Women’s Lacrosse Names 2020 Team Captains
12/4/2019 3:21:42 PM | Women's Lacrosse
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Five experienced Buckeyes – Jill Rizzo, Emily Skrzypczak, Regina Doty, Liza Hernandez and Lindsay Epstein – were named the 2020 Ohio State women’s lacrosse team captains, head coach Amy Bokker announced today. Jill Rizzo is a three-time returning captain while Skrzypczak, Doty, Hernandez and Epstein have earned the title for the first time in their careers.
The five captains have played in a combined 151 games and have helped the Buckeyes win 20 games over the last three seasons. They also lead off the field as each of them have been an OSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection throughout their careers.
“Our staff is extremely excited about the five leaders selected to guide our team this year,” said head coach Amy Bokker. “Regina, Emily, Lindsay, Liza and Jill have shown unwavering commitment to our core values and are true positive influences for Buckeye women’s lacrosse. They each embody the traits of excellent role models and we believe, collectively, will help lead our team to greatness.”
Each of the five captains represent each position on the lacrosse field and they are expected to guide their units accordingly. The captains will demonstrate and uphold the teams core values at the highest standard. The five leaders will also act as liaisons to the coaching staff and lead at all levels, including performance, within the locker room, academically, socially, organizationally and inspirationally.
Rizzo has started 48 games in goal over the last three years and finished her junior season first in ground balls per game (3.24) in the Big Ten, tied for 11th in the NCAA. She is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in marketing.
Skrzypczak, a Burke, Va. native, did not see any game action last year due to injury. She earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar accolades and is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete. Skrzypczak is majoring in health sciences and is was one of 16 student-athletes to register a perfect 4.0 GPA for the 2018-19 academic year.
Like Skrzypczak, Doty missed last season due to injury and had also been a stellar contributor in the classroom. She has twice earned Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-Athlete honors as a civil engineering major.
Hernandez is Ohio State’s leading returning scorer and is coming off a season in which she scored 35 goals and added 26 assists. A local product from New Albany High School, Hernandez finished sixth in the Big Ten in points per game (3.59) and enters her senior season with 118 career points. She is majoring in human resources and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
A Marietta, Ga. native, Epstein has started all 32 games over the past two seasons with 23 goals and six assists. A communications major, Epstein was a Bucks Go Pro intern this past summer in the athletics communications office. She is also an OSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
“I am extremely humbled and honored to be a captain this season. As a team, we have been working hard to create a new culture for Buckeye Lacrosse,” said Epstein. “I am beyond excited to do this alongside four other amazing student-athletes. We’re ready to put Buckeye Lacrosse on the map and I’m excited to step up and help get the team there.”
