April 23, 2008

Center Valley, Pa. - The four teams in the upcoming Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Tournament accounted for 20 of the 24 selections to the 2008 All-Patriot League teams, it was announced on Wednesday. Top-seeded American and No. 3 Lehigh led the way with six selections apiece, while No. 2 Colgate tallied five selections and No. 4 Navy had three. Bucknell, three selections, and Holy Cross, one selection, rounded out the 2008 teams. All-Patriot League teams are selected by the Head Coaches of the seven Patriot League teams.

American tied for the Patriot League regular-season title for the first time since the 2003 season, which also marked the last Patriot League Tournament title for the Eagles as well. As a result, six Eagles were selected to the first and second teams for their outstanding play during the regular season. Seniors Lauren Aksionoff, Jackie Lane, Brittany Finnegan, Caitlin Bell and Kristine Vida each earned first-team status, while fellow senior Lauren Lane was selected to the second team. Aksionoff earned First-Team status for the second-consecutive season after finishing second on the team with 27 goals and 12 assist. She also registered one game-winning goal and caused three turnovers. Jackie Lane, who was a first-team selection and Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, finished eighth in the Patriot League with 3.31 points per game and finished with totals of 36 goals and 7 assist. Lane also registered one game-winning goal and caused 23 turnovers. Finnegan, a second-team selection in 2007, closed out the regular season with 15 goals, one assist, one game-winning goal and 14 caused turnovers. Bell, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Patriot League selection, scored six goals and caused 18 turnovers this season. Bell and Finnegan combined to lead an American defensive unit that surrendered 10.58 goals per game during the regular season. Vida closes out her career with her second-consecutive All-League nod, and posted totals of 176 goals against, 11.66 goals against average, 174 saves and a save percentage of 0.497 this season. Lauren Lane earns her first All-Patriot League selection after finishing with totals of 19 goals, nine assists and one game-winning goal this season.

Lehigh also finished with six All-Patriot League selections after recording an overall record of 10-6 during the regular season. Freshman Lauren Dykstra was the lone first-team selection for the Mountain Hawks, while second-team honorees included sophomores Inneke Carmola and Kelsy Ferris, juniors Sarah Fudin and Sara MacIntyre and freshman Allison Thomas. Dykstra led all Patriot League freshmen with 61 goals and 75 points during the regular season. The freshman also registered two game-winning goals and seven caused turnovers. Carmola, the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in the Patriot League, had yet another solid season as she finished with totals of 39 goals, 20 assists and one game-winning goal. Ferris was a rock in between the pipes this year for Lehigh, as she finished with just 174 goals against, a goals against average of 11.18, 166 saves and a save percentage of .488. Fudin helped lead the League's second-ranked statistical defense, which gave up just 177 goals this season, by forcing 20 caused turnovers. Thomas was one of several freshmen to have an impressive debut this season, racking up totals of 22 goals, six assists and a League-high four game-winning goals.

The next highest total went to No. 2 seed Colgate, which had five student-athletes selected to the All-Patriot League squads. First-team honorees included sophomore Brie Moran and seniors Jessica Van der Meulen and Molly Carroll, while freshman Colleen Bubnack and junior Maddie Kearns earned a spot on the second team. Moran was once again one of the more dangerous offensive threats in the League this season, as she tallied totals of 38 goals, six assists and nine caused turnovers. Van der Meulen also reached the 40-point plateau for the Raiders, as she notched 28 goals and 11 assists, to go along with 15 caused turnovers. Carroll was a defensive stalwart for Colgate in '08, finishing with totals of 17 goals, four assists and 16 caused turnovers. Bubnack adjusted well to the collegiate level this year, ending the regular season with 15 goals, 11 assists and a team-high 27 caused turnovers. Kearns also tied for the team high with 27 caused turnovers, and chipped in on the offensive end with three goals and two assists.

Navy finished its first season of play at the Division I level by setting an NCAA record for victories in a team's first season of play with 13. Leading the way for the Mids during their high-scoring season were first-team selections sophomore Erin Rawlick and freshman Meg Decker, while freshman Katrina Nietsch found a spot on the second team. Rawlick led the Patriot League with 64 goals and 86 points, and currently is ranked second in the nation in points and goals per game. Decker made an impact right from the start of her career by scoring 57 goals and 70 points in her inaugural season on the Yard. She also chipped in with 17 caused turnovers. Nietsch had an impressive debut for the Mids as well, closing the regular season with 38 goals, seven assists and two game-winning goals.

Bucknell also earned three All-Patriot League selections under first-year Head Coach Caline McHenry. Sophomore Carol Donohue, junior Bonnie Buechel and senior Lauren Deitrich each garnered a second-team selection for their play on the field this season. Buechel has put together totals of 22 goals, nine assists and 15 caused turnovers this season for the Bison. Donohue leads the Bison with 34 goals, 34 assists and one game-winning goal. She also holds the highest single-game points and assists totals this season in the NCAA, when she recorded eight assists and 13 points in a game against Wagner. Deitrich is the leader of a strong defensive unit for the Bison with 29 caused turnovers this season, to go along with three goals and two assists. Bucknell has one game remaining on their schedule, as they travel to Columbia on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game.

The final member of the First-Team All-Patriot League is Holy Cross senior Nikki Bolduc. The senior led the Crusaders with 38 goals and 46 points this season, while also tallying 23 caused turnovers.

This year's major award winners will be announced Thursday evening at the 2008 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Championship banquet in Washington, D.C. The Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Goalkeeper, Rookie and Coach of the Year will be revealed to kick off the championship weekend. The Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Championship will begin on Friday, April 25 with No. 1 American hosting No. 4 Navy at 1 p.m., followed by No. 2 Colgate taking on No. 3 Lehigh at 3:30 p.m. The winners of each semifinal will move on to the title game, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 27.

For more information about this year's championship, please visit the Patriot League website or click here.

First Team