice with a smile on her face and brought such a grateful perspective. She treated every practice as a gift since she wasn't originally supposed to play lacrosse during her fifth year. She is a big reason why our team experienced so much success this past year and now she is bringing her talents to caring for hematology and oncology patients. I was blessed to play five years of college lacrosse with her."
olivia baldini, saint francis women's lacrosse teammate (2022-23)
"Elyssa has been a driving force both on and off the field from the moment I met her. She is someone I have always looked up to because of her caring and hardworking nature. Having the opportunity to play with Elyssa has been amazing; she's a natural leader, a beautiful person on the inside and out and no one deserves to be an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee more."
chyler espino, saint francis women's lacrosse teammate (2022-23)
"Elyssa is one of the most positive, motivated, and hardworking people I've ever met. I can always count on her to cheer me up when I'm feeling down or hype me up before a game. I am extremely grateful to have gotten the chance to play with her for my first two years of college. I always knew that if I got beat in a 1v1, I can count on Elyssa to make the save. She has been an amazing role model to me and has shown what great leadership is. I'm definitely going to miss playing with her, but I'm excited to see all the things she accomplishes in life."
elyssa enrique's ncaa woman of the year resume
Enrique was named to the All-NEC second team in 2023 after helping the Red Flash to its best season in program history thanks to finishing 10-6 overall and 5-3 in league play. The Red Flash participated in the NEC Tournament for the first time in program history. Enrique, who led NCAA Division I for most of the 2023 season in save percentage, finished second in the nation in save percentage (.537) and saves per game (12.17), while also ranking fourth in saves (195) and 37th in goals against average (11.06).
Her save percentage and goals against average were also a Saint Francis single-season program record. Enrique's 195 saves were the third most in single-season team history, surpassing the 174 stops she registered in 2022 that now sit fourth on the team's chart. Along with holding the program record, she holds three of the Top-7 save percentage (third, .475 [2022] and fifth, .459 [2021]) and goals against average (sixth, 12.62 [2021], eighth, 13.67 [2022]) single-season marks in program history.
She also tied the single-game program record with 24 saves against Stetson on March 14. The netminder also turned away the fifth-most shots in program history with 19 saves against Sacred Heart on March 25 and has rejected 18 shots in a game three times to hold five of the Top-10 save marks in single-game program history. In addition, she was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career on March 5.
For her career, she leaves as the program leader in goals against average (12.50), while ranking third in saves (565).
A 2022 graduate of Saint Francis in health care studies with a concentration in Physician Assistant Studies, she is received her Master of Physician Assistant Science degree last week. Enrique registered a 3.494 grade point average as an undergraduate and a 3.632 grade point average in graduate school. In the classroom, Enrique was named to the Dean's List from 2018-21, the NEC Spring Academic Honor Roll from 2019-23 and the Intercollegiate of Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Honor Roll in 2021.
Enrique was heavily involved in campus activities, participating on Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), serving as a Student-Athlete Mentor and an Apple Leadership Team member. In addition, she held leadership positions for SAAC (Vice President, 2021-22) and FCA (Christian Athlete Outreach Leader). For her service, she was named to the SAAC Hall of Fame, earned the Fr. Gabriel Zeis Student-Athlete Development Leadership Award and received the Rossy Award for her dedication and outstanding work in the area of diversity, equality and inclusion. Enrique was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success in 2019-20.
The North Canton, Ohio, native was also committed to the community by aiding the women's lacrosse team with its Flash Packs with Love campaign by helping collect school supplies to donate to local grade schools in Loretto surrounding area. She also gathered used or new toys for Seeds for Needs with the toys being donated to patients at a UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Enrique helped with Sunrise Thanksgiving baskets by assisting with getting team donations for a classic Thanksgiving Dinner, hygiene products for Minis 4 Many, shoes for Soles for Souls and also made holiday cards for those in foster care, veterans and people in nursing homes. In addition, she would aid with the cleanup at Vale Wood Farms for its fall festival or preparing for the spring.
