Sunshine State Conference Releases Women's Lacrosse All-Conference, Tampa Garners Three Major Awards

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Thirty-four student-athletes are recognized as All-Conference following the 11th season of Sunshine State Conference women's lacrosse. Tampa, the 2025 SSC Tournament Champions, collects nine awards, including Attack Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Goalkeeper of the Year.

All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams

Peyton Howell from Tampa is named Attack Player of the Year. Over 18 games this season, she tallied 104 points on 82 goals and 22 assists while maintaining a .516 shooting percentage. The junior from Towson, Maryland, leads the league in points, goals scored, goals per game (4.56), shots (159), and shots per game (8.83). She is also second in points per game (5.78) and 10th in assists. Howell is the first Spartan to be named Attack Player of the Year.

Saint Leo's Maria Palomba is the first Lion named Midfield Player of the Year. Hailing from Lawrenceville, Georgia, the senior tallied 56 points off 49 goals and seven assists across 18 games. She won 125 draw controls, picked up 29 ground balls, and caused 19 turnovers during the 2025 season. Palomba ranks second in SSC draw controls and draw controls per game (6.94). She's also Top-10 in goals scored, goals per game (2.72), Shots (96), and shots per game (5.33) 

Lexi Waters and Savvy Barbosa earned SSC Defensive Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors after anchoring a Tampa defense that led the conference in goals against average (8.61), scoring margin (+8.8), and ground balls per game (20.28). Waters, a senior from Smithtown, New York, ranks Top-4 in league ground balls (51), ground balls per game (2.83), caused turnovers (36), caused turnovers per game (2.00), draw controls (97), and draw controls per game (5.39). Barbosa, a sophomore from Parker, Colorado, totaled 99 saves in 765 minutes between the posts in 2025. She leads the SSC in save percentage (.485) and is second in goals against average (8.40). Waters and Barbosa are the second Spartans, overall and consecutive, to receive Defensive Player and Goalkeeper honors from the SSC1&2. 
 
Clare McGuire, a midfielder from Odenton, Maryland, has been named the SSC Freshman of the Year—the second in Florida Tech history to earn the honor. McGuire led the Panthers this season in draw controls (98). She was second on her squad in ground balls (23) and caused turnovers (21). McGuire ranks among the SSC's best in draw controls, sitting fourth overall and fifth per game (5.33).

Christina Nikolai garners SSC Coach of the Year accolades from her peers after guiding Embry-Riddle to its best season performance in program history. Under her leadership, the Eagles posted a 6-1 record in league play, secured the No. 3 seed in the SSC tournament, and notched their first-ever postseason victory. ERAU is currently ranked No. 4 nationally by the IWLCA and has appeared within the Top-10 in eight consecutive polls. Nikolai is the first women's lacrosse coach from ERAU to earn this honor.

Palomba highlights the repeat All-SSC winners in 2025 following her fourth consecutive All-Conference award and third First Team nod. She becomes the 12th women's lacrosse athlete to earn three First Team accolades during their career4. Along with Palomba, FSC's Abby McFerren, Lynn's duo of Kristyn Johnson and Rebecca Clark, and ERAU's Eliana Enners repeat as First Team from 2024. A total of 15 players repeat as All-SSC in 2025, including three former Freshman of the Year honorees.

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Attack Player of the Year: Peyton Howell, Tampa
Midfield Player of the Year: Maria Palomba, Saint Leo
Defensive Player of the Year: Lexi Waters, Tampa
Goalkeeper of the Year: Savvy Barbosa, Tampa
Freshman of the Year: Clare McGuire, Florida Tech
Coach of the Year: Christina Nikolai, Embry-Riddle
 

* = 2024 First Team All-SSC
^ = 2024 Second Team All-SSC
† = 2023 First Team All-SSC
‡ = 2023 Second Team All-SSC

1 Previous Tampa Defensive Players of the Year: Alyssa Romano (2024)
2 Previous Tampa Goalkeepers of the Year: Alex Walling (2024)
3 Previous Florida Tech Freshmen of the Year: Lauren Tybor (2018)
4 3+ First Team All-SSC honors: Four: Lindsay Van Beck (Rollins), Sara Grenier (Florida Tech), Olivia Going (Florida Tech), Kallie German (Rollins), Caroline Gastonguay (Rollins); Three: Sam Schiano (Florida Tech), Emily Santoli (FSC), Meghan O'Brien (FSC), Allie Modica (Florida Tech), Madison Tare (Florida Southern), Cece Colombo (Tampa), Maria Palomba (Saint Leo)