Although it will not quite make up for the Wildcats’ pair of losses last week, Northwestern did receive some good news Tuesday as Shannon Smith and Taylor Thornton were named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List. The list has been narrowed down from 55 players to 24 players, all of whom will vie for the prestigious award, which is given to the top men’s and women’s collegiate lacrosse players.

Smith, a junior attacker, leads the nation with 78 points, more than twice the number any of her teammates has compiled. On March 7, she racked up a National Player of the Week honor from womenslacrosse.com. She has now scored at least one goal in 36 consecutive games.

While Smith was also named to the midseason watch list last season, this marks Thornton’s first selection as a Tewaaraton nominee.

Thornton, a sophomore defender, was a second-team All-American last season and received ALC Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this year. The Texas native was also named the InsideLacrosse Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal in NU’s 7-6 overtime win over then-No. 3 North Carolina.

She has already doubled her scoring output from a year ago with 11 goals this season and ranks third on NU with 31 draw controls.

If either of the two captures the award, she would join a decorated duo of NU players who have received the award in the past. Hannah Nielsen and Kristen Kjellman combined to make history by bringing the trophy to Evanston for four consecutive years.

The award will be presented June 2 in Washington, D.C.