Peyton Howell Named Division II Women's Preseason Player of the Year

Peyton Howell, last year’s national player of the year who led defending NCAA champion Tampa with 93 goals and 116 points, is the USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Howell was also recognized in 2025 as the Sunshine State Conference’s Athlete of the Year — an award that considers athletes from all sports. It was a worthy honor, too, as Howell has helped guide Tampa to a 40-4 record and back-to-back NCAA titles since transferring from Louisville prior to the 2024 season.

Howell, who is also the Preseason Attacker of the Year, is joined by a handful of others who were named as the best at their respective positions on Wednesday. See them all below.

AttackER of the Year

Peyton Howell, Tampa

Transferring from Louisville to Tampa could be one of the best things to ever happen to the Spartans — and possibly to Howell, too. With a chance at three straight NCAA titles, all eyes are on Howell in 2026.

MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR

Olivia Bladon, UIndy

The returning first-team All-American helped lead the Greyhounds back to their first final four since 2022 with a dominant all-around campaign, leading UIndy in goals (85), points (102), draw controls (102) and ground balls (45). She needs just eight more goals to become the third UIndy player ever to register 200.

DefenDER of the Year

Sonny Lionetti, Adelphi

A two-year starter for the Panthers, Lionetti was one of the defensive anchors that helped lead them back to the NCAA championship game in 2025. She had a team-high 44 ground balls, 66 draw controls and 35 caused turnovers while helping Adelphi rank among the national leaders in takeaways.

Goalie of the Year

Abby Simonetti, East Stroudsburg

The reigning defensive player of the year in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and a two-time All-American, Simonetti is a dominant force for the Warriors defense. Last year, she led the nation with .560 save percentage while also ranking among the national leaders with a 9.42 goals against average.