Women's Lacrosse Trio Earns CACC All-Conference Honors; Noack Named 2026 Rookie of the Year

FULL CACC Release

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – After making the conference playoffs for the fourth straight season, the University of Bridgeport's women's lacrosse team earned five CACC All-Conference honors from three student-athletes for the 2026 season, as announced by the league on Wednesday.

Freshman Payton Noack headlined the group with a standout debut campaign, earning CACC Rookie of the Year honors while also collecting first-team recognition on attack and second-team honors as a draw control specialist. She was joined on the first team by senior Tara Dimaio, while junior Kaley Maxwell garnered second-team All-Conference distinction.

Payton Noack – Freshman Attack | Center Moriches, NY
- CACC Rookie of the Year
- CACC All-Conference First Team (Attack)
- CACC All-Conference Second Team (Draw Controls)

Noack put together a sensational debut season for the Purple Knights, earning CACC Rookie of the Year honors along with a pair of All-Conference selections. She quickly established herself as one of the league's top all-around players, leading the CACC in draw controls per game (5.07) while ranking second on the team in both goals (45) and points (52).

Noack's scoring average of 3.0 goals per game placed sixth in the conference, highlighted by eight games with at least three goals and two seven-goal performances. One of those standout efforts came against STAC, where she added an assist for a season-best eight points.

Noack also dominated possession, recording at least six draw controls in seven games, including two contests with a season-high 10. She finished her great year as a four-time CACC Rookie of the Week selection and a Player of the Week honoree on March 16.

Tara Dimaio – Senior Attack | Shirley, NY
 - CACC All-Conference First Team

Dimaio capped off a historic career with her third straight first-team All-CACC selection, closing her time with the Purple Knights as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She led UB in both goals and points this season with career-best totals of 55 goals and 68 points, with her goal total tying the program's single-season record.

Dimaio ranked third in the CACC in goals per game and delivered 11 performances with at least three goals, including three separate seven-goal outings, while posting a season-high 10 points (7G, 3A) against Caldwell on April 15. She also made a major impact beyond scoring, leading the team with 29 caused turnovers and 31 ground balls while ranking third in the conference in caused turnovers per game (1.93).

Dimaio finishes her remarkable career as UB's all-time leader in goals (185), points (242), caused turnovers (141) and ground balls (178), cementing her legacy as one of the program's all-time greats.

Kaley Maxwell – Junior Defender | Center Moriches, NY
- CACC All-Conference Second Team

Maxwell earned her second straight All-CACC selection after being selected to the league's first team a year ago. She played a central role in a unit that allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the conference, ranking second on the team in both caused turnovers (21) and ground balls (25).

A steady defensive presence throughout the season, Maxwell recorded at least one caused turnover in 10 games, highlighted by a season-best five against Post on April 7. She also notched multiple ground balls in seven contests, including a season-high seven in that same matchup.

For all information regarding Bridgeport Athletics, visit www.UBKnights.com and follow UB Athletics on Facebook (UBPurpleKnights), X (@UBPurpleKnights) and Instagram (@UBPurpleKnights).